‘No. I remember reading about poor people in some country or other who will sell a kidney to earn money.’

‘That’s right. In Moldova, for instance–desperately poor country, sandwiched between Romania and the Ukraine–people actually mortgage their bodies. They’ll sell one of their kidneys for a few thousand quid. And what does it sell for to a prospective patient? Go on, guess.’

‘Ten grand?’

‘As much as ninety-five thousand pounds.’

‘Bloody hell!’ Sarah sat back in her chair. ‘But what makes you think Mr Tan is involved? He’s never been to Moldova–at least not since we’ve been tracking him.’

‘No. But Moldova’s only one of the countries involved. Israeli patients fly to Turkey and get most of the Moldovan kidneys. There are brokers in New York who work with Russian immigrants; rich Palestinians go to Iraq, and Nigerian doctors can help you out if you live in South Africa.’

Sarah whistled. ‘So it’s a world-wide trade?’

‘You bet. And one involving a hell of a lot of cash. They reckon that the bone theft industry in the States…’

‘Bone theft?’

‘Yes, they use bones for transplants, too–about four hundred thousand of them every year–and for grinding up to make dental filler.’

Sarah grimaced.

‘Yes, look after your teeth. Anyway, the bone theft market in the States is worth about five hundred million dollars a year.’

‘What about over here?’

‘In the UK it’s illegal to profit from trading in body parts. That means all such trading is driven underground. It wasn’t always the case in other countries. There are new restrictive laws in India now. And that means it’s recently been overtaken in the transplant export market by which country?’

‘China?’

‘Got it in one, Miss Perry.’ Gary leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head. ‘The organs you can buy in India come mainly from live donors but China’s do not.’ He paused.

Sarah leaned forward in her chair. ‘Go on.’

‘Well, it’s not very nice. Condemned prisoners in China are shot through the head to avoid damaging their organs which are then sold.’

‘That’s gross.’

‘Well, it’s a fact of life. There are figures from Amnesty International.’ Gary rifled through the papers on his desk. ‘Here we are. In 1996 they reported that ninety per cent of all transplanted organs in China come from executed prisoners.’

Sarah stood up and walked to the window. ‘How depressing.’

‘Depressing but unbelievably lucrative. If you’re stinking rich but your life depends on a new kidney, you’ll spend whatever it takes to get one.’

‘And Mr Tan can oblige?’