‘Why on earth do you think he got you on board? I want you to help me. He wants to frame you for it.’

‘Me?’

The huge ship was pushed upwards by a wave, a sure sign that the Sultan was gathering speed on the open sea.

‘Yes. You’re the ideal scapegoat. A self-destructive investigator who hasn’t got over the legally verified suicide of his wife and the death of his son, and who descends into a delusional search which finally drives him insane.’

‘Me? A criminal?’ Martin’s incisor started throbbing.

‘Yes. He’ll claim the video you want to take is one of the trophies you’ve collected from your victims.’

‘But that’s utter madness. How am I supposed to have done anything to the girl? I wasn’t even on board when she disappeared months ago.’

‘How can anybody be sure?’ Bonhoeffer asked. For the time being the bleeding had abated, if not stopped altogether, although it was hard to tell given the smears across his face.

‘You’re an undercover investigator, Schwartz. A master of disguise. It would be a doddle for you to travel under a fake name. Get a forged passport. Perhaps you’re the killer Gerlinde Dobkowitz writes about in her book.’

‘You’re insane,’ Martin said, but then thought he could hear Anouk’s voice whispering his name again. ‘Martin.’

‘No, I’m not,’ Bonhoeffer answered back. ‘But Yegor is. I may be the only one who’s still capable of thinking clearly here. I know why you’re really on board.’

As a target.

‘When I realised how serious Yegor is about covering it all up, I knew I couldn’t solve the problem without outside help. Then Gerlinde Dobkowitz showed me the teddy bear and the idea occurred to me. You’re a psychologist and investigator, and since your loss it’s been in your interest to keep yourself to yourself. I knew I’d be able to use this to convince Yegor to give me more time. Because no matter how much he wants that deal to be concluded, he’s also very keen on catching the scumbag on his ship who sexually abused the girl. I swear that when he gave me the green light to contact you I had no idea he was planning to use you as a scapegoat in case everything went belly-up.’

‘I don’t believe a word you’re saying.’

‘I know. That’s why you got a call from Gerlinde rather than me.’

That sentence sounds familiar.

The ground beneath Martin’s feet trembled once more. Each time the ship rose, for some unfathomable reason the roaring of the air conditioning unit above their heads grew louder.