footsteps in the hall and dropped the vial back into Maria's purse, realizing she had gone to the ladies' room before she had left for the day.
"Maria, I need to talk to you for a moment before you leave," Dan said. "I thought you had forgotten your purse and I walked over to your desk to put it in a drawer for you when I recognized a Moore Laboratories vial in it. Where and how did you get it?"
Maria knew that Jeffrey could be fired if Dan told anyone what he had discovered in Maria's purse. She and Dan had become friends since she had started working as his assistant. A number of different answers to his questions came to mind, but she quickly decided to use their friendship as leverage.
"Dan, can you keep a secret?" Maria asked.
"Yes, but I'm not sure that I should in this case."
"Dan, please, please, please," Maria said. "I'm swearing you to secrecy. Please promise me."
"Okay, Maria. I don't think I'm going to like what you're going to tell me, but yes, you have my promise," Dan said. Dan really liked both Maria and Jeffrey. Everyone knew that the FDA was eventually going to approve the drug, so what if Maria had been using it prematurely? Did he want to be the one responsible for Maria and Jeffrey getting fired or worse?
Maria was clearly very upset. She began by telling him about her fear of aging and how all she had ever heard from her mother when she was growing up was that she had to keep her beauty, that she had to marry while she was still beautiful or her life would be over. Maria told Dan about Jeffrey's decision to give her the drug before it was on the market because when she began the injections, she was at the most beautiful stage of her life. Maria told Dan that Jeffrey had only done this out of his devotion and love for her. She told him that Jeffrey hadn't given it to anyone else, how other drug companies had tried to bribe Jeffrey with promises of huge amounts of money if he would give them the formula, and how he had refused all offers. Maria told him Jeffrey had slipped the vial to her a couple of hours earlier as she was scheduled to get her monthly injection that night. She pleaded with Dan not to tell anyone.
Maria glanced at her watch, realizing she was going to be late meeting Jeffrey. She hurriedly finished by once again asking Dan not to tell anyone and making him repeat his promise to keep the secret. She ran down the hall, rushing to the front of the building where Jeffrey was waiting.
"Are you all right? You look upset. What's wrong?" Jeffrey asked.
Maria knew that Jeffrey would be furious with her if she told him the truth and he'd also be very worried that Dan would end up telling someone. Instead, she made up a story on the spot, telling Jeffrey that she had taken a phone call just as she was leaving and it was some crank call. Some strange person had gotten her extension number and threatened to hurt her if she didn't tell him what type of underwear she was wearing.
It was the only thing Maria could think of on such short notice. It clearly worried Jeffrey, but she told him that she was fine and it was just some anonymous call by a wacko. She reassured Jeffrey that the person never called her by name and probably just dialed randomly and got some sick pleasure from hearing her shocked voice.
He believed her.
CHAPTER 6
Dan felt sick to his stomach when he left Moore Labs after his conversation with Maria. He knew he had promised her that he wouldn't tell anyone about the vial he had discovered in her purse, but the more he thought about what Jeffrey had done, it became clear to him that Jeffrey had made a very bad decision.
Many of the other scientists at Moore Labs had made discoveries which were highly sought after by various other drug companies. Even so, they all abided by the contract they had signed with Moore Labs when they had been hired. Dan himself had made an important scientific discovery resulting in a type of aspirin, which was effective, yet
"Maria, I need to talk to you for a moment before you leave," Dan said. "I thought you had forgotten your purse and I walked over to your desk to put it in a drawer for you when I recognized a Moore Laboratories vial in it. Where and how did you get it?"
Maria knew that Jeffrey could be fired if Dan told anyone what he had discovered in Maria's purse. She and Dan had become friends since she had started working as his assistant. A number of different answers to his questions came to mind, but she quickly decided to use their friendship as leverage.
"Dan, can you keep a secret?" Maria asked.
"Yes, but I'm not sure that I should in this case."
"Dan, please, please, please," Maria said. "I'm swearing you to secrecy. Please promise me."
"Okay, Maria. I don't think I'm going to like what you're going to tell me, but yes, you have my promise," Dan said. Dan really liked both Maria and Jeffrey. Everyone knew that the FDA was eventually going to approve the drug, so what if Maria had been using it prematurely? Did he want to be the one responsible for Maria and Jeffrey getting fired or worse?
Maria was clearly very upset. She began by telling him about her fear of aging and how all she had ever heard from her mother when she was growing up was that she had to keep her beauty, that she had to marry while she was still beautiful or her life would be over. Maria told Dan about Jeffrey's decision to give her the drug before it was on the market because when she began the injections, she was at the most beautiful stage of her life. Maria told Dan that Jeffrey had only done this out of his devotion and love for her. She told him that Jeffrey hadn't given it to anyone else, how other drug companies had tried to bribe Jeffrey with promises of huge amounts of money if he would give them the formula, and how he had refused all offers. Maria told him Jeffrey had slipped the vial to her a couple of hours earlier as she was scheduled to get her monthly injection that night. She pleaded with Dan not to tell anyone.
Maria glanced at her watch, realizing she was going to be late meeting Jeffrey. She hurriedly finished by once again asking Dan not to tell anyone and making him repeat his promise to keep the secret. She ran down the hall, rushing to the front of the building where Jeffrey was waiting.
"Are you all right? You look upset. What's wrong?" Jeffrey asked.
Maria knew that Jeffrey would be furious with her if she told him the truth and he'd also be very worried that Dan would end up telling someone. Instead, she made up a story on the spot, telling Jeffrey that she had taken a phone call just as she was leaving and it was some crank call. Some strange person had gotten her extension number and threatened to hurt her if she didn't tell him what type of underwear she was wearing.
It was the only thing Maria could think of on such short notice. It clearly worried Jeffrey, but she told him that she was fine and it was just some anonymous call by a wacko. She reassured Jeffrey that the person never called her by name and probably just dialed randomly and got some sick pleasure from hearing her shocked voice.
He believed her.
CHAPTER 6
Dan felt sick to his stomach when he left Moore Labs after his conversation with Maria. He knew he had promised her that he wouldn't tell anyone about the vial he had discovered in her purse, but the more he thought about what Jeffrey had done, it became clear to him that Jeffrey had made a very bad decision.
Many of the other scientists at Moore Labs had made discoveries which were highly sought after by various other drug companies. Even so, they all abided by the contract they had signed with Moore Labs when they had been hired. Dan himself had made an important scientific discovery resulting in a type of aspirin, which was effective, yet
Similar Books
