Whitestone continued as if Ginger had not spoken. ‘Max here might believe whatever rubbish you tell him, but not me. See, you make it sound far too much like Pretty Woman. You make it sound almost romantic. Lonely, rich men and willing, beautiful women.’ She laughed. ‘You make it sound as though the men are all Richard Gere and the women are all Julia Roberts. And it’s not quite like that, is it?’

Ginger looked at me for help.

‘Ginger. We have no leads,’ I said. ‘We’re on a cold trail. So anything you can—’

Whitestone hurled the small glass candle against the wall. It shattered with a crack like gunshot. Without the scent of the candle, the room began to fill with the smell of roasting meat.

‘Answer my question,’ she said.

Ginger stared back at her.

‘No, it’s not always like a remake of Pretty Woman. That’s true. Sometimes the men are less than gentlemen – especially as they are all rich, privileged men who are accustomed to being obeyed and getting what they want. And – although I have a rigorous recruitment programme – my staff are constantly changing and on occasion they are not as honest or reliable as I would wish.’

Whitestone shook her head and looked at me.

‘Her staff, Max,’ she said. ‘She calls them her staff!’

I saw the first flash of anger in Ginger’s eyes. ‘None of my girls are forced into doing anything they do not want to do. There is no violence. There is no coercion. I have been out on my own since I was sixteen years old—’

‘Am I meant to feel sorry for you?’ Whitestone said.

‘I don’t care what you feel about me,’ Ginger said. ‘But I know the law, Detective. It’s illegal to buy sex from anyone who has been subjected to force – and none of the staff at Sampaguita is ever subjected to force. It is illegal to buy sex from someone under the age of eighteen – two years older than the age of consent – and none of my staff gets a job without verified photo ID. And prostitution itself is not illegal – only soliciting in a public place, running a brothel and kerb-crawling.’

‘And pimping,’ Whitestone said quietly. ‘Don’t forget pimping. That’s illegal, isn’t it?’

Ginger stared at her for a moment. Then she nodded.

Whitestone got off the desk and went to stand by the window. It was dark now and Chinatown blazed with its nighttime colours of red and gold.