I signed up as a chambermaid on the ship where the girl was planning to leap to her death and made sure she survived the crossing. Unlike her mother. My first in a short series of victims.

Elena laid her hand comfortingly on Martin’s forearm and asked him to speak more slowly. Without knowing it he’d sped up with every line.

To begin with I was satisfied with numbing my victims and throwing them overboard. But over the years I learned to perfect my system. With a keen intelligence and above-average financial means I purchased the suicide forum called Easyexit that had put me on the right path, albeit by chance. Today it has offshoots all over the world; the website has local listings in thirty-two countries. It’s unbelievable how many people can’t bear to live on this planet any more. Millions of them.

And amongst them I find my traps. I proceed with great caution. When I learn that a child has been abused by their parents (it doesn’t matter whether it’s a boy or a girl) I use a chain of travel agents called Querky Travel – owned by me – to book passage for the child and parents, who of course know nothing of their ‘luck’. So I disguise the trip as a lottery win. This works in only a few instances – most are mistrustful when someone wants to give them something – which is why my success quota has remained very low.

Once, however, in the case of a German family, I was helped by chance.

Martin paused. Scrolled up, then down again, but couldn’t find any clue as to what to make of these words.

‘Why have you stopped?’ Elena asked. ‘Is there anything about your wife and son?’

‘No, unfortunately,’ Martin whispered.

Or perhaps thank God.

He cleared his throat and went on reading:

By now the rumour seems to have circulated on Easyexit that there’s a travel agency which organises the final passage for people who get what they deserve. I imagine this is why Justin Lamar contacted me. Am I right in thinking your father-in-law doesn’t seem to like you very much? He covered the costs of your trip. And offered a special commission if, rather than reeling off the normal programme, I made you suffer for your sins. Which is perfectly possible here on the Sultan, where the blue shelf provides the ideal space for it.

Let’s get a couple of things straight, Naomi.