Peter Lovesey: Diamond Solitaire

They climbed into the first one on the rank and Yamagata gave the driver his instruction.

Next stop, the University, unless I've been totally misled, thought Diamond.

Yokohama University was little different from Tokyo Central Station in the way people reacted to having a sumo celebrity among them. The administrative staff flocked into the reception hall to stare at the illustrious guest, who conducted himself in the same imperious manner, staring into the mid-distance as if to show disdain for an opponent. At the desk, however, he became animated and explained the purpose of the visit in fast, forceful Japanese. Confused and overcome, the young woman on duty didn't appear to take in what he was saying, so he repeated it. There was an embarrassing hiatus until one of the staff, a demure, blushing girl with wide, intelligent eyes and a tiny mouth exquisitely defined in brilliant lipstick, took Diamond aside and asked if he was American.

"English. Is there a problem?"

"We are not accustomed to visits from sumotori."

"I can understand."

"Of course we are honored. We wish we could have made preparations, arranged a proper tour."

"We don't want a tour, thanks. We just want to speak to someone in the biochemistry department-a research scientist It's very urgent."

"He said something about a missing child."

"That's right. We want to speak to the mother, Dr. Yuko Masuda. Could you find out whether she's on the campus today?"

"I'll ask them."

She came back without an answer, but with an instruction: "Please, they say you should proceed to the science building and to the department of biochemistry."

"What's your name?"

She looked slightly dismayed to have been asked. "Miss Yamamoto."

Diamond tried repeating it exactly as she had spoken. He wasn't being familiar just because she was pretty. "Can you come with us and translate for me?" She lowered her head decorously. "That would be an honor, sir."

"Excellent And one more thing."

"Yes?"

"It would not be wise to let Dr. Masuda know who her visitors are. We don't want to alarm her."

"I shall tell them."

They were escorted through a labyrinth of cloisters to the science blocks, modern precast structures several stories high. The news had traveled. Faces were at most of the windows and there was a garnering of interested students at the entrance, some taking photographs and some ready with pens and paper, but no one went so far as to ask for an autograph. Yamagata's look wasn't inviting.

Biochemistry was on the second floor. Diamond had doubts about sharing the elevator with so much poundage, but their guide didn't hesitate and the machinery survived the test.

As the doors parted, a silver-haired man in a white lab coat stepped forward and greeted them in the traditional Japanese manner.

"This is Dr. Hitomi, principal lecturer in postgraduate studies," the indispensable Miss Yamamoto explained.

They were taken to the departmental office and offered seats. Yamagata looked dubiously at the plastic chair mat was expected to support him and shook his head, so Diamond tactfully remained standing also. Anyway, he expected to meet Dr. Masuda shortly, which would mean hoisting himself upright again.

A crushing disappointment followed. It emerged that Naomi's mother was not based at this campus after all. She had last worked here some seven years ago, researching into a drug for the treatment of comas.

"Jantac?" said Diamond when this had been translated.

Dr. Hitomi nodded.

"But we heard that she is still carrying out research here, with a grant from Manflex Pharmaceuticals," Diamond said.

This created some uncertainty.

"He repeats that Dr. Masuda is not working here," Miss Yamamoto told him. "Her research here terminated in 1985."

'Terminated? Definitely terminated?"

"Definitely."

Dr. Hitomi spoke some more.

"He says he knew Dr. Masuda personally. She was a good scientist. Her work came to an end when Manflex took a decision to stop further experimentation with Jantac."

"Why? Why was it stopped?"

When this was put to Dr. Hitomi, he shrugged before giving his answer.

"He says Dr. Masuda had worked with Jantac for more than two years and was getting good results in reversing coma symptoms, but about this time she detected side effects from the drag."

"Side effects?" Diamond's antennae were out.

Dr. Hitomi had taken a Japanese/English dictionary from the shelf behind him. He pointed out a word.

"Cirrhosis?" said Diamond. "Liver disease?" His brain darted through the implications.

After another explanation, Miss Yamamoto translated, "The side effect of this drug was difficult to detect, because the coma patients were alcoholic and alcoholism is a major cause of what is that word?"

"Cirrhosis."

"He says alcoholism causes cirrhosis anyway. However, Dr. Masuda discovered that Jantac also caused an increase in liver enzymes, producing cirrhosis. A small side effect is acceptable, but this was too much. When she reported her findings to Manflex, they terminated the program."

Dr. Hitomi added something.

"He says Mr. Manny Rexner, is that correct?"

"Manny Flexner, yes."

"Manny Flexner himself took the decision to stop working with Jantac. Mr. Rexner always put the safety of patients first."

Diamond gave a nod while he wrestled with the implications. What he had just heard conflicted with the computer records he'd seen at Manflex headquarters in New York, yet confirmed and expanded on the information he'd seen on the record card in the basement. Jantac had proved to be a dangerous drug and as a result Yuko Masuda's research had been axed.

"Would you ask Dr. Hitomi if the department has copies of any correspondence dealing with this matter?"

This, it seemed, was doubtful. Dr. Hitomi picked up a phone.

It emerged that the correspondence had been returned to Manflex some months ago at their request.

Suspicious.

"This year?"

"Yes."

Someone in New York had gone to unusual lengths in covering tracks. Diamond sighed and folded his arms. It was a strange situation, being surrounded by a group of people so willing to help and watching him intently, but without understanding the problem. It was down to him, and he was far from certain what to suggest next.

"Does the University possess copies of the papers Dr. Masuda published?"

Almost certainly they did, in the library.

"In English as well as Japanese?"

It was likely.

The entire circus struck tents and removed to the library, where the by now predictable excitement and confusion prevented anything useful happening for several minutes. At length, Diamond was presented with copy in English of Yuko Masuda's research paper on the treatment of alcoholic coma presented to the Japanese Pharmacological Conference in Tokyo in 1983. He sat down to see what he could discover in it, while everyone waited.

Inwardly he groaned. The text was way beyond his comprehension. He stared at the first page for some time before turning to see how many pages like this there were. Thirteen.

Then his attention focused on a paragraph toward the end of the last page:

"The research continues. Present studies are concentrated on a compound patented by Manflex Pharmaceuticals and given the proprietary name Jantac, and early results are encouraging."

He looked for the footnote and found that it gave a chemical formula.

Ideas rarely come as inspirations. More usually they develop in levels of the brain just above the subconscious, over hours, days or years, and most of them never come to anything. He had kept a vague idea on hold ever since he had stood in the basement of the Manflex building with Molly Docherty and looked at Yuko Masuda's record card.