Sam looked up, keeping his expression relaxed. “I’ve actually got some work to catch up on during the flight, ma’am. I usually just keep it with me or right under the seat. I’ve never had to put a slim laptop pouch in the overhead cabin before.”
Nicole inhaled slowly, forcing her voice into a tight, strained customer-service tone. “Sir, I’d just rather you keep it in the overhead compartment so that it doesn’t disturb the other passengers or put your personal belongings at risk of being damaged. I sincerely hope you comply.”
Sam hesitated. Up close, he noticed her eyes scanning his face rapidly, her posture rigid and defensive. He had seen this exact hyper-vigilant body language dozens of times with suspects—the subtle signs of someone locked onto a target. I’m just overthinking, Sam told himself, chalking it up to a long week of intensive law enforcement seminars. He quietly wedged the pouch into the bin above. “Fine,” he murmured. Nicole chirped a fake thank you, but her smile instantly dropped.