On a flight to Ireland, Henk van Veen leisurely lectures the steward, Ashley, about what makes a perfect poached egg. Henk discusses the egg’s source, yolk color, texture, and the proper toast in absurd detail, revealing both his fussy tastes and his smug self-satisfaction. Ashley humors Henk throughout the exchange and eventually brings him coffee.

As Henk finishes breakfast, the narrative reveals why he is on the plane. Because Amy Wheeler’s phone is no longer active, Henk has had to track her movements indirectly. He knows Amy was in South Carolina, sees a MailOnline photograph placing Rosie D’Antonio in St Lucia, and concludes that Amy’s group must be moving from one murder location to the next.

Following that logic, Henk identifies Mark Gooch, who lives outside Cork, as the next likely stop for Amy, Steve, and Rosie. He is therefore flying to Cork himself, hoping to arrive before them and ideally be there to meet Amy and her companions. This deduction turns his pleasant breakfast into the setup for a renewed threat against the investigators.

Before landing, Henk walks toward the galley intending to compliment the chef and perhaps recruit a backup cook, another sign of his habit of planning contingencies. When Ashley tells him the plane is descending and asks him to return to his seat, Henk refuses because he enjoys the tiny thrill of standing during landing.

The chapter ends by sharpening the danger around Henk. Ashley reluctantly lets the matter drop, while Henk delights in what he considers a perfect day: an excellent egg, a minor brush with risk, and a gun concealed in sawdust that he expects will pass airport checks. Henk arrives in Cork not as a bystander but as an armed predator closing in on Amy’s trail.