Several people were arrested on charges tied to the attempted destruction of the aircraft and the surveillance that followed.
The story released publicly remained cautious.
Authorities confirmed that deliberate interference with the jet was being investigated.
They did not identify Elise.
Matteo made certain of that.
For three days, she remained at the secure house.
Nobody locked her door.
Nobody took her phone.
Nobody told her whom she could call.
That mattered more than Matteo seemed to realize.
On the fourth morning, the scarred man walked into the kitchen while Elise was making coffee.
“The immediate threat is contained,” he said.
“Contained sounds temporary.”
“In our world, most words are temporary.”
Elise looked at him.
“Do you have a name?”
He considered the question, then almost smiled.
“You may continue calling me the scarred man.
It appears to bother Matteo.”
From the doorway came Matteo’s voice.
“It does.”
Elise turned.
He was dressed simply for once: dark trousers, white shirt, no jacket.
The bruising at his temple had begun to fade.
“You can go home,” he said.
She searched his face.
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“No convoy?”
“One car.”
“I want a normal car.”
He sighed.
“Define normal.”
“One that doesn’t look like a government overthrow is happening.”
The scarred man looked toward the ceiling.
“I’ll find something beige.”
Elise laughed before she could stop herself.
It was the first real laugh since the plane fell from the sky.
When she returned home, the street looked ordinary again.
No black SUVs.
No men stationed beneath umbrellas.
Her kitchen was exactly as she had left it except for the broken cup, which somebody had swept away before she departed.
She stood at the window where the photograph had been taken and looked across the street.
Empty sidewalk.
Empty parked cars.
Ordinary rain.
She had never appreciated ordinary things so much.
A week later, Elise returned to the swimming pool.
The children complained that she had been gone too long.
One asked whether the bandage on her arm came from fighting a shark.
Elise told him the truth was less impressive.
He did not believe her.
She returned to the restaurant too.
Her manager complained about scheduling for exactly seven minutes, then hugged her hard enough to hurt her shoulder.
Life began fitting itself back together.
Not perfectly.
