She laughed loudly enough to attract the attention of a couple of diners sitting outside.

‘Oh God, Larry Zood! I still have to take a shower when I think about him! It’s like having somebody’s unwashed underpants inside your head . . .’

A smile flickered at the corner of the former commando’s mouth as he kept taking notes.

‘I have no idea where he is now,’ she continued, ‘but he was one of those turds who would always float to the top of the bathtub. He shouldn’t be too hard to find, because he’ll be standing on top of a building somewhere, holding his little willie and shouting his name out as loudly as he possibly can.’

‘In that case, he’s probably dead already,’ Pappas said. ‘If he made it onto Cesky’s list, that is.’

‘I suppose you’re right.’ Still, she couldn’t find it within herself to feel any sympathy for the odious little bastard. Zood almost hadn’t made it onto the boat either. It was only a sports bag full of fake Fabergé eggs, encrusted with real jewels, and the solemn promise to stay in his cabin with two of his porn pixies for the duration of the trip that saw him allowed on board. Well, that and the fact that Jules didn’t see him as a troublemaker in the same league as Henry Cesky. Larry Zood, the porn king, was not likely to lead a mutiny.

‘What about other crew members?’ Pappas asked. ‘And are you sure our friend Shah didn’t come into contact with Cesky at any other time?’

Jules chose a tile on the spotless white floor and stared hard in concentration. ‘God, it’s been a few years now, and you’d have to ask him yourself, I guess. But no, I can’t imagine any other occasion where their paths might’ve crossed, let alone any direct confrontation. Although, Shah was responsible for security on the day of the evacuation, of course. It was his job to make sure we didn’t have trouble from Cesky. Or any of the thousands of drunken college kids who turned up looking for a free ride after he sent those texts.’

A waitress arrived to clear away their plates and asked whether either of them wanted anything else. Pappas ordered an espresso. Jules thought about having her teapot refilled but settled on a glass of water instead. Her warm cheeks told her that she needed to hydrate. The heat and humidity were going to be murderous.

‘What about the Rhino, then?’ asked Pappas. ‘He wasn’t on shore with you when you were selecting passengers, was he? He stayed out on the boat, as I recall.’