“It would be better coming from him,” Victoria said, noticing her disquiet. “It’s nothing to be worried about. We used to work for the government—all very dull—but there are some things that we’re not really supposed to discuss with civilians, and I’d rather not make that decision for him. I don’t know how much he’d want to say. The good news, though, is that you don’t need to be concerned. You got lucky yesterday.”

“Did I? It doesn’t feel like it.”

“Not with… you know, not with the drugs and being arrested, but you were lucky you had him to help. He’s a good man and he’s very capable.”

“I still don’t really know why he’s doing what he’s doing. You, too. You don’t know me.”

Victoria looked as if she was about to ask something, but then stopped.

“What?” Sakura prompted.

“You and John—are you…?” She let the question hang.

Sakura’s face flushed as she remembered what had happened before she had gone to sleep last night: she had made a move and Smith had turned her down. Not many men had ever done that.

“No,” she said. We only just met.” She paused. “You said he’s a good man?”

Victoria nodded.

“How do you know that?”

Victoria pulled out one of the chairs from the breakfast bar and sat down. Sakura perched on the end of the sofa bed.

“Back when we worked together—when we were both in London—I kind of let things get out of hand. The job I was doing was one that could really get on top of you, and it had been relentless for months. That caused trouble with my first husband and we ended up separating, then getting divorced. I went off the rails a bit. I’ll be honest—I was in a mess, and, for a while, it got pretty dark. John helped me.”

“How?”

“I’d have no trouble telling you what happened, but to do that, I’d have to break a few of the confidences I have with him, and I don’t think that’s right. He might tell you if you ask, but, as far as I’m concerned, if it weren’t for him, I very much doubt I would be here. Certainly not in Bali, married to a lovely man and living a life I would have said was completely impossible ten years ago. Maybe I wouldn’t have been here at all. There were moments when it could have gone another way. John made sure it didn’t—I’ll never forget that, and I’ll never be able to pay him back. So when he called and said he needed help?” She shrugged. “I won’t say no to him.”

Sakura stared at Victoria, unsure how best to respond.