“I doubt it,” Lou said. “I was able to learn the connection too easily. If GenSys was trying to conceal ownership, the lawyers in Nevada would have continued to be the directors and officers of record for Alpha Aviation. Instead, at the first board meeting the chief financial officer of GenSys assumed the duties of president and secretary.”

“Then why Nevada for an airplane owned by a Massa-chusetts-based company?” Laurie asked.

“I’m no lawyer,” Lou admitted. “But I’m sure it has something to do with taxes and limitation of liability. Massachusetts is a terrible state to get sued in. I imagine GenSys leases its plane out for the percentage of the time it doesn’t use it, and insurance for a Nevada-based company would be a lot less.”

“How well do you know this broker friend of yours?” Jack asked Laurie.

“Really well,” Laurie said. “We went to Wesleyan University together.”

“How about giving her a call and asking her if she knows of any connection between GenSys and Equatorial Guinea,” Jack said. “If she recommended the stock, she’d probably thoroughly researched the company.”

“Without a doubt,” Laurie said. “Jean Corwin was one of the most compulsive students I knew. She made us premeds seem casual by comparison.”

“Is it all right if Laurie uses your phone?” Jack asked Lou.

“No problem,” Lou said.

“You want me to call this minute?” Laurie asked with surprise.

“Catch her while she’s still at work,” Jack said. “Chances are if she has any file, it would be there.”

“You’re probably right,” Laurie admitted. She sat down at Lou’s desk and called Chicago information.

While Laurie was on the phone, Jack quizzed Lou in detail about how he was able to find out what he had. He was particularly interested and impressed with the way Lou had come up with Equatorial Guinea. Together, they looked more closely at the map, noticing the country’s proximity to the equator. They even noticed that its major city, presumably its capital, wasn’t on the mainland but rather on an island called Bioko.

“I just can’t imagine what it’s like in a place like that,” Lou said.

“I can,” Jack said. “It’s hot, buggy, rainy, and wet.”

“Sounds delightful,” Lou quipped.

“Not the place someone would choose to vacation,” Jack said. “On the other hand, it’s off the beaten track.”

Laurie hung up the phone and twisted around in Lou’s desk chair to face the others. “Jean was as organized as I expected,” she said. “She was able to put her finger on her GenSys material in a flash. Of course, she had to ask me how much of the stock I’d bought and was crushed when I admitted I hadn’t bought any. Apparently, the stock tripled and then split.”

“Is that good?” Lou asked facetiously.

“So good I might have missed my opportunity to retire,” Laurie said. “She said this is the second successful biotech company started by its CEO, Taylor Cabot.”

“Did she have anything to say about Equatorial Guinea?” Jack asked.