Disaster for Hire Read Online Free PDF Page A

He had no enemies."
    "He had one," said Frank very steadily.
    "Yes, but I'm at a loss to imagine who that could be."
    Frank said, "How about his work at the biotech lab? What was he working on when he died?"
    Fawcette shook his head, breaking into a serious attack of coughing. "I'm afraid I can't go into the details on that," he explained when he got his voice back. "It's strict university policy."
    "Was it a project for the government?"
    "Most certainly not. Farber University avoids all such entanglements."
    "Maybe," Joe suggested, "Bookman knew some valuable secret — "
    "That wouldn't be a reason to kill him." The president laughed, then broke into another coughing spell. "Any alleged secret poor Bookman might have had would die with him, with no profit for anyone."
    He pressed his palms to the desktop and rose from his swivel chair. "Besides, Dr. Winter, who's in charge of Professor Bookman's research group, has the same knowledge as Bookman did. No one has tried to harm him in any way."
    Frank also stood up. "Then maybe the professor had a different kind of secret."
    "I don't follow you."
    Frank looked Fawcette in the eye. "Suppose there was a secret that someone wanted to see die with Bookman?"
    Fawcette nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I see your point." Again, he coughed into his hand. "I'm afraid I know nothing like that with regard to poor Bookman."
    He crossed the library and opened the door. "You have my sympathies, but I can really spare no more time this evening. As you may imagine, this weekend's homecoming events require all my attention."
    "We understand." Frank stepped out into the hallway, where Emerson angrily awaited them. The old butler didn't quite look at Frank and Joe as he opened the door to let them out.
    They walked in silence until they reached their car. Then Joe asked, "Why the bedtime story about Dad's taping all his phone calls, Frank?"
    Frank smiled. "Look, Joe, we both know—or at least, suspect—that Fawcette is lying."
    "I know he is."
    "If he believes we have tapes of him and Dad talking, we might put pressure on him."
    "Enough to make him tell the truth?"
    "He was acting nervous and upset already." Frank got behind the wheel. "Did you notice those nervous coughs right after embarrassing questions? It won't take much more to crack him open. Maybe then we'll find out what's going on."
    "Any notions on what that might be?" Joe clicked his seatbelt.
    "All I can do at this point is make some guesses." Frank started the car.
    "Be my guest."
    "It seems likely that this whole mess has something to do with the biotech lab." They pulled out of the campus parking lot.
    Joe nodded. "Both Bookman and Dr. Winter work there."
    "Exactly, and Dad seems to have been suspicious of Winter. At least that's one way of interpreting what he wrote on that note we found."
    "I wonder how you tie in the biotech lab with the lumber business," Joe said.
    "You're reaching, pal."
    "Am I?" Joe challenged. "First off, Dad's note has a guy named Curly who works for Selva Lumber. Then we meet the guy who runs the Garner lumber outfit at Fawcette's. That's the two biggest lumber companies in the Pacific Northwest."
    "Could be a coincidence." Frank glanced up into the rear-view mirror.
    "You don't believe in coincidences," said Joe. "How come Garner pretended Selva was some dinky setup that sold toothpicks or something?"
    "Lots of businessmen put down the competition. It's not that unusual."
    "Lumber," Joe said, settling back in his seat. "You hear me, Frank? There's lumber at the heart of this mystery."
    Laughing, Frank said, "A couple of hours ago, you were sure it was biological weapons."
    "I have an open mind," Joe told his brother. "It's capable of changing when new facts come in."
    "Here's another fact for you," interrupted Frank, looking into the rear-view again. "Somebody in a dark blue sports car is following us."
    Casually, Joe turned in his seat to look out the back window. A sleek sports car was rolling along half a