‘Mr Thomas we have reason to believe you have been using your place of employment BioQex laboratories for the purpose of synthesising phencyclidine, a prohibited drug.’
‘I’ve told you for the umpteenth time, it’s Zac Milburn you want not me,’ implored Nick.
‘How do you explain the documents and samples of drugs which were found in your flat. I should add that the samples of powder and some tissues which were in a glass bottle have been sent for analysis at the forensic laboratories.’
‘The samples are PCP, I admit that, but I didn’t make them. They were made by Zac Milburn a colleague of mine and I’ve been following what he’s been up to. I have been compiling a dossier of evidence to bring to you. That’s what you found in my flat.’ Andy Walters listened impassively. ‘So can you please let me go now and you can go and arrest Zac Milburn?’
‘So if Zac Milburn made the drugs why are your names all over the data sheets you obtained in work?’
‘Because I suspected what he was doing and took some of the powder and analysed it myself. So that’s why my name’s on it, I had to log them into the system in my name.’ Nick sat glaring at the duo with his arms folded across his chest.
‘How did you look up the details of the PCP synthesis Mr Thomas?’
‘On my laptop, as I’m sure you will soon see. You took it away in a plastic bag, didn’t you? I can show you the sites I used if you want,’ replied Nick petulantly.
‘That won’t be necessary sir, our technical department will see to that.’ Andy continued, ‘it’s interesting Mr Thomas that you said you had looked up the syntheses at home as we have discovered searches carried out by you in Persford library. I suggest to you that you started off using the public computer to avoid incriminating yourself on your own device but either you got careless or you needed to look something up out of hours and you just thought you would risk it.’
‘I have no idea what you are talking about as regards the library, I don’t belong to the library. I don’t have a library card. Nice try,’ replied Nick rudely.
‘A library card was issued to you at the beginning of the month, in your name, using your identification documents,’ and he showed him a sheet showing his library account number.
Nick pulled the paper over to him and looked at it in disbelief. Someone had used his identity to open an account. Zac had fraudulently opened an account to frame him. Nick was shocked, he felt the colour draining from his face and sweat forming under his armpits. He took a drink of water and the detectives saw his hand was shaking.
‘Zac Milburn must have stolen my identity and opened a library account in my name,’ he said slowly.
‘According to the library staff, two separate documents showing your name and address were given in as proof. How do you explain that?’ asked Andy.
‘What were the documents?’ asked Nick.
‘A council tax bill and a bank statement.’
‘Well he must have stolen them, it wasn’t me who opened the library account.’
‘How do you explain that he stole them?’
‘I can’t at the moment, I’d have to think about it. I’m not saying anything else without a solicitor,’ added Nick.
There was a knock at the door, it opened an a uniformed constable said he needed to speak to the CID officers. It was time for a break whilst Nick Thomas took time to consider his situation.
‘Well, I suggest you think about it good and hard. Interview suspended. Time is 16.18 p.m.’
The two officers left the room, leaving Nick to fold his arms on the table and rest his head down on them. He closed his eyes and started to try to process what he’d just learned.
Chapter 47
Brett was frantically pacing back and forth in reception, alternately looking out through the door and using the phone in reception to tell firstly Amanda what was going to happen and secondly asking Billie for assistance when the police arrived. They would be searching a laboratory area and company safety procedures needed to be adhered to. Billie was naturally shocked that one of her direct reports had been arrested. She started to fire questions at Brett but he merely cut her off saying he had no details, he was as shocked as her. He also told her not to mention anything to other members of staff until the police arrived.
Ten minutes had now elapsed and there was still no sign of the police, perhaps this was an elaborate hoax after all. He sincerely hoped so and pitied the person responsible for it if that were the case. They would be hearing from BioQex’s lawyers. He stepped outside into the fresh air, squinting against the sunlight, using his hand to shield his eyes from the glare and looked towards the direction from which he assumed they would be arriving. In the distance he thought he could make out a police car, then a van and a couple of other cars in convoy. At least they weren’t using their flashing lights. Something like this would soon be all over the local press. The company would need to ensure that employees didn’t volunteer any information to any voracious reporters who would be sure to be on the doorstep tomorrow.
The vehicles turned into the car park and parked untidily close to the entrance. The dog handler alighted and opened the back doors to collect his spaniel. The plain-clothes policeman approached Brett introducing himself as Inspector Mike Harris of Persford CID.
‘Good afternoon Dr Chandler. We need to carry out a search of the laboratory used by Nick Thomas and seize any items we think relevant to our enquiries. Would you please lead the way.’
‘Yes, of course, but I really do not understand what this is all about. Nick Thomas is a highly valued member of BioQex. I’m sure this is all a complete misunderstanding.’
‘If you would just lead the way and we can be the judge of that,’ replied Inspector Harris, rather sternly.
‘Follow me, I assume you can manage the stairs alright,’ asked Brett, glancing at the inspector’s rather rotund physique.
‘Stairs will be fine thank you, sir,’ replied the Inspector, thinking that this could be a rather testy encounter with Dr Chandler.
They arrived at the first floor, strode past Amanda whose jaw dropped open at the bustle of uniformed and non-uniformed visitors, plus dog, tramping past her desk in the direction of the laboratories.
Any personnel at their desks immediately stopped what they were doing and looked up in horror. Billie rose from her desk to greet the party being led by Brett, his face puce coloured set in an angry grimace.
‘Billie, which is Nick’s desk?’
‘This one here,’ she replied.
‘Thank you,’ replied the inspector. ‘Check the paperwork and drawers, lads,’ he instructed. ‘We need access to the laboratory now.’
‘It’s this one here,’ pointed Billie, ‘I will show you in, but I must ask you to wear these visitor’s lab coats, safety glasses and gloves,’ and she gestured to the hooks holding the lab coats and a stack of boxes containing disposable gloves and safety glasses.
It had been a while since Brett had been in a laboratory but he wanted to check what was going on. He shrugged off his suit jacket leaving it on Billie’s desk and complied with Billie’s instructions.
‘I trust you can find a lab coat of the right size, inspector,’ said Brett, finding a target for his anger.
‘I’m sure I’ll be fine sir,’ replied the inspector, choosing not to rise to the bait. He was well used to members of the public venting their spleen at him. He hoped he and Dr Chandler didn’t have cause to cross paths in the future, he never forgot a name or a face of someone who’d been rude to him.
The dog handler tied the dog to the door handle whilst he dressed appropriately. Zac, Caroline and Kirsty were told to leave the laboratory. Zac felt like he was on cloud nine, he hoped they would find some residual traces in Nick’s work area. They left the lab and stood at the door looking through the window like children at a sweetshop window. Zac was pleased he’d spent so long decontaminating his own fume cupboard. He was a generally tidy worker but he’d been meticulous in washing dow
n all surfaces with different solvents and finally water, and all glassware had been similarly cleaned.
The spaniel was straining to get on with its search. It headed straight to the side of the lab where Nick’s bench was sited, circled around a couple of times and then became extremely excited, pawing the floor at one particular spot. The inspector instructed his colleagues to swab the floor with their special kit, and the swabbed samples were sealed in tubes and then sealed in plastic bags. The spaniel completed a circuit of the lab and came back to the first spot it had identified.
They then went round opening cupboards and checking in drawers but this did not produce a similar reaction from the dog. Brett was inwardly cursing, it looked very much as though the police’s suspicions were true, some of the PCP had been spilt on the floor of the laboratory although no bulk sample had as yet been found. Could this be true? He was a scientist, used to examining data and results and from what he had seen it appeared this lab had been used to synthesise street drugs and Nick Thomas was in the frame. He turned away, leaning on one of the benches and exhaled. He had no idea how they were going to deal with this as a company, it could be very damaging indeed.
‘I think we are all finished in here for the time being,’ said Inspector Harris, ‘but I’m going to have to seal this laboratory off for now. No staff must access it. We may need to revisit and continue to search for any PCP.’
‘But it’s a working lab!’ shouted Brett, ‘this is ridiculous, you’ve taken your samples, there is important research going on in here, we can’t just leave things as they are,’ Brett was irate, it was just so typical of the police to be inconveniencing people all the time.
‘It is not ridiculous, it is procedure. The lab will be closed. I will now allow your staff in under my supervision to switch off and make safe any reactions.’
‘Billie, please can you relay that message and ask them to come in and shut down the lab?’ asked Brett, ‘and please stay to oversee the procedure, I will be in my office. Come up and see me when this is all finished,’ and he stripped off his gloves and lab coat and left them in a heap on the floor. He stomped out of the laboratory and collected his jacket. He felt like a stiff drink, for the moment coffee would have to suffice.
Chapter 48
Back at the police station Detective Andy Walters was about to resume the interview with Nick. He’d been called out of the room by one of his Detective Constables, Shani Patel, a diligent officer who was showing huge promise.
‘Boss, I’ve contacted BioQex and they are sending over the CCTV footage for the last week for the entrance area of the company and the car park area. It only actively records when there’s movement and you said we should focus on times early in the morning or later in the evening as that’s when it’s most likely someone accessed the building to remove the bulk material.’
‘That’s right Shani, excellent. I want you to get a colleague to help you and start to go through it, it’s a boring job but we might just spot something important. I’ve just had a call from Inspector Harris to say that although they think there was evidence of the drug in the lab they didn’t find any bulk, so someone’s already got it out on to the streets.’
‘Will do, sir. One more thing, not sure whether this is relevant. I thought I’d just look at anything which has been logged with reference to BioQex in the last month, break-ins, vandalism, that sort of thing.’
‘Good idea, anything?’
‘Well one morning recently, sorry, forgot the exact day, I can check the details, a security guard reported a car acting suspiciously in the vicinity of BioQex car park. When it was approached it sped off. The guard managed to get details of the registration.’
Andy’s interest was suddenly piquing, ‘and?’
‘Stolen plates sir, they don’t match the make and model.’
‘Shit,’ said Andy.
‘Yes, but it’s not all bad news, the car’s make and colour match that of the car which was seen driving away at speed the night of Mr Thomas’ assault.’
‘Now that is interesting, not sure where it takes us, but there must be a connection. Make sure you log all this, excellent work. Good luck with the CCTV footage. Now I’m going to see whether Mr Thomas has anything else to say to me.’
**
Brett had managed to make contact with Piers who was now back from his off-site visit to the firm of accountants they used. He and Frank had been to discuss what their tax liability was likely to be next year and to discuss any ways of reducing it. They were both appalled by the events of the afternoon. They thanked Brett for handling it so professionally in their absence. Brett had been scouring the local news sites and there was already a report, Breaking News, that police had been spotted at BioQex, including a dog handler and it was only a matter of time before they started to put two and two together. Brett had a few minutes to himself before Billie would be joining him, she’d phoned to say that the lab was just being sealed and she was about to escort the police off the premises.
Could it really be that Nick, Mr Nice guy, Mr ordinary and domestic, busybody and person determined to act in the interest of the public good could have been leading a double life and manufacturing street drugs? When had he managed it? He seemed to just work normal hours. Brett’ s office overlooked the main entrance and he’d often noticed him leaving around five or six in the evening, and arriving between eight and nine. It just didn’t seem feasible.
There was a knock at the door.
‘Come in,’ shouted Brett, it was Billie.
‘Sit down Billie, thanks for handling all that, I thought you were the best person to oversee the closing down of the lab. Can I get you a coffee, you look like you need one?’
‘Oh, yes, thanks,’ replied Billie.
She was shell-shocked, hot and sweaty. This afternoon had been surreal, like something from a TV drama. What sort of company had she joined she’d been asking herself. Had she completely misjudged her direct report, Nick?
‘Piers and Frank are back now, we need to come up with a response to this and a strategy as to how we move forward. Also, what do we do about one of our labs being closed? I’d like your input so are you OK to stay and help us with this?’
‘Oh, yes, sure I’d be happy to help,’ replied Billie. She felt quietly honoured to be part of the high-level discussions but it did nothing to eradicate both her revulsion and anger at what it seemed Nick had done.
**
Matt Pearson former CSO of BioQex was looking after his son Toby. It was one of Toby’s non-nursery days and Matt was exhausted. His wife Emma was back at work part-time and Matt was considering his next career move so was taking some time out to consider his options. This morning they’d had a few rounds of hide and seek before Matt got thoroughly tired of it. Toby was under the impression he had to tell his father where he was hiding, thus Matt found it hard to keep up the pretence and to feign excitement each time he found him. Thus the park had been used as a distraction and provided a welcome incentive to leave the house. As the weather started to turn chilly they then went off to an indoor play centre for an hour before lunch. After lunch, they’d looked at some books and had done some number learning. They then took Toby’s scooter out for a while down to the little park nearby and also fed the ducks. It was now approaching 5.30 p.m. and would soon be time for Toby’s tea. Matt just couldn’t conceive how people managed to be a childminder full time for a living. It was a good thing this wasn’t for five days a week, he would be in hospital with exhaustion. Thankfully Toby was also tired and had asked to watch some Cbeebies, so Matt was enjoying a few minutes checking emails and looking at the news on his phone.
He kept up with the Persford news each day and was shocked when the website opened up with a breaking news story concerning BioQex. Police had arrived at there this afternoon, a convoy of several vehicles and a dog handler. Matt couldn’t believe what he was reading. A dog handler, what were they looking for? He checked Twitter, nothing so far. This was serious
news for a small company. Although Matt no longer worked there he still hoped it would continue to be successful. He’d worked with some good colleagues there. He decided to phone Nick, he always knew what was happening, they’d texted a few times since he’d left but not made the effort to meet up in person. He checked the time, there was a good chance Nick had left work now, he would phone. There was no response from his mobile so he called their landline.
‘Hello,’ came the response from the phone in their flat.
‘Polly, hi, it’s Matt Pearson here, I’ve just seen the news about BioQex, it sounded serious, just curious to know what’s happening?’At that point he heard sobbing, he had trouble making out what Polly was saying. ‘Polly, are you OK, what’s the matter?’
‘They’ve arrested Nick, it’s awful,’ and she continued to weep.
‘What?’ shouted Matt, so loudly that Toby jumped and looked around.
Matt went out into the hallway, keeping the door partly open so he could see Toby.
‘I don’t understand, why has Nick been arrested? What’s happened?’
‘I don’t understand either, they say he’s been using the lab at BioQex to make street drugs. P something, I can’t remember. They came and arrested him today, took his phone, laptop, and they found some samples here and data from the drug. It’s a nightmare. I’m going mad here.’
‘Polly, slow down a minute. I can’t take this in.’
‘And he was beaten up last week, ended up in hospital, head injuries, could have died, he just went out for a drink with a colleague, went to a rough pub, I’ve no idea why. He was set upon, he only came out of hospital on Saturday afternoon and now he’s down at the police station.’
‘Polly, this is awful, now I don’t for one minute believe Nick is guilty, there must be some sort of mistake. Has he got a solicitor?’
Lethal Reaction Page 20