himself. He kicked off his Reeboks and plopped into the chair. His mood soured; he hated hurting the people he cared for.
“I think she’s upset with me for teasing her.”
“For teasing? Are you sure?”
Tiptoeing down the hallway, Sylvia heard voices inside. Smiling, she knocked hard on the door.
“Yes?” Joe asked slowly.
“Joseph, ask Madeline if she’s staying for breakfast?” She tried not to laugh.
A few seconds later, he replied, “No, she has to work early.”
“Okay, just remember my room is above this one,” she replied with a snort. She heard Joseph’s hearty laughter. That’s payback, she thought. That’ll teach that little playboy; he can’t get anything by her.
As Joe continued to laugh, Madeline pulled her knees up and seductively curved her body onto her side. She propped herself up with her elbow. “Stop that,” he said.
She smiled. “Stop what?”
Groaning, he paced the room. “Business,” he said, glaring at her. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Iced tea is fine.”
He unlocked the door. He returned with two mugs of iced tea and sat back in the chair. “Are you ready to explain the details of why I’m here?”
After taking a deep swig of her drink, she set it on the bedside table. “A few months ago, while my assistant was on vacation, I had to sign-off on our lab supplies. Being neurotically thorough, I cross-referenced the order sheet with the actual items. The undelivered item on the list was hydroiodic acid.”
“So there was a mistake?” he asked, slurping his tea.
“It was a huge mistake. First, I didn’t order hydroiodic acid. We don’t even use it in our lab. Secondly, I checked past orders. It was on those lists, but never delivered. Since my department’s charged for supplies, I called materials management. They blew it off saying they’d take care of it. It irritated me that it was for such a massive order. I asked a friend from another department if they had that problem. He laughed and said their department has mysteriously ordered iodine in bulk for years. Since it wasn’t in their monthly department expense account, they figured it was just a computer error.”
He propped his feet on the corner of the bed. “Were you charged for it?”
“No, but I asked a couple other departments. Each had different bulk items that they chalked up to computer error. The other items were ephedrine, lithium, red phosphorus, and anhydrous ammonia.”
He sat up in his chair. “Those are raw materials for making meth. How could that go undetected?”
“I don’t know,” Madeline replied.
“When congress passed the Methamphetamine Control Act in 1996, it was supposed to red flag the buying of these key chemicals. What have you found that the DEA hasn’t?”
“Joe, we’re a research facility. We can order hydroiodic acid without detection in any quantity and stay under the radar. The fact is that all those chemicals as individuals can be used for medicine and medical research.”
He gave her his full attention. “Like what?”
“Well, lithium is used for bi-polar disorders; anhydrous ammonia tests liver dysfunction; and iodine treats goiter and other thyroid conditions. When individually ordered by different departments, it shows legitimate uses, but when they don’t use or even order the products, it makes you wonder.”
“Let me get this straight. Each has a justifiable reason for use in a medical research facility. Those departments never actually ordered the items and they still showed up on the purchase invoices, but they’re not delivered. Where do the supplies go?”
“I don’t know,” she replied.
“Do you suspect the company is ordering the chemicals to make meth?”
“I have no proof. It’s just a theory. We’re supposedly ordering fifteen gallons of each chemical every two weeks. It suggests an extensive operation, not just the typical mom and pop meth lab. With the raw materials, the meth process skips steps, making
“I think she’s upset with me for teasing her.”
“For teasing? Are you sure?”
Tiptoeing down the hallway, Sylvia heard voices inside. Smiling, she knocked hard on the door.
“Yes?” Joe asked slowly.
“Joseph, ask Madeline if she’s staying for breakfast?” She tried not to laugh.
A few seconds later, he replied, “No, she has to work early.”
“Okay, just remember my room is above this one,” she replied with a snort. She heard Joseph’s hearty laughter. That’s payback, she thought. That’ll teach that little playboy; he can’t get anything by her.
As Joe continued to laugh, Madeline pulled her knees up and seductively curved her body onto her side. She propped herself up with her elbow. “Stop that,” he said.
She smiled. “Stop what?”
Groaning, he paced the room. “Business,” he said, glaring at her. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Iced tea is fine.”
He unlocked the door. He returned with two mugs of iced tea and sat back in the chair. “Are you ready to explain the details of why I’m here?”
After taking a deep swig of her drink, she set it on the bedside table. “A few months ago, while my assistant was on vacation, I had to sign-off on our lab supplies. Being neurotically thorough, I cross-referenced the order sheet with the actual items. The undelivered item on the list was hydroiodic acid.”
“So there was a mistake?” he asked, slurping his tea.
“It was a huge mistake. First, I didn’t order hydroiodic acid. We don’t even use it in our lab. Secondly, I checked past orders. It was on those lists, but never delivered. Since my department’s charged for supplies, I called materials management. They blew it off saying they’d take care of it. It irritated me that it was for such a massive order. I asked a friend from another department if they had that problem. He laughed and said their department has mysteriously ordered iodine in bulk for years. Since it wasn’t in their monthly department expense account, they figured it was just a computer error.”
He propped his feet on the corner of the bed. “Were you charged for it?”
“No, but I asked a couple other departments. Each had different bulk items that they chalked up to computer error. The other items were ephedrine, lithium, red phosphorus, and anhydrous ammonia.”
He sat up in his chair. “Those are raw materials for making meth. How could that go undetected?”
“I don’t know,” Madeline replied.
“When congress passed the Methamphetamine Control Act in 1996, it was supposed to red flag the buying of these key chemicals. What have you found that the DEA hasn’t?”
“Joe, we’re a research facility. We can order hydroiodic acid without detection in any quantity and stay under the radar. The fact is that all those chemicals as individuals can be used for medicine and medical research.”
He gave her his full attention. “Like what?”
“Well, lithium is used for bi-polar disorders; anhydrous ammonia tests liver dysfunction; and iodine treats goiter and other thyroid conditions. When individually ordered by different departments, it shows legitimate uses, but when they don’t use or even order the products, it makes you wonder.”
“Let me get this straight. Each has a justifiable reason for use in a medical research facility. Those departments never actually ordered the items and they still showed up on the purchase invoices, but they’re not delivered. Where do the supplies go?”
“I don’t know,” she replied.
“Do you suspect the company is ordering the chemicals to make meth?”
“I have no proof. It’s just a theory. We’re supposedly ordering fifteen gallons of each chemical every two weeks. It suggests an extensive operation, not just the typical mom and pop meth lab. With the raw materials, the meth process skips steps, making
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