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Zac returned to the laboratory about 5.30 p.m., he’d been involved in a video conference call in one of the meeting rooms with a company who was going to supply some new analytical equipment and Zac had been asked to be responsible for its installation. He was also going to go over to the company one day for a training session. Unfortunately, they kept having problems with the video link and the meeting dragged on rather later than he had hoped. Also, the guys were doing a really hard sales pitch which wasted a lot of time as well.
However he was pleased to see that he had the laboratory to himself, everyone else had left a bit earlier than usual. He was doubly pleased to see his order had arrived, he opened the box and checked, yes, that was the correct stuff. That meant he had just time to put on another reaction belonging to his extra chemistry. He would arrive really early tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. so he could sort it out and remove any evidence before nosy Nick arrived. Just to be on the safe side he would allocate it the number of his previous reaction, in case anyone checked. Things were progressing nicely he thought, if all goes well, in a few days I should have the required material and I can arrange to hand it over and receive a few readies which were badly needed. The garage had quoted him six hundred pounds to sort out his car, but they did reassure him that if he spent that money on it now it should last for at least a couple of years as the car was in reasonable shape.
**
Nick was first to arrive at The Tower for his drinks with Mark so he chose a table towards one side, away from any music speakers, he wanted to be able to chat to Mark confidentially without having to raise his voice. He was checking his phone when Mark strode in apologising for being a few minutes late. Mark offered to get the first round and went to get two pints of lager.
‘Thanks, Mark, cheers,’ said Nick, raising his glass and taking a large gulp of cool lager, ‘that’s just what I needed. How’s your day been, did you work today or have you been off?’
‘I worked a short day, so I went down the gym for an hour, then popped home to see the wife and kids.’
‘How’s all your family?’ enquired Nick.
‘Oh they’re all fine, the youngest is starting school next year, can’t believe how the time has gone. Anyway, how’s things with you now? You have your new CSO? What’s his name, er, Brett? Cocky bastard from what I can see. I had a word with him the other day and he looked down his nose at me.’
‘Yes, that’s the way he likes to treat people, but it’s not just that, I don’t trust him. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to meet up with you.’
‘Oh, yes, sounds intriguing,’ said Mark, ‘what’s been going on.’
‘Well, I’m sure he was the chap Sarah was meeting, you remember, Sarah Grant?’ Mark nodded, indicating he should continue.
‘Well I’m sure he was the chap she was meeting in Bells Wine Bar on the night when she had her accident.’
Mark looked a bit puzzled.
‘Well, maybe he was, but it’s not so unlikely that they might have met, after all, he moved from that company down the road. If they were both single....’
‘Yes, but it was because she was so upset with him that she didn’t watch where she was going and had that accident where she stumbled in front of that car in the car park,’ added Nick, his voice increasing in intensity.
‘Well, they probably just had a tiff or something, anyway, luckily Sarah got better didn’t she, and the police were presumably happy otherwise he wouldn’t have got the job at BioQex.’ Mark raised his eyebrows at Nick, wondering where this conversation was heading.
‘Yes, that’s true but there was another incident. I’m sure he was the person who came to see Matt pretending to be a journalist, Sally told me the name he gave and it wasn’t Chandler. So you see, he’s been hiding something and there was something going on between him and Matt!’ said Nick rather triumphantly.
‘Nick, steady on a minute. Don’t forget Sally wasn’t the most reliable of people was she? I mean she was a lovely girl but a bit dappy, didn’t you think? You don’t really have any hard evidence against Brett, or should it be Brat?’ and Mark chuckled.
‘No, you are right,’ said Nick suddenly looking rather depressed, ‘that’s what Polly is always saying to me,’ and he paused, ‘we need a refill, same again?’
‘Sure, that would be great,’ replied Mark.
There was a bit of a queue at the bar, so Mark sat and reflected on Nick’s news. He did seem rather animated about all this but Mark really couldn’t assign as much significance to it as Nick had and he also didn’t see where Nick could go with it. He started to worry that Nick was developing a bit of an obsession with Brett and it was going to get him into trouble. Sometimes it was best just to keep your head down.
‘Thanks, Nick, that’s good, I like this place, been here a few times,’ said Mark, taking another long draught from his pint. ‘Now, I don’t want to upset you with what I’m going to say but I do think you need to move on from all this and just see how things go for a while, don’t go doing anything which is going to get you into trouble,’ counselled Mark.
‘Oh, don’t worry, I hear what you say, and besides Brett practically warned me off thinking ill of him,’ Mark looked quite surprised at this.
‘Oh, yes, he called me in for a meeting and told me in no uncertain terms that I had been criticised before about gossiping and if there was another occasion when I was found to be spreading rumours I’ll be out on my ear. That’s basically what he said.’
‘Oh, mate that’s awful he threatened you like that, what did Polly say?’
‘I’ve not told her, she’ll go ballistic, she’s of the opinion that I keep coming up with conspiracy theories, she’s worried I will go too far, get the sack. And after my chat with Brett she’s probably right,’ sighed Nick. They both paused whilst considering the situation.
‘Cheer, up, it’s not that bad, and you do a good job with your science, don’t you, otherwise they wouldn’t have given you Kirsty to supervise would they?’said Mark trying to cheer his friend up who now seemed rather depressed.
‘Yes, well I’m trying to concentrate on my work, but it’s been difficult with the shock of Brett getting Matt’s old job, it’s just taken me back a bit and started me thinking about the past. I’m sure he knows it was me who spoke to the police in the wine bar.’
‘Look, let’s talk about something else, you’re looking really down now, we’re supposed to be enjoying this evening, eh?’ said Mark trying to raise Nick’s spirits. ‘Just remember, you are getting through your work OK, not like that poor bugger Zac, he was so upset the other evening when he was working late. His reaction had gone tits up he told me, really despondent he was. That must be why he has to keep working so late, he must keep making a mess of things.’ Mark had hoped that this reference to Zac would cheer Nick up and make him feel superior as the more competent chemist, but it was not to be.
‘Well, I’m glad you mentioned that Mark, I wanted to ask you, what evening was it when you spoke to him?’
‘Er, it was Friday, I’m sure of it, why?’
‘Yes, that’s what I thought you’d told me. Well on Monday morning I checked his notebook and I couldn’t see any record of his reaction failing and when I asked him how his work was going he said it was fine. He’s making an intermediate for me to use and he showed it to me, the reaction had gone well, there was no problem. I just don’t understand it,’said Nick shaking his head.
‘Well, it must have been another reaction then,’ offered Mark.
‘Yes, but he’s not written anything up as not working. It’s very strange.’
‘Well, I think I might know what’s happening. He’s new to the company right?’ Nick nodded.
‘So, he doesn’t want it to look like he makes a mess of any reactions, so he doesn’t write them up until they have worked. Makes sense?’
‘Well I suppose so, but that’s strictly against the rules, you are meant to write it down as you put the reaction on, not to have things in progress with no proper record of what’s happening. It’s a matter of safety. If he was ill and couldn’t come in we wouldn’t know what he was doing and what his reactions are.’
‘Well, it’s the best I can suggest.’
‘And he’s ordering things he doesn’t need for his current plans, that’s another thing,’ added Nick.
‘Well, maybe he was just replacing something he used up?’ suggested Mark.
‘Yes, but that’s really Kevin’s job, not his,’ replied Nick.
There was a silence where they both sat drinking the last of their pints looking around the pub which was getting quite busy by now.
‘Ha!’ said Mark, ‘I’ve got it, he’s doing a bit of chemistry on the side, been watching that Breaking Bad series,’ and he continued to laugh.
Nick’s face froze, he set down his glass and looked straight at Mark.
‘I think that’s it, that’s what he’s doing!’ Nick was shouting now and a few people looked around.
‘Shush,’ said Mark, ‘people are looking,’
‘No, listen, don’t you see, that’s why he keeps working late! The reaction which didn’t work wasn’t for our project, it was for something else he was making secretly, I bet he’s making some drugs to sell after all some aren’t that difficult to make are they?’
‘Hey, don’t look at me,’ said Mark, opening his palms towards Nick, ‘I don’ know any technical stuff, I’m just a lowly security guard.’
‘I knew it, I knew it, well I’m going to keep even more of an eye on him and when I’ve got some proper evidence I’m going to shop him, cheeky git using the company facilities and making out he works such long hours, jeez, what a bastard. Never mind the harm he’s doing peddling that crap to people!’
‘Nick, calm down, you’ve got to be careful, let’s think about this,’ said Mark, putting his hand on Nick’s arm to try to pacify him. ‘You mustn’t do anything rash, you don’t have any evidence!’ This time it was Mark who was shouting. ‘You could get the sack for a false accusation like this.’
‘Yes but what about the reagent he ordered which didn’t fit in with what he needs for his project work?’
‘Well I’m not a chemist but as an outsider, I don’t think that is enough to start accusing someone of having an illicit drug factory. He could easily find an excuse for that and then you would look a complete idiot. You complain about him, he complains about you and before you know it you will be in Brett’s office getting your P45!’
‘Hmmm, I don’t know,’ said Nick looking quite unconvinced at Mark’s argument.
‘Nick, you’ve got to listen to me, please promise that you won’t mention this to anyone else, you must not, please mate. I wish I’d never said anything,’ and Mark put his head in his hands.
‘OK, but I’m going to keep an eye on him, I’ll find that evidence I need and then it will be curtains for Zac. He will be looking at a prison sentence.’
‘OK but you must be very careful, you don’t know anything much about Zac he might be a nasty piece of work. Now, let’s relax a bit, how about another half pint and let’s go and watch a bit of football on the screen for a bit, I didn’t realise this evening was going to be so tense.’
‘Right, OK,’ said Nick acquiescing, ‘sorry if I’ve spoilt your evening.’
‘Don’t be silly, glad you could talk to me, now, give me your glass, and try and cheer up a bit.’
Nick tried to cheer up but in fact, he was even more troubled than he had been at the start of the evening. Things had just taken a much more serious turn.
