Chapter 3
The phone rang twice before a crisp, professional voice answered.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Ellsworth. Julian speaking. How can I assist you today?"
"Julian," Margaret said, her tone level and cordial, exactly as if she were inquiring about the dividend schedule on a municipal bond fund. "I am currently standing at Gate B12 at O'Hare. I need to make immediate changes to reservation record locator Lima-Seven-Bravo-Delta-Nine."
There was the rapid clatter of mechanical keys over the line. Julian was top-tier private wealth concierge; he had handled Margaret’s winter travel bookings since Harold’s death.
"Yes, Mrs. Ellsworth, I have the master file right here. Five passengers on United 1428 departing at 3:45 PM to Denver, connecting to Kahului. Four suites at the Grand Wailea, the private Lanai charter on Thursday, the private marine excursion, and luxury ground transport. Everything is confirmed and prepaid through your trust account."
"Cancel all five reservations," Margaret said.
The keystrokes on the other end stopped instantly. The silence lasted three full seconds.
"Mrs. Ellsworth... did you say cancel all of them?" Julian asked, his voice carefully controlled. "The entire package?"
"Every single item tied to that card and that file," Margaret said. "The flights, the suites, the catamaran, the dolphin excursion, and the airport cars."
"Mrs. Ellsworth, I must inform you of the fare rules," Julian said, his professional composure returning with rapid precision. "The business-class tickets are fully refundable refundable-fare class because of your tier, so the $16,400 will return to your account immediately. However, the Grand Wailea reservation is within the seventy-two-hour penalty window. You will forfeit the first night’s deposit on the suites—that is roughly $3,200—though the remaining $19,600 will be credited back. The marine charter holds a fifty percent cancellation fee on day-of."
"Cancel them," Margaret repeated. "I am not concerned with the cancellation fees, Julian. Cancel every reservation immediately. I want the seats released from the airline manifest before the aircraft door closes."
"Understood, Mrs. Ellsworth. Do you want the flight credits placed into individual passenger travel banks, or returned directly to the originating corporate card?"
"The tickets were purchased with my funds," Margaret said. "Return the full refund to the primary account. Strip the confirmation codes from every passenger profile. If any of the remaining four passengers attempt to check in, board, or claim those seats, the system must show no active ticket."
Julian’s keys clattered again, faster this time, like rain against a tin roof.
"I am accessing the United Global Services liaison terminal now," Julian said. "Reservation Lima-Seven-Bravo-Delta-Nine is being uncoupled. Seat 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, and 3E are released back into the operational pool. The status is now set to CANCELLED - REFUND PROCESSED. The Grand Wailea master folio has been voided; cancellation number is 884-Bravo. The ground transfer in Maui has been recalled."
"Thank you, Julian."
"Would you like me to book you an alternative flight, Mrs. Ellsworth? Perhaps a direct flight to Scottsdale or Naples?"
"Not today, Julian. Today I am going home."
"The confirmation emails are sending to your primary address right now, Mrs. Ellsworth. And per standard protocol, automated cancellation notices are dispatching to the secondary notification numbers listed on the file."
Margaret looked across the concourse toward Gate B12.
"Yes," Margaret said softly. "I expect they are."
She tapped the red icon to end the call.
She did not put the phone back in her pocket. Instead, she opened her contact list again, selected the letter *V*, and pressed the number for Arthur Vance, senior partner at Vance, Sterling & Holbrook on LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago.
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