Deception by Ken McClure Page B

you?’ Steven asked.
    ‘ I don’t think so . . . ‘said Roberta thoughtfully. ‘We’ve not had that much contract work recently but I don’t think I remember Gerald saying anything at all about this particular one . . .’
    ‘ Does the name, Thomas Rafferty, ring a bell?’
    ‘ No.’
    ‘ How about, McGraw and Littlejohn?’ Steven asked, naming Rafferty’s solicitors.
    Roberta shook her head. ‘Afraid not.’
    ‘ Well, thanks for your help anyway,’ said Steven preparing to leave, ‘and I do hope things work out for you.’
    ‘ Wait a minute,’ said Roberta as an idea came to her. She went back to the filing cabinet where she’d taken the sequence from and had another look at the sheet of film. ‘Would you pass me that lens?’ she said, indicating to the bench. Steven handed her a magnifying eye lens of the sort used by jewellers and she used it to examine the upper edge of the film. ‘Ah, here we are,’ she said. ‘We usually write some ID on the film before putting it into the communal developing tank so we know which one is which. Roberta read the marking out slowly as she deciphered it. 'Oilseed rape . . . Agrigene . . . Peat Ridge . . . Sigma 5 . . . That’s it. Mean anything?’
    ‘ Some of it,’ said Steven. He made a note of it all. ‘I’d be grateful if you’d keep our conversation to yourself.’
    Roberta smiled and said, ‘Of course.’
    Steven called in at Fildes’ office on the way out to thank him for his help. He found him apologetic about not having been more so. ‘Was Roberta able to help you at all?’ he asked. Steven thought the man seemed anxious.
    ‘ Not really, but it was just a case of checking up on a few details. Nothing to worry about.’
    ‘ So we’ll not be getting a roasting over the stuff that should have been on file?’ asked Fildes. He said it half jokingly but Steven could see that he was genuinely worried. ‘I can quite understand how it must have happened,’ he said reassuringly. ‘Dr Millar must have had a lot on his mind, not least the prospect of seeing his first grandson. Let’s say, if you’re prepared to forget about my visit, so am I.’
    Fildes let out his breath in a controlled manner but it still came across to Steven as an indication of relief.
    ‘ That’s very understanding of you,’ said Fildes. ‘Can I offer you some lunch?’
    ‘ I’d best be getting back.’
     
    Just what the hell was going on? Steven wondered as he got into his car and clunked the door shut. First, both copies of the licensed sequence go missing and then a misleading (deliberately?) report is put out by a government scientist who then takes early retirement and disappears to South Africa without leaving anything on file about the contract.
    Shit! This was not what he had wanted to hear at all. He had come to Ayrshire to listen to apologies from a scientist who had been a bit vague and thoughtless in the wording of his report, a scientist who would be all too keen to put the record straight and who would be offering to help in any way he could. Instead he was left with a mess of doubts suspicions and unanswered questions.
    Steven decided that he was hungry after all. His initial plan to drive back to the east was put on hold while he pulled into the hotel he had visited earlier for coffee and opted for a smoked trout salad and a beer. The food was good, as was the beer, but neither did much to cheer him because he now recognised that he would have to report back to Macmillan that he did in fact, think there was something suspicious going on in Blackbridge, something that Sci-Med should concern itself with. At this moment he did not know exactly what it was but he now believed that he should try to find out. One thing was unfortunately certain; he would not be seeing the back of Blackbridge just yet.
    Millar’s sudden decision to go for early retirement and his going off to South Africa with his wife to see a first grandchild they had not seen before, suggested