Page 167 of King’s Ransom

‘The first time was five months ago. I confess, Mr Speedman, that I haven’t always been in great shape. Back when I was at MIT with Ari and when we started that first company, gosh, I was a frumpy little thing. Don’t really know what he saw in me.’

I nodded, letting her speak.

Often that’s the best thing to do.

‘Then this year, I hired a trainer, ate better, hit the gym. Never knew I looked like this under all that fat. Men started to notice me, you know.’

‘I can imagine.’

‘I mean, seriously. My hunky young trainer. Married men from around here whose wives were away in Paris. I’d never been so wanted by men in my life. So desired. It was a revelation.

‘Then back in July, I saw Ari at an art show in Manhattan and, well, he saw me and’—her eyelids fluttered—‘he was blown away. We went back to his penthouse and . . . well . . . fucked like minxes.’

‘How many times did you sleep with him?’

I’d seen at least four of those occasions on video.

‘Gosh, maybe a dozen times. Here, at hotels, his penthouse, once even in the lavatory at the private jet terminal at East Hampton.’

‘All while he was married?’ I said.

She looked at me hard.

‘Yes, right. You’re working for Yasmina Ivanova, aren’t you?’

I hadn’t said that.

Clearly, she had her own information sources.

‘Why have you come here? To try to blackmail me with some sex tapes?’ Winnie Tan said.

‘No, I—’

‘You think I’m some doe-eyed billionaire’s ex-wife who’s going to be cowed by a sleazy private detective?’

‘Did you want him back?’ I asked flatly.

‘What?’

‘After you reconnected with Aristo King, did you want him back?’

‘Maybe . . .’

‘You were a new woman, fit and gorgeous, and now you were banging him every chance you could get.’

‘Ari is the smartest and most charismatic man I’ve ever met. He’s the most brilliant person in any room. I never stopped loving him, not even after we divorced all those years ago.’

‘And so this year, when you started sleeping with him again, you thought you could get him back,’ I said. ‘And you’re a billionaire, which means you’re used to getting what you want.’

‘I am.’ Her voice had turned much colder.

‘You’re a coder,’ I said. ‘Do you know much about the darknet?’

‘Some.’

‘Ever heard of a company there called Modern Alchemical Solutions?’

Her face was a mask.