She gave a start when the phone rang.
'It'll take a couple of hours before Nessim can get Pau's room number,' said Mehmet on the other end of the line. 'Try to get some sleep in the meantime. Henning too.'
Katherina reluctantly accepted Mehmet's suggestion and put down the receiver. Henning seemed relieved to return to his own room.
Katherina was extremely glad Mehmet had come with them. He had turned out to be the perfect guide; with lightning speed he'd made friends with the locals and developed a thorough knowledge of the city. It probably had to do with the colour of his skin, because she and Henning could hardly walk around unnoticed. Henning and Katherina had gone out to have a look at the library on the first day, before Henning got sick, but Katherina had been much too worried to enjoy exploring the impressive building.
Henning, on the other hand, had been overwhelmed at the sight of the enormous monument – even more so when they entered the huge reading room under the glass roof. They had exchanged glances at that moment. The energy presence was so massive that the hairs stood on end on the back of Katherina's neck. It was the same tingling feeling she'd had in the basement of Libri di Luca but ten times, even a hundred times stronger. Henning's eyes shone like a man who was newly in love.
Katherina stretched out on her bed and closed her eyes. Pau was their last chance, and there was nothing to do now but wait.
She must have fallen asleep after all, because when the hotel phone woke her, the sun had gone down.
'Mehmet here. We're waiting for you in the lobby.'
Still slightly groggy, Katherina got out of bed and went into the small bathroom. She washed her face and pulled her red hair into a knot at the nape of her neck. Then she left the room and went downstairs.
Henning was still as pale as a corpse, but even so he mustered a smile when he caught sight of Katherina. Mehmet, who was once again wearing the head-dress, led them through streets that were now almost deserted. Only when they were further down in the city, closer to the harbour, did they find tourist shops that were still open and much more life on the streets.
The buildings surrounding Hotel Seaview were all taller, so the hotel looked like it was shrivelling up in their shadow. The facade was in disrepair with the paint peeling off in big patches and the shutters faded. It might once have been possible to see the ocean from Hotel Seaview, but that was long ago. Only the lights on the hotel sign gave any indication that the building was still in use, along with a couple of double doors that were open, welcoming them inside.
The lobby floor was marble, while the walls had coverings ranging from wallpaper to wooden panelling to a heavy velvet tapestry that hung from the ceiling. The front desk was made of dark wood as shiny as a mirror; on top stood a highly polished brass bell. On the wall behind were mirrors in gold frames as well as pigeon holes containing keys to every room.
There was no one behind the counter, so all three of them walked silently through the lobby and up a red-carpeted staircase. Every inch of the walls was covered with paintings in ostentatious gold frames.
Not until they reached the third floor did they dare speak.
'Three-oh-five,' said Mehmet, pointing down the corridor, which on this floor had white walls and a pink marble floor.
'Are you sure he's there?' whispered Katherina.
'Nessim said Pau would be in his room now, for about an hour,' replied Mehmet in a low voice.
'How can he be so sure about that?'
'He knows the front-desk clerk here. Apparently they all know each other. At any rate, he was told that ten of the guests are due to be picked up by a minibus in an hour.'
Katherina didn't care for this plan of theirs. She thought it seemed overly optimistic to just stroll right into a hotel filled with Lectors and expect to interrogate someone without anyone else noticing. 'How do you plan to stop him from slipping through our fingers?'
Mehmet stuck his hand under his robes and pulled out a gun. 'It's a toy,' he assured her. 'I'm just going to scare him a bit.' Mehmet smiled. 'But it looks like the real McCoy, doesn't it?'
Katherina and Henning positioned themselves on either side of the door marked 305, while Mehmet knocked. He was holding the gun in his hand, but behind his back.
'What is it?' they heard from inside the room. It was definitely Pau's voice.
'Are you ready?' called Mehmet, disguising his voice.
They heard footsteps approaching the door.
'Ready? What are you talking about?'
The key was turned in the lock and the door opened.
In the doorway stood Pau. He was wearing a long, cream-coloured robe with a snake-patterned black border around the sleeves and hem. The first thing Pau saw was Mehmet in full Arab regalia. He looked the man up and down in astonishment.
'Who the hell are you?' he asked angrily, but at that instant Mehmet whipped out the gun and aimed it at Pau's forehead. Terrified, he backed away, followed closely by Mehmet. Katherina and Henning entered the room.
'You!' cried Pau when he saw them. 'Shit.'
36
Something about Katherina's expression was worrying Jon. Her green eyes had been filled with a mixture of relief and astonishing warmth. How could she believe that such a ploy would still work? Was it a ploy? If he didn't know better, he would say her gaze had been filled with love. Love for him. He shook his head as if to shake off the uncertainty that had seeped into his mind.
'Are you okay?' asked Remer from the driver's seat.
After sending Poul Holt and the red-haired man after Katherina, Remer had hurried Jon back to the car. On the way they once again saw Katherina, this time running away from the marketplace. She saw them too. Jon was struck by her hesitation when she noticed them. For a moment she seemed frozen to the spot in the noonday heat. Then she looked straight at Jon for one last time before she disappeared down a side street.
'I'm fine,' he said moodily.
He noticed Remer glancing at him in the rear-view mirror. Jon was sitting on the back seat, looking out at the city as it passed. There were so many people on the streets. How was it possible that he had run into Katherina, of all people? Was she tailing them? Planning to catch him off guard by turning up at the marketplace? It seemed unlikely. Her surprised reaction looked genuine.
Remer hadn't waited for the two other men to come back. He started up the car at once and drove off without Poul Holt and the red-haired man, as if Jon were in grave danger. Jon thought he was overreacting. What could Katherina do? On the other hand, he was glad that the Order stood behind him and offered protection. It made him feel important but also a little helpless, as if he wasn't capable of taking care of himself.
He couldn't get Katherina's expression out of his mind. There was something inside him that had been awakened by that moment when their eyes met. As if a fist had struck him square on the chest, knocking all the air out of him and making it impossible for him to breathe. Maybe she really was dangerous after all.
'How do you think she managed to find us?' he asked without taking his eyes off the side window.
'Luck,' said Remer. 'Maybe they have spies in Egypt. Who knows?'
Jon frowned. Something didn't match up. The whole time Remer had claimed that the group in Libri di Luca was a collection of unorganized fanatics who had put all Lectors in danger through the lax use of their powers. Now he was saying they might have a network extending across continents.
'Don't worry,' said Remer. 'We'll be home soon.'
Why should Jon be worried? He studied Remer's face in the rearview mirror. It looked as if he was the one who was worried. He kept casting concerned glances at Jon, and his driving was bordering on reckless.
They had left the city behind now, and Jon knew it wasn't far to the country house where they were staying.