'It won't take long. I just wanted to ask you about BioOne.'
Art frowned. 'What about it? If it's about your wife being let go, I had nothing to do with that decision. That was entirely Dr Enever's call. What he does with his people is his own affair.'
'Actually, it wasn't about Lisa's job. I wondered if you could tell me something. What's wrong with neuroxil- 5?'
Art's frown deepened. 'There is nothing at all wrong with neuroxil-5. All the trial results so far have been excellent, and we are expecting great things when the Phase Three trial results are published in March.'
'There's nothing wrong with the drug at all?'
'Why do you think there should be?' asked Art crossly.
'Lisa seems to think there's a problem with it. That may have had something to do with why she was fired.'
'I checked up on the drug specifically last month, when Frank talked to me. I went through it all with Dr Enever. There is nothing wrong with neuroxil-5.'
'Wait a minute. Frank asked you about neuroxil-5?'
'Yes, he did,' Art said, looking as though he regretted mentioning it.
'What did he ask?'
'Same as you. Was there anything wrong with the drug?'
'Wasn't he more specific? Did he mention any particular potential problem?'
Art raised his hands. 'He may have. I can't remember. All I know is that I checked it out and there was nothing in it.'
'Have you told the police this?'
'No. Why?'
'Didn't you think it was suspicious?' I asked.
'What do you mean?'
'I mean Frank asked you a question casting doubt on Revere's most important investment, and shortly afterwards he was murdered.'
Art shook his head. 'No, Simon, I wasn't suspicious. I saw no reason to be. Frank was playing political games. Revere is what it is today because of BioOne. My investment. Frank wanted to discredit me, and so he went for my investment. Trouble was, he had no evidence.'
I bit back my frustration. 'You're sure you can't remember what Frank asked you about, specifically'
'No, I cannot,' said Art angrily. And let me tell you something. BioOne is at a very delicate stage right now. The last thing it needs is for someone like you to go around asking difficult questions.' He licked his lips, and jabbed a finger at me. 'If you go suggesting to anyone, and I mean
I stood up. 'No, Art. If there is something wrong with neuroxil-5, I'll find it. And you won't be able to stop me.'
Art stood up, glaring at me across his desk. 'Don't threaten me, boy. BioOne is
I turned and left him standing at his desk red-faced and shaking.
I made my way back to my office deep in thought. Art had a point: asking questions about BioOne was dangerous. Both Frank and John had done it, and they were both dead. It was too much of a coincidence.
Gil passed me in the corridor. His weather-beaten face was even more worn than usual. I wondered whether his kidney problem was causing him pain. He nodded to me curtly, his mind preoccupied, presumably with John's death and the press.
On impulse, I stopped him. 'Gil?'
'Hm.' He focused on me, his eyes dull through his thick lenses.
'Do you have a moment?'
'What is it?'
I looked quickly around me. There was no one about.
'Are you confident in BioOne?'
Gil looked surprised. 'Why do you ask?'
'It was just something John was worried about before he died.'
'Yes, the police mentioned you'd told them that.'
'Are you sure everything really is as solid as it seems?'
'Yes, I guess I am,' Gil said. 'That's not to say there won't be hitches, there always are. But BioOne is a big winner, it's written all over it.'
'Don't you sometimes worry that there's nothing there?'
'What do you mean?'
'The company has never made a profit. It's only real asset is neuroxil-5. What if that turned out to be worthless?'
'But it's not worthless,' Gil said. 'It's medicine's best hope for treating a chronic disease that affects millions of sufferers.'
'But what if there were something wrong with neuroxil-5?'
'Such as?'
'Oh, I don't know. The drug didn't work or something. BioOne would be worth nothing, wouldn't it?'
Gil smiled tiredly. 'You're right to be cautious, especially with biotech. It's one of the cardinal sins of venture capital to count profits before they've been made. And there are dozens of biotech companies whose drugs have been shown to be no better than a pill made of sugar. But that's not the case with BioOne. I have a good feeling about this one.'
'I hope you're right.'
'So do I,' said Gil, 'or else we really will be in trouble.'
He headed off back to his office and his problems, and I to mine. But I wasn't convinced. If only I knew what Lisa had discovered about BioOne.
I pulled out my address book, and dialled her mother's number.
'Hello?'
'Ann? It's Simon.'
'Simon! I've told you before. Lisa doesn't want to talk to you. She doesn't want you to know where she is.' Lisa's mother didn't sound hostile, more frustrated, as much with Lisa as with me.
'OK, I understand that. Can you just give her a message for me?'
I heard Ann take a deep breath. 'OK. Maybe. What is it?' she asked suspiciously.
'Can you tell her I want to ask her some questions about BioOne. It's important.'
There was a pause. 'All right,' she said reluctantly. 'I'll tell her. But she's very upset. I don't think she will call you back.'
'If you could just try, I'd appreciate it.'
'OK. I'll give Lisa your message. Goodbye, Simon.'
I put down the phone. I was confident Ann would pass my message on. I wasn't at all confident Lisa would respond to it. I couldn't just sit back and wait for a reply from her that might never come. But what else could I do? How could I uncover the problem with neuroxil-5 myself?
I stared into space for a few minutes, and then an answer came to me.
Ask someone who was taking it.
I took the train out to Brookline. I found Aunt Zoe's house and rang the bell. She answered in a moment with a warm smile.
'How nice to see you,' she said. 'Come in, come in.' She called into the recesses of the house. 'Carl! We have a visitor!'
Carl bustled into the hallway. 'Simon!' he said. 'How's Lisa?'
