Race

TEN

After dropping off the samples at the Toronto Drug Analysis Service Laboratory, or DAS, for short, we drove back to Scarborough where Nemdharry and Terries were observing the export company. We met a block away. Nemdharry was drinking coffee and Terries was in the unmarked cruiser. She stepped out once she saw us.

“Anything?” Beadsworth asked.

“The building contains eight units.” Nemdharry read from a small piece of paper. “Two dental offices, one used-parts wholesaler, two clothing wholesalers, our export company, and two vacancies. But the management said one unit might be leased by the end of the week.”

“Doesn’t seem like the best place to start a clandestine laboratory,” Beadsworth said.

“No, it doesn’t. In the morning a white U-Haul truck came and went around the back. It left forty-five minutes later.”

“Do you know where?’

“No idea. We’re timing the schedule. Hopefully, we’ll make out a pattern. What’s surprising is that when I was talking to the manager of the building, I happened to walk past that unit and there was no smell. No chemicals burning in the back.”

“What does the front look like?” Beadsworth asked.

Terries spoke, “It has nothing except for a sign that says LLPM Imports amp; Exports, and a receptionist. No chairs, and the back area is entirely sealed off.”

“Then why have a receptionist?” I said.

Terries answered, “I think it’s just to show they are a legitimate company. While I was there the receptionist didn’t get a single call.”

Beadsworth wiped something off his coat and then said, “We believe we have a sample.”

“Nex?” Terries said.

“We’re not sure. It could be anything.”

“What does it look like?” she asked.

“Like Ecstasy.”

“Shit,” Nemdharry said. “Where is it?”

“We dropped it off at DAS. We’ll find what’s in it. I would like to talk to the owner of this coffee shop.”

“Yeah, sure,” Nemdharry said.

They left Terries and I at the car and walked down the street.

We were alone.

There was silence.

I looked at my feet and she was looking away.

I had to say something. “So you like the job?” I asked.

“It’s not bad. A good learning experience,” she said, smiling.

Silence again.

“How about you?” she said.

“Yes, good learning experience.” I found I couldn’t think of anything clever to say. My mind was frozen. I tried to stay cool, calm, and collected. I leaned on the car and looked across to the many shops lining the street.

There was a Laundromat, a drycleaners, and a convenience store at the corner. Beside the convenience store there were a couple of guys trying to place a sign above the window. The sign read: BUBBLE T SHOP.

“Have you ever tried bubble tea?” I turned to Terries.

“No, really.”

“Neither have I. Maybe someday we could try it together.” I stopped. I couldn’t believe I had just said that. I looked away not wanting to hear what she was going to say next.

She smiled. “Maybe some day.”

I was relieved.

Nemdharry and Beadsworth came back.

It was a long, slow day.

Next morning, we drove to DAS and inside found our analyst. She was a short round woman who wore black-rimmed glasses. She also wore the traditional long white coat. Her name was Eileen Mathers.

“What is it?” asked Beadsworth.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “Come with me.” She scanned a white card, the door beeped, and then we heard the sound of unlocking. She took us inside to the laboratory. There were many analysts wearing similar white coats, hovering over microscopes, looking through charts, staring at monitors, and examining liquids in test tubes.

It reminded me of my grade-nine science class.

“From the information you provided,” Eileen said. “It’s supposed to blow up inside the human body?”

“Yes,” Beadsworth said.

“Are you sure you don’t mean it dissolves in the body?”

Beadsworth looked at me and I at him.

“No. From what I’ve been briefed it is supposed to blow up.”

“I don’t think that’s possible. Pills and tablets don’t blow up. They dissolve. Capsules do dissolve faster than tablets because their outer layer is made of soft gelatin shells.”

“I think it is supposed to work instantly,” I said.

“For it to take instant effect it is better if it were taken intravenously, or even inhaled or snorted. Tablets take time to break down. Come, I’ll show you something.”

She took us to the corner where there were three glasses filled with liquid propped on top of a table. The glasses were labeled with yellow stickers. The first glass: Exhibit A-Orange, the second glass: Exhibit B-Green, and the third: Exhibit C-Brown.

She pointed to the glasses. “These are the samples you submitted. I cut a small piece from each tablet and placed them in water at precisely the same time. Exhibit A was the earliest sample. Look closer.”

The water had turned white with visible chunks of what used to be the orange tablet resting at the bottom.

“You can see,” Eileen began. “The tablet did not dissolve entirely. Just as it made contact with the water the tablet broke up into pieces and then fell to the bottom.” She pointed to the small clumps. “I have not stirred so most of the tablet dissolved on its own.”

We moved to Exhibit B. The glass was completely clear.

“It’s translucent. This sample has dissolved entirely but it took a good half-hour to do so. “We moved onto the last glass-Exhibit C. The tablet was completely dissolved but you could still see tiny white particles floating at the top.

“Once the sample touched water it immediately fizzled and shrank. But there is still this white residue and a white film at the top of the glass.”

She turned to us. “What we are seeing is the evolution of the sample. Whoever is trying to manufacture this is trying to produce the effect you mentioned. But from my experience it is not possible. I’m not saying it is impossible. With the technology these days I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“What’s in it?” Beadsworth asked.

“I’ll show you.”

Being inside the small room, filled with all sorts of equipment: beakers, test tubes, and other science equipment, I was getting claustrophobic. If I were forced to work in here I’d end up drinking one of those green or brown liquids just to escape.

We went to another table and the analyst fixed a bright light on a ceramic plate.

“I’ve scraped a bit off from each tablet,” she said. With a tiny scoop she placed a small amount of white powder onto the plate. “This scraping is from the orange pill-the earliest sample.”

From a cool storage she pulled out a small glass bottle, “This is a Marquis reagent consisting of sulphuric acid