“As a matter of fact, four have,” Raymond said. “Two kidneys and two livers have been transplanted. All are doing superbly without medication and without any signs of rejection. And, I might add, there is a substantial additional charge for the harvest and transplantation, and the involved physicians get the same percentages of these fees.”

“How many physicians are involved?” Waller asked.

“Fewer than fifty,” Raymond said. “We started slowly on recruitment, but it is now speeding up.”

“How long has this program been going on?” Waller asked.

“About six years,” Raymond said. “It’s been a significant outlay of capital and a lot of effort, but it is now beginning to pay off handsomely. I should remind you that you will be getting in at a relatively early date, so the pyramid structure will benefit you greatly.”

“It sounds interesting,” Waller said. “God knows I could use some additional income with my falling patient base. I’ve got to do something before I lose this office.”

“It would be a pity,” Raymond agreed.

“Can I think about it for a day or so?” Waller asked.

Raymond stood up. Experience told him he’d made another score. “By all means,” he said graciously. “I’d also invite you to call Dr. Levitz. He’d recommended you highly, and he’s extraordinarily satisfied with the arrangements.”

Five minutes later Raymond exited onto the sidewalk and turned south down Park Avenue. His walk had an extra bounce to it. With the blue sky, the clear air, and the hint of spring, he felt on top of the world, especially with the pleasurable rush of adrenaline that a successful recruitment always gave him. Even the unpleasantness of the previous couple of days seemed insignificant. The future was bright and full of promise.

But then near disaster came out of nowhere. Distracted by his victory, Raymond almost stepped from the curb into the path of a speeding city bus. Wind from the hurling vehicle blew off his hat while filthy gutter water sprayed the front of his cashmere coat.

Raymond staggered back, dazed from his narrow escape from what might have been a horrible death. New York was a city of sudden extremes.

“You okay, buddy?” a passerby asked. He handed Raymond his dented fedora.

“I’m fine, thank you,” Raymond said. He looked down at the front of his coat and felt ill. The episode seemed metaphorical and brought back the anxiety he’d experienced over the unfortunate Franconi business. The muck reminded him of having to deal with Vinnie Dominick.

Feeling chastened, Raymond crossed the street with much more care. Life was full of dangers. As he walked toward Sixty-fourth Street, he began to worry about the other two transplant cases. He’d never considered the problem an autopsy posed to his program until the Franconi dilemma.

All at once, Raymond decided he’d better check the status of the other patients. There was no doubt in his mind that Taylor Cabot’s threat had been real. If one of the patients happened to be autopsied sometime in the future for whatever reason, and the media got hold of the results, it could spell disaster. GenSys would probably drop the whole operation.