Chapter 6 Vernon Demerest

Captain Vernon Demerest was 3 miles from the airport, driving

his Mercedes towards a large apartment block where many of the

air hostesses lived.

Parties were often held in these apartments, and love affairs

between pilots and air hostesses were frequent. Vernon Demerest

had had affairs with quite a large number of the beautiful and

intelligent girls who lived here.

Tonight he was going to visit an attractive, dark-haired English

girl. Gwen Meighen was a farmer's daughter who had come to

America ten years ago, when she was eighteen. Before becoming

an air hostess she had been a fashion model.

Later tonight they would fly to Rome together on the Golden

Argosy, and spend three days in Italy before returning to the

United States. They planned to go to Naples together. Vernon

smiled happily as he thought of those three days. Everything was

going so well for him this evening.

He had arrived at the airport early, after saying goodbye to his

wife, Sarah. She was a quiet, dull woman, and in a way this was

very useful to Vernon. She never asked him about his

relationships with other women, and while he was married to

her, no other woman could expect him to settle down with her.

Then there was the critical report the Airlines Snow

Committee had made on Mel Bakersfeld. That pleased Vernon

too. Now Mel would never again dare to criticize Vernon in

public - as he had done recently.

He stopped the Mercedes outside the apartment block. He

was a little early. He could imagine Naples well - a warm night,

soft music, wine with his dinner and Gwen Meighen beside him.

He began singing happily to himself.

Vernon would not be flying the plane himself tonight. The

pilot was Captain Anson Harris, a pilot only a little less

experienced than Vernon. Vernon would be checking on Harris's

flying and making a report on it.

Other pilots hated being checked by Captain Demerest. He

always seemed to try his hardest to find fault with them. He had

already succeeded in making Captain Harris very angry, by

telephoning him at home to remind him not to be late. Harris

had been a pilot for 20 years, and had never once come to the

airport late. Then Vernon had met him at the airport and told

him that he should be wearing a TWA shirt as part of his

uniform. At first Harris had thought that he must be joking. The

shirts were badly made and few of the pilots wore them. In fact,

he knew that Vernon himself did not wear one! When he had

realized that it was no joke he had gone dark red in the face with

anger, but somehow he had managed to control himself and say

nothing.

Oh yes! It would be a very easy flight - for Vernon Demerest!

He knocked on Owen's door, and then went in without

waiting for an answer. Gwen was in the bathroom.

'Vernon, is that you?' she called.

Even her voice was soft and attractive. He had noticed the

effect she had on passengers — especially on men.

Her clothes were laid out on the bed. She had the same

uniform as all the other girls, but under it she wore underwear of

the finest French silk.

'I'm glad you came early,' she called. 'I want to have a talk with

you before we leave.'

'AH right. We've got plenty of time.'

'Would you like to make some tea?'

Gwen had taught him to make tea in the English way. Sarah

wondered why he drank so much tea these days!

He went into the kitchen to make the tea. He began singing

again happily

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