Page 36 of Below the Deck

Eleni felt suddenly ridiculous.I’m being paranoid. He’s a nice guy. He’s not up to anything weird.

‘Not for me,’ said Rory briskly. He got to his feet. ‘I’ll see if I can have any more luck getting a signal over at the stern. See you later, Eleni.’ He gave her a paternal pat on the head and walked away.

‘Well, I shouldactuallygo and get that book,’ Eleni told Sam. She got up and started towards the stairs.

‘Ah – actually, Eleni?’

She turned back. ‘Yeah?’ Sam was staring at her, his eyebrows drawing together.

‘You’re okay, Eleni, aren’t you?’

She frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean, is there anything that’s worrying you – or has anything upset you?’

Eleni felt a flash of unexpected anxiety. She glanced around the sun deck to make sure they were still alone, then lowered her voice. ‘I – well – I can’t think of anything … nothing specific, anyway. I was a bit shocked by what happened to Nick on that jet ski, of course, but – sorry, why are you asking?’

Sam was still eyeing her closely. ‘It might be nothing. It’s just … this morning, I heard something in one of the cabins. I’ve not caught you alone since then, but I wanted to ask you about it.’ He fixed her with that intense expression.

Eleni shook her head, confused. ‘You wanted to ask me about what – what did you hear?’

He swallowed. ‘Like a … shout? A cry? Someone yellingstop it! It would have been just before ten. I wouldn’t mention it, but it kind of sounded like someone was – in pain, or scared, or something …’

In pain? Scared?Eleni swept back a strand of hair that had come loose from her ponytail – she saw Sam watching her, expectantly. ‘I honestly don’t know, but it couldn’t have come from me. I came up to the salon for breakfast around nine, and I only popped back to our cabin once to get my sun cream …’

Sam nodded. ‘Was anyone else downstairs, do you know?’

She thought for a moment. ‘Gosh, now you’re asking. I honestly can’t remember – people were up and down all morning – coming up for breakfast, going up and down the stairs. I’m sorry.’ She tried racked her brains for another plausible explanation. ‘Are you sure it wasn’t one of the crew? Their cabins are just down from ours, aren’t they? Maybe one of them was just messing around …’

‘Could have been, I suppose.’ Sam paused. ‘There is something else, though.’ He looked out to sea for a moment, as if weighing up whether or not to go on.

‘Well?’ Eleni was hot, and didn’t have long before she’d have to get ready for dinner. She’d have to get back to Nick soon, too – she’d said she’d only be a couple of minutes grabbing her book.

Sam sighed. ‘I overheard Michaela and Johanna last night. Michaela was really worried about something. She said she was scared of someone here – one of the guests. One of themen.’

Eleni swallowed.One of the men?It was oddly specific – and yet not specific enough. ‘What did she mean by that – she was scared of one of the men?’ she asked. ‘Did she mention who? And what they did to freak her out?’

Sam was shaking his head before Eleni had even finished speaking. ‘She didn’t say. All I know is that one of us men apparently approached her – intimidated her somehow – badly enough that Michaela didn’t even want to finish the charter.’

The stewardess wants to leave because of one of the guests?Eleni thought for a moment. ‘But who would have done that? We’d have noticed, wouldn’t we, if someone had been hassling her? We’re all in such a tight space! You can hardly turn around in this effing yacht without bumping into someone …’

She paused for breath. She was rambling now, in her anxiety, but she couldn’t stop her words; they kept on tumbling out of her, as fast as the thoughts racing through her brain. ‘And who do you think it was? Honestly? If you’ve got any ideas, just tell me.’ She swallowed. ‘I assume it couldn’t have been …you?’

Sam looked shocked; he shook his head furiously. ‘No way. I’d never … and I’d hardly mention it to you, if it was me, would I?’ Then he waited a long moment, before he spoke again, more slowly: ‘I don’t know for sure which of us. But I have my suspicions.’ He shrugged. ‘I probably shouldn’t say. I think it’ll all come out soon enough.’

Eleni willed herself to keep her expression impassive; she only dipped her head slightly.

‘I hope you know, Eleni, you can always talk to me, yeah?’ Sam went on. His voice was soft, empathetic. ‘Like, if you ever need to?’

Talk to him? About what?The memory struck her, suddenly, of Sam huddled up close with a woman from the sales department on a rare Thursday night work drink that she made it to – one on one, at the bar, away from the loud, boozy teams taking over the giant tables playing drinking games. Clearly this was something he did. It should warm her to him, but somehow – after what she’d just been thinking a moment ago about his sudden appearance here – it left her cold.

‘I appreciate that and I’ll bear it in mind,’ she said. ‘See you at dinner, yeah?’

Eleni turned and headed down the stairs, still feeling Sam’s eyes on her. Once she had stepped inside the cabin and closed the door behind her, she leaned back against the wall, trying to breathe through the sudden swell of panic in her chest. Worse than Sam blowing the first chance she’d had to talk to Rory alone, now there was the threat of someone hassling the stewardess. And she still had the eerie feeling of being watched.

She was running out of people she could trust here.

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