He walked purposefully to the front of the hotel and looked for a spot where he could see into the second lot. He was ambling in that direction when he saw Deschamps and her husband walking hand in hand toward him. He stepped behind an oversized plant pot that held a large flame tree, and stooped down so that he could pretend to tie his lace. The two of them walked by him, lost in conversation. He could hear what they were saying: the woman was going to go and get a drink, and the man was going to check that the kitchen was closed up for the night. Katsuro gave them thirty seconds and then followed, watching as the woman went right, toward the bar by the pool, and the man went left.

He stopped and considered whom to follow. The woman was heading into a busier part of the hotel. She had definitely been involved with Sakura, but he thought it unlikely that he would be able to get to her without betraying his presence to witnesses. On the other hand, the man was going to the kitchen to check that it was closed down. That sounded as if it might be quieter; perhaps, as it was late, there would be no one else there at all. More importantly, given that he clearly had been involved in getting Sakura to the dock, it was reasonable to expect that he would have the information that Katsuro needed.

He followed him toward the kitchen.

58

The crewman who met Milton and Sakura inside the door led them through the guts of the ship to a staircase and then took them up to the third floor. He explained that the crew accommodation was on the second and third floors, and that the two of them had been assigned the quarters that were reserved for paying guests. The companionway was bland and functional, and the man directed them to the end. Milton was not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised as the man opened the door and stood back to let them go in.

A short corridor led from the companionway into the cabin, past two doors through which Milton could see a walk-in closet and an en suite bathroom. The cabin was low ceilinged, with cream-painted walls. A large double bed filled the main area of the narrow accommodation, covered with a tightly stretched brown counterpane and decorated with pillows. A large flatscreen television was fixed to the wall, with cheap fine-art prints on either side. Beyond the bed was a seating area, a wooden divider separating it from the rest of the cabin. Thick curtains covered the windows, and a door looked as if it led onto a small balcony.

“Meals are served in the mess,” the crewman said. “It’s down the other end of the corridor. You got a microwave and a coffee machine in the cupboard. You need anything else?”

“No,” Milton said. “We’re good.”