‘So now you’re worried that your daughter might commit suicide on my ship?’ Daniel asked when she’d finished. She’d hoped he’d laugh at what she said, as when he greeted her earlier. Tell her she was seeing ghosts or something else to dispel her fear. But Daniel had gone unusually quiet.

He blew on the steaming cup in front of him and rubbed his finger over the cruise line’s logo, a bear surrounded by golden laurels with a stylised crown on his head.

‘Don’t you worry,’ he said finally, sounding strangely sombre.

‘But—’

‘I know where Lisa is,’ he said, interrupting Julia’s feeble attempt to protest.

‘You know…?’

He nodded. ‘She’s already come to say hello; she wanted to be on the bridge as we pulled out of port.’

‘You mean, she’s…’

‘Safe and in good hands, yes. I left her in the care of my hotel manager. As we speak she’s personally giving Lisa a tour of the ship.’

‘Phew!’ Julia exhaled audibly, momentarily closing her eyes in relief. Her pulse was still fast, but only because a huge weight had been taken off her mind. She thanked Daniel, who looked weary.

‘Lisa and suicide…’ he said, shaking his head and with a faint smile, as if repeating the punchline of an absurd joke. At once his smile froze. Wearing an expression that now looked as sad as that of a little boy who’s just heard that his favourite pet has died, he said, ‘Maybe it would be for the best if I jumped.’

Julia blinked. She suddenly had the bizarre feeling that she was sitting opposite a complete stranger.

‘What are you talking about?’ she said.

Daniel breathed heavily. ‘I’m in trouble. Big trouble.’

Julia suppressed the urge to look at her watch. Had five minutes passed already, or had Daniel succeeded more quickly this time in steering the conversation around to his own problems?

The captain sighed, pushed the cup away and said, exhausted, ‘Damn it, I really shouldn’t say this to anyone. But at the moment you’re virtually the only person on the ship I can trust.’

‘What’s wrong?’ Julia asked, mystified.

‘You mustn’t tell anybody else, but we’ve got a Passenger 23 on board.’

9

Martin followed Gerlinde Dobkowitz from the balcony back into the suite.

‘If you’d please excuse us,’ the old lady said to the butler, pointing to her bed and winking. ‘Herr Schwartz wants to show me a new Kama Sutra position.’

‘Of course,’ Gregor answered, without batting an eyelid, and got up from the desk.

Gerlinde shot Martin a look as if it were the butler whose mental state ought to be a matter of concern.

‘He’s completely humourless,’ she apologised with a whisper, yet loud enough that Gregor could hear. ‘But he’s helping me achieve my life’s work, aren’t you Gregor?’

‘I’m delighted to be of assistance, Frau Dobkowitz.’