The Woman in Cabin 10

Laura Blacklock. Coming or going?

Good question.

Run it by fact-checking and let me know, would you?

Great piece on the NGOs. Welcome back.

- Hi, Lo. Love the article. - Thanks.

- Nice piece. Great work. - Just read it. It's great.

Thanks.

Oh man.

Lo, got a minute before editorial?

Yeah, just a sec.

How was your trip back?

Well, the second of my four-hour flights on an eight-seater turboprop plane

was only one day delayed, so, you know, I loved every minute of it.

Do I detect the brittle sarcasm of the severely jet-lagged

or is the malaise something deeper?

They drowned that woman.

Yeah. I know.

They killed her.

Just because she agreed to speak to me.

People are capable of appalling things.

You know what? Just sometimes I would like them not to do appalling things.

I would like to be surprised.

Are we talking about stealing NGO funds from starving children now

or your checkered romantic history?

Oh. Yes, be serious. Thank you.

I thought I was.

Ha!

God.

Oh, speak of the devil!

- Which devil is that? - Go away.

- Two disasters ago. - Ooh!

- Ben Morgan? - Ben Morgan!

- What does he want? - No idea.

Probably wants to collect some of his rare Japanese vinyl

he's got cluttering up my apartment.

What?

Lo, you didn't have to come straight back in today.

Take some time off.

I'm... I'm not very good at taking time off.

You should ask Ben.

In that case, what's next?

We have an in on that FIFA corruption story if you're still interested.

Do you know what?

Something has just come in, which I think might, um...

restore my faith in humanity.

It's Anne Lyngstad, you know?

She's the Norwegian shipping heiress. She's got stage four leukemia.

And her husband is, uh, setting up a foundation in her name.

Sounds uplifting.

But here's the fun part.

He wants to take the board members on his fuck-off big yacht

to, uh, a fundraising gala in Norway.

Wants me to come along, cover it, raise awareness.

Let me get this straight.

This poor woman gets sick,

and now some billionaires in her circle have decided

cancer's awful and they should do something about it.

But only if you go and tell everyone how great they are.

Yes, pretty much. But obviously with my journalistic flair.

This is a story how?

Oh, come on. It's human interest for inhumane times.

Mm.

You just told me I needed a break.

So long as it is a break. Not a leave of absence.

I am pretty sure hard-hitting journalism can survive without me for the week.

Thank you. Thanks.

Welcome aboard the Aurora Borealis.

What a beautiful boat.

Uh, so, so... your shoes, Miss Blacklock.

- My...? - Shoes, yep.

Sorry, what have I done?

We keep all of the shoes in that basket over there.

We can offer you some slippers or socks or shoes for the gym.

We have your sizes. So just let us know, okay?

Okay. Thanks.

- We all get it wrong first time. - Yeah.

First time at the rodeo?

I'm not quite up with the yacht etiquette yet.

I call it yachtiquette, actually.

By the way, I'm Laura. Hello.

- Adam Sutherland. - Nice to meet you.

- Champagne, madam? - Thank you.

Way too early for me.

Hello, there. Hi.

Hi, I'm Karla. I'm the chief steward.

You will be in cabin 8 on the starboard side. Fantastic sunrises.

Dr. Mehta, you're in cabin 2, closest to Miss Lyngstad.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

- Are you Miss Lyngstad's doctor? - Well...

I'm an old friend of Richard's, really.

Ever since Anne became ill, I've, uh, sadly become

a somewhat constant presence in their lives.

She's fought as hard as anyone could.

- All full of contraband? - Every one of them.

Excuse me.

- Thomas. Heidi. - Ah!

Oh, Robert. You old bastard.

Wasn't a complete wash.

Looking well. Lost a bit of weight?

It's the stress.

Of all the superyachts on all the cruises in all the world.

Ben Morgan.

- Oh, I don't believe it. Jesus. - I did try calling you.

Why am I not surprised to see you here?

- Of course! Benjamin. Sh... Uh, this is, um... - Lo and I already know each other.

Oh! Journo circles. You guys worked together before?

No.

No, you've done something else together before, haven't you?

Let me know if you need me to engage a deckhand

to prevent a repeat performance.

Won't be necessary. Thank you.

- It ended a while ago. - Okay.

- Okay, well, I hope it ended amicably. - Something like that.

That's a no. That's a no. I've...

I've touched a nerve. I do feel awkward. I might... If you guys...

- I'm gonna... - Yeah, okay, probably better.

Why is she in jeans?

I feel like there was a dress code, no?

That's the first time I've heard you refer to our shared history as amicable.

It's the first time I've thought about our shared history at all to be honest.

Ouch.

One-nil?

Two-nil.

Okay, I'll take that. I'll take that.

Mr. Tyler, Mr. Jensen.

And the Heatherleys, and Miss Blacklock.

Ladies and gentlemen, our lovely stewards will now lead you to your rooms.

Mr. Bullmer will join you for welcome drinks later.

Laura, have you met Dame Heatherley? Runs a gallery for the rich and famous.

She used to be in Mayfair.

Now she's decided to migrate east in search of...

...some sort of... zeitier-geist, I guess.

- Why did you do that? - So, so desperately funny, Adam.

Laura is going to be spying on us dans ze voyage .

Oh, right. So you're Bullmer's journo, eh?

Yeah, Laura. Lo. Nice to meet you, Dame Heatherley.

Oh, stop it. Please, would you just call me Heidi?

Uh, my colleague actually went to see your exhibition.

- She said it was magnificent. - Oh, it is.

The artist films herself succumbing to Rohypnol,

then getting dressed and undressed.

Then being put in various different postures

out in public over eight hours by her assistants.

Jaw-dropping.

- It sounds... - Horrendous.

- Even for me. I mean, that is... - Tommo, you big lug.

Come and meet Richie's hackette.

- A journo! - Mm.

Any good? You know, I've been thinking about writing my memoirs.

Ooh, the world awaits with bated breath.

Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Blacklock.

The rest of your luggage should've been brought down.

Oh, no. That's it.

Oh, uh, would you like me to unpack for you?

God, no, no. Um... I wouldn't subject you to the chaos.

All right, boys. Let's fire it up. Let's go.

Friends...

- That's him. - Romans.

Board members.

Oh, there we go!

I welcome you to the Aurora Borealis.

Aurora Borealis!

When we commissioned her,

Anne and I imagined a different future than the one that has come about.

- Yes. - There's no sugarcoating it.

- Yeah. - That fight has taken its toll.

Anyway, we've...

We've rethought the purpose of this humble barge,

and, uh...

...and you're here to inaugurate our project.

We are.

Now, I know this is an unusual approach to charity,

three days on a luxury yacht,

but the money all of you have donated, which is a considerable amount,

will go to those in society

who cannot afford private doctors or experimental treatments.

So here's to you.

- To you. - Hear, hear.

Now, I know most of you are here to meet Anne,

but I'm sorry to say after a long day of travelling, she's... she's resting.

- So I propose... - Yes.

...a light supper, an early night,

and a big day of celebration with Anne tomorrow.

- Oh yes. - Perfect.

- What do you think? - Wonderful.

Mm.

But first,

a nice surprise.

- Come and meet Danny. - No, it's not...

Danny Tyler. I didn't think he was still alive.

- Just about. - Not for want of trying.

Danny!

That's amazing.

- Laura Blacklock. - Hi.

I'm Richard.

- So pleased to have you with us. - Thank you very much.

If you're in luck, Tommy, he'll have brought his Viagra.

Oh, I never use it.

There you go. Thank you.

Bullmer, you old scoundrel.