Achilles wasn’t particularly interested in Rebecca’s family dramas but figured he should pretend that he was until he got what he wanted. He continued to glance at the other photographs and saw what appeared to be a happy family gathering of Rebecca with her parents a couple of years earlier. He frowned, narrowing his eyes as he examined it more closely. There was something in the picture that was ringing a bell with him.

‘See anyone you recognize?’ asked Rebecca.

He turned to look at her, utterly confused, then looked back to the photograph, at which point the penny finally dropped.

‘Oh fuck,’ he said.

‘That’s all you have to say?’

He stared at her, then back at the picture, then back at her.

‘Your dad,’ he said.

‘My dad.’

‘Shit.’

‘You know, I actually told you the very day we met. And you didn’t even notice. It was in that coffee shop just after you bought your new trainers. I said that my father was a chiropodist and you said that a chiropodist had bought you a pair of Bang & Olufsen headphones.’

‘I did say that,’ he said, remembering the conversation.

‘And I asked you why he bought them for you, and do you remember what you said?’

Achilles looked down at the ground. ‘Because I asked him to,’ he said.

‘That’s right. So you took him for the headphones, but also for another eight grand.’

‘Yes.’

‘And then you broke up my parents’ marriage.’

‘In fairness, he contacted me. I didn’t go looking for him.’

‘But you led him on. And, as far as I understand it, you went out on … what was it, four or five dates with him? Got him all confused and excited and then told him that if he didn’t pay you off, you’d tell his wife, my mum, about what was going on.’

‘You make it sound worse than it really was,’ he protested. ‘I was just having a laugh.’

‘A laugh that earned you eight grand and cost me my family.’

‘When you put it like that,’ he admitted, ‘it doesn’t sound great. I don’t know what to say to you. I do have a reputation as a bit of an idiot.’

‘You could start by apologizing.’

‘Right. Yes. Of course. I’m very sorry.’ He looked at her, trying his best to look ashamed of himself. ‘Does this mean that we won’t be having sex tonight?’

She shook her head and turned away.

‘That’s the very least that it means,’ she said.

‘Okay,’ he said, accepting defeat. ‘I guess I should go, then.’

‘Oh no,’ she said, standing up now and moving towards the door, blocking his way. ‘It’s not going to be quite as simple as that.’

‘You want the money back?’ he asked. He thought about it. Yes, he had £35,000 hidden away at home, but £8,000 of that was a big chunk to lose. ‘It’s not like my returning the cash will sort things out between your parents.’