This Sociological Life

The Sociology Department's corridor held the particular hush of a building that had just realised it might be about to become a news story. You found the department administrator, a careful woman named Priti, who handed over a staff list without being asked twice.

"Four people had full access to Candour," she said. "Dr Pryor, who designed the statistical model. Dr Halvorsen, who did the fieldwork - lovely woman, hasn't been right since she came back from her last stint in Dockside. Dr Abara, junior lecturer, handled the 'theoretical framework' sections, whatever that means in practice. And the Vice-Chancellor's office has had a standing interest from the start, given what Thorncastle's been paying this department to exist." She hesitated. "There's also a Mr Lyle. Thorncastle's man. He's been in and out of this building more than some of our own staff."