Day Two - The Flight. Savannah to Atlanta to Washington DC.

Airplane travel was Johnny's least favorite mode of transportation. With shoulders like the front bumper on a '57 Chevy, they just didn't make the seats wide enough for him. But on the hop to Atlanta, he didn't even notice. Partly because he had a row to himself; the main reason was his worry for Sally. Although they had proved they could not live together, they were still fond of each other.

Johnny worked his way through the Atlanta airport to his connecting flight with little trouble. On his second flight, he was assigned to the aisle seat in a row of two. His neighbor was already seated and when Johnny started to settle in, the guy muttered, "You gotta be kiddin' me."

Johnny tried not to crowd him. He leaned out into the aisle as much as he could. But as passengers were still loading, he often had to pull back into the passenger space. The end result was more aggravating to the man. He was being squeezed between the wall of the aircraft and a monolith. The wall probably felt softer. Still muttering, The man rang the attendant bell and when the flight attendant could finally make her way to them, he unloaded on the poor girl. In an annoying nasal voice, he demanded to be moved to another seat; he was going to sue the airline and her personally if she didn't change his seat. He suggested first class would be a suitable recompense for the tribulations he had suffered. The young lady kept her cool and promised to see what she could do.

When everyone was settled, the chief steward walked back to them and said that there was, in fact, an opening in first class. As the angry man started to gather his things the steward said, "Oh, not for you, sir. We will be moving this gentleman." He then led Johnny to a seat in the front that was nearly as wide as his armchair back home, offered to get him a drink, and told him that complimentary meal service would begin after they were in the air.

Johnny was offered magazines to read, unlimited champagne, and once word spread that he was an actual detective, each of the young flight attendants stopped to talk with him. This second flight, from Atlanta to DC, could not have been more different than his first. It was only as they were landing that Johnny remembered the purpose of his trip.

Johnny grabbed his hat and a small duffel from the overhead bin got off the plane and went to find a telephone to check-in. Rusty had little to add to what was already known. The funeral service for Mrs. Stanhope was announced and would happen the next day. Rusty would attend with Dan Wells. Penelope had given a formal statement that was a duplicate of what she had told the detectives earlier. In fact, it was almost word-for-word the same, as though she had rehearsed it. Rusty said he would get with her after the funeral to try to find a crack in her testimony. They ended the call and Johnny picked up the duffel and started looking for the exit.