Nanowired

First four pages of chapter 1 CHAPTER 1 The morning sun was creeping above the trees on the east side of Toronto. People were moving in the streets, a new day was coming to life in the crowded city. Employees in the CBB newsroom on 100 Bloor Street were preparing their equipment for the 7 a.m. newscast. Karen Jacks adjusted the microphone attached to the lapel of her dark blue jacket as she looked up at the camera."Today is going to be a warm one with the tempera­ture going to 20 degrees Celsius. Now, for the top news of the morning. Dr. Jobin an eminent environmentalist was shot dead in his downtown Forest Hill home. According to the report, he was killed this morning while reading the early edition of the newspaper. I am going to turn you over to Michael Smith a news correspondent on location at Dr. Jobin's residence. Michael can you hear me? This is Karen Jacks! I understand you are at the scene right now. Could you tell us what happened?" The camera focused in on the tall handsome news­caster. "Thank-you Karen. You can see from the number of police milling around here, Dr. Jobin's death is of some concern. As you know Karen, Dr. Jobin was on the Board of Directors with Panax Corporation. From what I can gather at this time, police are saying Dr. Jobin was killed by a single bullet. I just talked with Detective Sergeant James in the homicide division with the Metro Police Service. He preferred not to be inter­viewed but indicated he will make a statement later today. From the appearance of the crime scene, I was informed this doesn't look like an accidental shooting. Initially, there was some talk a hunter was in the Ravine this morning shooting at deer. Police however, believe the shooting was not accidental. As you can see from the close up, the bullet penetrated the glass pane and killed Dr. Jobin while he sat at his kitchen table. The police are attempting to retrieve some clues from the crime scene. They are searching the east side of the property near the stone wall. It appears the gunman took his deadly shot from about 50 yards from the house. From what I have gathered, the police are combing the grounds for bullet casings. The Forensic Unit is sweeping the area. No one has been allowed to enter the yard because they don't want the crime scene contami­nated. There are two criminal analysts here, looking at the evidence. They are attempt­ing to piece this together so they can make some sense of the homicide. That's about it for now Karen. I'll have more about this incident on the update at 12:00 noon," said the newscaster. "That was Michael Smith live from Forest Hill. We will have more news about the killing later in the day. This is Karen Jacks from the CBB network." Jonathan Richardson, president of Panax Corporation depressed the button on the teleconverter and the monitor faded. He sat in silence in the back seat of his black limousine as it sped along the Don Valley Parkway. The vice-president of Panax Corporation had been murdered. An emergency meeting with the board members would take place as soon as he arrived at his office. He would telephone the firm contracted to provide security to his agency. Twenty-four/seven protection would be offered to board members and the administrative staff at Panax Corpor­ation. Surveillance cameras would be installed on the homes of all employees as an added measure. Dr. Jobin's death would create some panic at the Panax Corporation. Jonathan Richardson would personally contact the police chief at the Metro Police Service and ask for an update on the investigation. The directors of the Panax Corporation held powerful positions in the city. He would contact the mayor's office and arrange a personal meeting. Jonathan Richard­son would demand the city bring in its best forensic investigators to solve Dr. Jobin's homicide. He thought back to the development of Panax Corporation. The company had been started twenty five years prior as a private organization to deal with the complaints against Industrial firms intent on polluting the environ­ment. With the generous donations from well known North American philanthropists, the Panax Corpor­ation had gained notoriety. High profile lawyers had offered their services pro bono and taken the North American Indus­trialists to court. The civil litigation had proven costly to the Industrial firms. Many were forced into bankruptcy protection whereas others had to undertake costly measures to minimize the impact of the hazardous wastes. Jonathan Richards­on was having an impact on the environment. Toxic waste had been reduced by 60 percent and the Panax Corporation was making significant gains in the Industrialized world. .