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Back The Cruise Save as PDF
Chapters (97)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Michael has never …
  4. Prologue
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. PART TWO
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. PART THREE
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. PART FOUR
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. PART FIVE
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. PART SIX
  58. 48
  59. 49
  60. 50
  61. 51
  62. 52
  63. PART SEVEN
  64. 53
  65. 54
  66. 55
  67. PART EIGHT
  68. 56
  69. 57
  70. 58
  71. 59
  72. PART NINE
  73. 60
  74. 61
  75. 62
  76. 63
  77. 64
  78. 65
  79. 66
  80. 67
  81. 68
  82. 69
  83. 70
  84. 71
  85. 72
  86. 73
  87. 74
  88. 75
  89. PART TEN
  90. 76
  91. Epilogue
  92. Acknowledgements
  93. Keep Reading …
  94. 1
  95. About the Author
  96. By Catherine Cooper
  97. About the Publisher

‘How are things?’ he asks, in an unusually gentle tone of voice. ‘You must miss Lola terribly. You know, if you’ve changed your mind and you’d rather take some time off, that can be arranged. I can make sure there’s a dancing job for you once we’re on the move again. I’ll talk to HR. I don’t want you to worry about that.’

I shake my head and bite my lip. I feel tears welling. Oh God. I don’t want to cry in front of Leo. I take a deep breath. ‘It’s just so hard,’ I say, my voice hoarse, ‘thinking of her in the sea, all alone.’

Leo shifts awkwardly. I stare at the table. I wish he’d go away. I don’t want to talk about this with anyone, but especially not with Leo. ‘I understand,’ he says, though he looks embarrassed and I’m quite sure he doesn’t understand. How could he? ‘We all miss Lola, but of course it will be more difficult for you, being so close,’ he adds. ‘Hopefully, in time, there will be some more … answers … maybe they’ll be able to tell us …’

He tails off, not finishing his sentence, but I know what he’s obliquely referring to. In time they might find Lola’s body.

She may wash up somewhere, or she may well not. Where she went overboard, we were miles from land and the ocean was several hundred metres deep. There would have been sharks and other carnivorous fish. As she hasn’t yet been found, the likelihood is, she never will be. I know that but I try not to think about it. A wave of nausea washes over me and I take another deep breath.

‘Have a think about it,’ Leo adds. ‘If you want to take some time off, it isn’t a problem.’

I shake my head. ‘No. Apart from anything else, I want to stay here. Close to the sea. Close to Lola.’

And close to the investigation.

14

Alice

17 January 2022, 02:00

The Caribbean

It’s pitch black when I wake up and at first I think the unbearable sound is my alarm clock going for the breakfast shift but then I realize it’s still the middle of the night and it’s the muster alarm.

Fuck’s sake. I bet someone’s got drunk and set it off for a dare – everyone is already bored out of their minds – or it’s gone off by accident.