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“Shaken up. She’s new, only been here a few months and I think she’s worried this will get her fired.”

I’m almost about to argue with that but Annika speak again. “I’d like to see her.”

“Of course, come with me.”

We both follow Geraldine back out to the hall and up the huge, curved staircase up to the first floor. We pass several doors, some are closed, some are open and there are women milling around in various stages of undress. They all watch as we pass, some smile at me, some wink, and one woman outrightoffers me a good time. She pales considerably when Annika glares at her and clarifies that I’m here on official business and am not a John. I smirk at my boss’s quick temper, loving the flare of jealousy in her eyes, even when she rolls them at my smug smile.

At the end of a corridor, Gerldine knocks on a closed door and a woman opens it from the other side. She’s tall and slim with warm brown skin and long back braids down to her backside. She’s beautiful and I think my mouth drops open.

“Gerry, hey,” she says with a bright smile and then her eyes catch on Annika. “Oh! Miss Wolfe, come on in.” She opens the door wide to show a bedroom decorated in girly pastels and pretty florals. On a window bench the other side of the room sits another woman who must be the victim. Wearing a silk robe, she’s hugging her middle, her lip split and an angry bruise blooming from the centre of her nose, out to under her eyes. She stands as we enter, fresh tears springing to her pretty brown eyes.

“Oh, Miss Wolfe. I’m so sorry. I-I really didn’t mean to make a fuss, I should have just done what he wanted, I’m sorry, I really am. I–”

Annika holds up her hand to stop the tirade of apologies. “What’s your name?” she asks quietly calm.

“Alice, ma’am.” She sniffs. She sees me standing behind Annika and her lip trembles, I offer her a reassuring smile.

“Alice, are you here against your will, or under duress?” Annika asks, clasping her hands loosely in front of her.

“No, ma’am,” Alice answers in confusion.

“Then you understand you’re here because you want to be and that you don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. You did the right thing calling for help.” She looks at the poor girl pointedly and Alice nods. “Did he do that before or after you pressed the alarm?” Annika points to the bruise.

“Before,” she says, tears spilling down her cheeks. “H-he…oh God.” Alice sits back down on the bench, her friend with the braids sits next to her and puts an arm around her shoulders.

Annika’s face pinches in discomfort unsure how to react to tears. Geraldine doesn’t seem to be moving either, so I step around them and crouch in front of the poor girl.

“Alice?” She looks at me with puffy eyes and a snotty nose that she wipes on the back of her hand.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m getting so upset,” she warbles.

“Because you’ve been through something traumatic and upsetting,” I say gently. “There’s no shame in feeling anything right now. You need to let it out.”

Her friend nods at my words. “Stop apologising, babe. I told you; you’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Are you able to tell us what this guy said to you, Alice?” I ask. “You see, he shouldn’t have been here in the first place and we’re trying to figure out why he was.”

She takes a deep breath and nods, swallowing down her nervousness before speaking. “He made an appointment about a week ago. He came up here, we had a drink, he was fine, nice even. We talked a little, he asked me if I enjoyed it here, I said I did. He told me I was lovely, you know, the usual spiel.” She waves her hands dismissively, before batting tears away. “We started kissing and he was quite rough, which I don’t have a problem with. But then I asked him what he wanted and he said he wanted to hurt me. I told him we could do whatever he wanted but we had to agree a safe word, but he said no safe words. He said once he started, he wouldn’t stop until he was spent.” Her eyes are watery, and tears roll over rounded cheeks. Taking a shuddering breath, she tries to calm herself and I see her friend’s grasp on her tighten. I reach over and take her hand in mine, giving her a little reassuring squeeze, urging herto continue. She keeps looking at me as she speaks. “I said we couldn’t do anything like what he wanted until we agreed on a safe word and then he just came at me.” She shakes her head, her lips pulled down. “He pinned me and held me by the throat, then he just hit me. I’ve never been hit by a man before,” she wails.

“It’s okay, Alice. You’re safe.” I cup her hand between mine and wait for her to compose herself as her friend rubs her back gently.

“I managed to get away and get to the panic alarm under the bedside table, he jumped on me and started trying to take my underwear off, but the guards came in before he got very far, they took him out.”

“Okay,” I say softly. “Thank you for telling us, I know that can’t have been easy. You did well, Alice.” She gives me a watery smile and nods. “Did he ever say anything about Miss Wolfe specifically?”

She looks up to Annika nervously before meeting my eyes again. “He didn’t mention Miss Wolfe by name at all, but when I pressed the alarm and he came back over to me, he said‘this is what happens when bitches think they’re in charge.’I thought he was talking about Gerry, but I guess that could be about Miss Wolfe.”

I nod and give her another smile. “Thank you, Alice, you’ve done really well.”

Standing and turning, I find Annika staring at me with narrowed eyes, her expression cautiously assessing. Looking past me, she finds Alice and with no change of expression, she says, “Pack a bag.”

My face turns thunderous as poor Alice jumps up from her seat. “Oh, Miss Wolfe, please, I’m so sorry, please don’t fire me. I swear it won’t happen again, I—”

Annika holds up her hands again and barely restrains the roll of her eyes. “Let me finish.” She rolls her neck straightens hershoulders, looking uncomfortable as she speaks. “Pack a bag and stay at Nöje for as long as you need. Take a break, use the spa, and when you feel completely ready to return, do so with this behind you.”

“Nöje?” Alice’s eyes widen. “I can’t afford a hotel like that.”

“All my girls can use the hotel at my pleasure, whenever they need,” Annika says softly even though her face is still hard. “Geraldine will help you set up a reservation, take a friend if you like.”