Even so, he had felt unusually anxious and been scared to go straight home without making sure he wasn’t followed. He simply couldn’t believe it was this easy. That he could do practically anything without anyone suspecting, so long as he left all the decisions to the dice.

He was back in his building now. Since the lift door on his floor was still insisting on letting out a tiny squeal every time it was opened, even though he’d greased the hinges, he took the stairs.

At least the door to his flat didn’t squeak, and as soon as he’d closed it behind him, he turned the lock, first the original lock and then the extra one he’d installed himself with espagnolettes that fastened the door to the floor, walls and ceiling. Then he put the chains on, pressed his face against the door and peered out through the peephole.

The stairwell outside was empty; a minute or two later, the lights went out. He continued further into his flat, stepped behind the curtain on the right side of the window and looked down at the street.

A taxi stopped and dropped passengers outside Sam’s Bar, where the outdoor serving area was already as crowded as the patrons were drunk. In other words, it looked like a normal Friday night in June, and he should be able to take off his clothes, put them back in the wardrobe and take a bath without worrying.

With the floating pillow behind his neck and only his nose, forehead and chin above the steaming surface, he closed his eyes. He needed twenty minutes. Twenty minutes of complete relaxation before he could move on to the next phase of his current mission.

Because that was what he needed to focus on. His current mission. Without complete focus, he wouldn’t stand a chance. All the other things would have to wait until the dice were more generous with the time frame.

As usual, he woke up without having been aware that he was falling asleep, and for the first few seconds he felt like he would never be able to shake the drowsiness. But then it rushed into him, the energy he needed so badly, and it made him almost fly out of the bath.

The dice had picked its victim and it was time to find out who he was.

He pulled on his robe, left the bathroom and continued through the living room into the bedroom, which was so small it only had room for a bed, a small desk by the window, a chair piled high with clothes in one corner and a wardrobe in the other.