"Den Donovan, he's an old pal of Terry's."
"Not that old, thanks," said Donovan.
Kris shook her head and turned her back on him. Then she looked at her watch.
"Okay, I'll come. Of course I will." She listened again, and then she turned around to look at Donovan.
"Yeah, I'll ask him." Kris nodded.
"I know, I'll see what he says." She handed the phone back to the barman.
"Louise is a friend of mine; we worked together at another of Terry's clubs, Angels. A customer has just followed her home and tried to rape her. He's not there now but she's scared stiff that he might come back. I don't suppose you'd .. ."
"Of course," said Donovan without hesitation.
"Knight in shining armour, me."
"Really? I don't want to spoil your evening."
"Come on. What's the choice? Drinking champagne with a couple of coke-heads or rescuing a damsel in distress?"
Kris grinned.
"Thanks. She sounded really desperate. Thing is, we're not allowed to leave with customers. You know the car park around the back?"
Donovan nodded. That was where Fullerton had parked his Porsche.
"Give me five minutes and I'll meet you there. Blue MGB." She hurried off.
Fullerton was ordering a fresh bottle of champagne when Donovan got back to the table. Mimi was draped on his arm and caressing his thigh. Angie was giving Jordan a personal dance and had stopped complaining about him pawing her. Donovan sat down and sipped his champagne. After five minutes he put down his glass and patted Fullerton on the shoulder.
"I'm off," he said.
"I'll come with you," said Fullerton. He tried to stand up but Donovan pushed him back down.
"You enjoy yourself," he said.
"I'll get a black cab. Catch you later. And thanks again for the paintings. You saved my life."
Before Fullerton could say anything, Mimi leaned over and clamped her mouth over his. Donovan waved at Jordan, gave him a thumbs-up and headed for the door. The doormen all said goodbye to him and used his name, so they'd obviously been briefed that he was a friend of the owner.
Kris already had the engine running. She had changed into tight blue jeans and a light blue long-sleeved woollen top that showed off her washboard-flat midriff.
"Quick, get in," she hissed. As soon as Donovan had closed the door she pushed down on the accelerator and shot out of the car park. She turned away from the club.
"God, I'm in so much trouble if anyone saw you," she said.
"It's okay. Nobody did," said Donovan.
Kris stamped down on the accelerator and shot through a traffic light that was just turning red. She screeched around a corner and whipped the MGB in front of a double-decker bus. Donovan squinted into Kris's driving mirror. Any car that might have been following would have been trapped behind the bus. She went through another set of lights at amber.
Donovan reached over and put a hand on her leg.
"Take it easy, it's not gonna help her if you get pulled over."
Kris nodded and eased back on the accelerator.
"If he's hurt her, I'll kill him."
"Does it happen a lot? Punters giving you grief?"
"Not to me, but to some of the girls, yeah. You can't let them get too close, you know. They've got to know it's just business."
"What about you? Is it always business to you?"
She flashed him another sidelong glance.
"You mean, why are you sitting in the car with me?"
"Well, you haven't known me for long, have you?"
"I know of you, Den Donovan. Your reputation precedes you. Besides, I'm using you as weight, not inviting you into my bed."
Donovan looked over his shoulder. The road behind was clear.
"Is that right?" he asked.
She grinned.
"We'll see."
"And that's how you see me? Weight?"
"Again, your reputation precedes you."
She swung the MGB over to the kerb and stopped inches from the rear of a black cab, stamping on the brake pedal so savagely that Donovan was jerked back by the seatbelt. She was out of the car before Donovan even had the belt off. He hurried after her.
Kris pressed one of six doorbells to the left of the front door.
"Come on, come on," she said, jabbing at the button with her thumb.
The intercom crackled.
"Louise, it's me. Come on, let us in."
The door buzzed and Kris pushed it open. Donovan followed her inside. The hallway was shabby with a threadbare carpet and fading wallpaper. Kris rushed up a flight of steep stairs.
Louise's flat was on the first floor and she had the door open with a security chain on. She undipped the chain and opened the door wide for Kris. Kris hugged her. From the stairway Donovan could see a girl in her early twenties with a tear-stained face. She had black hair, cut in a bob that was slightly longer at the front than the back.
"This is Den," said Kris, nodding at Donovan.
"Come on, let's sit down."
Kris shepherded Louise into the flat. Donovan followed them and closed the door. Every light and lamp had been switched on. Kris took Louise over to a large leather sofa and sat down next to her. She pointed at a kitchenette and mouthed 'tea' to Donovan.
Donovan walked into the kitchenette. It was bright and spotless as if Louise rarely used it. He switched on a gleaming chrome kettle and went through cupboards until he found tea bags
By the time he carried a tray with three steaming mugs back into the sitting room, Kris was sitting with her arm around Louise's shoulder and Louise was dabbing at her eyes with a large handkerchief. Donovan put the tray down on the coffee table in front of the girls.
"Are you okay?" he asked Louise.
"I'm sorry," she sniffed.
"You don't have to be sorry about anything," said Donovan.
"What happened?"
"He pushed his way in and threatened to kill her, that's what happened," said Kris.
"It was my fault," said Louise.
"I thought if I talked to him, I could .. . you know .. ." She shook her head.
"He wouldn't have it. Said I had to be his girlfriend. Said if he couldn't have me no one could."
Den went over and gently moved the handkerchief away from her face. Her left cheek was red and there were angry marks on her throat.
"He hit you?"
"He slapped me. Then he grabbed my throat and pushed me against the wall." She smiled.
"I kneed him in the nuts and managed to lock myself in the bathroom with my mobile. Told him I was calling the cops."
"You didn't, did you?" asked Donovan.
Louise shook her head.
"Fat lot of use they'd be," she said. She patted Kris's leg.
"I called Kris." Louise smiled at Kris.
"Thanks for coming."
"Don't be stupid."
Louise wiped her eyes with the handkerchief, then held out her hand to Donovan.
"Nice to meet you, anyway."
"Pleasure," said Donovan, shaking her hand.
"Who is he, this guy who hit you?"
"A punter. Seemed okay when I first met him. Good tipper. Fun to talk to."
"How did he find out where you lived?" asked Donovan.
"I didn't give him my address, if that's what you mean," she said defensively.
"No, I didn't mean that," said Donovan quickly.
"How did he find you?"
"He must have followed me back from the club. He used to send me flowers here. Letters. Teddy bears. Tonight was the first time he turned up on my doorstep."
"Do you know where he lives?"
Louise nodded.
"He wrote his address on the letters." She sniffed.
"Kept saying he wanted me to live with him."
Kris sighed and shook her head.
"What is it with twats like that? They think they can walk into a lap-dancing club and meet the woman of their dreams. What do they think we're doing there? Biding time until we meet our prince? Fuck that. Frogs is all we get." The two girls laughed and hugged each other. Louise pointed at Donovan, still laughing. Kris realised what she meant.