Irena helped the girl to her feet and led her into the kitchen. Livid bruises were blooming around her eyes, and her lip looked as if it might need a couple of stitches. But Karel would never allow her to be seen by a doctor at this early stage, so Irena sat her down at the table, then filled a bowl with warm water and added a liberal pouring of salt before taking a roll of cotton wool out of the drawer.

As she was about to get started, the girl grasped her hand, and sobbed, ‘I want go home, lady. Please help me. Please . . . I beg you!’

‘Don’t speak,’ Irena said, sliding her hand free and gently swabbing the blood off the girl’s lip and chin.

‘Is hurt,’ the girl wailed.

‘Sshhh,’ Irena urged. ‘The salt will make numb.’

Karel walked into the room, and Irena stepped aside and watched as he cupped the girl’s chin in his hand and examined her face. His eyes were narrowed, and Irena guessed he was mentally assessing how long it would take before she’d be fit enough to be put to work. She was incredibly pretty, with long black hair and huge blue eyes, and Irena hadn’t been impressed by Karel’s reaction to her flirtatious smile outside. But she hadn’t been brought here for Karel to toy with, and it seemed his mind was back on business when he took two small white tablets out of a bag and dropped them into her hand.

‘Take these. They’ll help with the pain until I can get something stronger.’

‘Wh-what is it?’ she asked, gazing warily up at him.

‘Don’t question me,’ he said, his voice deceptively smooth as he stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers.

Frowning when the girl gave him a tiny smile, Irena poured a glass of water and handed it to her, trying to speed the process along.

‘What’s your name?’ Karel asked.

‘Viktorya,’ the girl replied shyly, dipping her head – as if, Irena thought, she didn’t want him to see her at anything but her absolute best.

‘Beautiful name for a beautiful girl,’ Karel smiled, seeming to have forgotten – or simply not caring – that Irena was standing right there. ‘Now, take your tablets so we can make you more comfortable. Yes?’

The girl nodded and carefully slid one of the tablets between her damaged lips. Watching Karel as he watched the girl swallow, Irena forced herself to maintain a neutral expression. She wasn’t sure what the tablets were, but the something stronger would probably be heroin, because that was what he usually gave them. And once she was hooked, he would no longer be interested.

When both tablets had been swallowed, Karel patted the girl’s shoulder. Then, turning to Irena, he said, ‘Take Viktorya to her room so she can get some rest, then make the men a drink and something to eat.’