Mrs Fairman, I run a serious business here, I have helped many couples find babies, I help people… so of course it’s legal. In Malaysia we can do anything here, as long as we can find a way. You know what I mean… Don’t worry, she reassured. We do this all the time… She trailed off.

Sumi paced up and down, looking perplexed, the baby content in her arms. But my husband, he’s not here. What do I do?

Well, Mrs Fairman, if you are not sure… no problem. If you don’t want her, someone else will take her… No problem. She shook her head and smiled widely.

Something seized me, like an invisible hand, cold, tenacious. It rose from the soles of my feet and into my stomach, where it tightened and turned into a cold insidious knot. My teeth started to chatter. Goosebumps appeared on my hands, my neck prickly with sudden sweat. Had I found her? Was this the woman who had taken my daughter? I wanted to accuse her, I wanted to scream, Did you take my baby? What did you do to her?

But I didn’t. Sumi wanted this baby, it was obvious, and I didn’t want to ruin it. I was assuming a great deal, and that was dangerous. Who was this woman? What kind of woman did this? To sell babies? Where did they come from?

Sumi disappeared into the kitchen to call Fairman, while I walked around cradling the baby who was now fully awake and restless. She was hungry. I asked Mother Mary, Do you have a bottle? Anything at all for the baby?

Mother Mary stood up and grabbed her large handbag, which was stretched to the seams. I imagined large wads of cash inside, or diapers perhaps? Yes, yes, of course. Sorry, sorry, baby is hungry yes. There is something in my car, let me get it.

Mary rushed out the door, her skirt bunched up under her ample derriere. Her car was a brand new blue Perodua. License plate WHJ 8965. I repeated it until it was in my head. The situation was simply surreal. A baby. A woman with a baby. To leave overnight. Twenty thousand ringgit. What fuckery was this?

Sumi was talking to Fairman on the phone. A baby, yes darling, a real one…she’s a girl… just gorgeous… So what do we do? I don’t know, that’s why I’m calling you…her parents…yes, registration and all…I guess so…uh huh…so?

The baby looked healthy enough, I didn’t see vaccination scars so that was going to need paramount attention. I lifted her faded flowery cotton top and saw that she had good colour. Her tummy did not look bloated but she would also need a full check-up. And a blood test. Mother Mary came in the door flushed, fanning herself.

Aiyoh! So hot outside!

She handed me a plastic bag, which had some diapers, a Nuk milk bottle and several sachets of milk powder. The kind that was given away for free at supermarkets and hospitals. There were also a couple of rompers, one blue, one pink.