Page 4 of Sinful Beauty

“My father is long retired. My mother has a start-up cosmetics company. Both sit on the board but neither are involved.” But it’s still the company my great grandfather founded. “The current CEO is interim CEO. He’s been in place for less than a year.”

“That’s right. The CEO and CFO died in a small plane crash about a year and a half ago. Do you think…”

“No one expects foul play. The weather was horrible. They should have never flown. But if you look at the report, I think it’s clear what we’re dealing with.”

“Enlighten me.”

“There’s a drug currently on the market that ran broad spectrum testing through these illegal channels. They learned at a quick pace what adjustments to make, then proceeded with legal clinical trials in either India or China. There will be significant financial incentive to keep this under wraps. That has to be the motivation here.”

I cross an ankle over my knee and feign a loose cufflink, aiming for cavalier.

“That’s not our problem, Tristan.” He means it’s the Swiss authorities problem, and he’s correct. But I don’t want this to destroy the company my great grandfather founded. I want to root out the culprits and keep it out of the public eye.

“If the Swiss authorities investigate, they’ll discover the guilty parties within Switzerland, but not those who hired Lumina. Those people will simply seek another Lumina, possibly in another country.” His steepled fingers tap each other. “If only there were an international policing organization that could investigate all the guilty parties and bring it all to an end.”

The light reflecting off his spectacles partially veils his subtle eye roll.

“You suspect Lumina of testing every product in these compounds?”

“Only the ones with justifiable opportunity. The company has forty-seven thousand employees. The Swiss authorities will never successfully find those responsible.”

“I trust a full investigation will flush out the truth.”

He’s full of it. I cross an ankle over my leg, repositioning to approach from an alternate angle. “Sloane Watson plans to release the data she found for peer review. She believes scientists working together will identify which potential drugs caused a cancer cluster during initial testing. She’s quite eager to do this as it’s likely these drugs are out on the market and we simply don’t have the data yet to identify all the side effects.”

“That’s quite a theory.”

“It’s happened before. We’ve released vaccines and drugs onto the marketplace only to find years later they have detrimental, deadly side effects. Not all side effects show up in a three-year testing window.”

“This is a case for the local authorities.”

“Nigel.” I stand, unable to sit while I push. “Think about it. The black market for organs has existed for ages. The international community has been aware these compounds are a source for organs for just as long. We’ve done nothing. If we commandeered local police and conducted a raid, it would be a headline on a BBC article for a day and it wouldn’t even get top billing. That’s not worth killing a scientist. It’s not worth hiring mercenaries to abduct the scientist’s sister. It’s not worth murder. But, if we uncover the companies testing products illegally, we’ll uncover which drugs are already on the market thanks to unscrupulous testing procedures. Those drugs will need to be pulled, at least temporarily, and reviewed. Employees might face prison time. Depending on how extensive the enterprise is, at least one pharmaceutical giant will go under. Maybe more. When someone went after Sloane Watson, they weren’t afraid of the BBC article. They feared something much worse, and we need to lead this to ensure those fears are realized.” A thorough, discreet investigation is the only way to ensure we root out the culprits. It’s the only way for me to keep my word to Saint.

“A Swiss investigation will land several executives in prison.”

“People have killed to avoid prison.” He knows I’m right. “If the Swiss authorities announce an investigation, any legitimate source of information will likely be eliminated. And while the guilty parties clean house, the Swiss authorities will uncover some unlucky chap to take the blame. Most likely the CEO and CFO, who are conveniently dead and therefore can’t represent themselves.”

And the practice will continue. In my family’s company. The company my grandfather devoted his life to building. I pace the room to prevent myself from revealing exactly how personal this is to me. It’s my heritage.

“You want something, Tristan. I have a meeting in ten minutes. Spit it out.”

“Let me handle the investigation. Don’t turn it over to the Swiss authorities.”

“Forty-six thousand employees worldwide. It’s the definition of a needle in a haystack.”

“Yes, but we know which part of the stack to search.”

“We do?”

“William Salo is the ex-lover who intervened on Dr. Watson’s behalf. That narrows the field. A superior within his division is most likely one culprit. But this isn’t a one-man operation. Sources so far have referenced the leaders as a plural. You and I both know if investigators go in in an official capacity, we’ll only find what they want us to find. Discreet is our best option. Both my parents retain seats on the board. My mother is currently running a cosmetics off-shoot, but she remains heavily engaged with the division heads. If I suggest I’m considering getting involved with the family company, she’ll find me a position. My joining the company is my parent’s dream. They’ll be too eager to ask questions.”

“You think the culprits would expose the son of founding board members to illegitimate activity?” His skepticism is both marked and warranted.

“No. But, I’ll get to know the players. Ask the right questions. Observe. I’ve been working undercover roles for a decade now. I have the skills and I’m the only officer with access.”

“How do you get out? No one knows you work for Interpol. If you blow your cover, I would be forced to relieve you of your position.”

My family and friends are unaware I work for Interpol in an elite, secretive group. I pursued the position. Trained to become a chameleon. Without the use of my family name and with slight alterations of appearance, I can blend seamlessly into a variety of situations. My backgrounds allows me to explore affluent circles that other officers from less affluent backgrounds couldn’t as easily infiltrate.

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