Page 40

‘Oh my God, what was that?’ Annalise dropped her book, ran to the window, then to the door to the outside deck.
The tone of her voice made Olivia’s heart rate speed up, fearing the worst – someone overboard, an iceberg too close to the ship.
She followed, the others not far behind. She pushed through the heavy double doors, the wind blowing her hair back off her face. Annalise was leaning out over the railing, up on her tiptoes. Olivia rushed over, grabbing the back of her shirt.
‘Don’t—’ she cried out.
‘Look!’ said Annalise, her finger pointing out into the depths of the dark grey waves. Olivia swallowed, following the line. She could see nothing but a froth of white cresting at the top of each wave.
Just as she was about to turn away, Annalise grabbed her arm. ‘There,’ she whispered.
And, right at that moment, a penguin leaped from the wave, like it had been shot from a cannon.
It was so unexpected, so novel, that she laughed. They continued to watch the waves, delighted shrieks punctuating every time another penguin performed an acrobatic manoeuvre.
The deck doors opened behind them, making them all jump. ‘Liam, you scared us!’ said Patty.
The expedition leader shrugged in apology, then turned his gaze to Olivia. ‘The captain is asking for you.’
18
The bridge was calmer now, with only a skeleton crew manning the controls along with the captain. Olivia knocked on the door, hoping that she looked more at ease than she felt. She gripped her fists at her sides to stop them from shaking as the captain invited her in.
‘Ah, Miss Campbell – thank you for coming.’
‘Is everything OK?’ she blurted out.
‘Please, let’s talk in my office.’ He ushered her into a small room at the back of the bridge. The shelves behind were stacked with books, maps and manuals. He shut the door behind Olivia. ‘Have you heard from your husband?’
‘Boyfriend. We’re not married. Actually, yes, I did receive an email finally this morning. He’d been trying to arrange a helicopter but hasn’t been able to …’
The captain nodded, rubbing at his chin. ‘That is good that you have had word, and I’m sorry we weren’t able to facilitate that connection. But I’ve asked you here as I have been asked to pass a private message on to you. It was from a –’ he looked down at a note on his desk – ‘Monsieur Pierre Lavaud?’
Olivia blinked. It was the last name that she had been expecting. Her old client from Pendle, the billionaire who had set her on the path to meeting Aaron. She’d only met him a handful of times – mostly in the context of her actuarial work, and once at the Yennin artauction, after he’d spent a record-breaking amount of money onnemiga.What was he doing contacting her in Antarctica?
She sucked in her lower lip. Maybethishad been the work emergency that Aaron had been spooked by. If Pierre was having trouble contacting Aaron, maybe she would be his next port of call.
‘Yes, I know him,’ she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
‘Here.’ The captain handed over an envelope.
She slipped her finger under the lip of the envelope and tore it open. There was a printed message inside.
OJC
He’d used her initials; it was how she signed off emails at Pendle.
I’ve been trying to get in touch with Aaron but cannot reach him. I have received some concerning news and I want to make sure you and he are both safe.
PL
Olivia stared at the note, reading it several times. But she only ended up with more questions.Concerning news?
And why wasn’t Aaron responding to Pierre? It was unlike him to ignore his most important customer. Dread filled her belly, so overwhelming she had to steady herself against the captain’s desk.
‘Everything OK?’ he asked.
Olivia shook her head. ‘Can I get a message back to Pierre?’