Lethal Outbreak by Malcolm Rose Page A

risk of it spreading.’
    Troy wondered whether his attitude would be the same if a bacterium from a Martian soil sample were to infect and kill outers. ‘I’ve got to ask you what you were doing at eight o’clock on Sunday evening.’
    Dominic scowled at him and then carefully put down the chainsaw at the base of the doomed tree. ‘I can’t tell you that, man.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘What’s made me move from witness to suspect?’
    ‘Hopefully just a few coincidences. You can move back again easily enough. Just tell me about Sunday night.’
    ‘No can do.’
    ‘Where were you, then? I’d be satisfied if you can prove you were well away from our crime scene, even if you won’t tell us what you were up to.’
    ‘No can do,’ he repeated.
    The cuffs of his shirtsleeves were protruding from the arms of his jacket. While he was talking to Troy, Lexi took a sneaky photograph of the nearer cuff.
    ‘So, there’s something more important than getting off our list of suspects?’
    ‘Spot on.’
    ‘Okay. You know how it works. I’ve got to put you down as not having an alibi, meaning we’ll have to poke around some more.’ Troy didn’t hesitate. ‘Lexi’sgoing to want to take a photo of every shirt you’ve got.’
    ‘You’ve got a clue, then. Some material? A make? A size?’
    ‘Does she have your permission to go inside and crack on?’
    Dominic shrugged. ‘Be my guest. You’ll find them in the upstairs wardrobe. And maybe a couple in the washing basket. That’s the lot.’
    While Lexi went inside, Troy asked, ‘How did you find working in a high-security lab?’
    Realizing that Troy and Lexi had been researching his recent past, Dominic grinned. ‘Those overalls are seriously unpleasant, man. Before you know it, you fill the gloves with sweat.’
    ‘Yuck.’
    ‘Made me feel like a goldfish, looking out of a bowl.’
    Troy wanted to know if Dominic still had access to a chemistry laboratory, but he didn’t ask because it was pointless. If the undercover officer was guilty, he’d deny making hi-tech sticky tape that could ooze acid. He’d deny storing a sample of alien soil too. So, his answers would be the same as an innocent person’s. Troy hoped that Lexi would quickly look for any locked or hidden rooms that could house a secret laboratory.
    ‘What did Commander McVeigh tell you about what we’re investigating?’
    ‘Very little. A serious hate crime. And that my knowledge of TRAPT might help your enquiries. That’s all. It doesn’t take much to work out that you’re looking into a major versus outer quarrel. Then, yesterday, you asked me about anyone – a major, I assume – plotting atrocities against outers. Now you’re going on about lab protection suits, I’m guessing it’s got something to do with science as well.’ He shrugged. ‘I’m on holiday. I don’t want to know any more.’
    Probing Dominic’s opinion of outers would also be pointless. He would not admit to prejudice even if he loathed the whole species. Instead, Troy said, ‘When you’re undercover, you must mix with a lot of dodgy characters. You must be expert at hiding your real feelings about them.’
    ‘It goes with the territory. Why? Do you think I’m hiding a deep-seated hatred of outers?’
    ‘My point is, I wouldn’t know. But I’ll try to find out.’
    ‘And how do you propose to do that?’
    Troy shrugged. ‘I could look at your record of arrests. I’d guess it’d be about a fifty-fifty mix of majors and outers. If there were a lot more outers, that might suggest something.’
    Dominic looked unconcerned. ‘I wouldn’t have a clue what my ratio is. That’s how little it means to me, man. I acted like a bigot in TRAPT, but I’m not one. I’m not your bad guy.’
    Troy smiled. ‘You’re a good actor, though.’
    He nodded. ‘I’ll admit to that.’ He bent down to pick up the chainsaw again. ‘But telling the difference between truth and lies is your problem, not mine.’
    ‘I’ll go