I shift forward, watching Riley closely.
“He practically took me under his wing and set me up with all the connections I needed to log hours before I was accepted to AMT school. He saw my potential and my,” she gives me a crooked grin, “obsession.”
I got a taste of that obsession on this date.
“But after I left Uncle Will’s mentorship and took on AMT training on my own, I was totally out of my depth. There were so many people who wanted to see me fail and, at the start, I thought she was one of them.”
“She?”
“Betty Kalinsky. She was the first female Specialist Technician at our hangar. She’d worked her way up to Lead Mechanic and her word was law. Sometimes, it felt like Betty was functioning at the Maintenance Supervisor level too, even if she didn’t have the title.”
“She sounds tough.”
“Oh, she was. And Betty was tougher than usual on me. I thought she hated me and I often left her office crying.”
I frown. “Was she targeting you? Trying to be the only woman at the hangar?”
“Not at all. Everything Betty did was to make me better. She was no-nonsense and rough about it, but I owe all my progress to her. She refused to let me hide behind excuses. She pushed me to work harder and better than everyone else. I got the promotion because of her.”
Riley’s chin is hitched in the air and I get it instantly. This Betty woman is someone untouchable in her mind.
“What happened next?” I ask.
Riley goes very still.
Overhead, an airplane roars.
I remember all the interesting facts Riley spouted about planes. She’s passionate about them. I can’t imagine what would have pushed her away from her old job.
“One day, I was working in the hangar when I heard a commotion. I came out to check what happened and it was the Inspector. He said there was a hair clip left in the electrical junction area.”
My eyes widen. Riley taught me well, and I’m now very aware of how a small hair clip can damage an aircraft.
“The hair clip obviously belonged to a woman.” Riley swallows. “And there were only two women in the bay.”
“Was it yours?”
Riley shakes her head. “Betty said it wasn’t hers either, so I took the heat for it.”
Her voice remains steady, but her hand is shaking. I reach out and cover her hand with mine.
Riley smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “The director said the mostawfulthings, and it felt bigger than that mistake. It felt like things he’d been keeping bubbled up inside about women in the industry. All of it just exploded on me.” Her eyes turn misty. “I felt so demeaned and so stupid.”
“Riles, I’m sorry.” I pull her in for a hug.
She resists at first, her body stiffening as if she doesn’t believe she deserves comfort. However, I refuse to let her go until she relaxes against me. When she does, I tuck my chin on her head, wishing I could envelop her into me and protect her from the cruelty of the world.
“Why didn’t they investigate before they started throwing blame?” I ask.
“In situations like that, someone has to take the fall for it. You can’t write off an accident like leaving a foreign object in apanel without an explanation. And Betty said she didn’t do it. Who would they believe? The young technician or the senior?”
“What about security cameras? I’m sure they have those at the airport.”
“The cameras in the hangar are to verify who comes in and out, not to record the maintenance crew.”
I frown, trying to problem-solve despite the matter being done with. “Who did it if it wasn’t you or Betty?”
Riley eases away from me. “About that… there was no other possibility but us.”
