‘David and Victoria. You must have heard of them? He was a footballer and she was a Spice Girl. Now, they’re basically like Maria and Captain von Trapp from The Sound of Music, pimping out their children in order to keep the brand alive.’

‘And what they do, these children?’

‘Nothing, as far as I can tell. But they take a lot of pictures of themselves doing it. I’m not sure their ambitions stretch any further than that.’

‘They sound like sluts.’

‘Indeed.’

‘And Pylyp, he dances with you?’

‘We danced many dances.’

‘And then you sex him?’

Beverley’s mouth opened and closed a few times in surprise. ‘Well, yes. I sexed him. I mean, we sexed each other. I mean, we had sex with each other. That is to say, we made love.’

‘You old woman, but still you sex boy like Pylyp?’

‘I’m not an old woman,’ insisted Beverley. ‘I’m a lady of a certain age. And Pylyp is not a boy. He’s a man.’

‘He is boy. And you sex him. You like sexing the little boys?’

‘He’s not little.’

‘He is little where it matters,’ said Dr Tataryn, tapping her forehead. ‘Up here. Up here in brain. I never perform surgery on him up here because is nothing to work on.’

‘I think you’re being very unfair, if you don’t mind me saying so.’

‘I do mind you saying so. I don’t need you to tell me about my stupid son. And I do not like you sexing him. Bouncy-bouncy is not right for woman as old as you.’

‘Well, I enjoyed sexing him and I’d like to go on doing it, so perhaps we can put an end to this inane conversation and you can tell me where he’s gone.’

‘I tell you already. He go back to London.’

‘But that’s impossible!’

‘Why is impossible? Is very possible. Plane brings you here. Plane sends him there. He like London. Many women there to dance with and sex.’

Beverley looked down at her hands, which were trembling slightly, and for the first time she noticed how thin her fingers had grown. Blue veins had appeared under her skin too. These were not the hands that had attracted so many admirers in her youth. A thought occurred to her.

‘Do you know a young woman?’ she asked. ‘With frizzy black hair, big bosoms and long legs?’

‘You mean Karabina?’

‘Do I?’

‘I don’t know, do you?’

‘I saw her. Here. In this apartment. When I was Skyping Pylyp. She kept appearing in the background. He said she was his cousin.’

Dr Tataryn laughed. ‘She not his cousin. He sex her. He sex her all the time when he is here. You very stupid woman. Maybe you perfect for my son.’

‘He said he loved me.’

‘He say that to every girl he sex. Every woman, too. Every grandmother. Pylyp sex everyone. Except me. He never sex me.’

Beverley looked up in disgust. ‘Well, I should hope not,’ he said. ‘You’re his mother.’