“What would be gained by such a merger?”
“The stock holders wanted to know that too. Wait a minute, you can read all about it. I still have the press release that never went out.” Mondrya printed a copy and handed it to him.
Marcus read the date. January 1990. Desireé was still in high school, no conne
ction there.
“I don't think you'll find anything you can use in that document. I would have given it to you sooner if I thought it was important.”
“Do you mind if I keep this anyway?” Marcus asked, rising to his feet again.
“Be my guest.”
“Mondrya, it's been a pleasure talking with you.”
“Likewise, Mr. Douglas.”
“Marcus, please.”
“You know, I may not have been any help to you, but when I sit and think about it, there are some things to I might look into. If I get something you can use, I'll call you.”
“That is more than I could have hoped for,” Marcus said smiling as Mondrya escorted him out of the office.
“It wasn't all that, but I'll call you anyway,” she said as Marcus walked away.
When Marcus left the building the rains had stopped. He got to his car and tried to call Carmen, but she wasn't in her hotel room. His next stop was the library. Armed with the press release he'd gotten from Mondrya, Marcus went to check to see if Desireé's death began in January of 1990.
He checked the microfiche of the Atlanta Journal Constitution for information on the merger. He cross referenced Roland Ferguson and Bill Hudson. Marcus found a story dated July, 1988: Proposed Merger Brings New Capital to Struggling Brokerage. The story detailed a list of ill advised moves and bad investments made by Hudson Financial during the early 80's. The article went on to say that the influx of much needed capital is the only thing that market analysts predict will save the cash strapped brokerage.
Another dated December, 1989: Atlanta life, Hudson Financial Merger Dead In Water. That article quoted unnamed sources as saying that Roland Ferguson pulled out of the deal in the eleventh hour. It quotes Roland saying; “There's something rotten at Hudson Financial.” When asked to elaborate Roland declined to comment. And later denied making any such comment, off handed or not.
Marcus tried to call Carmen again, and once again got no answer. He wondered what it was that made Roland pull out at the last minute. Could Mondrya have known why he pulled out and not mentioned it? Why not ask her? Marcus thought as he left the library. He got out her card and dialed, “Mondrya Foster, please.”
“One moment, I'll connect you.”
“Mondrya Foster.”
“Ms. Foster, Marcus Douglas.”
“That didn't take you long, Marcus,” Mondrya said to him. “I've got somebody on the other line. Can you hold?”
“Sure.” While Marcus sat through the empty darkness that is hold, his mind wandered back to Carmen. Where was she and what was she doing?
“Marcus; thanks for holding. So, twice in one day. To what do I owe the honor?”
“I was wondering if you knew why Ferguson pulled out of the merger at the last minute.”
“That was a long time ago, Marcus. I was still an analyst then. High level information like that would have never filtered down to my level.”
“But you had to be one of the top analysts to get pulled into a project team like that.”
“You're right; I was one of the top analysts.”
“I know this was a long time ago, Mondrya, but try to remember, did any of the project team find anything that may have caused Ferguson to pull out?”
“I just don't remember, Marcus. And besides, Ferguson had his own team of analysts that he brought in to work with us. We used to call them the analyst analysts, because all they did was go over our work,” Mondrya laughed. “I haven't thought about that for a long time. It's funny how your mind works. Give me a day or two to see what else I can remember.”
“Why don't we get together for lunch on Tuesday to talk about it?”