Candy turned on her heel. ‘Oi, you! Where the hell do you think you’re going? Who the fucking hell are you, lady?’

Donna faced the woman in the coolness of the building and said in her best imitation of Carol Jackson, ‘I’m Mrs Georgio Brunos, love. I’ve come in answer to your fax. Now am I going to get a drink and a seat or do I have to whistle for them?’

Candy’s face was instantly friendlier.

‘Why didn’t you say? Come through to my office, love, and we’ll get sorted. I’m sorry about the welcome, but with all the hag at the moment I have to be very careful, you know.’

She led Donna into a large office at the back of the building. Donna felt the cool breeze from the electric fans and sighed with relief. The heat of the day was so overpowering, coming into the cool had caused her to sweat even more.

Candy grinned. ‘You get used to it, love, after a while anyway. Now can I get you a cup of tea?’

Donna shook her head. ‘Just a glass of water, thanks. Then you can tell me exactly what’s going on here.’

Candy poured out two long glasses of bottled water and settled herself behind the desk. Donna sat facing her in a rattan armchair. In the distance she could hear the shrill cry of a bird, and closer the sound of a child’s quiet crying. The traffic from the main road was a dull buzz underlying all the other noises.

‘So what exactly has happened?’

Candy looked at Donna for a long moment before speaking. ‘Have you seen Stephen? I missed him, he’s gone up into the mountains on a pussy hunt with my brother Jake. We need more girls here - without their mothers, to be honest. Now that Thailand is run with kiddies, and with the threat of AIDs out there, we’ve knocked the Thai hotel on the head. The place in Goa will be up and running soon. Stephen said Georgio’s pleased as punch about it. How is he, by the way? I don’t get much info from Davey Jackson because we always fax each other. You know what that Carol’s like. Mother Theresa in a Next bodystocking!’

Donna laughed with Candy, a hard hollow sound that rang false even to her own ears.

‘I am my husband’s representative here. I have say over Stephen and Davey. Now, will you tell me exactly what the trouble is? My husband is interested in protecting his investments, and so am I.’