‘I don’t care what you want. You’ve had your fun. Now get out.’
It was difficult to leave the room in a dignified manner when I was buck naked and my backside scored with birch welts, but I tried my best. I only broke down in tears once I’d made it into my own little room.
I packed my bags and took them downstairs. The last thing I heard before I shut the front door was the shrill of Jasper’s mobile phone.
I loaded my bags into the boot of my car and drove to the village. I almost carried on past the crossroads towards the motorway and home, but something made me park the car by the war memorial in the village centre and head into the pub.
A few enquiries were enough to get me Will’s address, and I ran through the streets to the new-build development on the edge of the fields.
He was outside, watering the plants in his postage-stamp-sized garden when I pulled up at his gate, massively out of breath and bent double.
‘Oh, look what the wind blew in,’ he said, putting down his hosepipe and wandering over to the gate. ‘You got out while the going was good, did you?’
‘Why did you do it, you bastard?’
I panted.
‘Not a very nice way to greet your lover.’
‘Ex-lover.’
He shrugged.
‘Come in. I’ll brew up.’
‘Don’t bother. I just want to see if I can stop it.’
He opened the gate and waved me down the path.
‘Stop what?’
‘This horrible thing you’ve done. Can’t you contact whoever you gave the tape to and tell them you don’t want to run it? Whatever they’ve paid you, can’t you give it back? I’m sure Jasper could match whatever their offer was.’
‘Yeah, yeah, Jasper the man. Gets what he wants, uses it, throws it away.’
Will’s bitter tone made my heart sink.
‘Take a seat,’ he invited, once we were in his cramped living room.
I sat gingerly on the fake-leather sofa. The birch welts throbbed.
‘It’s not about Jasper. It’s about the other person involved. Have you given a second’s thought to the implications for her?’
‘You?’
‘No, you dingbat. Ava. Queen Ava.’
He looked through the window for a moment, his lips pinched.
‘Listen, Will. I’ll do whatever it takes to stop this happening. Is there anything I can do? Anything you want from me? I’ll give it to you if you get that videotape back.’
Will stared.
‘Christ, he’s really got you well trained, hasn’t he? Got you whoring yourself to save his skin. Gotta hand it to him.’
‘No, you’re wrong. He doesn’t know I’m here. Besides, we’re finished.’
‘Finished? Really? So he did what he always does, then. Took his fill and pushed the plate away.’