Spark [Sheldon_Sidney]_The_Other_Side_of_Midnight(BookSe | Seite 221

go to the airport and try to talk his passenger out of making the flight. He arrived at the
airport at 1:30. By three o’clock Noelle Page had not appeared. “She probably changed
her mind,” Metaxas said.
But Larry knew better. As the time wore on, he became more and more furious, until
he realized that that was her intention. She was trying to drive him into a rash action that
would cost him his job. Larry was in the terminal building talking to the airport manager
when Demiris’ familiar gray Rolls drove up and Noelle Page emerged. Larry walked
outside to meet her.
“I’m afraid the flight’s off, Miss Page,” he said, making his voice flat. “The airport at
Amsterdam is fogged in.”
Noelle looked past Larry as though he did not exist and said to Paul Metaxas, “The
plane carries automatic landing equipment, does it not?”
“Yes, it does,” Metaxas said, awkwardly.
“I’m really surprised,” she replied, “that Mr. Demiris would hire a pilot who’s a
coward. I’ll speak to him about it.”
Noelle turned and walked toward the plane. Metaxas looked after her and said, “Jesus
Christ! I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She never used to act like this. I’m sorry,
Larry.”
Larry watched Noelle walk across the field, her blond hair blowing in the wind. He
had never hated anyone so much in his life.
Metaxas was watching him. “Are we going?” he asked.
“We’re going.”
The copilot gave a deep, expressive sigh, and the two men slowly walked toward the
plane.
Noelle Page was sitting in the cabin, leisurely thumbing through a fashion magazine
when they entered the plane. Larry stared at her a moment, so filled with anger that he was
afraid to speak. He went up into the cockpit and began his preflight check.
Ten minutes later he had received clearance from the tower and they were airborne
for Amsterdam.
The first half of the flight was uneventful. Switzerland lay below in a mantle of snow.
By the time they were over Germany, it was dusk. Larry radioed ahead to Amsterdam for
a weather check. They reported that fog was blowing in from the North Sea and getting
thicker. He cursed his bad luck. If the winds had changed and the fog had cleared, his
problem would have been solved, but now he had to decide whether to risk an instrument
landing at Amsterdam or fly to an alternate airport. He was tempted to go back and discuss
it with his passenger, but he could visualize the contemptuous look on her face.
“Special Flight one-oh-nine, would you give us your flight plan, please?” It was the
tower at Munich. Larry had to make a decision swiftly. He could still land at Brussels,