‘Ah, here you are,’ Gerlinde Dobkowitz said. With the words, ‘I’m just going to squeeze some filth from my hindquarters,’ she’d left him alone with the slightly mortified-looking butler and had shuffled into the bathroom with a loo roll. Now that she was back Martin could ask her the most important question of all: ‘Where did you get this?’

He held Luke in both hands as if fearful that the Sultan’s airflow might snatch the teddy from his fingers and whisk it into the harbour.

‘Found it,’ Gerlinde replied tersely, fishing a packet of cigarettes and lighter from her tracksuit pocket.

‘Where?’

‘In the hands of a young girl.’

She put a filterless cigarette between her lips. ‘Come with me. I’ll show her to you.’

8

Captain’s cabin, deck 14A

‘What? Stop the ship?’

Daniel Bonhoeffer freed himself from her embrace and gave a resounding laugh.

Julia felt like an idiot and just wanted to leave again.

It had been a mistake to immediately go running to him.

But she was desperate. Lisa hadn’t come back; in all likelihood she was still exploring the ship, which on a luxury liner of this size could take days. It was irrational; everything was probably fine. But after having watched that awful video, Julia’s entire body seemed to be quivering with worry, like the ship beneath her feet, which had been under tension since they’d left port. She felt little of the gentle undulations of the English Channel; now there was droning, whirring and hissing everywhere; the diesel generators lent a slight vibration to the walls and floors, while from outside the noises of the waves drifted into the cabin, albeit muffled by the large floor-to-ceiling windows.

‘Come on, don’t look so miserable. Let’s have a coffee,’ Daniel said with a wink. ‘I really ought to be on the bridge, but fortunately I’ve got superb watch officers.’

He led Julia into the living room of his captain’s cabin which, if she wasn’t mistaken, was on the starboard side below the bridge. On the way here she’d lost her bearings somewhat. Not really a surprise on an ocean liner that had to be photographed from a kilometre away to fit the whole thing in the picture. From one end to the other it was the length of three football pitches, and if you stood on the top deck when arriving in New York you could look the Statue of Liberty in the eye.

‘So, how do you like my little realm?’ Daniel asked.

‘It’s beautiful,’ Julia said, without looking properly.

Like her cabin, this one was dominated by bright rugs and dark leather furniture, although it was much bigger. The décor was luxurious, but completely impersonal. Perfect for ten days’ holiday, but if Julia were living here permanently she’d have exchanged the bland prints on the wall for more individual pictures long ago.