‘Why?’ Kelly asked.
‘They do it when they want to hide history,’ Dan replied.
‘Is it legal?’
‘It’s all legal, but that’s not the point. We found that what it enabled FairGro to do was apply for multiple patents on medical products which had failed under successive applications. Then finally, they got legitimised last year.’
‘What were they trying to get passed for human consumption? Medical supplies?’
‘A compound called Neurohydroxy-14,’ Dan said.
‘Really? They’ve been trying to get it passed for decades?’ Kelly asked.
‘You know it?’ Kate asked.
‘It keeps popping up in our inquiries. It’s inYouthBlastbut I’m not sure exactly what it is. I found it in the small print as an added ingredient,’ Kelly added. She googled the page and scrolled down.
‘Bugger,’ she said.
‘What?’ Kate and Dan asked.
‘It’s not there anymore; I swear it was there. I must have the wrong page. Go on.’
‘It has got a general patent dating from 1989, when it was first catalogued in the Journal of Modern Science. I’ve contacted the Home Office, and they’ve searched their records too. Nothing. It’s as if it disappeared from the public domain,’ Kate said.
‘Why?’
‘Because it was referenced as a biohazard,’ Dan said.
‘A what?’
‘A biological weapon. If you google it, you get blank after blank, except a few references to YouTubers who are on several watchlists at Interpol.’
‘Interpol are involved?’
‘They have watchlists for people who are deemed to be a threat to national security across the agencies.’
‘The agencies?’
‘Worldwide. Joe Folly is on there. He did a podcast on Neurohydroxy-14 last year.’
‘Was Jamie Robbins mentioned?’
‘Yes and the DiggerMan went for him as one of the bad guys.’
‘So, we have a multinational using a biohazard but it’s completely legal because its patent is general and still in use but there’s no law to prevent it from being used in food for general consumption?’ Kelly asked, bewildered.
‘That’s right,’ Dan said. ‘Because its component parts have been passed for general consumption.’
‘So if it’s legal and above board, why is it a problem?’ Kelly asked.
Dan and Kate looked at one another.
‘We don’t know yet, boss.’
Chapter 35
Sandy stared at her phone.
