He put the can back and counted the cash. One hundred and forty euros and sixty cents. Probably the sum of her pocket money. As she didn’t have a purse she probably hadn’t even counted it, but Tiago wouldn’t take more than ten. Never more than ten per cent was his golden rule. And never personal objects which, in the worst-case scenario, could be traced back to their owners. When the sums were little the victims always imagined they’d mislaid the money themselves.

‘You must have lost it, darling. Why would a thief leave your watch, all your jewellery and a large wad of money?’

It took a bit longer his way, but the Tiago method was foolproof. His passage in the inner cabin cost him $2,400 for the Cadiz–Oslo–New York legs, and so far he’d pocketed $2,200. By the time he changed ships in New York and set sail for Canada, he’d have a further $2,500. Not bad if your expenses were zero and you could live your life on a permanent holiday like a millionaire.

Tiago took two five-euro notes. As he was putting back the rest of the money he noticed an envelope leaning upright in the right-hand corner of the safe.

Another financial cushion? Perhaps a present from granny for the trip?

Overcome by curiosity he opened the padded envelope. At that moment an unexpected noise made him aware of an unforgivable error.

An error he’d made while entering the cabin and which he ought to have realised the moment he’d had the school ID in his hands, if not earlier. How could I be so stupid? Tiago thought before diving over the bed towards the balcony.

But he was too slow.

No teenager travels on a cruise ship alone!

The connecting door, which he hadn’t checked, opened and he had no time to hide on the balcony to avoid being caught by the cleaning lady, who at that moment entered the cabin and who…

… was drunk?

Crouching on all fours behind the tall bed, Tiago watched what was happening with the help of the mirror set above the desk next to the television.

The way the chambermaid, with her white housecoat and archaic-looking bonnet, had staggered into the room, Tiago’s initial thought was that she must have been drinking.

Then he saw the two men behind her, saw the fist of one of them hit her in the back, which is why the young woman lost her balance and as she fell hit her head on the door of the cupboard he’d opened.

19

Anouk’s cabin reminded Martin of a delivery room in a modern hospital, in which anything that could possibly make patients think of medicine and illness was replaced by bright, everyday materials.