Everything to Lose

by Gordon Bickerstaff

  "I'm very grateful for all of that," Gavin said.

  "I'm grateful to you for bringing this to my attention. I will ensure that Drug Squads receive new guidance on how to deal with vulnerable victims in future raids," Alan said.

  "That's a good result," Zoe said to Gavin.

  "Sadly neither of you can receive public acknowledgement for this outstanding work. Privately the Home Office will add commendations to your files and provide a dinner in your honour. Unsung heroes I'm afraid. I could swing an OBE your way in the New Year Honours if that would please you."

  "I would rather have another research technician for my research group."

  "Well I suppose we should do something. Toys are easier to fund than staff. Choose some new toys and I'll see what I can do."

  "Thanks."

  "Get a smart 3-D printer," Zoe suggested.

  "How much bench space would it need?" Gavin asked her excitedly.

  "Back to the matter in hand please. What did we get out of this ugly mess?"

  "Oliver Mansole and Buzzwall purchased chemicals and equipment through the University purchase order system to manufacture of illegal steroids," Gavin said.

  "What evidence do you have?" Alan asked.

  "Ask Elaine to get all the departmental orders over the past seven years. I'll identify what can be used to make steroids. Some of the equipment is still under warranty. I have paperwork from the factory. If we match up what was ordered through the University with what's at the factory we have a slam dunk."

  Gavin handed over a pile of invoices, purchase order copies, warranty documents and delivery notes taken from the factory. Many had been signed by Buzzwall.

  "Buzzwall will say Mansole was free to order what he wanted when he wanted and he just signed off expecting it was all for University business. We need Mansole to make this stick on Buzzwall," Alan said.

  "McSwann knew about this arrangement. He can implicate Buzzwall," Zoe said.

  "I think we should leave him out of it. Buzzwall has already sent thugs to scare McSwann's wife," Gavin sounded concerned.

  "I need more before I can close in on Buzzwall. McSwann will be interviewed and his family put in protective custody. If necessary he'll testify against Mansole and Buzzwall. He'll do it or he'll be charged with conspiracy. Is there anything else?"

  "No sir."

  Alan Cairn got up to leave. His driver Steve held his coat open for him and showed off the shiny dark blue silk lining in the coat before he moved to the door and waited.

  "Good night Dr Shawlens," Alan said as he buttoned up his coat but Gavin said nothing and didn't return a parting expression.

  Gavin tried hard to think about what Buzzwall would do. Would he risk sending his thugs back to threaten the McSwanns?

  "Thanks sir for squaring all of this off."

  Zoe saw a twinkle in his dark blue eyes. An old rogue's grin broke onto his face through the craggy pit marks under his cheekbones.

  "Shit happens Zoe. We have to deal with it as best we can. I'm pleased that you made the right calls. None of the shit is on your shoes. I can tell you that your star is shining brightly in Whitehall. Political masters are delighted with you, I'm delighted. In fact you're the talk of the tearoom in the Home Office. Relax and have a good night," Alan said as he glanced back at Gavin but didn't receive a response.

  "Good night sir."

  "Oh Zoe I almost forgot," Alan said as he extracted a jewel case containing a DVD from his coat pocket.

  A broad smile played on his face as he handed it to Zoe.

  "This is the original and only copy of the Club CCTV footage covering the car park. It shows Toni setting up the explosive charge. Please don't wind Toni up by telling her something naughty like, the police have released a CCTV video of the Old Bards Club bomber."

  "I wouldn't dream of it sir," Zoe replied and smiled at the DVD.

  When Zoe closed the door behind Alan Cairn and his bodyguard she turned and punched a hole in the air.

  "Yessss!"

  She sat down to call Toni and Scott to let them know the good news. For a minute she toyed with the idea of winding Toni up about the video. Instead she decided on a ceremonial destruction of the DVD.

  "Get me a glass of wine will you," she said to Gavin.

  "Doesn't he realise he's putting Bob McSwann's family in harm's way?"

  "Of course he does," Zoe said as she accessed her phone.

  "I think it's wrong."

  "If the police ignored every frightened witness they'd never get any convictions. People have to stand up for justice. McSwann can't be an exception. Cairn won't let anything happen to the McSwann family."

  "I suppose so," Gavin sounded defeated.

  "If you don't like it. Do something about it."

  "What can I do?"

  "Get Cairn something better so he doesn't need McSwann."

  "How?"

  "Get inside. Stir the shit up. Make it smell," Zoe said.

  Gavin walked through to the kitchen, opened a cupboard and uncorked a bottle of Shiraz. He poured two glasses and thought I know how to cause trouble. I can do this.

  38

  Department of Sports Biology

  At the scheduled three p.m. tutorial slot Gavin Shawlens paused before he entered seminar room. In the room his tutorial group sounded as if they were having an intense discussion. He knew someone in the group had told Suzie Griffan that he was looking for Oliver Mansole. He ran over in his mind what he wanted to unfold in this tutorial. He planned to stir up the shit and cause a smell.

  "Okay just a reminder that the deadline for your reports is fast approaching. They must be handed into the office so they can be date stamped on receipt," Gavin announced.

  Rachel Boyd gave her ten-minute presentation on 'Eating Disorders in Sport' and bravely answered two questions despite a strong attempt by Fran Ottobondi to put her off. When she sat down she was pleased and relieved. Laraine had told Gavin that Rachel was the only one in the tutorial group prepared to defy Fran. So he decided not to ask for the next presentation.

  "Okay I want to use the rest of the tutorial to discuss ergogenic aids, pros and cons," Gavin announced.

  Gavin started the discussion and the students kept quiet to show him they didn't want to participate. Just when he was thinking the tutorial would turn into a lecture. Laraine asked if the topic could come up in the open exam paper. Gavin said it was very examinable and as a biochemist he was interested in the topic. The discussion took off and everyone shared what they knew, voiced their opinions and made notes.

  In fact the students knew a good deal about ergogenic aids. Rachel seemed to be the expert on herbs and she told the group all about astragulus, ginseng, St John's wort and guarana. Ronnie DaSilvon told them a lot about clenbuterol a steroid substitute available on the black market drug network. He said he wasn't a user but admitted some of his mates were users. He said he knew some used it when they came off steroids before a match. He explained clenbuterol minimised muscle loss and increase fat loss to give a strong 'cut' look.

  Fran Ottobondi told them about human growth hormone and tried to make it seem legit by saying it was a natural way to increase bone and cartilage growth, muscle volume and strength.

  Tyler Wattsin turned up for the tutorial. He was unsure what to do or say. He had to think for himself and it was turning out to be a slow process. He kept quiet. Laraine talked about legal supplements and told them about vitamins, amino acids and glucosamine supplements.

  As Gavin listened to all their stories it became clear to him that all of their information and understanding had come from 'black market' suppliers who told them all of the benefits they wanted to hear and none of the side effects or risks.

  He switched the discussion to danger and risks. None of them had any understanding or concern about these issues. He asked them if they knew the purity of the material they were buying. They all looked blank as if they had never heard of the word purity.

  He told them some m
anufacturers didn't spend money removing harmful residues. He told them about the side effects of steroids. He told them that as many as twenty competitive cyclists had died from taking blood boosting hormones to increase their blood volume.

  Gavin tried to tell Fran about some 'black market' products that were extracted crudely from the organs of human cadavers. Other supplements were extracted from meat condemned not fit for human consumption. He told them about products found to be contaminated with viruses and bacteria. The more he said the more he saw their eyes glaze over and doodling replaced note taking.

  He stopped lecturing them when Ronnie argued back and said he didn't know of anyone who died taking clenbuterol. Fran joined him and said she didn't know of anybody who grew two heads taking growth hormone.

  In their minds if you don't fall over and die while taking a supplement then it's safe enough. They didn't care about liver damage, viral infections, brain impairment or hormone imbalance.

  "I know one boxer wit severe mental troubles. His brain is total mush. He can't talk sense no more. He'd to give up boxing an like, get a lesser job," Ronnie said.

  "Wot kinda job?" Fran asked.

  "Got took on as a professor."

  They all laughed and Gavin laughed with them. The period was almost over and their feet were starting to get restless. They scanned their mobile phones. When Fran starts twirling her finger in her hair and looking at the ceiling she's telling you to wind up. Fran and Ronnie felt smug. They thought they had deflated Gavin Shawlens by turning a deaf ear to his preaching about health and safety. In fact he brought them to the exact point he wanted.

  "Closer to home. I'm sorry to tell you some bad news. The promising cyclist Jemard Edmond is dead."

  The student's mouths gaped open and inhaled sharp breaths of shock. Gavin watched all of their faces light up. They all knew Jem, he had demonstrated in their classes and they all knew he was a user.

  "How?" three of them asked at once.

  "Run off road by some rich pig in a four-by-four," Ronnie said.

  "When?" Laraine asked.

  "Apparently it was liver failure from contaminated drugs," Gavin said.

  "That's dreadful," Rachel said.

  Ronnie and Fran's eyes snapped together with shocked expressions on their faces.

  "Whit drugs we talkin 'bout, man?" Ronnie asked.

  "Forensic labs are testing his liver and the drugs he had on him."

  "Will the University be doing anything for him?" Laraine asked.

  "Poor Jem," Rachel looked upset like she'd lost a brother.

  "There'll be a memorial service. A notice will be put up on the board."

  "I'd like to go to that," Laraine said.

  "Remember the deadline for your reports. Okay off you go."

  Normally the tutorial group hurried out the seminar room but this time they crept out as they recovered from the initial shock and discussed what they had just heard about Jemard. Some noticed a perverted smile on Gavin's face and felt it was disrespectful. In fact he was pleased he'd managed to tell them a pack of lies and keep a straight face.

  On the way back to the flat that evening Gavin drove to a bar that was three minutes walk from the flat in Reagal Close. He needed to think things through before he told Zoe what he'd done. He planned to have a few drinks before walking back to the flat.

  He parked in the usual car park space and headed straight for the bar. The bar looked much better inside than outside. New carpet, fresh modern paper on the wall, new fifty inch plasma in a corner with a small gathering of men watching the replay of a football match. It sounded like their team was losing.

  He didn't notice the female bartender watching him walk to a seat away from the TV. He approached the bar and ordered a bottle of cold Budweiser. She was a mature student working part-time and knew he was academic staff. She's seen him around the campus. She waited for him to speak first and sensed he didn't recognise her. She relaxed and served his beer.

  "Looks like you've had a hard day," she said.

  He looked at her more closely. She was a slender and cheerful brunette, early-twenties, with a petite round face but he would forget it twenty minutes after leaving the bar.

  "I've had much worse."

  "See you work at the Uni," she said as she nodded to his ID card hanging from a lanyard.

  "Well spotted."

  "It must be fun with all the wild parties and hot hook-ups. Guy like you would be in pole position for a hot hook-up."

  "You think so?"

  She leaned forward over the bar to look closer at his face and winked at him.

  "Oh I know so."

  He smiled at her, lifted his beer to go over and sit down. She watched him walk away while thinking academic, single, lonely, good money, car, nice smile, nice bum, worth another hit.

  As he walked to his seat he glanced back at her and thought confident, nice looking, husky, smoker, one-nighter, Chlamydia, STD clinic, shame.

  When he sat down he looked back to the bar. She was still smiling at him with a 'come on take a chance on me' smile. He smiled back and took a swig of beer.

  Zoe had told him to mix things up. He was sure he had just done that but he couldn't think through what the consequences might be. He wanted to think more about that before he faced the power of Zoe's analysis.

  His mobile phone rang. It was Christine Willsening calling from Kinmalcolm.

  "Christine how's things in the lab?"

  "Everybody's fine Gavin except you know who."

  "Sharon?"

  "Exactly she hasn't put in a single day's work since the day you left. She's …"

  "Christine ..."

  "It's unfair on everyone else the way you let her off the hook when the rest of us have targets to achieve. The group is not happy I can tell you," Christine said with her voice stepped up a few notches.

  "I know. I ..."

  "I've called her umpteen times in case she's ill or something but she refuses to answer the phone. There must be twenty messages on her answer machine. I've done my best."

  "She came down here to see me."

  "What did she say? What has she told you?"

  "I think something tragic has happened at home. She's very upset. I think she's gone back to New York."

  "What happened?"

  "She didn't say. She was in a hurry to catch a plane."

  "Well she could have told me something or sent me a text or something."

  "I know. I expect we'll hear in due course. Everything else okay?"

  "Fine, well, one teeny little approval required. I've already cleared it with Prof Crawford but he says you have the final say."

  "About what?"

  "I told you Simon got promoted at the Glasgow Herald, Deputy Editor."

  "Yes. Good for Simon."

  "His features editor woman is doing a series on the backbone of university research, a.k.a. the research technicians of course. She wants to do a piece on me to represent life sciences. How I got into it, what I do, what I enjoy, you know. Prof Crawford thinks it'll be good PR for the University. What do you think?"

  "Sounds good; go for it. Did you remember what I asked you to do for me?"

  "Of course. I've put fresh flowers on Emma's grave. It’s pretty. I'll send a picture to your phone."

  "Thanks."

  "No problem. Okay got to go John has sent me a text."

  "Good, are you two back together?" Gavin asked.

  "Not back together but we're keeping in contact."

  "Look, if you want to go on holiday with him, fine. Just let me know that's all I ask."

  "I know it was silly of us but John wanted to keep it a big secret. He thought it would be much more romantic to just up and go, tell no one. Like climbing out the bedroom window, down a ladder and running away into the night."

  "Well if you'd text me then I wouldn't have come over and sounded all worried. Just let me know when you'll be away on holiday and I won't worry."

  "We have to get back
together first," she replied.

  "I'm sure you will. Okay thanks for calling, bye, Christine."

  39

  Research lab K416

  Three days after he dropped his bombshell in the tutorial Gavin was working in the research laboratory and thinking it had failed. He wondered what else he could do. When he told Zoe she said he had done well and she was sure it would produce a reaction.

  The internal phone on Gavin's desk seemed to ring with special urgency. It seemed that way because it was unusual to hear the phone ring at all. Gavin hadn't received any calls in the research lab. In fact he wondered if anyone knew his extension number or whether the phone actually worked.

  "Dr Shawlens?"

  "Yes."

  "Dr Shawlens this is Suzie Griffan. I need to speak with you urgently."

  "Erm … Suzie, yes, okay, erm. Look I've got someone with me just now. Can we meet tomorrow?" Gavin sounded flustered.

  "I can't wait. I'm in a real mess. I don't know what I should do."

  "Okay where and when?"

  "Can we meet in the Student Union bar tonight say around eight p.m. I really need to talk to someone."

  "Eight p.m., Student Union bar. Okay I'll see you then."

  "Suzie Griffan?" Zoe asked.

  "She wants to talk. I'll meet her tonight."

  "How did she sound?"

  "Edgy, nervous, a bit rattled."

  "I told you Gavin. It would only need a little push."

  "She must be ready to spill. This'll be the break we need."

  "We'll leave early. I'll run through the basics with you. Interrogation 101," Zoe said.

  Back at the flat Zoe and Gavin ate an early dinner so Zoe could prepare Gavin for his meeting. She prepared questions he should ask. He guessed Suzie's replies and worked on follow up questions.