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In India a group of young Britons agree to take part in clinical tests for Green Fern chemicals firm though one of them, Henry Williams, escapes and kills a doctor. Six years later in London DC Rash Sayyad assists DS Sands after teacher Mark Henson is found murdered. In the course of enquiries Rash learns from Mark's colleague Laura Jones that they were two of the Indian guinea pigs, a third one, Steve Mullen, having also been killed and arousing Rash's suspicions that Laura is also in danger. Henry, living at home with his mother, is clearly a very troubled young man. Meanwhile fraud officer Stefan Kowolski is sent undercover by bosses Eleanor Davies and Marcus Johnson to investigate David Leese, CEO of Remicon, pharmaceuticals, suspected of bribing doctors to buy his products and, unknown to Stefan, with a link to Green Fern. Rash and Stefan meet for the first time whilst both are taking part in an athletics race though their competitiveness does not make for the easiest of ...
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As government drugs advisor Peter Mayhew is quizzed over his championing Remicon's production of anti-obesity drug Lipocite over the American firm Ruhn's cheaper version Rash finally convinces his superiors that Laura Jones' recent death was murder and they attend her funeral to locate the other Indian drugs volunteers. Ruhn CEO Coleman Blake also sends his employee, nervous Bruce Lockwood, another of the volunteers, to the funeral where he gives Rash the names of unstable Henry Williams and David Leese. Unaware that Mayhew has a spy in his department Stephan attends the Lipocite launch party, where he is drugged and ejected, being saved by Rash from being run over. When both Rash and Stephan turn up at Henry Williams' house they realize that they are involved in the same investigation.
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With two assassins on their trail and a war breaking out between two big pharmaceutical companies, Rash and Stefan are forced to work together to try to uncover the truth. |
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Peter Mayhew asks Eleanor to investigate government planning minister Charles Matherson, who has steered through the construction of a controversial tower block the Scimitar, the building materials being supplied by his wife Helen's father's firm. She sends Stefan undercover as Matherson's chauffeur, where he witnesses an antiques dealer and fence, John Gulliver, attempt to blackmail the Scimitar's architects, the Wesley brothers. Rash is also involved when Adam Jannsen, a young Polish workman, is killed in suspicious circumstances, later learning that Gulliver had bought something valuable from Adam. Gulliver denies this when Rash questions him but is soon afterwards killed by hit-man Mark Craig.
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Eleanor's team are in pursuit of a large scale fraudster named Daniel Lorca, whom nobody has ever seen, and raid his lawyer John Malik's house, taking away the 'Bemuda DVD', which Malik wants returned. Lisa Douglas is planning a fund raising evening for the charity Our Child, whose chief accountant complains Michael Freeland expresses concerns over financial irregularities to fund manager Paul Douglas. Soon afterwards Michael is stabbed whilst interrupting a burglary, one of several investigated by Sands and Rash, who believe burglar alarm supplier William Gardner to be involved. Michael dies in hospital in suspicious circumstances on a ward where Rash's sister Leila works as a nurse. Meanwhile Stefan's attempts to ask about Lorca at a Turkish bath he apparently uses lead him and Rash into danger.
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Rash and Derek interview William Gardner, who admits to stealing to feed his gambling habit but denies stabbing Michael and Layla, as nurse on duty when Michael died, is suspected of negligence. Lisa Douglas, whose husband Paul is unhappy at her championing African diplomat and Our Child beneficiary David Kumalah - in fact Lisa's secret lover - is quick to blame Layla and Rash and Stefan's attempt to infiltrate Kumalah's hotel room for evidence of his corruption almost ends in disaster. When Malik demands the return of the Bermuda DVD Eleanor establishes the identity of Lorca whilst Paul Douglas works out his wife's duplicity and motive. It is down to Rash and Stephan to prove her involvement, risking a fiery death in the process.
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