Appearing satisfied, Avi coils up his cord and inserts the coil into his other blazer pocket. He slides his mobile phone into the back pocket of his pants, then does a final check of his reflection in the mirror. He plucks a purple bloom from the potted vanda orchid plant beneath the mirror. He sticks it into a buttonhole on his lapel. Avi smiles calmly at his own reflection, then leaves his room.
Theo leans back in his chair. He exhales and runs both hands over his hair.
The man he’s spying on appears to be a trained killer.
Fade in—Gentle Harp Music—A Woman Beginning To Sing Words Inspired By A Jewish Prayer
Who shall live, who shall die;
Who in due time, who before time;
Who by fire and who by water.
Who by sword, who by beast. Who by strangling, who by stoning ...
Poppy
Poppy and Lillith step out into a Dionysian-themed world on theOrchid’s exclusive, upmost deck. For a moment Poppy feels as though she’s entered a movie set.
Servers in white tunics glide past with trays of fruits, cheeses, meats, olives, aubergines, fire-roasted tomatoes, kebabs, pita breads, and vegetables drizzled with green oil and balsamic. They wear laced sandals and their eyes are dark with kohl. Bronzed cuffs gleam on their arms. Real grapes have been hung in clusters from trellises; live music comes from harps, lyres, flutes, and panpipes; and the air is fragrant with thyme, rosemary, and basil.
Roshaan materializes in front of them and ushers them to a table beside a pool with a backlit waterfall. Stars prick the darkening sky, and a gibbous moon casts a path of beaten gold across the black water.
As they take their seats, Poppy scans the area. She can’t see the mystery Tan Man who’s been following them since Edinburgh Airport. It doesn’t mean he’s not up here, though. She remains cautious, vigilant. No sign of Arrabella and Patrick, either.
“Let me know if you need anything else,” Roshaan says. “I’ll fetch your server.”
As she moves her hand, Poppy notices a big green stone on Roshaan’s finger, where earlier there was none.
“Oh, wow, that’s new—I mean, it’s a beautiful ring,” she says.
“Thank you,” Roshaan says crisply. She heads for the restaurant counter.
“Wait,” Poppy calls after her, but she’s already out of earshot. Poppy hurriedly shoves her chair back and surges to her feet. “Excuse me a second,” she says to Lillith. She scuttles after Roshaan, catching up to her near the bar.
“What is it?” Roshaan looks edgy as she fingers her new ring.
Her overt discomfort gives Poppy a little punch of power. It’s a nice feeling, so she slows down, taking time to revel in it as she comes to her point.
“I was wondering if you could tell me who left the gift in our suite. My”—she was going to sayboss, but changes her mind—“my travel companion would like to send a thank-you note.”
Roshaan relaxes. “Oh. I don’t know who it’s from. Maxine asked me to leave it in the Elysium villa. You could ask her—she’s here on Deck 14 somewhere.”
“I will. Thank you.” Poppy hesitates, then goes in for another dig. “It really is a beautiful ring. An emerald?”
“It is.”
“Congratulations. Oh—I’m so sorry.” Poppy presses her hand to her chest in sudden mock fluster. “I shouldn’t have just assumed that it meant an engagement. Forgive me.”
“No worries. It is. I—I mean, an engagement.” She smiles tightly.
But Poppy senses inner conflict. Roshaan might be prettier and younger than Poppy, but she’s insecure. And Poppy noticed how she reacted when that dark-haired man approached her boss. There’s possibly a love triangle at play. Or secrets, at least.
“Righteo. Thanks again, Roshaan—I’ll keep an eye out for Maxine.”
She trundles back to her table, feeling a little burst of purposeful achievement and fresh energy. She seats herself as a server approaches with two cocktails on a tray.
“What was that about?” Lillith asks.
