‘Dead, eh?’ She stares at the photos again. Then she hands them back, thinking. ‘How did he die?’

‘Between us,’ Robin starts, and Bethany nods. ‘Suffocated. Auto-erotic asphyxiation gone wrong.’

‘Jonathan?’ Bethany pulls a face.

‘What?’ Freya asks, a little too abruptly. Robin gives her a quick look.

‘Just, well. Didn’t seem the type. If you’d said…’ She stops again.

‘Please. Anything you can tell us.’

Bethany looks at the photos in Robin’s hand, then takes a deep breath. ‘Between us,’ she says, giving Robin a hard stare. ‘Yes, they came here. But him—’ She points at Jonathan’s photo. ‘Just the once.’

‘What happened?’ Freya asks.

‘Couldn’t get it up. Happens all the time. Too nervous, some of these blokes. But with him, it didn’t seem like he wanted to. The wife—’ She taps on Amy’s photo. ‘Was very into it,’ she says with a knowing nod. ‘But he hung back, didn’t want to even look. Some guys like to watch, you know, and that’s fine. You pay your money, and as long as everyone consents, you can do what you like. But he seemed… embarrassed. They left early, in the middle of an argument.’

‘According to our records, they came here a number of times,’ Robin says.

‘Yeah, she did. She came back, alone. Got very involved,’ Bethany replies, but her face clouds.

‘In what way?’ Freya prompts.

Bethany pauses. ‘We’re a relaxed club, we’re used to the weird and wonderful. But we have one strict rule – condoms. Even on the vibrators. The last thing you need is someone spreading something nasty—’ Robin can’t help but grimace ‘—that’s how clubs like mine go out of business.

‘But she,’ Bethany continues with a curl of the lip, ‘actively encouraged the guys to go without. She said she was on the pill, said she was allergic to the spermicide, or something, which I know was utter rubbish. Besides, we have alternatives, if that’s the case. And, you know, many of the guys didn’t mind, liked it. But then some of the girls said they were being pressured into doing the same.’

Freya tuts, showing her disapproval. ‘So what did you do?’

‘I warned her. She said fine, but then I heard about her doing it again, and that was it, she was out.’

‘Do you know if she went to any other clubs?’

Bethany shakes her head. ‘We all know each other round here, look out for each other. I warned the other organisers, but I didn’t hear of anything. Could ask around if you like?’

‘Please,’ Robin confirms.

Conversation over, the three of them get up and Bethany shows them to the door. ‘Did you ask why?’ Freya asks, as they stand in the hallway. ‘Was she pregnant?’ she adds quickly, and Robin knows she’s thinking about the baby shops, the fertility tests. ‘That would be a reason for not needing condoms.’