Danny Lloyd stands on the balcony of his hotel in Portugal, taking in the heat, the church bells, and the golfers below. He has flown out from Gatwick on Friday evening after spending most of the day deciding his next move, beginning with a meeting with his lawyer. Danny learns that the house is in Suzi's name, but that her current will would leave everything to him if Suzi dies.

That information turns Danny's thoughts toward murder, but also toward timing. Danny assumes Suzi is smart enough to change the will soon, so he sees a narrow chance to benefit if she dies before doing so. At the same time, Danny knows that if Suzi dies suddenly, he will be the obvious suspect, so he starts planning a killing with multiple layers of distance between himself and whoever carries it out.

Danny believes Suzi's death would need to look like an accident that confuses the police long enough to protect him. He compares that problem with Jason Ritchie, whom he considers much easier to eliminate. Because Jason has made many enemies and has a history of trouble, Danny thinks Jason could be killed openly and the police would have a long list of suspects before ever focusing on Danny.

Even in the relaxed atmosphere of the golf resort, Danny stays cautious. After a friendly greeting from a familiar ex-pat below, Danny retreats into his room and closes the curtains, determined not to let anyone know he is there. The chapter ends with Danny recognizing the danger of his position: he intends to have Suzi and Jason killed, but if Jason discovers his location first, Jason will probably kill Danny.