Katsuro had checked into the Hilton earlier and had taken a room on the top floor of the main building that looked down onto the row of villas that faced the beach and the pool. He had known that he would not have been able to locate Sakura by asking for her at the front desk, so he had pulled a chair out onto the balcony and kept watch.

He hadn’t had to wait very long. She took one of the spare loungers at the front of the pool and settled down to enjoy the sun and read. The gaijin had arrived just after lunch, joined soon after by Deschamps and her husband. The four of them had shared a conversation before Sakura and the Westerner had made their way back to a villa down by the beach.

Katsuro could see the villa from the balcony. He decided the best course of action would be to wait until dark. The grounds were busy, and he did not want to be disturbed while he went about his work. He settled down to watch.

It was evening now. The Westerner had gone out and Katsuro had decided to make his move. He went down to the villa just as Deschamps arrived. He found a hidden spot to observe and saw the gaijin and then Deschamps’s husband. The door opened again shortly after their arrival, and now the four of them were leaving together.

They reached a white van that bore the hotel’s livery, loaded the luggage and got inside.

Where were they going?

Katsuro was frustrated. He knew that now was not the time to make a move, but that if he did not keep them within sight, he would lose his opportunity altogether. He hurried around to the guests’ parking lot, got into his rental and drove quickly off the property, waiting on the road outside for the van to appear.

He pulled out and started to follow.

56

Milton watched as the lights of Kuta sped past them through the rear windows of the hotel’s delivery van. He and Sakura were in the back, sitting in the cargo space with Milton resting against the rear wheel arch. Sakura was beside him, her body pressed into his. She was nervous; he could feel it in the tautness of her muscles and had seen it in the pinched expression on her face as they had started their journey. The sunset had been stunning tonight—a bright orange tapestry of clouds and reflected light—but it was dark now. Sakura had good reason for nerves; she had no idea what they would find at the dock, or after that. Neither did he.