‘Thank you. Oh, by the way, it doesn’t seem so important any more but did you hear anything more about the tablets?’
‘No. I’ve asked my friend to chivvy the lab along. She’s doing me a favour so I can’t really push her any more than I have done. I’m also trying to find out if there’s any connection between Goulden and Simcock but I’ve not got anything yet. I’m waiting to hear.’
I did hear. Just after I got back from school, Harry rang. ‘Hi! I’ve left a message on your answerphone too,’ he began.
‘Any luck?’ I didn’t expect anything.
‘Bingo!’
‘What?’ I was astonished.
‘You got a fax yet?’
‘No.’
‘A pen?’
‘Yes, Harry, I have a pen. Poised. Go on.’
‘OK. Simcock and Montgomery are both directors of Malden Medical Supplies.’
My scalp prickled.
‘They’re a company based in Cheshire, Northwich, and they supply anything and everything – rubber gloves, gas cylinders, disposable sheets, bandages, the lot. They deal with nursing homes, hospitals, that sort of thing. It’s a lucrative little concern, accounts for the last year on record show a turnover of two million and very healthy profits.’
‘Hang on, let me get this all down.’ I scribbled furiously. ‘Right.’
‘That was up fifty per cent on the previous year. They came in just at the right time, when all the privatisation was kicking in and the fact that the clients can get all their stuff from the same supplier probably gave them the edge over the competition.’
‘So, they’ll be making quite a bit from it?’ I said.
‘Oh, yeah. Depends how much they’re ploughing back in but they’re doing very nicely thank you.’
‘Nothing illegal?’
‘Well, the law’s very woolly around some of this, but everything I’ve told you so far is public knowledge somewhere or other. Difference is it’d take you weeks going via other agencies, hard copies. Using the computer makes it that much quicker…’
‘Harry! I didn’t mean you. I meant them – anything fishy about their operation?’
‘Oh, no. Nothing glaring anyway.’
‘And Goulden’s not a director?’
‘Ah-ha! No. But listen to this. There’s a Mrs A. L. Goulden, BPharm, MRPharmS who’s actually Managing Director.’
‘His wife.’
‘There’s more – her Malden name was Montgomery, Angela Leonie Montgomery, sister to Douglas Vernon Montgomery.’
‘Yes!’ The connections were there. They all had some involvement in Malden Medical Supplies, and Montgomery and Goulden were brothers-in-law.
‘Anything else you want? Creditworthiness, mortgage details, hire purchase agreements?’
‘Spare me.’
‘Seriously, Sal, you ought to think about getting a system. The amount of stuff you’d have there at your fingertips.’