‘Oh dear.’ Her lips twitched into a smile. ‘That’s one bit of fun that got out of hand, I’m afraid. Actually, it was Anton’s – Dr Gessen’s – idea. When I sold him the property for the clinic, at a below-market rate I might add, we made a deal that I would not only be allowed to remain in my home, but also have use of the clinic’s facilities during the periods I was here. In the early years, I wasn’t here very often. Mainly a few weeks in summer and during the Christmas holidays, but three years ago, I sold my flat in Geneva, and this house became my primary residence. As I grew older, I began to see the advantages of having year-round access to the spa facilities and excellent dining.

‘Dr Gessen felt it best to concoct an explanation for my enduring presence here. So we came up with the story that I was a chronic patient who required extended care. From time to time, when I left the clinic to travel or visit my children, he would tell people, if anyone asked, that I had gone off to a specialist clinic in Germany, say, or France, for more intensive treatment.’

A wave of dizziness nearly knocked him flat. Hélène wasn’t a patient? How was that possible, when all this time he’d thought… The deception was outrageous. What else was Gessen lying about? More than ever, he was sure he’d stumbled into the lair of a madman. Where left was right and up was down. Nothing he’d seen or heard while here could be counted on as real.

‘You have children? But the picture of those models you showed me in that magazine. I thought…’ He pressed his palms against his eyes. A dull ache beat at the back of his skull.

‘You’d better lie down,’ she said. ‘You’re positively green about the gills.’

They’d been speaking French, and it took Vidor a moment to realise she had switched to English. With an American accent at that. He dropped his head in his hands and squeezed his eyes shut. What was going on?

‘You poor man.’ She refilled his cup and handed it to him. ‘There’s no conspiracy. And I never actually lied to you, did I? Nor to anyone else, for that matter. People only see what they wish to see. When the others find me eating in the dining room or taking part in the meditation and bodywork classes, of course they assume I’m just another patient. Though one with special privileges, perhaps, as I’m not dressed in the clinic-issued clothing, and I’m allowed to wear my jewellery.’ She paused, as if expecting him to interrupt.