I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 172 : Alpha Emmiters

"Come on ! How in the world is it possible that files we looked up not later than yesterday are now impossible to find in any data bases !" Greg outbursted in the middle of the openspace.

Of course he had a slight idea of what could have happened and of whom could have ordered perfectly accessible files to sudenly disappear from eyesight but he was determine not to believe it. The elder Holmes hadn't gave him his word that Scotland Yard would be completly free to investigate, but as far as he knew, the criminal records, in the United-Kingdom, of two Russian men, was not that much of a threat to anyone.

"Would you check the customs' database to see if we can still access their files on there ?" the detective requested from a junior officer of the counter terrorism that had been detach to his investigation.

"I'm afraid the result is the same sir." the young man replied after a few seconds. "It's like if the had never existed."

"Bloody hell ..." the inspector cursed under his breath.

He exchanged a quick look with Sally who had overheard the entire conversation from the desk she was working on a few meters away. Both of them were no fool and they knew that some time, the country's interest wasn't the one of a single individual but in this case, they refused to be prevented from investigating for any kind of state reason. The young woman nodded to him as an approval of what she knew the man was going to do.

"What are we suppose to do then sir ?" the young policeman wondered, feeling useless.

"You, you telephone to the Atomic Weapons Establishment to know if the testing have moved on." he replied, looking rather cross. "I have some words to exchange with My ... with higher powers."

He retreated to a small meeting room, few doors down the corridor and composed his husband's landline number. He was crossed enough to make his call as official as it could be and the fact that the officia didn't picked up the phone mad him even a little angrier. Finally, on his third attempt, someone answered the call.

"Sir Holmes' office, Mrs Taylor speaking, what can I do for you ?" the PA introduced herself in the most agreable voice.

"Put me through to Mycroft." the policeman retorted, quite harshly.

"Sir Holmes is attending a meeting, I'm sorry. May I take a message ?" the young woman denied.

"No need, thank you." the inspector hanged up the call, now very pissed.

Giving by what was the most urging matter in both their work, their were high chances that the meeting the elder Holmes was attending was a COBRA meeting chaired by the prime minister or something of the kind and, therefore, as angry as he could be, there was no way for the detective to interupt him in the middle of it.

Champing at the bit, he returned to the openspace, hoping that, at least, AWE would have done a significient move. It had been fourteen days since they had been given the first samples but, since then, they couldn't find anything out of normal.  Nevsky's health, however ad worsen, rulling out the probability of thallium contamination and the symptoms he had developp were ressembling more and more those from a radiation contamination. He was now very weak and had period of unconcioussness that would grow longer and longer and the doctors were very worried that he wouldn't see the end of the week.

"Greg, they've maybe found something !" Sally exclaimed as soon as she saw him. She was leaning against the counter-terrorism's officer's desk, smiling and holding a little sticky note covered in her handwriting.

"Impossible !" the policeman smiled in relief. Everything wasn't going according to plan, but that was at least one good news to be happy for.

"It's really a lucky move actually. They've done a spectroscopy - don't ask me what it is - to try and detect gamma rays as each type of radioactive substances as its own signature ray, but they couldn't find anything substancial. Although, they always had a little spike of gamma ray at one specific place, but nothing that match known signature." Donovan started explaining, refeering to her note to be sure not to be mistaking. "But yesterday after having ran he test multiple times, two of the scientist were discussing that matter while on their lunch break and they were overheard by another guy. This elderly man had worked decades ago on the atomic program and recognised that spike to be one of a substances that is no longer used in the British atomic programm, Polonium 210. They've ran further test during the night and they are now around 80 percent sure f their claim. Although, to be completly sure, they would like to assess Nevsky with special equipments, today, at the hospital."