The student smiled at them and checked the screen of the monitor in front of her.She clicked and scrolled for a bit before she came to the answer.“Thompson...chemistry department.He's got Intro to Organic Chemistry in room 247 right now, but based on this schedule, that ends in ten minutes.”
Miles nodded.“Thanks.Seems like perfect timing.”
They climbed the stairs to the second floor, following signs to the chemistry department.The hallway smelled of cleaning chemicals and old linoleum.There was also an undercurrent of strong coffee.Classroom doors were spaced every thirty feet or so, most with small windows that allowed glimpses of students bent over textbooks or listening to lectures.
Through the window of room 247, Miles could see about twenty students seated at lab tables while a man in his early forties wrote chemical formulas on a whiteboard.Marcus Thompson looked exactly as he had in the news interview.Average height, brown hair starting to thin at the crown, wearing khakis and a button-down shirt.He moved with the confidence of someone comfortable explaining complex subjects.
“That's our guy,” Miles said quietly.
They waited outside the classroom as Thompson wrapped up his lecture.His voice carried through the door as he explained the molecular structure of organic compounds, his tone patient and engaging.Miles found himself impressed by Thompson's teaching style.Whatever his theories about corporate chemical warfare, he seemed genuinely dedicated to education.
At exactly 9:45, the classroom door opened and students began filing out.Miles and Vic waited until the last student had left before entering the room.Thompson was erasing the whiteboard, his back to them.
“Professor Thompson?”Vic said.
He turned, eyebrows raised in mild curiosity.“Yes?Can I help you?”
Vic showed her badge as they approached the front of the room.“I'm Special Agent Stone, FBI.This is Dr.Sterling.We'd like to speak with you about some cases we're investigating.”
Thompson's expression shifted to concern, but he remained calm.“FBI?What kind of cases?”
“We're investigating a series of murders involving fluorine gas poisoning,” Miles said, watching Thompson's face carefully for any reaction.
Thompson's eyes widened in genuine shock."Fluorine poisoning?That's...that's terrible.Here in the D.C.?"
“Yes, I’m afraid so.”
He took a moment to process this, his face going grave.“My God.How many victims?”
“Three so far,” Vic replied.“All killed using rather simple delivery systems on a remote.We were hoping you might have some insights.”
Again, Miles took note of the way Vic seemed neutral at first, making the suspect believe they were only being visited for information or maybe even for assistance of some kind.
Thompson set down his eraser and turned to face them fully.“I can understand why you'd want to speak with me, given my background and my public statements about chemical contamination.But I…well, can tell you right now that I had nothing to do with any murders.”
Miles studied Thompson's demeanor.The same calm confidence he'd displayed in the news interview was present, but there was also genuine distress at learning about the killings.“We're not accusing you of anything at the moment,” Miles said.“We're trying to understand who might have the knowledge and motivation to commit these crimes.”
Thompson nodded slowly.Miles was pretty sure he was buying the subtle misdirection.“I see.And my theories about corporate chemical contamination make me a person of interest, yes?”
“Can you tell us more about those theories?”Vic asked, ignoring the slight jab.Maybe Thompson wasn’t going to be easy to fool.That, or he was just incredibly paranoid.
Thompson glanced around the empty classroom, then gestured to two chairs near his desk.He eyed them skeptically, making it clear that he did not trust them.Even his tone seemed to echo this when he said, “Please, sit down.This might take a few minutes to explain properly.”
They settled into the student chairs while Thompson leaned against his desk.“I spent eight years working for Meridian Chemical.During that time, I documented numerous safety violations involving fluorine and other reactive compounds.When I reported these violations to management, I was told they were within acceptable parameters.”
“But you disagreed,” Miles said.
“The parameters were set by the company itself, not by independent safety agencies.They were prioritizing cost savings over worker safety and environmental protection.”Thompson's voice carried the conviction Miles had heard in the interview.“When I took my concerns to OSHA, I became the bad guy and the company fired me for insubordination.”
“That must have been frustrating,” Vic observed.
“Frustrating doesn't begin to cover it,” he said bitterly.“I'd devoted my career to industrial chemistry, and suddenly I was unemployable in my field.No chemical company would hire someone who'd blown the whistle on safety violations.”
Miles leaned forward.“In your news interview, you mentioned corporate chemical warfare.Can you explain what you meant?”
Thompson's expression grew more serious.“I believe certain corporations are deliberately exposing the population to low-level chemical contamination.Not to cause immediate harm, but to create long-term dependency on their products.”
“Dependency how?”
