Read The Runaway Reporter (A Police Procedural Mystery Series of Crime and Suspense, Hyder Ali #3) for Free Online Page B

opened and a woman entered.  She was wearing heels, a black skirt, and a white lab coat. Her hair was pulled back and she had on round glasses.
    “Call me Myra,” she said as she held out her hand.
    Nolan shook it. “Call me Nolan.”
    “Please have a seat,” she said.  She sat across from him and placed a red folder on the coffee table. She adjusted her glasses and said, “Let me start by saying we at Devon Pharma are saddened to hear about what happened to those young people. It’s a tragedy and we will be conveying our condolences to the families of the victims.  Having said that, if there is any insinuation that our drug had anything to do with what happened, then we will defend ourselves vigorously and at all costs.”
    “I’m not insinuating anything.  I’m just trying to find answers.” Nolan said.
    She gave him a hard look.  “What would you like to know?”
    “What is this drug study about?”
    “This will be kept strictly confidential, yes?”
    “Absolutely.”
    “I hope you understand we have to take precautions when it comes to our competitors.  A lot of money is involved.”
    “Understood.”
    “If you are concerned about the side effects, then I will say with full confidence the drug doesn’t cause any adverse reactions. It’s not possible, because we have eight hundred and eighty–two participants throughout the country.  If there were any issues, we would have detected them by now.”
    “How do people sign-up for the study?” Nolan asked.
    “They fill out a detailed application, and, along with a medical report from their doctors, they submit it to Devon for review. They have to be healthy, between the ages of eighteen and forty-four, do not smoke, and be in good mental health. A psychological review is necessary as well.  The study is for the duration of twelve months.  So far eight months have gone by and we’ve received no response that is alarming or of grave concern.”
    “How much does the study pay?”
    “Between three-thousand and five-thousand dollars.”
    Nolan nodded, thought: So that’s why the students had signed up .
    “During the trial, we advise the participants to get regular checkups with their GP and monthly checkups with a psychologist.” Dr. St. Claire continued.
    “What does the drug do?” Nolan finally asked.
    “It controls mood swings. It never lets the user get too high or too low.”
    Nolan made a face.  “If people don’t feel anything, aren’t you creating like… zombies?”
    She shook her head.  “If we suppressed all emotion, then it would place someone in the state you just mentioned. The drug allows a person to experience emotion, but it doesn’t let the emotion consume their daily life. For example, a person may feel euphoric or even depressed for a certain period, but this feeling is quickly adjusted by the drug so that the feeling doesn’t persist for days or even weeks.”
    Nolan nodded as if he understood, but then a thought popped in his head.  “How is the drug taken? I found no medication bottle from Devon in the victim’s homes.”
    She smiled.  “That’s where our research comes in.  Again, this is strictly confidential, yes?”
    “Yes, absolutely,” Nolan replied.
    From her coat pocket, Dr. St. Claire pulled out a clear plastic bag.  It contained what looked like a Band-Aid.  “It’s not what’s in the drug that makes it unique. Its how the drug is administered that makes it so.”
    “Do you mind?” Nolan held out his hand.
    She gave it to him.
    Upon closer inspection, it looked more like a nicotine patch.
    Dr. St. Claire said, “There are hundreds of tiny needles in that patch.  They cannot be seen by the naked eye.  Attached to the patch is a tiny computer chip.  That chip controls how much drug to release into the blood stream.  The chip has sensors to monitor a person’s emotional state, and when it is applied to the skin, which is usually once a month, it will keep track of their