Trapped by Isla Whitcroft Page B

nor Nancy took any notice of his words. Indeed they didn’t even look in his direction but, as they left the deck, Lulu beckoned sharply to Cate to follow.
    â€˜Leave them,’ she hissed as Cate moved up behind her. ‘Can’t you see they want to be alone?’
    Cate followed behind, then watched carefully as Jules and Lulu tottered off down the pontoon. Cate began to account for everyone left on board. Tass and Nancy were safely on the top deck. Marcus was still in the galley: she could hear his singing as he concocted some amazing dessert, and Wendy was waiting on the main deck until whatever time the happy couple decided to call it a night.
    Downstairs in the staff mess room, Cate found Bill playing cards with Mikey whilst Ahmed sat away from the others, on one of the red bar stools. It was a perfect time to go spying.
    Cate made a big show of going over to the small sink and pulling out cleaning products and a bucket. ‘Just tidying up some of the main rooms,’ she said to no one in particular. Bill and Mikey ignored her and carried on with their good-natured banter but Ahmed turned and gave her a slow stare.
    â€˜Which rooms?’ he asked.
    â€˜Not sure yet,’ said Cate blithely. ‘P’raps the main salon and the bathrooms. Depends.’
    â€˜Tell me when you’re going into Miss Kyle’s room,’ Ahmed said, gazing into Cate’s eyes as he spoke. She held his gaze but behind his pale eyes there was an emptiness which made Cate shudder inwardly. ‘I like to check and double check. Understand?’ He spoke flatly, without drama and Cate struggled to find a reply. Then Bill came to her rescue.
    â€˜Blimey, mate, you’re a bit keen.’ The Australian spoke without looking up from the cards he was holding.
    â€˜That’s Ahmed for you,’ said Mikey. ‘Likes to keep ’imself busy.’
    Cate nodded and went back upstairs clutching her bucket and dusters. She didn’t have much time, she reckoned, before Ahmed came looking for her. Something told her he wasn’t the type to make idle threats.
    Cate hesitated, wondering whether to ask Marcus to act as look out, but when she poked her head around the galley door he was gone, the kitchen immaculate and clearly shut up for the night. Cate cursed silently, thought for a few seconds and then ran back downstairs. She nipped into her room, grabbed her laptop from under the bed and then went to the laundry cupboard and pulled down a couple of thick towels.
    With the computer tucked between them, she carried the towels ostentatiously and slowly past the mess room door. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ahmed look up as she went by. To him she was just carrying a pile of towels. He had no idea that they were hiding another pair of eyes.
    At the top of the stairs, she dumped the towels, opened upthe laptop and removed the tiny detachable webcam. Looking quickly around her, she spotted a crack between the door and the wall and, switching the camera on, she slid it quickly into the gap.
    Reaching the safety of the middle deck she heaved a huge sigh of relief. So far, so good. But she had very little time left to play with. She picked up the towels and laptop again and walked quickly towards Nancy’s suite, then stopped and listened intently, her heart beating loudly, her breath shallow.
    All was quiet, with just a few sounds of chat and music wafting down from the top deck where, pudding over, Nancy was presumably still snuggling up to her man. But just to make sure, she knocked softly on the door, then a second time more loudly. She opened it quietly. The bedroom was almost dark, lit only by a wavering light coming in through the portholes.
    Cate padded silently over to the bedside table and switched on one of the lamps which gave out a light just bright enough to see by but, she hoped, dim enough not to attract attention. Nervously, she checked out the bathroom and the dressing room,