by Lynn Watson
It was impossible to be angry, especially here and especially as she believed he was sincere in all the positive guff about enjoying her company and admiring her supposed brilliance. Also, the prospect of meeting the enigmatic Osvaldo, although clearly risky, was undeniably exciting. And the other guy, Rick, was the academic she was regularly communicating with over the customer feedback on the site and the diary entries that many users were sending in by email.
As they walked, picking up stray coconuts and watching the antics of small red crabs along the way, Ned outlined his idea, the idea that had been on his mind since the start: that they could set up a rival business to Junoco with a different clientele, more ‘luxury end’ as he put it. The aim of meeting with Osvaldo was to explore and hopefully begin to negotiate a deal on the production and supply of the new chocolate, which would have its own form, look and brand name. Fran listened and asked questions, many of which were unanswerable at this stage. After an hour of talking, they clambered into a pair of hammocks strung at the back of the beach, lay back in the welcome shade of the swaying palms and agreed not to say any more about it until breakfast the following day, before Osvaldo and Rick arrived at eleven.
***
They sat beside the swimming pool and watched the distant speck in the sky turn into a recognisable tiny aeroplane coming in to land across the water. What was Osvaldo going to look like: one of the tough loggers in Fran’s daydream during Daniela’s chocolate briefing; an urbane businessman; a shady character; or someone else entirely, defying any stereotype? When the plane passengers stepped off the ferry boat, she identified him easily as the burly, bearded man in a creased, light blue suit. Standing beside him on the wooden quay, next to a gigantic, motionless iguana that seemed quite unfazed, was a slim, younger man in a red-checked shirt and dark jeans. Fran and Ned walked forward to greet their guests.
They stayed beside the pool to talk, as there were few people about. Osvaldo’s command of English wasn’t much better than their Spanish, but Rick was able to act as interpreter. It was unclear how Ned was going to deal with the sensitive issue of their double-crossing Daniela, but Fran soon understood that this part of the conversation had already taken place. Osvaldo knew of their relationship to his cousin and was willing to talk openly about her activities, although he possibly didn’t realise that he and his companion were imparting new and startling information. Rick confirmed that Fred Henson-Morris was one of their business partners and was known to them as Infrared. He also said they had cleared a new area of rainforest to grow more fruit bushes under cover of the logging work. This was to meet the anticipated demand for the berry seeds arising from Infrared’s private business and a planned research trial in British schools.
Fran was dying to ask about Vicky, her role in it, but when she managed to get the question in, both of them looked blank and claimed they hadn’t heard of her. This wasn’t altogether surprising, given Daniela’s insistence on minimal contact between the different parts of her business. However, it provoked a diverting train of thought. Why hadn’t Vicky attempted to make contact with Fran, if only to say sorry? Had the shock of the breakfast confrontation in his kitchen frightened Andy off the affair, or were the pair of them still bonking like there was no tomorrow? Seeking visual distraction, she spotted a gecko on the side of the wall behind Osvaldo, then several more, well camouflaged against the sun-drenched stone but alert and poised to vanish into a crevice at any sign of danger.
Tuning back into the conversation, she picked up on Osvaldo’s references to his ‘number-one contact’ in the British government, the senior civil servant who had commissioned the Bright Minds research. Despite this person’s obvious high position, Osvaldo claimed she was still in the dark about the addition of the synthetic drug. This was the confirmation that Fran was looking for, and from a rock-solid source. The government’s schools research project, like Junoco, involved the use of a synthetic drug mixed with the berry seeds. Alice would be knocked sideways when she gave her the news.
She didn’t take out her notebook but memorised the name of the civil servant. She was playing catch-up and Ned should have given her a much more thorough briefing, at the least, if he wanted to enlist her as a business partner. She would make this point forcefully, but for now she needed to concentrate on what was being said.
Osvaldo was proposing to manufacture their chocolate product in South America, importing the synthetic substance from one of the laboratories he used in Vietnam or Cambodia. This would involve smuggling the final merchandise into the UK along with legitimate produce. In Osvaldo’s view, importing the drug and seeds separately and producing the chocolate in the UK was too risky, especially now that Daniela’s business had been targeted for sabotage. Ned responded by saying he was undecided and that he and Fran would have to consider it.
Osvaldo inspected her once more, trying to size her up and no doubt thinking she was an unlikely associate for this kind of scheme. Rick smiled but she couldn’t see his eyes either, as despite the big sun umbrella they had all kept their shades on against the midday glare. Two of the geckos had disappeared from the side of the wall but another bright green lizard was on top now, posing for a life drawing, one of her Junoco sketches. The waiter came across carrying lunch menus, a tray of tall glasses with ice and lemon and two complimentary bottles of water, fizzy and still.
After they had put in their order, Fran was able to turn the conversation to the aspects of the enterprise that most interested her: the cognitive effects of Junoco and how safe it actually was; if it was dangerous to health. She addressed her question to Rick.
‘You’ve been analysing the data from the Junoco site and maybe other sources. What’s your view of the evidence to date?’
‘Yes, Junoco and a couple of other operations in the US that use the same basic compound, but with different products and different presentation. All in all, it looks highly favourable. The customers have reported various effects but with significant common features, such as the development of talents and aptitudes that comes over strongly in your Junoco diaries. Also, users are aware of a deepening curiosity, in terms of wanting to gain knowledge, pursue ideas and understand other people better. We’re not sure of the extent to which these mind-shifts lead to the acquisition of skills and more creative approaches as the work is still in its early stages, but some users believe it does and have given some interesting examples.’
‘Are you saying the effects go beyond the twenty-four hours that it’s noticeably active in the system?’
‘Yes, there may be a cumulative effect and actual changes in the neural networks, the way in which the neurons connect and interact. This happens when someone develops a new skill; learns to play an instrument or speak a new language, for example. It’s still far from being confirmed but Junoco may turn out to have a long-term physical effect on the brain.’
‘Thanks, that’s all great – but what about the negatives, the side effects?’
‘Well, the first thing is that you need to take both doses – eat both chocolates in the case of Junoco. We’ve had few reports of bad side effects and we think most of them are due to taking the first dose alone or leaving too much time between the doses. This can result in hallucinations and a frightening dislocation of reality. It’s the second dose that provides the focus, as you know, so you have a freer imagination that is tamed enough to actually be put to use. The second negative effect, also rare to date, is a tendency to become obsessive and unduly perfectionist, for example in pursuing an activity or skill. Speculatively, we are wondering if this is due to having too much of the second dose, although it may be linked to existing character traits.’
This was riveting, but Fran was aware that Osvaldo was getting fidgety and overtly consulting his watch. She had to wrap it up for now.
‘I could go on all afternoon, but you need to catch your plane. I have just one final question, Rick. Have there been any reports of extraordinary communication with animals, or even inanimat
e objects? I suppose this would be a minor form of hallucination due to the berry seeds, do you think? Is it too far-fetched to think that Junoco can take us to another level, where we not only make new connections within the brain, but also in the world, with other animals?’
‘Jeez, that would be kind of momentous and I don’t know, is the short answer. We have had a number of people reporting higher-level kinds of communication with animals and we’ve tended to put them in the box marked hallucinatory effects. You’re suggesting a hypothesis that seems unlikely, but who knows? It may prove to be right. Also, the birds that we went to study in the first place are acquiring more sophisticated skills in nest-building and hunting for food, including the novel use of sticks and wires as tools. Birds may have physically tiny brains but they have a phenomenal number of neurons packed in there, more than many primates, and eating the berry seeds is adding to their cognitive power, no question.’
‘It’s a compliment, then, isn’t it, calling someone a birdbrain?’
‘You bet – and there’s much more to come. We don’t know the half of it.’
‘And on that fascinating note,’ said Ned, ‘we’ll have to end it. I’ll find the boatman to take you back over the water.’
***
They hadn’t brought any Junoco with them on holiday, partly because of the risk of being searched at customs, but also because they wanted to enjoy the sunshine and local cuisine in a direct and unfiltered way. In line with the plan, they spent a good part of the afternoons in bed, or rather on top of the bed as it was too hot for sex under the covers, even with the fast-circling fan directly above them. Ned had turned a pre-brown pink and Fran could see he tanned easily, like herself. He was super gorgeous and defenceless, spread out on his back across the crumpled whiteness of the bedclothes, eyes closed and with a light top sheet partly covering his feet and calves. It was an odd thing, perhaps, but it was this luscious afterglow with Ned that she wouldn’t forget, while with Andy it was the intensity of anticipation.
Ned stirred and turned on his side, unfurling his legs from the loose sheet and crooking his knees to bring his feet together. He propped himself up on his elbow and ran his fingers lightly over her stomach.
‘You know the theft at my warehouse, the Junoco distribution centre?’
She shifted to mirror his position, propped up on her side. ‘Yes – do you know who did it, why they did it? Was it Infrared, or do you share Daniela’s suspicion about a police operation?’
‘It was me; it was a set-up. I arranged it to give Daniela a scare and see how she would respond, see if we’d get more of the low-down when she was cornered and needed to rally morale. I didn’t expect her to react as aggressively as she did, but then it coincided with the hacking of the website. Also, I wanted to give out some of the truffles informally among my circle of contacts, without you all knowing about it, so I decided to nick them. But back to Daniela – I don’t feel I’ve got the measure of her yet. Osvaldo says she’s a distant cousin and that he grew up not knowing her, as she was living in England. He doesn’t seem bothered about being disloyal, doing a deal with us behind her back.’
‘Well, Ned, I must say I half-expected it was down to you, all along. I would have been angry if you’d told me at the time, but now we know she and Vicky are both hand in glove with Professor Fred, although I’m not sure we’ll ever get to the bottom of it. She’s mystifying; it’s her persona, brand Daniela. Vicky, now, that’s different altogether. I stupidly imagined I was getting close to her, as a genuine friend.’
‘Yep, it’s all deeply murky, what they’re up to. But hey, girl, don’t forget we’re on holiday now. Shall we take a plunge in the pool and then wander along to the bar to check out the cocktail menu? I think we’ve got just about enough energy left for that. And it’s a busy day tomorrow – early walk followed by our private chocolate tour.’
‘Sounds idyllic – let’s spend the next five days relaxing and having fun and leave the business stuff till we get back home.’
‘Done, agreed – that’s perfect.’ He leaned over and planted his butterfly kiss.
‘Oh, and one last thing, Ned…’ She pointed to the floppy straw hat that he had bought at the airport.
‘I think I know what’s coming.’
‘We hold the first of the naked hat parades before we depart from this sexy paradise. And don’t tell me you have to talk to your agent. Your agent isn’t here to protect you this time.’
On the chocolate plantation the next day, they were shown the cocoa bean pods on the trees, the process of fermentation and how the beans were dried and flavoured. This was presumably when the berry seeds and the synthetic drug were blended in, instead of the flavouring or along with it. As Fran expected, the one hundred per cent chocolate was too fiercely bitter for her taste, although Ned loved it.
They also took in the museum of early artefacts, where she learned a little about the beliefs of the indigenous people, their connection with animal spirits and the spirits of the forest. Was it possible for this gift to be transferred through Junoco? Might there be a link to her new-found affinity with animals? It was the kind of far-out theory Lily would dream up. Fran touched one of the golden iguanas in the shop display and knew she had to buy it for Lily, despite the eye-watering price tag.
In the middle of the night, she was woken by loud hissing and growling on the small terrace. She crept warily to the glass door and peeped through the light curtain and mesh netting, stepping back in fear when she saw the group of bandit-eyed raccoons prowling on the table and edging round the corner of the wall. It must be the nuts that had drawn them in, the large half-eaten packet that had spilled over the paving. She tried to shoo them away without opening the mesh door, but they retreated only to return in seconds, so she decided to shut the glass door and ensure they at least stayed outside. She had a vague recollection that raccoons had the ability to pick locks, but surely that would have been anticipated in a place like this?
She padded back to bed, wondering how Ned could sleep through the racket, but she knew the simple answer – he was a man. How men had lost the ability to be instantly alert to danger, while women woke up at the slightest sound, was one of the great mysteries of modern life. She lay listening to the squabbling raccoons until the last few appeared to have slunk off. Creeping back to the door and lifting the curtain, she locked eyes with the one remaining animal, a young one that gazed openly at her with a soft expression, more curious than ferocious. The two of them held it like that for what seemed like an age, until the raccoon turned with a whisk of its long tail and walked away.
As she loosened her grip on the curtain and began to turn into the room, a larger raccoon came into the periphery of her vision, rounding the corner of the terrace and stalking towards her. Despite the firmly locked door between them, she stood petrified as it bared its teeth and snarled at her, its eyes hostile and its whole body pumped with aggression. She jumped back, dropping the curtain so she could only see the creature as a dim shape, and then pressed herself into the wall, well out of its line of sight. She waited for several minutes, heart racing, knowing she could call out to wake Ned but not wanting to do it, preferring to remain spellbound in the dark until she heard the slight shuffling noises of the raccoon moving off. Then she was able to return to bed and sleep for an hour before the raucous howler monkeys started up.
Chapter 17
Walking past the green towards Frocks and Chocs, Fran noticed how quickly the daffodils, crocuses and dandelions had come on in the short week she had been away. Spring was in the air, she was invigorated by her holiday and flying at thirty-three thousand feet had provided the ideal perspective to take stock and make some significant decisions. Plus, she had enjoyed her regular Junoco fix the night before and completed satisfying sketches of a raccoon and an iguana before breakfast.
The main thing was to act naturally with Daniela. Vicky was never around on a Saturday and so she wouldn’t have to deal with them both at once.
While she was away, someone had rearranged the stock, moving groups of items from one rail to another and draping scarves and necklaces over the dress hangers. Fran was surprised at the extent of her irritation, at how she had appropriated the shop as her own little fiefdom. As she set about putting the clothes and accessories back in their usual places, she heard Daniela’s light footsteps descending from the office. She turned round, still holding the blue-and-yellow day dress she had been coveting for some time now.
‘Those gorgeous colours really suit you, Fran, especially that blue with your new golden tan. You should buy it today with your discount – go on, treat yourself.’
‘I know – it’s lovely. I might do that. How has it been – busy?’
‘Yes, the new season range is going well and the sale items slowly, but that’s to be expected. Those leather handbags you ordered, they’ve been flying off the shelves.’
It was a perfectly natural conversation to be having, but it felt like they were going through the motions. Daniela looked tired and strained. What was it leading up to – had something else upset her? Fran wasn’t prepared for yet another bombshell, if that was what it was.
‘This isn’t the best moment as we could be disturbed by a customer, but there is something I need to tell you, Fran, while it’s quiet. You won’t believe it.’
Fran mentally ran through all the things Daniela thought she didn’t know, or she thought Daniela didn’t know. It was a long, convoluted list: the Junoco formula was a mix of berry seeds and a synthetic drug; Daniela and Vicky were conspiring with Infrared, also known as Professor Fred Henson-Morris; Fred was leading a research project that was planning to trial a version of the Junoco formula on schoolchildren; Ravi had secretly approached Fran to spy on Daniela; Ned had staged the latest breakin and was setting up a rival concern using a new variant of Junoco; and she and Ned had met Osvaldo on holiday and were close to agreeing a double-crossing business deal.