Free Dead End by Brian Freemantle Page A

realized. So he couldn’t relax – the very opposite, in fact. ‘If I decide there’s a chemical danger, we don’t go ahead?’
    â€˜We can’t chance anything unethical. But at the same time we’ve got every right to protect our products, intellectual and otherwise,’ smiled Grant. ‘It would certainly be commercially good for the company. I want you to keep that in mind.’
    That was the closest he’d get to a positive order, accepted Newton. ‘We’ll put it through every test.’
    â€˜I know you will. That’s why you are where you are, Dwight. I’d trust you with my life … and those of everyone else whose lives are made better by the drugs and treatments we devise.’
    â€˜Thank you. That’s good to hear.’ It was almost as if they were working from a script now. He wished it wasn’t a script written entirely by the other man.
    â€˜And Dwight,’ added Grant, as Newton was almost at the door to the suite.
    â€˜What?’ frowned Newton, turning back into the room.
    â€˜Not that way. The private elevator. Don’t forget the security.’
    Or the culpability, thought Newton.
    â€˜So, you’re finally set up?’
    â€˜And ready to go,’ agreed Parnell. Today there was no obvious resentment and the coffee had been freshly brewed and waiting when he reached Russell Benn’s office. Parnell had considered inviting the head of chemical and medical research across to the newly established pharmacogenomics wing, only changing his mind during the two-day delay in this intended work-planning meeting: inter-office protocol decreed he still go to the other man.
    â€˜Sorry I couldn’t make it earlier,’ apologized Benn. ‘The way I understood our earlier meeting was, quite simply, that you’d like to be involved in everything we’re currently doing?’
    â€˜Become an integral – extra – part of it, yes,’ said Parnell. ‘And run simple nucleotide polymorphism tests on what Dubette are already producing, to make them more effective.’ The change in Benn’s attitude was encouraging.
    The other professor nodded. ‘That, as of an hour ago, involves something like three hundred and sixty different experiments covering new possibilities with existing drugs, treatments and therapies currently under phase one evaluation between oral, blood or muscle injection. Additionally there are fifty-three other quite new investigations still at animal-level testing, which, obviously, are at the moment open-ended.’
    â€˜That’s a hell of a schedule!’ exclaimed Parnell. He hadn’t anticipated half that number.
    â€˜We’re a hell of a cutting-edge company,’ said Benn. ‘And I haven’t included competitor analyses.’
    â€˜What’s the extent of your total programme?’
    â€˜Stick a pin anywhere into an infectious-diseases dictionary and we’re doing it, the most obvious and current at the top of the list.’
    It was all very forthcoming, prepared almost. ‘Looks like quite a challenge.’
    â€˜You really want it all?’ frowned Benn.
    â€˜I want to go through the entire schedule,’ qualified Parnell. ‘Until I study it all, I won’t be able to decide how applicable it is to my discipline. There’ll have to be prioritizing.’
    â€˜Why? Of what?’ challenged Benn.
    The sharpness of the demand was Parnell’s second surprise. ‘I would have thought our liaising would initially be better begun with your newer experiments than looking for possible improvements to remedies already tried and proven.’
    â€˜You said you wanted everything?’
    â€˜In a proper, workable order.’
    â€˜How’s that to be decided?’
    â€˜Between the two of us. Between others in our departments, maybe: with the workload you’ve just outlined, it’ll make practical sense to