‘You might be surprised,’ I said, walking out. I hailed a taxi outside the station, reckoning it would put Kailash in a better mood. Even the sound of the Fat Boy pulling up seemed to piss her off, and I didn’t want to waste time finding a parking space–the day was going to be busy enough. I was at the brothel quickly, and the door was opened by Malcolm as soon as I stepped out of the car. He hugged me warmly, as always, and indicated towards the kitchen. ‘In there, Brodie–she’s got her back up…but you’re in the clear this time.’

My mother was sitting at the big wooden table nursing a huge mug of cappuccino–she probably wouldn’t drink any of it, too many calories, but she seemed to be getting some comfort from the warmth. She even smiled at me when I walked in. ‘Sit down,’ she said. ‘Are you well?’

‘Erm, yes–why wouldn’t I be?’ What was she getting at?

‘I worry about you, Brodie,’ she said. ‘I do. You don’t see what’s staring you in the face. You have so many people ready to love you, wanting to love you–you should let them.’

‘Where’s this going? I thought you had something to tell me about Graham Marshall?’

Kailash looked at me as if I hadn’t even spoken. ‘I’m not talking about myself. I don’t need your permission to love you.’ She paused. ‘Where’s Joe?’

‘I don’t know–why would I know that? He’ll be doing…something I guess. Now, why did you drag me down here?’

‘Malcolm?’ she sighed as he sat down beside her. ‘Last night–something happened. I’m still angry about it, and there will be repercussions, but Malcolm will tell you what you need to know.’

‘One of the girls came to get me up this morning,’ he began. ‘Rochelle? Do you know her?’ I did. She was the Amazonian American that I had found friendly. ‘She doesn’t know all of the rules yet…’

Kailash cut in with, ‘That’s no excuse. She should learn them. Quickly. She’s damn lucky to be working somewhere like this.’

‘Well, anyway–she’d let a punter stay over. He was still asleep, and when she saw him in the morning she was worried. She asked me to take a look at him.’

‘Look at what?’ I asked Malcolm. ‘Had he hurt her?’

‘No, no–someone had hurt him, though. When she saw him in the light, she saw that he had been attacked.’ Malcolm was the one the girls went to with cuts, scratches, bites and everything else. He always knew the right lotion or potion, and he could keep secrets–or so they thought. He actually only managed to keep them from anyone not called Kailash Coutts.