‘That’s all right, Mrs Brunos, but Stephen will tell you I ain’t never been involved in all that stuff, and I don’t want to know about it, to be honest. I leave all that to the coons round at The Heartbreaker. You want to see Christopher round there. He’ll give you the keys and the low down.

‘Now, do you want to see the books? Only I’m a busy man. No disrespect to you, Mrs Brunos, but that lot downstairs will have me over if I don’t keep me boat right in front of their faces.’

Donna shook her head. ‘That’s OK. I just wanted a working knowledge really. I can look over the books another time. Thanks for all your help, I appreciate it.’

Henry smiled gently. ‘Will you be taking this place over then, when Stephen goes to Germany?’

Hiding her surprise, Donna answered him on a laugh.

‘That, Henry, remains to be seen.’

He stood up and held out his hand. ‘Nice meeting you at last. Give Georgio my best. I’ll see you again?’

Donna nodded and shook his hand heartily. He walked back down to the bar and Donna made her way towards the exit, the heavy stench of human bodies deep in her throat. As she passed the peep-booth at the entrance, a man walked out zipping up his flies. Donna could see the flush of excitement on his face and the trembling of his hands.

He looked into Donna’s eyes, and seeing the revulsion there, his face went from a pink flush to a deep embarrassed red.

He stumbled out of the doorway into the cold of the evening, Donna following closely behind him.

The Heartbreaker was a small club just off Wardour Street. As Donna walked through the double doors, a large West Indian man approached her. He was big, shiny black, and handsome. He smiled at her easily, showing large pristine white teeth.

‘Yes?’ His voice sounded amused.

Donna looked steadily into his face before she said: ‘Christopher?’

The man licked thick lips and shook his head. ‘No, woman, I ain’t Christopher. Who wants him?’

‘Tell him Georgio Brunos’s wife wants him, would you? Stephen asked me to call.’

She saw the man’s eyebrows rise and would have smiled if she hadn’t been so terrified. But forcing a hard look into her eyes she said belligerently, ‘I haven’t got all night, you know.’

The man turned from her, his sheer size slowing his progress as he sashayed over to the reception desk. A redheaded woman looked at him askance as he picked up a phone and dialled a number.

‘Hello, Chrissy? I have a woman out here, says she’s Georgio’s wife, wants to see you. Shall I send her through?’

He replaced the receiver.

‘Wait here, he’ll be out in a while.’