Katie was back at her desk, and was just thinking that she needed to go to the loo, when the lab door swung open. She glanced round. Caspar came in with a group of people. These must be the candidates for the postdoc position he had mentioned. She’d turned back to her desk before she registered with shock what she’d seen. One of them was someone she knew – and, more importantly, someone who knew her. It was Minnie. She was a young postdoc and a couple of years ago they had worked at the same lab near Ely.
Katie fixed her gaze on her work and thought furiously. She couldn’t leave the lab without walking past them and drawing attention to herself. With Katie’s new hair and make-up it was possible that Minnie wouldn’t recognize her. It wasn’t as if they had been close friends. On the other hand, they had actually been at adjoining benches. She only hoped Caspar wouldn’t think to introduce the candidates to people working in the lab, but there was no reason why he should. He was only showing them where they’d be working. And sure enough, after a few minutes, they all trooped out again.
Katie’s heart was racing. That had been a narrow escape. It looked as if she was safe for now. But what if Minnie got the post? Katie would just have to hope that she’d be long gone by then. Another reason to crack on.
She allowed plenty of time for Caspar and his group to leave the building before she went to the loo. She was just touching up her lipstick when the door swung open and Maddie came in. They smiled at each other, and Maddie went into a cubicle. The door opened again and Katie saw with a jolt that it was Minnie. Minnie put her handbag on the ledge by the mirror and got out a hairbrush. Her eyes met Katie’s in the mirror and she gave the half-smile of friendly acknowledgment that women exchange with other women. She looked away, but Katie saw the moment when realization began to dawn. She stopped brushing her hair and her gaze swung back to Katie. She opened her mouth to speak. Katie shook her head vigorously and put a finger to her lips.
Minnie stared with her mouth still open.
Katie rummaged in her own bag and found a receipt. She scribbled, “You don’t know me! Tell no one! Text me this evening,” and she wrote down her mobile number. She handed it to Minnie, who took it in in a glance, and nodded.
Behind them the loo flushed and Maddie came out. Minnie thrust the receipt into her bag.
* * *
“What’s going on?” Minnie asked. “I thought you were in Thailand.”
It was the evening and Katie was in her apartment. Minnie had texted and given Katie her phone number. Katie had rung her.
“Yes, that’s what you’re meant to think,” Katie told her.
It was no good; she would have to take Minnie into her confidence. She told her about Lyle’s suspicions, about how she had come to Debussy Point under a false name to work as a technician, and about her efforts to replicate Claudia’s work.
Minnie was clearly fascinated. She said, “D’you think it’s just the flu research, or is there something dodgy about the whole place? I really need to know. I mean, what if I get offered the job?”
“Look, Minnie, not a word to anyone, OK? I’m sure it’s not the whole place and I don’t know that there is anything dodgy at all. There might be nothing in it.”
“Bet there is, though. Wow, it’s exciting!”
Katie groaned inwardly. “I mean it, Minnie. It would wreck Claudia’s reputation. And like I said, I haven’t found anything wrong, so please, please, keep it under wraps. You mustn’t tell a single soul!”
Minnie hastened to reassure her. “Oh, I won’t, I won’t. Well, except Sam, of course.”
Sam was her boyfriend. Katie knew him too, because he’d also worked in the lab at Ely.
“No! Not even Sam. No one at all. Promise me.”
“Well, alright,” Minnie said reluctantly. “But you’ll tell me what happens, won’t you? It’s only fair.”
Katie said she would, and was about to end the call, when Minnie said, “Hang on a minute. Who did you say Claudia’s PI was?”
“I didn’t, but it was Gemma Braithwaite.”
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. “She’s the woman who’s just died of malaria!”
“Yes, she is, but that can’t have anything to do with Claudia or her work – or with the lab, for that matter.” Katie only hoped that was true. But surely it had to be. She went on: “Gemma probably contracted malaria when she was doing fieldwork in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
Minnie had been struck by another thought. “I’ve not ever met Claudia, but I’m sure I heard something about her,” she said. “It’s not a very common name, is it?”
“What sort of something?”
Minnie pondered. “Now what was it? It might have been Sam who told me. Just let me think. No, it’s no good. I expect it’ll come to me when I’m thinking about something else. It was something interesting, I do remember that.”
“Well, let me know when it comes to you.”
“Oh, I will!”
“And Minnie, remember what I said –”
“Yes, yes, I know. You can trust me.”
Katie hoped to goodness that she could. This wasn’t something she had anticipated at all – that someone from her past would actually turn up at Debussy Point. If Minnie didn’t keep quiet, it could blow the whole thing apart.
She’d better let Lyle know what had happened.