‘Just one question before you continue,’ Farhan interrupted. ‘Why the office? Surely you could run this business from home.’
‘At home, I’m the dutiful wife; here, I’m the Madam.’
Farhan could see no reason to judge. At least the husband did not have a cold bed and a cold wife in it.
‘The two men came in,’ she continued. ‘Normally, I keep the door locked, but for some reason I had failed to do so.’
‘You assumed they were looking for you to arrange some women for them?’
‘Not at all. There is no sign on the door. That’s all strictly done online or by phone.’
‘Understood.’
‘They came in, polite and well-mannered. One sat where you are sitting now, the other one stood. It seemed as if he was there to intimidate me. He succeeded. I felt very insecure, but I maintained my composure. They said that the reason for their visit was a matter of the gravest seriousness. I was unsure what to think. There have been a few well-known clients over the years, including the son of a dictator in the Middle East, although he was a gentleman.’
‘Did they introduce themselves?’
‘The one sitting said his name was Howard Stone. He even showed me a business card.’
‘Do you still have the card?’
‘He said it was his last one and would I mind if he kept it. The other one did not offer his name, and apart from a few words, said little.’
‘How long were they here?’
‘About twenty minutes in total. They were both well-dressed, spoke well.’
‘Not heavies, then?’
‘Heavies? If by that you mean gangsters, then no.’
‘So, what did they say or do that scared you?’
‘The one sitting spoke calmly. He told me that they represented some clients in town, important clients, who were disturbed that a senior member of society had been potentially embarrassed, personally compromised, due to his involvement with one of my girls.’
‘Did they say who this senior member of society was?’
‘No, they were cagey when I asked.’
‘Who do you think they were talking about?’
‘I assumed it was a politician. The rich don’t care unless the wife is likely to take half the assets if their dalliances became public knowledge. The politicians always worry about their reputations.’
‘Has that happened in the past?’ Farhan asked.
‘It’s happened, although I was able to keep the woman I supplied out of the newspapers. Luckily, the wife came to a confidential agreement with her husband, so no more was said, at least to us.’
‘Let’s assume it is a politician. What happened next?’
‘The one sitting down told me that it was imperative that this person remained free of any indiscretions.’
‘Did he say why?’
‘He would not elaborate. I told him that my girls were specially chosen for their discretion and that they would not speak to anyone, or cause trouble.’
‘And then?’
‘His manner changed. He became surly, accused me of running a house of ill-repute, and that his client would ensure that firstly I would be out on the street where I belonged, letting any derelict fuck me for the price of a decent meal. My apologies for the bad language. I’m just repeating verbatim.’
‘No need to apologise.’
‘And secondly, he would ensure that my husband would be publicly disgraced as the consort of a whore. I could not allow that.’
‘You care that much about your husband?’ Farhan could not see his wife making such a statement. Marion Robertson, an escort, a supplier of women for sex, and in his society a person to be condemned, was more honourable than all those that professed piety. He admired the woman immeasurably.
‘Yes. He’s a good and kind man who accepts my peccadilloes with a forbearance that many would not.’
She had moved closer and touched Farhan on the knee. ‘The silent one came close and leant over. He spoke quietly into my ear.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He told me that they had total authority, and if I did not give him some names with contacts immediately, they would personally see that I was revealed as the Madam of a brothel, and my husband would have an unfortunate accident.’
‘Who did you think they were?’
‘I thought they were connected with the government.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Their training. It was psychological intimidation. A gangster would have felt the need to be physical.’
‘Why Olivia?’
‘They were clear as to whom they wanted contact details for.’
‘Samantha and Olivia?’
‘They never mentioned Charles Sutherland.’
‘You assume it was related?’ Farhan asked.
‘I don’t know what I thought. I was shaking like a leaf, almost wet myself. It took me hours to calm down afterwards, and I couldn’t tell my husband.’
‘Why not?’
‘I didn’t want to upset him.’
‘Why didn’t you give them Samantha’s phone number as well as Olivia’s?’
‘I wasn’t sure that I had it. She tends to change the number regularly. Olivia is easier to contact. I knew her number worked.’
‘How?’
‘I had phoned her up earlier in the day, another client.’
‘She was agreeable?’
‘As always. I believe she likes the thrill of it. Is she a different person outside of the business?’
Farhan wasn’t sure how much to say. What if the two men returned? Would she give up any more secrets if pressured? He assumed she would.
‘A decent person.’ He did not intend to elaborate.
‘What if they come back? she asked.
‘Difficult question. Do you know any more about Samantha?’
‘Not really.’
‘Are you surprised that she changes her phone number regularly?’
‘Not really. I don’t know what her secret is, but she’s very careful. Besides, she told me that she didn’t want any more clients for a while. I sensed she had
