‘I’m sorry, we are simply not able to disclose the details of parties to the transactions, nor to give you access to our network.’

‘At this stage all we are asking you to do is to confirm that you helped arrange a contract involving a Taiwanese man named Dr Wei-Ling Chen.’

‘I’m sorry, I can’t do that.’

‘We believe that Dr Chen was murdered by someone who got access to him through your network.’

‘That’s a very serious allegation, Detective Chief Inspector. I cannot comment on individual cases but you should remember that those who contact us are requesting that their life be ended. It thus cannot be murder if the contract is fulfilled.’

The detective felt a wave of frustration with this slippery man. ‘All right, the contract we have seen indicates that Dr Chen had arranged with the service provider to have his body returned to Taipei. Instead it was dumped in the Thames. Whatever you think of his death, that’s still a breach of contract. Even by your own standards, it should concern you.’

‘Yes, it does. If what you say is true, that would be a serious matter. If a complaint is to be made it would be up to the client—’

‘Who, might I remind you, is dead,’ Gillard interjected.

‘—or their next of kin to contact us. We have a thorough complaints procedure open to either party, with compulsory arbitration.’

‘We’re talking about something a bit more serious than a flawed purchase.’

‘Not so far, we’re not. The client expressed a wish to die, we can prove that.’

The detective was clenching his fists in frustration. ‘If you don’t co-operate, we will get a court order,’ he said.

‘You may certainly try, but it would have to be under Dutch law, which gives the parties significant privacy protections against such oversight. These, after all, are confidential commercial contracts.’

‘And I’m sure they are illegal in many of the countries that your clients come from.’

Molenaar laughed gently. ‘In a few, possibly. In most it is simply a grey area, and for good reason. After all, if it is a crime, then who would the victim be? A person who has just paid many thousands of pounds for a service that took some time to organise could not be said to have lacked volition or power over the process. Laws that deny us the ability to control our own bodies stand in stark contravention to the usual laws of contract and property.’

‘It’s the law’s job to protect people.’