Below The Deck
GENDARMERIE MARITIME DE POLYNéSIE FRAN?AISE
INTERVIEW EXCERPT FOUR
Interview subject: Leilani Bambridge, chef on board Lusso di Mare charter
Interview conducted by Chief of Police Henri Robert
M Robert: Leilani, how much do crew members know about the guests who come on board during a charter?
Mme Bambridge: Ah, well – we get a preference sheet for everyone.
It tells us the kinds of things they like to eat, and anything they don’t like.
And they tell us in there about what they’d like to do on their trip.
The captain also gets a bit of background information about the primaries – you know, what they do, where they come from, any special occasions taking place during their charter. That kind of thing.
M Robert: And the captain shares all this kind of information with you?
Mme Bambridge: Yes, monsieur. We have a meeting the day before the charter starts, usually, and we go over it all then.
M Robert: That was the case with this trip?
Mme Bambridge: That’s right – there was nothing unusual. Nothing to worry about – no allergies or over-the-top requests.
M Robert: But you wouldn’t learn things like whether any of the guests have a criminal record, for example? Or if they’d been arrested, suspected of crimes in the past – things like that?
Mme Bambridge: Oh, no. No, never. We don’t ask about things like that, and we don’t expect to find them out, either. If they’re paying good money to be there, well then … how they live their lives when they’re not on board the yacht is not our business.
M Robert: Yes, that’s as I thought. So is it a surprise that we learned one of the guests on this particular charter had a previous arrest for assault on their background checks?
Mme Bambridge: No, honestly. I can believe it of some of those men.
M Robert: But it wasn’t a man. It was one of your female guests. She was arrested for attacking a male victim. So, you can see why we need to investigate this more thoroughly …
Mme Bambridge: Excuse me? One of the women has been arrested in the past? For assault, you said …
M Robert: Leilani, you seem distressed. Are you all right? What’s upset you?
Mme Bambridge: No … no – it’s just – it’s what you just said. It turned everything upside down – you see? Topsy-turvy? Just like a boat in a storm … I’m sorry, monsieur, I need some air. Please …
M Robert: Interview terminated at 19:19.
[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]