‘
‘Lawrence? The guy you were seen with in town?’
‘Yes, but how did you know?’ Hazel’s brown eyes widened.
Jonathan looked at his hands, hoping that she didn’t notice his evasiveness. ‘Alison saw you.’
‘Lawrence is just a friend.’
‘An old friend?’ Jonathan’s stomach suddenly felt tight with jealousy.
She laughed. ‘No. We met because I spilt coffee on him. Luckily, he forgave me and invited me out. End of story. Anyway, we were talking, and something Lawrence said made me worry about what was going on in the outbuilding. After the lights went out this evening, I decided to take another look.’
‘And what did you think was going on down there? Something illegal?’
Hazel’s colour rose slightly. ‘I suppose so.’
‘You’re not an industrial spy then?’
‘An industrial spy? What on earth gave you that idea?’
Jonathan grinned. ‘Can’t be too careful. Actually, I never thought you were, but my father ... well, he’s wary of people he doesn’t know.’
Seeing the lack of artifice in her eyes and recalling their passionate kiss, was enough to convince Jonathan that Hazel was telling the truth. He felt relief wash over him that she wasn’t spying on his father, but even more so because she didn’t seem interested in this Lawrence character.
‘But why would George worry about spies?’ she insisted. ‘There’s nothing to see in his lab except plants and more plants.’
Jonathan smiled. ‘The plants you saw are jatropha plants, a native species of Mexico and Central America, with a very high oil content; about 37%, I think. The oil can be used for fuel in a diesel engine without being refined, a so-called bio-friendly fuel. Sustainable energy. You’ve heard of that, right?’
‘But hasn’t that already been done? I’m sure I read that somewhere.’
‘The idea isn’t new, but Dad is on the brink of discovering a different way of extracting the oil, which is more efficient than previous methods. Once his invention is widely used, it could give a much greater national yield, and cost next to nothing in the long run.’
‘I can’t imagine the oil companies being too happy about that,’ Hazel commented.
‘They’re not, and they’ll do anything to stop him, which is why he installed all that security. He lost his research with the old company and had to start again, and he’s terrified that someone will steal his invention before he can register a patent with the Patent Office. He wasn’t too pleased with me when I gave Tabitha a job.’
‘What’s she got to do with it?’
‘Tabitha used to work for an oil company.’
Hazel stared at Jonathan, unable to believe what she’d just heard. Tabitha had worked in the oil industry, George’s invention could potentially render the use of fossil fuels obsolete, and now Tabitha was working with Jonathan. It seemed too convenient to be a coincidence.
Could this be what Aunt Rose had meant about Tabitha still being on the payroll? Whose payroll exactly?
But before she could voice her suspicions about Tabitha, they were interrupted as George suddenly appeared in the doorway.
‘Ah, there you are, Jonny,’ he said, in his usual gruff manner. ‘The boys were looking for you, and when they couldn’t find you, they came to my apartment. They’re not well. I can’t be sure, but it looks like measles. You had it as a child.’
He paused and looked at Hazel in a way she couldn’t quite decipher. ‘They’re asking for Miss Dobson.’
CHAPTER NINE
‘
‘Lawrence? The guy you were seen with in town?’
‘Yes, but how did you know?’ Hazel’s brown eyes widened.
Jonathan looked at his hands, hoping that she didn’t notice his evasiveness. ‘Alison saw you.’
‘Lawrence is just a friend.’
‘An old friend?’ Jonathan’s stomach suddenly felt tight with jealousy.
She laughed. ‘No. We met because I spilt coffee on him. Luckily, he forgave me and invited me out. End of story. Anyway, we were talking, and something Lawrence said made me worry about what was going on in the outbuilding. After the lights went out this evening, I decided to take another look.’
‘And what did you think was going on down there? Something illegal?’
Hazel’s colour rose slightly. ‘I suppose so.’
‘You’re not an industrial spy then?’
‘An industrial spy? What on earth gave you that idea?’
Jonathan grinned. ‘Can’t be too careful. Actually, I never thought you were, but my father ... well, he’s wary of people he doesn’t know.’
Seeing the lack of artifice in her eyes and recalling their passionate kiss, was enough to convince Jonathan that Hazel was telling the truth. He felt relief wash over him that she wasn’t spying on his father, but even more so because she didn’t seem interested in this Lawrence character.
‘But why would George worry about spies?’ she insisted. ‘There’s nothing to see in his lab except plants and more plants.’
Jonathan smiled. ‘The plants you saw are jatropha plants, a native species of Mexico and Central America, with a very high oil content; about 37%, I think. The oil can be used for fuel in a diesel engine without being refined, a so-called bio-friendly fuel. Sustainable energy. You’ve heard of that, right?’
‘But hasn’t that already been done? I’m sure I read that somewhere.’
‘The idea isn’t new, but Dad is on the brink of discovering a different way of extracting the oil, which is more efficient than previous methods. Once his invention is widely used, it could give a much greater national yield, and cost next to nothing in the long run.’
‘I can’t imagine the oil companies being too happy about that,’ Hazel commented.
‘They’re not, and they’ll do anything to stop him, which is why he installed all that security. He lost his research with the old company and had to start again, and he’s terrified that someone will steal his invention before he can register a patent with the Patent Office. He wasn’t too pleased with me when I gave Tabitha a job.’
‘What’s she got to do with it?’
‘Tabitha used to work for an oil company.’
Hazel stared at Jonathan, unable to believe what she’d just heard. Tabitha had worked in the oil industry, George’s invention could potentially render the use of fossil fuels obsolete, and now Tabitha was working with Jonathan. It seemed too convenient to be a coincidence.
Could this be what Aunt Rose had meant about Tabitha still being on the payroll? Whose payroll exactly?
But before she could voice her suspicions about Tabitha, they were interrupted as George suddenly appeared in the doorway.
‘Ah, there you are, Jonny,’ he said, in his usual gruff manner. ‘The boys were looking for you, and when they couldn’t find you, they came to my apartment. They’re not well. I can’t be sure, but it looks like measles. You had it as a child.’
He paused and looked at Hazel in a way she couldn’t quite decipher. ‘They’re asking for Miss Dobson.’
CHAPTER NINE
‘
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