Джордан Шор - The Search

“He probably knew the captain was going through a divorce, and perhaps he even knew the ex-wife would be on this particular flight,” Jack added. “That’s a good setup. It would be easy for him to frame the captain.”

Yeah, he even wrote a letter.

Just then, it occurred to George that this scenario was even worse. It would most definitely result in the complete bankruptcy of Fare Airlines and perhaps shatter Trisha Boyle’s financial situation along with it.

“No, they never flew together before. In fact, I think it was the first time they ever met each other,” George lied.

Jack Green seemed disappointed with the answer, and then diverted his attention to whatever was left of his lunch. However, as soon as he finished eating, Jack looked at him with the same mischievous smile as before. George braced himself for another wave of discomfort.

“So, what did his father look like?”

“Who?”

“The co-pilot,” Jack clarified. “You told me you visited his parents. Did his father look like a bald eagle also?”

Again, the horrific image of Danny DeVito popped up in George’s head.

“Did you ever see that Batman movie where Danny DeVito played the Penguin?”

“Yes, I remember seeing it in theater when I was young,” Jack responded. “I enjoyed that.”

“His father looked like the Penguin,” George said. “But twice as big.”

“A penguin…” Jack nodded. “That’s a better description. I should’ve gone with penguin instead of bald eagle. To describe the co-pilot, I mean. You know, because of his black and white uniform.”

Both men laughed briefly and shook their heads.

“Well, aren’t we being shallow, George. I’m sure his father was a nice person. One shouldn’t judge a book by its cover—am I right?”

“No, you’re wrong,” George responded. “His father was probably the worst person I’ve ever met. He treated his wife like garbage, and I imagine he treated his son just as bad.”

“Well, there you go then,” Jack said. “Perhaps money wasn’t his only motive.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Perhaps he sought his father’s approval,” Jack said. “If he achieved fame and fortune, then perhaps his father would finally stop treating him like garbage.”

Jack Green suddenly bowed his head with an expression of shame.

“Children will go a long way to please their parents,” Jack added.

George thought of how eager he’d been to please his own father, and how he’d begged his father to come to the state championship. But as always, his father was too busy reading his books. His father thought if he only read enough books in English then he’d finally lose his Japanese accent. George had told his father it would make more sense if he’d watch television instead—something his father hardly ever did.

When George had returned as state champion that night, his father had already gone to bed. So, instead of celebrating with his father, he’d celebrated a night on the town with friends. Then, his father came and got him out of jail the next morning, and he couldn’t have been more disappointed with his son. His father told him it was the worst day of his life.

Is that what caused the crash? Was it just a son’s desperate attempt to prove his worthiness to his father? Is it that simple?

The more George thought about it, the more sense the motive made. Now, he felt convinced the co-pilot was responsible for the crash. Just then, he came to realize the irony in it all. Even though Captain Daniels was innocent of any crime, he probably did cause the plane to crash. Unintentionally, but nonetheless, he probably caused the plane to crash when he woke up and engaged in a fight with his co-pilot. Who, then, overshot the landing and crashed the plane into the Canadian wilderness. If Captain Daniels hadn’t woken up, then the plane probably would have landed safely on the huge water surface of the Great Slave Lake.

George felt nauseous as he once again realized how much things had started to make sense, and how much worse this scenario was.

“This doesn’t much sense,” he lied.

Jack Green looked at him with wary eyes. “That’s your problem.”

“Actually, it’s not the airline’s problem. It’s not—”

“No,” Jack interrupted. “I mean, your problem is you’re trying to find a solution that makes sense. You’re not going to find a rational explanation why someone would want to crash a plane. If people only acted rationally, then there would be no need for prisons.”

“It still doesn’t make any sense,” George argued.

“I don’t think it’s supposed to make sense. Haven’t you ever watched the news and asked yourself why anyone would do such a thing? What on earth were they thinking? What was going through their minds?”

“I know what you mean, but still…” George began to stress and had no idea how to finish the sentence.

“The way I see it,” Jack said. “Four alternatives could each explain the crash. Either the crash was caused by the captain, or the co-pilot, or a passenger, or it was just a freak accident. But none of those alternatives makes much sense. But then again, I don’t think it’s supposed to. But if you eliminate the three alternatives that make the least sense, then the alternative remaining is most likely the truth.”

Where have I heard that before?

“In that case, I think the Imam did it,” George lied, and tried his best not to sound presumptuous.

“The Imam.” Jack frowned. “I don’t know, George. I have to agree with my ex-lawyer on this one. The guy on the bottom of the lake is the victim, and the guy in the woods is the killer. I think the co-pilot did it for fame and money.”

George felt his fever rising, and he struggled to think rationally.

“Are you aware the Imam tried to get us to enforce Sharia law in this country?”

“You mean in America?”

“Yes.” George just realized he was in Canada.

“And how would crashing an airplane make a difference?” Jack asked. “It’s hard to enforce any laws when you’re dead. Don’t you agree?”

“I’m just saying,” George responded and felt as if he was about to throw up.

“I get what you’re saying, George. Don’t worry, I’m sure the Imam will get the blame, and then the airline will come out as the victim, rather than the problem.”

Jack Green winked at him before he rose to his feet.

“You’re leaving?”

“I’m going to the hospital to visit Julie, and make sure she’s all right,” Jack responded. “That is, if she’ll even talk to me.”

“Why wouldn’t she talk to you?”

“I told her I was in the military.” Jack had a look of shame.

“But you only did that to spare her feelings,” George said. “Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“I don’t know,” Jack said. “I think Agent Coleman has made it abundantly clear to her that I can’t be trusted.”

“You still carried her out of the woods, Jack.”

“I suppose…” Jack suddenly twitched. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to know Julie’s last name, do you?”

You don’t know her last name?

“I never told her my last name,” Jack added. “I was afraid she’d recognize my name from the news. My lawyer created quite the ruckus in the media prior to my parole hearing. So, I never asked for her last name. In fact, I tried my best to avoid the subject.”

George swiped the screen of his cell phone, but he didn’t have to scroll down the manifest this time.

“Julie Morrison,” he said.

“Thank you, George, and thanks for lunch.”

Jack tapped George’s shoulders twice as he passed him, and as he did, George suddenly realized what was wrong, and the answer to the question that had been puzzling him for the past week suddenly became obvious.