Read police report
Bucky tilted an old fashioned data disk back and forth, watching the rainbow spectrum of color reflected in the polished silicon. The police report was on the disk.
Bucky, who avidly watched old television shows, had expected an old-fashioned file with a tan paper cover and so was disappointed.
With a shrug of resignation the boy slid the disk into the lips of the strange disk drive built into the computer. After discovering the data files and a compatible program that would open them he began to read:
“During the afternoon hours at Banksink private airport dozens of people were present. It was described as a day of normal operation. There were no recollections of strange events or suspicious people. The first reports were of smoke and called to the attention of emergency as a possible fire. It was not known if injuries were expected. Enforcement was not called until the subject was discovered onsite.
The site is the interior of a private aircraft badly damaged by smoke and the chemical fire. The site awaits inspection by an aeronautic mechanic or expert to determine if any damage was done to the components of the plane or if some malfunction of the components were the origin of the fire. [UPDATE: the site has never been inspected]
After emergency controlled the fire the subject was found. It is unclear if emergency or a civilian was first on scene. The subject was badly burned. It is suspected that burning was the cause of death.
Autopsy inconclusive due to the state of the remains. Unclear how fire was started or why it was so explosive.
There are many dangerous accelerants as well as amateur mechanics and pilots at the private airport.
Tentative Conclusion: human error
Conclusion: human error.”
Bucky neither liked nor disliked his late father but was offended by the complete and total lack of any real investigation into the mans death.
Bucky had thought that he heard a knocking and now the doorbell went off, no servants were on staff at the house, so the boy got up and set off down the hallways at a fast pace. He spots his mother at the top of the stairs still wearing only her skimpy night gown, high heels and pearls. He holds up in his hand for her to stay put or retreat to her room. She never answered the door. That duty was for the man of the house, those were the rules. It was for Bucky to handle now and he was starting to feel the responsibilities of an alpha male weigh on him.
Unbolting the heavy entryway doors Bucky cleared his throat and then shoved the massive slab of wood aside. There were two strange men with unpleasantly expectant looks on their faces, one was standing on some of the expensive and exotic plant life that lived alongside the pavement. Bucky said nothing at all, and only raised an eyebrow.
This threw the men off and they glanced at each other. Then, after uncomfortable moments they began to explain that they were FDA agents. The boy told them to take their business to his corporate office, not show up at his private residence. They said their immediate business was not related to drug trials but the death of his father. The boy told them, in that case, that they were welcome to contact the families lawyer and not to contact him out of context again. Then he unceremoniously shut the door in their faces.
Nodding to his stately mother he returned to the den. He had absorbed a lot of information in the last hour. But, how could he use it to safeguard his family, his Mother? He saw no clear path.
He looked at the note glued to the plastic case that the data disc had been in. It was the phone number of some sort of detective agency and also said 'only possible choice due to the complexity of the issue'. Bucky had no idea what that meant, but he was out of ideas, so he dialed the number, someone picked up so quickly that it shocked him. There was silence on the line.
“this is the chief agent, I dont know how you got my direct line, but I am listening” a male voice said
“um, well, I am looking for some guidance here because there are some very serious events that I have to find a way to deal with,” Bucky said, and then he realized he was rambling.
“is this … are you Bucky Chamomile?” the voice asked after a moment.
“... yes, who am I speaking to?” Bucky asked.
“I can't tell you that, and I cannot take on this case. But you said that you wanted guidance? Why don't you tell me what your concerns are and I will try to advise you.” the voice said.
“Well, my father is dead, and I want to keep my family out of danger. Less urgently I have to find a way to make a pharmaceutical company profitable again, I need the money.” Bucky said and realized that he had just clarified his goals in his own mind.
“Understood. You will be getting applications from corporate security personnel. Hire them all, these are spies from several interested parties including people responsible for your fathers death. Keep these people close, let them observe conditions at your company (but I wouldn’t allow them into your home). Also, announce that you are closing your R&D department and that there are no new products on the horizon. That should cover everything you need, you can call me one more time if it seems like the plan is not working. Good luck.” Then the line went to open tone. The detective was gone. |