"I'm not sure what you're referring to," Casey said.

Reardon's eyebrows went up. "The JAA, Europe's Joint Aviation Authority, is refusing to certify one of your aircraft, the N-22, because they say it's unsafe."

"Actually, the plane's already certified but-"

"And you're about to sell fifty N-22s to China. But now the Chinese, too, are said to be concerned about the safety of the plane."

She didn't get angry at the innuendo; she focused on Reardon. The rest of the room seemed to fade away.

She said, "I'm not aware of any Chinese concerns."

"But you are aware," Reardon said, "of the reason behind these safety concerns. Earlier this week, a very serious accident. Involving an N-22 aircraft."

"Yes."

'Transpacific Flight 545. An accident in midair, over the Pacific Ocean."

"Yes."

"Three people died. And how many injured?"

"I believe fifty-six," she said. She knew it sounded awful, no matter how she said it

"Fifty-six injured," Reardon intoned. "Broken necks. Broken limbs. Concussions. Brain damage. Two people paralyzed for life…"

Reardon trailed off, looking at her.

He hadn't asked a question. She said nothing. She waited, in the glaring heat of the lights.

"How do you feel about that?"

She said, "I think everyone at Norton feels very great concern for air safety. That's why we test our airframes to three times the design life-"

"Very great concern. Do you think that's an adequate response?"

Casey hesitated. What was he saying? "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm afraid I don't follow-"

"Doesn't the company have an obligation to build safe aircraft?"

"Of course. And we do."

"Not everyone agrees," Reardon said. "The JAA doesn't agree. The Chinese may not agree… Doesn't the company have an obligation to fix the design of an aircraft which it knows to be unsafe?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean," Reardon said, "is that what happened to Flight 545 has happened before. Many times before. On other N-22s. Isn't that true?'

"No," Casey said.

"No?" Reardon's eyebrows shot up.

"No," Casey said, firmly. This was the moment, she thought. She was stepping off the cliff.

"This is the first time?"

"Yes."

"Well then," Reardon said, "perhaps you can explain this list." He produced a sheet of paper, held it up. She knew from across the room what it was. "This is a list of slats episodes on the N-22, going back to 1992, right after the plane was introduced. Eight episodes. Eight separate episodes. Transpacific is the ninth."

"That's not accurate."

"Well, tell me why."

Casey went through, as briefly as she could, the way Airworthiness Directives worked. She explained why they had been issued for the N-22. How the problem had been solved, except for foreign carriers that had failed to comply. How there had not been a domestic incident since 1992.

Reardon listened with continuously raised eyebrows, as if he had never heard such an outlandish thing before.

"So let me see if I understand," he said. "In your view, the company has followed the rules. By issuing these air directives, which are supposed to fix the problem."

"No," Casey said. "The company has fixed the problem."

"Has it? We're told slats deployment is the reason people died on Flight 545."

"That's incorrect" She was now dancing on a tightrope, working a fine and technical line, and she knew it If he asked her, Did the slats deploy? she would be in trouble. She waited breathlessly for the next question.

Reardon said, "The people who told us the slats deployed are wrong?"

"I don't know how they'd know," Casey said. She decided to go farther. "Yes, they're wrong."

"Fred Barker, former FAA investigator, is wrong."

"Yes."

"The JAA is wrong."

"Well, as you know, the JAA is actually delaying certification over noise emissions, and-"

"Let's just stay with this for a moment," Reardon said.

She remembered what Gershon had said: He's not interested in information.

"The JAA is wrong?" he said, repeating the question.

This called for a complicated answer, she thought. How could she put it briefly? "They're wrong to say the aircraft is unsafe."

"So in your opinion," Reardon said, "there is absolutely no substance to these criticisms of the N-22."

"That's correct. It is an excellent aircraft."

"A well-designed aircraft."

"Yes."

"A safe aircraft."

"Absolutely."

"You'd fly in it"

"Whenever possible."

"Your family, your friends…"

"Absolutely."

"No hesitation whatsoever?"

"That's right."

"So what was your reaction, when you saw the tape on television from Flight 545?"

He 'II get you saying yes, then hit you from left field,

But Casey was ready for it. "All of us here knew that it was a very tragic accident. When I saw the tape, I felt very sad for the people involved."

"You felt sad."

"Yes."

"Didn't it shake your conviction about the aircraft? Make you question the N-22?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because the N-22 has a superb safety record. One of the best in the industry."

"One of the best in the industry…." Reardon smirked.

"Yes, Mr. Reardon," she said. "Let me ask you. Last year, forty-three thousand Americans died in automobile accidents. Four thousand people drowned. Two thousand people choked to death on food. Do you know how many died in domestic commercial transports?"

Reardon paused. He chuckled. "I must admit you've stumped the panel."

"It's a fair question, Mr. Reardon. How many died in commercial aircraft last year?"

Reardon frowned. "I'll say… I'll say a thousand."

"Fifty," Casey said. "Fifty people died. Do you know how many died the year before that? Sixteen. Fewer than were killed on bicycles."

"And how many of those died on the N-22?" Reardon asked, eyes narrowed, trying to recover.

"None," Casey said.

"So your point is…"

"We have a nation in which forty-three thousand people die every year in cars, and nobody worries about it at all. They get into cars when they're drunk, when they're tired-without a second thought. But these same people are panicked at the thought of getting on an airplane. And the reason," Casey said,"is that television consistently exaggerates the real dangers involved. That tape will make people afraid to fly. And for no good reason."

"You think the tape shouldn't have been shown?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you said it will make people afraid-for no good reason."

"Correct."

"Is it your view tapes such as these should not be shown?"

She thought: Where is he going? Why is he doing this?

"I didn't say that"

"I'm asking you now."

"I said," Casey replied, "that those tapes create an inaccurate perception of the danger of air travel."

"Including the danger of the N-22?"

"I've already said I think the N-22 is safe."

"So you don't think such tapes should be shown to the public."

What the hell was he doing? She still couldn't figure it out. She didn't answer him; she was thinking hard. Trying to see where he was going with this. She had a sinking feeling she knew.

"In your view, Ms. Singleton, should such tapes be suppressed?"

"No," Casey said.

"They should not be suppressed."

"No."

"Has Norton Aircraft ever suppressed any tapes?"

Uh-oh, she thought She was trying to figure out how many people knew of the tape. A lot, she decided: Ellen Fong, Ziegler, the people at Video Imaging. Maybe a dozen people, maybe more…

"Ms. Singleton," Reardon said, "are you personally aware of any other tape of this accident?"

Just lie, Amos had said.

"Yes," she said. "I know of another tape."