Carstan Moller barely looked at the screen and certainly didn’t have time to read and digest the results before he sat behind his desk, outwardly composed. ‘Take a seat, please,’ he said, waving to the chair on the other side of the desk.

Ian picked up his laptop and sat down.

‘If those results are correct —’ Moller began.

‘They are,’ Ian put in.

‘Then it would appear we have made a dreadful error here, unprecedented in the history of my clinic. Donors are allowed to donate more than once, but we work within the correct guidelines. Statistically there is a very slim chance of this happening, and to make matters worse, it seems I must have made a mistake in my record-keeping. I will of course look into it thoroughly, and if I find we are at fault you and your wife will be compensated.’

Ian stared at him, confounded. He had come here expecting denial, then an ugly scene where he would have to force Moller to admit his mistake. But it seemed he was open to the idea.

‘If you could email me a copy of those results,’ Moller continued, ‘I’ll be able to compare them with my records.’

Ian took a moment to connect his laptop to the Wi-Fi and emailed the file. ‘It should be in your inbox now.’

‘Thank you,’ Moller said. ‘I will study it this evening when I can give it my full attention and then contact you.’

‘How can you check?’ Ian asked suspiciously. ‘You won’t still have the donor sperm. All you’ve got are your records and if they’re incorrect, as they appear to be, what else can you do?’

‘Each donor is given a number and that is how they are identified. When I checked your and your wife’s records before it showed different numbers, indicating the sperm was from different donors. However, I will cross-check the numbers are correct by using the actual identity of the donors. It will take me a while, but it will be conclusive. Let me assure you, if I find the donor is the same, there will be no cover up. I will take full responsibility and compensate you as best I can.’

‘How can I be sure?’ Ian asked.

‘You have my word.’

‘I would like to see your records for myself,’ Ian said.

‘I’m afraid that’s not possible. They are confidential. But why would I risk the reputation of my clinic and lie to you? I’m not stupid. I know if you’re not satisfied you will go public, and that would be to the detriment of my practice after all these years. Please give me the chance to investigate and then we can discuss the matter further. It’s in my interest to make sure you’re satisfied, isn’t it?’

Moller was being so reasonable Ian felt he had to give him time to look into it.