“And how can we help you?”
“Would there be anyone who could answer a few questions, so I can better understand how your industry works?”
“Well, I’m not sure,” Kimberly said hesitantly. “We usually don’t give out such sensitive information.”
“I think you’re getting me all wrong. I’m not doing an article on the industry—or even your company. I’m simply looking for someone to give me a very general overview how things are done. At no time would I ask specific questions about Mantis Pharmaceuticals. Because you see, between us, I think I’m way over my head in this course. I thought it would be easy to write, not realizing how technical everything is.”
Jennifer saw a look of sympathy come over Kimberly’s features.
“Just an overview, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Please have a seat.”
Soon a balding gentleman in his early 50s stepped off the elevator and strode confidently toward Jennifer.
“Jennifer? I’m Kenneth McIntyre from the public relations office.”
Jennifer stood and shook McIntyre’s hand, who continued to hold hers for a couple of beats longer than was necessary.
“Very nice to meet you,” she said, flashing him a winning smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t call ahead.”
“No need to apologize. All that matters is you’re here now. Why don’t we go up to my office and I’ll try to answer any questions you have.”
If that’s the way you want to handle this, you dirty old man, then that’s the way it’ll be, Jennifer thought as she got in the elevator with Mr. PR.
For the following 45 minute period, Jennifer asked all the general pharmaceutical questions she could possibly think of. Unfortunately, her eager host filled in the other 40 minutes with what passed as extremely boring small talk about the industry. Knowing she had less than a half-hour before having to call Carson at the paper, she decided to turn on the charm and get down to business.
“What about new drugs? Does Mantis have any new and exciting drugs ready to hit the market?”
“Oh, we have a few on the back burner,” McIntyre said with pride, as he sat back in his chair.
“What’s the process for getting a new medication to the public?”
“It’s very complex.”
“Could you give me the basic steps involved?”
“Certainly,” he said smoothly. “The first step is to develop the drug. We have our own research and development program that is continuously testing new formulas.”
“Is it at this stage you test the drugs on mice or other animals?”
“After a time, yes.”
“When do you begin tests on humans?”
“This is where it gets complicated. You see, after initial testing proves successful, the next stage is often testing it on humans. To do so however, the company must first get approval from the federally run ethics committee.”
“The FDA?”
“No, the ethics committee is actually an offshoot of the Health and Welfare Committee.”
Federally run? The Health and Welfare Committee? What did these two things have in common? Jennifer asked herself.
Before this thought was fully formed, the answer came to her like a bolt of lightning.
Douglas Adams.
“Are you saying that before one of your new drugs gets approval, Mantis has to go before a committee headed by Senator Douglas Adams to get permission?”
McIntyre was taken aback by Jennifer’s sudden intensity and apparent knowledge of the Washington power structure.
Jennifer cursed herself for letting her reporter side become so aggressive.
“That’s correct,” McIntyre said reluctantly. “You’re from what university again?” he asked cautiously.
“It’s actually an academy—Shelton Academy, upstate.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s pretty small.”
She could tell this meeting, regardless of how interested McIntyre had appeared to be in her earlier, was rapidly deteriorating and drawing to a close.
“Do you have any more general questions about our industry?”
She smiled and tried to avoid eye contact as she looked for some way to continue the conversation, even though a connection between Barker and Adams had been made.
Throughout their conversation, she had been discreetly studying McIntyre’s affects. There was a large wall calendar to his right, and more interestingly, a date planner that lay open on his desk. After years of covering the police beat, and in some instances political affairs, she had become quite adept at reading documents upside down.
As a last-ditch effort, she focused on a strange word written in red ink. Figuring she had nothing left to lose, she attempted to turn on the girlish charm for one final kick at the can.
“What about Memoradium?” she asked casually, making direct eye contact with McIntyre.
“What was that?” McIntyre replied dumbfounded.
Jennifer knew she’d hit a raw nerve.
“Isn’t Memoradium scheduled for review in the near future?”
A combination of terror mixed with anger registered on McIntyre’s suddenly tired face.
He glanced at the planner in front of him and slammed it closed.
“Who are you?” he demanded. “And what do you know about Memoradium?”
“Only that it’s being hailed as the new wonder drug,” she bluffed, hoping she was on the right track.
“This is preposterous!” McIntyre exclaimed as he bolted from his chair.
He walked swiftly around the desk, in the process scaring the living daylights out of Jennifer. She jumped to her feet, not wanting to be seated submissively in the chair.
“Is it, Mr. McIntyre? It seems to me a lot of people are willing to go to great extremes to get this thing to the market as soon as possible.”
She continued to pray her instincts about this were not wrong.
Seeing McIntyre’s face redden, Jennifer produced her media identification card and stepped away from him.
“All I’m looking for is confirmation Memoradium exists and that it’s being prepped to go before Senator Adams’ committee.”
“Where did you get this information? This is top secret!”
“Either you tell me what I want to know or tomorrow’s Telegraph will be filled with innuendo about a secret drug, which may be connected to the threat against Senator Adams’ life on The Nation Today.”
“There was no attempt—” McIntyre began to argue, clearly appalled this reporter had information on the Memoradium project.
“That’s not the way my article will read, Mr. McIntyre.” Jennifer glanced at her watch: 10:20. “You’ve got 10 minutes before this thing goes into the stratosphere. I promise any information you tell me will remain between the two of us. I will not use the information unless there is a clear connection between what happened this morning and Senator Adams.”
“This