Diamond Solitaire

'Why? Why was it stopped?'

When this was put to Dr. Hitomi, he shrugged before giving his answer.

'He says Dr. Masuda had worked with Jantac for more than two years and was getting good results in reversing coma symptoms, but about this time she detected side effects from the drag.'

'Side effects?' Diamond's antennae were out.

Dr. Hitomi had taken a Japanese/English dictionary from the shelf behind him. He pointed out a word.

'Cirrhosis?' said Diamond. 'Liver disease?' His brain darted through the implications.

After another explanation, Miss Yamamoto translated, 'The side effect of this drug was difficult to detect, because the coma patients were alcoholic and alcoholism is a major cause of what is that word?'

'Cirrhosis.'

'He says alcoholism causes cirrhosis anyway. However, Dr. Masuda discovered that Jantac also caused an increase in liver enzymes, producing cirrhosis. A small side effect is acceptable, but this was too much. When she reported her findings to Manflex, they terminated the program.'

Dr. Hitomi added something.

'He says Mr. Manny Rexner, is that correct?'

'Manny Flexner, yes.'

'Manny Flexner himself took the decision to stop working with Jantac. Mr. Rexner always put the safety of patients first.'

Diamond gave a nod while he wrestled with the implications. What he had just heard conflicted with the computer records he'd seen at Manflex headquarters in New York, yet confirmed and expanded on the information he'd seen on the record card in the basement. Jantac had proved to be a dangerous drug and as a result Yuko Masuda's research had been axed.

'Would you ask Dr. Hitomi if the department has copies of any correspondence dealing with this matter?'

This, it seemed, was doubtful. Dr. Hitomi picked up a phone.

It emerged that the correspondence had been returned to Manflex some months ago at their request.

Suspicious.

'This year?'

'Yes.'

Someone in New York had gone to unusual lengths in covering tracks. Diamond sighed and folded his arms. It was a strange situation, being surrounded by a group of people so willing to help and watching him intently, but without understanding the problem. It was down to him, and he was far from certain what to suggest next.

'Does the University possess copies of the papers Dr. Masuda published?'

Almost certainly they did, in the library.

'In English as well as Japanese?'

It was likely.

The entire circus struck tents and removed to the library, where the by now predictable excitement and confusion prevented anything useful happening for several minutes. At length, Diamond was presented with copy in English of Yuko Masuda's research paper on the treatment of alcoholic coma presented to the Japanese Pharmacological Conference in Tokyo in 1983. He sat down to see what he could discover in it, while everyone waited.

Inwardly he groaned. The text was way beyond his comprehension. He stared at the first page for some time before turning to see how many pages like this there were. Thirteen.

Then his attention focused on a paragraph toward the end of the last page:

'The research continues. Present studies are concentrated on a compound patented by Manflex Pharmaceuticals and given the proprietary name Jantac, and early results are encouraging.'

He looked for the footnote and found that it gave a chemical formula.

Ideas rarely come as inspirations. More usually they develop in levels of the brain just above the subconscious, over hours, days or years, and most of them never come to anything. He had kept a vague idea on hold ever since he had stood in the basement of the Manflex building with Molly Docherty and looked at Yuko Masuda's record card.

'May 1 use a phone? I want to call New York.'

They took him into the chief librarian's office. Fortunately he could remember the number he wanted.

'Police,' said a weary American voice.

'Is this the Twenty-sixth Precinct? Lieutenant Eastland, please.'

'Who is this?'

'Peter Diamond, Superintendent Diamond, speaking from Yokohama.'

'Lieutenant Eastland isn't here just now, sir.'

'In that case, would you give me his home number. It's extremely urgent.'

'We can't disturb him right now, sir. Do you know what time it is here?'

Diamond erupted. He didn't care what the sodding time was in New York. A child's life was at stake and he needed to speak to Eastland right now.

She took the number and promised that she would insure mat the lieutenant called right back within the next few minutes.

The promise was kept.

The familiar voice, husky with sleep, protested angrily, 'Diamond? For Chrissake-'

'Listen. That conference at the Sheraton. Are you with me?'

'Yeah,' said Eastland, already capitulating. He must have been tired.

'Do you still have the literature?'

'Literature?'

'The press pack. The stuff about PDM3.'

'I don't know. I could have thrown it out. It may be downstairs. Do you want me to look?'

'Oh, come on. Would I be phoning you?'

'Hold the line. I'll be right back.'

Through the door he could just see Yamagata doing an exercise that involved propping his left leg on a bookshelf. It looked liable to cause a disaster.

'Peter, you there?'

'Of course. Have you got it?'

'Yeah.'

'Good. Now, turn to the first page of that blue leaflet, the one that introduces PDM3. Somewhere, there's a chemical formula. Know what I mean?'

'Hold on Okay. You want me to read it out?'

'No, let me try. Listen carefully. Check every figure, would you? C'

'Correct.'

'H'

'Check.'

Diamond's pulse beat more strongly. He was reading out the formula for Jantac. 'NOC.'

'Yeah.'

It had to be the same now. His voice breaking up with tension, he completed the formula. It was precisely the same. Jantac, the drug dumped by Manny Flexner in 1985, had been resurrected as Prodermolate-the miraculous PDM3.

'Is that all you wanted?' said Eastland in a less than cordial tone.

'That's all I wanted-unless you can give me the form on a couple of hatchet men called Lanzi and Frizzoni.'

'Never heard of them. Can I go back to bed now?'

Diamond thanked him and put down the phone. He gestured to Yamagata to come into the office and the big fellow thoughtfully grasped Miss Yamamoto's wrist and brought her in as well. Blushing as only a Japanese girl can, but not displeased- for his grip was gentle-she remained standing beside him when he released her.

It was vital that Yamagata understood the significance of this discovery. Others, including Dr. Hitomi and a couple of librarians, had followed him in, but Diamond couched his explanation in terms meant for the wrestler. 'Do