‘You can say that again. He’s quoted in the article: Naomi’s not worth the bother. The sharks will rip the teeth out of that whore who fucked the cancer into my son’s body. Although whore and fucked are not spelled out in full – prudish Yanks.’ Diesel clicked his tongue. ‘But this is why I was calling you. Don’t you find it strange that a man who hates his daughter-in-law that much should pay for the trip?’

‘Was that in the paper too?’ Martin asked, puzzled.

Justin Lamar paid for the cruise?

‘No, it’s what the grandfather claims in his online blog. No joke – he started it up aged eighty-two. The old man updates it every week with new crackpot observations. They range from UFO sightings, human experiments in his home and tips for canine hypnosis.’

Martin stopped in his tracks when he suddenly saw him there.

Bonhoeffer!

As Elena had said, the captain must be on the way to his officers’ meeting, which was being held in the three-hundred-seater ocean planetarium.

‘I’ll call you back,’ Martin said quietly. Daniel was walking around twenty metres ahead of him, accompanied by two colleagues in white uniforms.

‘Fine, but not before ten, please. You know how I like getting up early. Just not in the morning.’

Martin was about to hang up when something occurred to him. ‘Hang on a sec, seeing as you’re on the line…’

‘You want me to water your plants? Forget it!’

‘Please find out how many missing-person cases there have been at sea over the last ten years where more than one person has vanished.’ He asked him to look particularly at cases where children were involved. ‘Not just on the Sultan, but all ships. And then check whether there are any overlaps between passenger and staff lists.’

Martin heard noises that reminded him of a pinball machine, but was not surprised. Diesel’s office in the radio tower on Potsdamer Platz looked like an amusement arcade, with games of skill and gambling machines in every corner. Quite often Diesel would play them during important meetings or phone conversations.

‘Anything else important you found out?’ Martin asked.

‘Oh, yes. I’m glad you asked. I almost forgot. Just one more thing.’

‘What?’

‘That you’re a complete idiot. You shouldn’t be on that ship. After Nadja and Timmy’s death the Sultan is the last place on earth you ought to be. And I’m a real arsewipe for having encouraged you to undertake your odyssey.’

‘You’re too hard on yourself,’ Martin said, before putting his mobile away.

He walked faster and caught up with the captain who, as the last person behind three female officers, was just about to close the entrance to the planetarium.