| General Fiction posted September 4, 2025 | Chapters: |
...8 9 -10- 11... 
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Abby comes for a visit
A chapter in the book Beating the Devil
Beating the Devil - Chapter 10
by Jim Wile
| Background A cancer researcher invents an early cancer detection system. |
Recap of Chapter 9: Brian calls Abby and tells her Mal was the saboteur but that he was paid by Vivian Delacroix. He relates how he fired Mal and hopefully solved the problem with Vivian. He invites Abby to come help interview a new lab tech and to begin the next phase of testing.
The Kendrick family visits the dog breeder to pick out a new puppy. They unanimously agree on a 6-week-old chocolate Lab, who they will bring home in two weeks when he’s mature enough.
Chapter 10
On the way home, the kids couldn’t stop talking about the puppy.
“Alright, guys, we’re going to have to choose a name for him. Any ideas?” asked Brian.
Johnny said, “I think we should call him Earl.”
“Why am I not surprised?” said Brian. “After your favorite banjo player, Earl Scruggs, right?”
“Right.”
“I think we should name him after a boy violinist,” countered Lindsay.
“Who would you suggest, Linds? Pinchas? Maybe Itzhak?”
She thought about it for a moment. “I guess Earl is okay.”
“You good with that, Momma?” asked Brian.
“Yep.”
“Me too. Okay, then, Earl it is… unless you want to call him Scruggs instead.”
Johnny made a face. “Nope, Earl.”
In the afternoon, Brian got to work finding a replacement for Mal. His best source of applicants was his friend Paul Rieke, the head of the biochemistry department at North Carolina State University. Paul had been his organic chemistry teacher when he was a freshman there. He had been one of the ones who gave Brian a second chance in his battle with opioid addiction.
When he was 16, Brian had been in an auto accident through his own careless driving. He was prescribed opioids to relieve his chronic back pain and soon became addicted to them. It was in rehab that he met Julia, who was suffering from addiction to barbiturates she had been taking to relieve the immense performance anxiety her mother created for her. They fell in love, and both helped each other break their respective addictions. But he reinjured his back in a weight-lifting accident near the end of his freshman year of college, and he got addicted again.
It was Paul Rieke who took Brian under his wing and gave him a job in his lab that summer on the condition that he attend a support group for addicts. He also helped steer Brian in the career direction that led to his eventual creation of the highly successful Glyptophan. He has been a good friend and colleague to Brian ever since.
“Good to hear from you, Brian,” said Paul. “How is your project going? Last time we spoke, you were about to begin testing Abby’s VOC detection model.”
“Well, we demonstrated that her model works, but in the process, I lost my favorite lab technician, Malcolm Roberts.” He filled Paul in on the details and who was ultimately responsible.
“That’s too bad about Mal, but Vivian Delacroix? Jeez. I can’t believe someone with her reputation would stoop that low. That really surprises me. I’m proud of you and Julia for the stance you’ve taken about it, though. So, I imagine you’re calling for a recommendation to replace Mal?”
“You know me well, Paul. Have you got anyone in mind who might be looking for a lab technician’s job?”
Without having to put much thought into it, he said, “Roberta Chen comes to mind. She graduated this spring. She’s a seriously good student who got A’s in all of my classes. I believe she may be in the market for such a job.”
Brian got her contact information and thanked Paul for the recommendation. They chatted for a while, and when they hung up, Brian gave Roberta a call, which she answered.
“Roberta, my name is Brian Kendrick. I’m a cancer researcher looking for a lab technician, and I was given your name by Dr. Paul Rieke. He was my professor and employer when I went to NC State about 20 years ago, and we’re good friends now.”
“Yes, Dr. Kendrick. I’m well aware of who you are. Dr. Rieke spoke of you quite often. You’re the inventor of Glyptophan, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but it’s just Mr. Kendrick. I never went for a doctorate. In fact, you can simply call me Brian. Anyway, I’m looking for a lab technician to help me with the development of an early cancer detection system, and I was wondering if you would be interested in applying for the position? Are you currently working now?”
“Only part-time in my father’s pharmacy while I’m applying for jobs. I’m kind of picky about what I’m looking for. I’m also considering going for a master’s degree in neuroscience.”
“That’s my specialty too, but there’s a surprising overlap between it and cancer research. If you think you might be interested in the position, I’d be happy to describe how my system works and what your role in it would be.”
“Yes, I’m definitely interested in hearing about it.”
Brian described the nanoparticle pill that would bind with cancer cells and trigger the release of VOCs that could then be detected by the second component—the home breathalyzer.
When he finished his explanation, Roberta said, “That sounds fascinating, but there’s something I don’t quite understand about it. If cancer cells emit their own VOCs, why not just detect those with your breathalyzer? Why do you need the nanoparticle pill?”
“That’s a great question, Roberta. The reason is that the VOCs emitted by the cancer cells in the early stages are of such a low concentration, they may not be detectable yet. However, the pill will amplify the signals. The nanoparticles will seek out and bind to the cancer cells, causing a burst of VOCs in much greater concentrations. This makes it easier to detect even very small tumors at the beginning of their development. That’s the theory anyway. The whole idea is to detect them as early as possible and to get the patients going on a treatment regimen. That will give them the best chance of survival.”
Brian described his laboratory and equipment and told Roberta what her duties as a lab technician would be. He also talked up the fact that he would do his best to explain the science to her as well as encourage her to participate in the experimental design and implementation.
Roberta said, “This sounds like a terrific opportunity. I’d be very interested in applying for the job. Should I send you my CV?”
“Yes, I’d appreciate that,” and he gave her his email. “Would you be able to come next week for an interview? My partner, Abby Payne, will be here much of the week, so if you could come one day next week, you’ll get to meet her too.”
They settled on Tuesday at 1:00 PM, and she thanked him for the opportunity.
Brian met Abby at the airport on Monday afternoon. Abby is an attractive 65-year-old woman who was a striking redhead up until a few years ago. Her hair is now a beautiful platinum color, which she wears shoulder length.
Once they left the mayhem typical of Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and Brian could concentrate, Abby said, “So, what’s been happening since we last spoke? Did Vivian Delacroix send you that check yet?”
“Not yet, but I’m fairly certain she will. Someone with her reputation doesn’t want to see it destroyed, and she knows I mean business.”
“I hope you’re right for Mal’s daughter’s sake. I imagine he’s pretty grateful to you for letting him off so easily.”
“Yeah, but he’s carrying around a lot of shame and guilt right now. He knows he screwed up. On a better note, though, we’ll be conducting an interview for his replacement tomorrow. Paul Rieke, whom you’ve met, recommended one of his recent graduates for the position. Her name is Roberta Chen, and her CV is fantastic.”
“Good. I look forward to meeting her.”
 Recognized |
Brian Kendrick: A 41-year-old neuroscientist and cancer researcher
Julia Kendrick: Brian's 41-year-old wife. She is also a world-class violinist.
Johnny Kendrick: Their 6-year-old son
Lindsay Kendrick: Their 4-year-old daughter
Dr. Marie Schmidt: Julia's mother
Madison (Maddy) McPhail: Owner of Bo
Bo: Maddy McPhail's cancer-sniffing therapy dog
Abby Payne: Brian's partner on the project. She is 65 and a brilliant mathematician
Callie Bennett: The programmer on the project. She is Abby's cousin.
Malcolm Roberts (Mal): One of Brian's two lab techs
Larry Posner: One of Brian's two lab techs
Vivian Delacroix: An oncology professor at Wake Forest University also doing early cancer detection work
Picture courtesy of Imagen-4-Ultra-Exp
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