‘Madam, I am not trying to call you anything bad like a liar, but I must tell you that Bay View is not a hotel at all. I don’t think you want to go there, Madam. Not at all.’

Donna looked into the rheumy eyes, took in the grimy face, dirty neck and none-too-clean clothes, and sighed once more. He was a nice old man, but was probably paid commission to send people like herself to other hotels. He was trying to make a few pounds. Opening her purse, she took out a thousand rupees, then another thousand.

‘These are for you if you take me to the Bay View, OK?’

Raj took the money and shook his head sadly.

‘I will take you, Madam, but you will not want to stay there, I know this.’

Opening her briefcase, Donna took out the brochure of the Bay View Hotel and pushed it across the seat to him.

‘See? It’s a very beautiful hotel.’

Raj looked down at the picture and shrugged. ‘I do not know of this hotel, Madam. I have never heard of this place.’

Donna smiled gently. ‘It’s not open to the public yet. It has not long been finished. I own it, you see. At least, my husband and I own it.’

Raj frowned and nodded at her. ‘Very well, Madam, I will take you there. But I have never been hearing of a new hotel in Hikkadoa.’

With that he restarted the car.

He drove slowly through the tiny village to the outskirts. As they approached a narrow dirt track there was a faded board proclaiming The Bay View Hotel, with a black arrow pointing towards the roadway.

Donna smiled in happy relief. ‘See? I told you it was here!’

As they drove up the unsurfaced track, avoiding the potholes, Donna saw a family of monkeys feeding. Instead of enjoying the sight, she felt it was somehow sinister.

Her brain was asking why there was no real road yet. The other hotels she had passed mostly had concrete driveways, with beautiful flower-borders. Oh well, she told herself, the hotel was only just finished. Maybe the roads were made last? But then, her mind reasoned, how had they got all the plant out here to do the actual construction work?

‘Be careful of the monkeys, Madam. They bite and can carry the rabies.’

Raj’s words brought Donna back to reality.

He carried on a slow descent of the dirt road, finally pulling up about fifty yards from a dilapidated building.

‘This is the Bay View, Madam.’

Donna stared at the place, stunned. ‘No, Raj, it can’t be!’ She looked at the photograph before her of the palatial hotel complex.

‘This is it, Madam - look at the sign.’

Donna saw a sign above the entrance. It did indeed say Bay View Hotel in faded black lettering.