Hell’s Kitchen?
The doors opened, revealing a lift, on the other side of which was another door.
‘Why does everyone avoid this area?’
‘Superstition. This is the quarantine section.’
The doctor entered first and Martin followed her with mixed feelings.
‘If we have someone ill on board with an infectious virus or a serious bacterial infection, they’re relocated here to prevent an epidemic from breaking out. Which, after a fire, is the biggest nightmare on a passenger ship,’ Dr Beck said, waiting for the electric aluminium doors to shut behind them.
‘Looks new,’ said Martin, who couldn’t see any signs of wear on the stainless steel walls. Nor any buttons to set the lift in motion.
‘It is. Hell’s Kitchen hasn’t ever been used. It would be extremely impractical in a real emergency, too. Although there’s a goods lift you can transport beds in, the trip down here is asking too much of a seriously ill person. There’s a persistent rumour that the cruise line is carrying out human experiments with insubordinate employees down here.’ She laughed. ‘Or on passengers who can’t pay their bills. Sheer nonsense, of course, but the staff avoid Hell’s Kitchen as a vegetarian does the meat counter. I’ve heard that cleaners offer each other money to avoid having to work down here.’
The lift doors opposite whooshed open and they got out again at the same level.
Martin was puzzled at first, then realised that it had been an airlock rather than a lift.
‘In an emergency this area can be sealed off hermetically. It’s got its own air and water systems as well as an independent electricity supply. And now the two of us have to put on protective suits.’
They crossed an anteroom with a rounded reception desk, where nobody was waiting for patients.
Beyond a further plexiglass door he suddenly found himself walking on the fluffy carpet he recognised from his suite. Overall, the small connecting room, with its two leather armchairs and wardrobe, looked like the cruise ship again. The door they were standing beside was also identical to those of the passenger cabins, except here the spyhole worked the other way around.
The doctor peered in. Apparently satisfied with what she’d seen, she invited Martin to try out his own card.
‘Your key is programmed to give you access to all areas necessary for your work. You can see her any time you like, but I’d be very grateful if you’d let me know beforehand.’
‘Is Anouk locked up?’ he asked disapprovingly.
The doctor nodded seriously. ‘For her own security. Until we know where she was and who might be after her, she shouldn’t roam around the ship unchecked. There’s a button behind her bed she can use to raise the alarm if she’s in danger.’
She pointed upwards. Above the door was a red lever that reminded Martin of the emergency brakes in trains. ‘In an emergency you can unlock the door that way, but it sets off an alarm on the bridge, so it’s always better to bring your key.’
Martin slipped the plastic card from his jeans pocket, then hesitated. Before he entered he ought to have a better idea of what to expect behind the door.
‘Is this your examination report?’ he asked the doctor, indicating the clipboard beneath her arm.
Without saying anything she handed it to him. Martin scanned the report of her initial examination. Anouk Lamar. Female patient. Age: 11. Height: 1.48m. Weight: 35 kg.
In poor overall condition with signs of neglect. Patient doesn’t react to offers of help or encouragement. Suspected mutism.
‘Is she completely speechless?’ Martin said, questioning the diagnosis.
Dr Beck nodded regretfully. ‘Hasn’t said a single word. All she does is moan, cry or grunt, but mostly that’s in her sleep. She has terrible nightmares. Neurologically everything seems to be normal, as you’ll see. Good reflexes, but…’
‘But what?’ Martin asked, then he saw it himself. The physical results in the bottom third of the report took his breath away: superficial skin abrasions running vertically, right next to the labia majora (false passage).
‘Bruising on both inner thighs. Severe fissures at eight and eleven o’clock in the lithomy position?’ Martin cited this part of the report in disbelief.
Elena nodded sadly. ‘Obviously I’ve taken all the necessary swabs.’
Jesus Christ.
He closed his eyes.
According to this Anouk Lamar had been raped several times by her abductor, and bestially.