Daniel Mendoza Thrillers

Chapter 3

Over the Atlantic Ocean

Present Day

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. We are approximately an hour away from London. We should be arriving at Heathrow Airport around 4:05 p.m. local time. The weather is a crisp 19.4 degrees Celsius or 67 degrees Fahrenheit for our American passengers. London is partly cloudy with a slight chance of rain. I apologize for the turbulence earlier in the flight but flying at a higher altitude seemed to resolve the issues. I hope you enjoyed the flight. The cabin crew will do a final walk-through to assist anyone in preparation for landing. We look forward to serving you again on British Airways. We know you have a choice and appreciate your confidence in us.”

As the gruff voice faded over the loudspeaker, a seasoned British female wearing a thinly pin-striped jacket with a white blouse and the iconic red, blue, and white cravat scarf approached Daniel Mendoza. He was seated in the second row in business class of the Boeing 777. Lounging with his work laptop nestled in his lap, Daniel turned his head to the right as the attendant faced him and smiled.

“Would you like some tea?” she politely asked in the friendly manner associated with British etiquette.

Knowing this was the last service before landing, Daniel answered, “Yes, please.”

Daniel quickly covered his mouth after he spoke out of concern for any morning breath. The long, eleven-hour flight from Phoenix was daunting, but he was accustomed to international travel as part of his diverse, complex litigation practice.

The piping hot, Earl Grey tea was poured into a bone china teacup emblazoned with the company emblem. Daniel nodded when the attendant offered him steamed milk. As the milk was poured into the cup, the aroma of bergamot wafted, filling Daniel’s nostrils, and reawakening his senses. She handed him the teacup and a freshly baked scone. Daniel greedily ate the baked good as he relished sipping the tea. She smiled after he thanked her and placed another scone on his tray table. He was grateful for her consideration and reciprocated the smile.

Readjusting his head to read the computer screen, Daniel once more checked his work email; anxious to hear any news. He clicked the bolded, unread email from John Davis, one of his senior associates at the Mendoza law firm. John and a younger attorney, Robin Blake, flew to London days before to prepare for the upcoming depositions over the next few days. Daniel stayed behind one more day to address some legal issues before flying to London.

John’s email relayed that the two attorneys checked into the Regal Wisteria Kensington hotel owned by one of the firm’s clients. John waxed on about the lavish accommodations and touristy sights before confirming that he scheduled a late-night meeting with Roderick Bailey, the President and CEO of their client, Analysis Inc. Daniel was reticent to have a meeting so late after a long day, but he knew it was the only time he could meet with the client before the deposition the next morning.

Skimming the rest of the email, Daniel read nothing important. He already had the office address for the deposition. Having been in London several times before, Daniel knew he would have to oblige these associates in seeing the sights even though “vacationing” wasn’t on the top of his to-do list. What consumed his anxious thoughts was finishing a legal memo to Mr. Bailey about the royalty case. After that, he had to prepare for the upcoming deposition.

Daniel sporadically worked on the memo during the overnight flight and tried to polish it before sending it off to the client. It was a confidential memo that wouldn’t be discussed at the upcoming meeting with his associates. In fact, Daniel limited the role of any other attorneys in gathering the facts or conducting any legal analysis so none of his associates would fully understand the purpose and scope of the memo. He promised this to his client who insisted on extreme confidentiality.

Daniel was in the middle of a final spellcheck before the pilot’s announcement interrupted the process. After completing one or two more corrections, Daniel slowly reread the conclusion one more time to ensure it clearly conveyed his legal analysis.

There. It’s done.

There. It’s doneClasping his hands together tightly and resting them on his stomach, Daniel was pleased and relieved. He attached the memo to an email, pushed the send button, closed the laptop, and returned it to its leather case on the side of his chair. Feeling mentally drained, he sipped some more tea. Daniel wasn’t a coffee drinker. The caffeine from the tea gave him the needed boost to tackle the rest of the day without feeling jittery.

Daniel closed his eyes and napped until the jumbo jet landed and then taxied to the tarmac. On impact, the airplane gave everyone on board a slight jolt, inevitably waking Daniel. After lazily disembarking, Daniel pulled out his cellphone and called Gerald Revan, the general counsel for Regal Wisteria. Although Gerald was a long-time client, Daniel and he were friends of sorts. Gerald took a personal interest in Daniel uncommon among his other clients. Gerald always wanted to socialize during any available opportunities when he was in Arizona. Coincidentally, Gerald was currently in London. His office was at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo.

“Glad to hear you arrived safely in London, Dan,” Gerald eagerly expressed. “I’m sure it was a long night. We can reschedule if you like.”

Gerald secretly hoped that Daniel wouldn’t cancel.

“No, I’m fine. I’d like to meet you. Same place?”

“Yes,” Gerald grinned as he replied. “At 5 p.m.? If you’re a little late, no worries. I’ve got some work to do as well and will be there early anyway.”

“Sure. See you there.”

Daniel grabbed his stowed luggage from the baggage claim before exiting the airport to hail a cab.