But Beth just wrenched away from Eva’s grip and moved closer to Bruno, offering herself up for inspection. Thin and shivering, knobs of bone protruded from her spine as her shoulders slumped forward. She looked so pale and vulnerable, standing there in her grey bra, the rounded cups barely filled by the meagre mounds of her small breasts. Bruno ran a fingertip over the ledge of Beth’s collarbone and Eva saw her flinch.

‘Would someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?’ Eva asked, her voice shrill with fear.

Corinne had put the puppy down and she stepped towards Beth, urgency coming into her voice as she said: ‘Remember. Brave is what you choose. Brave is what you can be.’

But Beth didn’t look brave. Terror flashed in her eyes.

‘I don’t know,’ she said, her voice barely audible.

Bruno had moved away from her now, stepping into the next room. Briefly, Eva’s eyes followed him. Through the open door she saw an unmade bed, a sour look to the tumble of sheets. Her eyes snapped back to Beth.

‘Put your top on,’ she commanded. ‘We’re leaving.’

Beth’s eyes met hers and for a fleeting moment, she saw the gratitude in them – she wanted to be saved. And perhaps Corinne saw it too for she grabbed hold of Beth’s arm, and with her other hand she pinched the skin, gave it a hard, sharp-nailed twist. Beth cried out, shocked to tears by the sudden savagery.

‘That is all you will feel,’ Corinne hissed with angry urgency as she brought her face close to Beth’s. ‘Nothing worse than that. The pain will be worth it, I promise you. You trust me, right?’

Beth nodded, cowed with shock but her eyes still tearful.

Bruno was back in the room with them, a leather pouch in his hand. He went now to a low table with a lamp on it and crouched there to flick the switch. The sudden light in the room was jarring, casting a cold, harsh spotlight on the scuffed wood of the bench. Eva felt within her a tremendous urge to leave, and yet she was compelled to look as he unzipped the pouch, unfolding it to reveal a set of needles.

‘It’s all right,’ Corinne was whispering to Beth, leading her forward.

‘Est-elle sûre?’ Bruno asked, fixing Beth with a frank stare while snapping on latex gloves.

Dumbly, she nodded, then knelt down.

‘Jesus Christ, Beth! Are you out of your fucking mind?’ Eva was beside herself, nerves, fear, jumping in her throat.

But Beth didn’t answer. Something had come over her – a sort of serenity, like she was closing herself off from Eva, from the grotty surroundings of the place, from everything except this man and her own decision.

‘It won’t hurt,’ Corinne told her, gently rubbing her arm.