Mutation by Robin Cook Read Free Book Online

privacy cubicles with his large safe deposit box. Putting his saddlebags carefully on the floor, he unzipped them. They were filled with tightly bound stacks of hundred-dollar bills. When he was finished adding them to those already there, he had to use both hands to heave the box back up and into its slot in the vault.
         Back on his bike, VJ left North Andover, heading west. He pedaled steadily and was soon in Lawrence. Crossing the Merrimack, he eventually entered the grounds of Chimera. The security man at the gate waved with the same kind of respect he reserved for Dr. Frank.
        
         As soon as Victor reached his office, his very pretty and very efficient secretary, Colleen, cornered him with a stack of phone messages.
         Victor silently groaned. Mondays were all too frequently like this, keeping him from the lab, sometimes for the entire day. Victor's current and primary research interest involved the mysteries of how a fertilized egg got implanted in a uterus. No one knew how it worked and what were the factors necessary to facilitate it. Victor had picked the project many years ago because its solution would have major academic and major commercial importance. But with his current rate of progress he would be working on it for many years to come.
         "This is probably the most important message," Colleen said, handing over a pink slip.
         Victor took the paper, which said for him to call Ronald Beekman ASAP. "Oh, wonderful," Victor thought. Although he and Ronald had been the best of friends during the initial phases of the founding of Chimera, Inc., their relationship was now strained over their differing views about the future of the company. Currently they were arguing about a proposed stock offering that was being championed by Clark Foster as a means of raising additional capital for expansion.
         Ronald was adamantly opposed to any dilution of the stock, fearing a hostile takeover in the future. It was his belief that expansion should be tied directly to current revenues and current profits. Once again, Victor's vote was to be the swing vote, just as it had been back in 1983 over the question of going public. Victor had voted against Ronald then, siding with Clark. Despite the incontrovertible success of going public, Ronald still felt Victor had sold out his academic integrity.
         Victor put Ronald's message in the center of his blotter. "What else?" he asked.
         Before Colleen could respond, the door opened and VJ stuck his head in, asking if anybody had seen Philip.
         "I saw him earlier at the cafeteria," Colleen said.
         "If anybody sees him," VJ said, "tell him that I'm here."
         "Certainly," Colleen said.
         "I'll be around," VJ said.
         Victor waved absently, still wondering what he would say to Ronald. Victor was certain they needed capital now, not next year.
         VJ closed the door behind him.
         "No school?" Colleen questioned.
         "Spring vacation," Victor said.
         "Such an exceptional child," Colleen said. "So undemanding. If my son were here, he'd be underfoot the entire time."
         "My wife thinks differently," Victor said. "She thinks VJ has some kind of problem."
         "That's hard to believe," Colleen said. "VJ is so polite, so grown up."
         "Maybe you should talk to Marsha," Victor said. Then he stuck his hand out, anxious to move on. "What's the next message?"
         "Sorry," Colleen said. "This is the phone number for Jonathan Marronetti, Gephardt's attorney."
         "Lovely!" Victor said. George Gephardt was the director of personnel for Fertility, Inc., and had been supervisor of purchasing for Chimera until three years ago. Currently, he was on a leave of absence, pending an investigation regarding the disappearance of over one hundred thousand dollars from Fertility, Inc. Embarrassingly enough, it had been the IRS that had first discovered that