‘Still what?’

Anna took in a long breath. ‘She was – promiscuous. To put it mildly.’

‘She has to control people. Theo’s an interesting one, though. She made a big mistake there, I reckon. He’s a really good thing in that household at the moment. Lightens the place up no end. But my guess is she’ll get nowhere with him at all. He may make jokes about his family, but in the end Theo’s got a strong core in him. He’s got values, roots. That’s no good to Olivia. She needs floaters like poor old Sean. People she can bend like straws and take over.’

‘Jake, are you absolutely sure about this?’

‘Absolutely. She’s malignant. There’s no other word. Krish knows it’s happening, except he tries to blank it out most of the time. You can’t warn them. They’re supposed to be adults. They come because they want to. And Olivia can be a darling. All small and defenceless and tempting in silk robes. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Sean, but he can’t go on like this much longer. I mean the house varies a lot depending on who’s there, but Krish says it’s never been as bad as it is at the moment.’

Anna put the tin down and went over to the door, leaning on the frame. She felt slightly queasy. ‘God, I can’t believe it.’ She searched Jake’s face, tears rising in her eyes again. ‘When I saw her – so lovely-looking in her big house, with all these people around her, I really thought she’d managed to get her life together. That’s the worst of it, that I know there’s something really nasty in her, but I still feel it’s not her fault and I want to protect her.’

‘Look,’ Jake said. ‘I’d really like to know more about her. Properly I mean. You know Krish knows virtually nothing about her past. Why don’t you come round this evening? I’ll cook something.’

She saw it had cost him a certain nerve to ask. ‘I’d love to, but I can’t tonight. I said I’d go there at teatime. She wants me to stay the night.’ She felt suddenly panicky. ‘I don’t know if I want to be alone with her.’

‘Would it help if I came round? I can get a mate of mine to close up for me. I’ll come over and see Krishna.’

She felt hugely relieved at the thought. ‘It’s all silly, I’m sure. But I would feel safer with you around.’

‘Don’t worry. I’ll be there.’

Chapter 34

‘There are things I need to know.’ Anna found herself rehearsing in the car on the way to Olivia’s house. ‘Things you owe it to us to be straight about.’ In this odd, contorted household, she thought, the only course she could take was honesty and directness. At least, that had seemed a good idea when she was at home. Tell me what I need to know and I’ll go. We owe each other nothing. She imagined sitting opposite the icy woman she had encountered that morning, coolly asking questions.