‘That is the ultimate aim of her research, yes,’ Woollard confirmed. ‘But I fear there’s a long way to go.’

Tom felt a dizzying crunch of disappointment in his guts. ‘Right,’ he said, trying to act casual, aware that Jasmine was looking at him oddly. ‘How come you know so much about it?’

Woollard shrugged. ‘Obviously the study of werewolves is not her real work at the hospital. She can only appropriate so much hospital equipment to further her lupine researches.’ He puffed up his scrawny chest. ‘So she’s enlisted my considerable expertise to aid her in her quest … and uses my private laboratory here, when necessity dictates.’

‘Have you heard of a man called Jicaque?’ Tom asked him.

‘Never in my life,’ Woollard shot back quickly. He cleared his throat nervously, setting his chins wobbling. ‘Now, are you finished with your questions? Can I get back to Rico here, hmm?’

‘Not yet,’ Tom replied, bloody-minded at having his hopes dashed again so swiftly. ‘You were saying something about arranging for us to be picked up or delivered.’

Woollard gave a bleak chuckle. ‘And I thought I had a persecution complex. I was referring to these.’ He reached behind him and pulled back the dull pink curtain that partitioned the room to reveal expensive-looking lab equipment ranged along the back wall, perched precariously on an antique desk. So much for the private laboratory.

He opened something that vaguely resembled a small refrigerator and revealed two miniature milk crates inside, both filled with stoppered test tubes. ‘Stacy requests, with some monotony, that I perform specialist treatments on certain lupine blood samples,’ he explained with a sigh. ‘We’re working to perfect a very special serum. She gives me blood samples, I prepare an active solution of serum, she goes and gives it to her lupine patients and I analyse the results.’

‘What is this serum?’ Tom tried to keep the excitement from his voice. ‘A cure for turning ’wolf?’

Woollard shook his head. ‘More of a tonic. The serum is intended to pacify lupine aggression.’ He smiled thinly. ‘I only wish I had one which worked on wilful teenagers.’

‘Say you’re sorry,’ Jasmine hissed at Tom.

Tom felt the heat of her glare and felt himself blush. ‘Well, I’m … I’m sorry for barging in on you like that, Dr Woollard.’

‘I’ll make you sorry if you make me look a fool again,’ Jasmine muttered.

Woollard considered. ‘There is something you could do to make amends.’ He lifted the crates from the refrigerator, his shaking hands making the test tubes rattle alarmingly, and placed them in a secure metal chest stowed beneath the examination couch. ‘Dr Stein said she needs these treated blood samples urgently – preferably before she finishes her night shift over at Park East Hospital. She’d like to see Rico again, too.’

‘I bet she would,’ muttered Jasmine.

‘I don’t taste good to ’wolves,’ Rico piped up. ‘Stacy likes that.’