Helpless.
Alone.
Like he's in hell, she thought, whether or not he still remembers what hell is.
But he still hears her voice
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The next morning Merci had the coffee cup almost to her lips when she saw the lead story in the business section of the Orange County
Journal:
SNAKES GO SOUTH AT SISTEL
Venom-based Cancer Treatment Slithers Away
Drug giant B. B. Sistel Laboratories yesterday announced an immediate end to the development of MiraVen, a snake-venom-based antitumor treatment.
Company vice president Carol Spenser said that all Sistel plans for manufacturing and marketing the treatment have been 'suspended immediately,' and that the OrganiVen Division of Sistel, which was responsible for bringing MiraVen to market, will be restructured. Wall Street reacted to the announcement with a huge sell-off, bringing Sistel stock down to $45 per share, off from Friday's close of $55, a loss of almost twenty percent.
Of further concern within Sistel is the fate of the 100-plus OrganiVen Division employees, and the nearly $400 million paid for OrganiVen late last year. Sistel Laboratories is based in Minneapolis and valued at close to $3 billion. Sistel holds patent, manufacturing anddistribution rights to some of the world's most effective and profitable drugs. 'We'll try our best to absorb the OrganiVen Division into our work force,' said Spenser. 'We have a history of taking care of our own.'
The much publicized cancer 'cure' was based on the tissue-destroying effects of snake venom. The idea, decades old, yielded dramatic animal trial results for San Diego-based OrganiVen. OrganiVen researchers used the tumor treatment in combination with an antivenom 'immunity' program that allowed cancer patients to tolerate high levels of toxicity. The tiny OrganiVen start-up company originally raised capital through a friends-and-family offering of shares sold for twenty-five cents each. When OrganiVen-founded by UCSD-based doctors- showed dramatic results in animal testing with its cancer treatment MiraVen, venture capitalists such as CEIDNA, Trident Capital and Brown Brothers invested heavily.
Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the accounting firm that released a recent survey on venture capital, put the combined venture investment in OrganiVen at $56 million. Sistel purchased OrganiVen for $400 million in cash and stock in September of last year, planning to take MiraVen through the uncertain and costly human trials necessary to bring a new drug to market. 'There's some sense of disappointment over MiraVen,' said Spenser.
'But there's simply no way we could see an effective human cancer treatment within the timeline necessary to insure profitability. We have shareholders to consider, and we ran into some development glitches that just weren't solvable. It's too bad.' Of the total number of new human treatment drugs researched and developed each year by pharmaceutical companies, less than one percent ever find their way into production, industry sources say.
Merci read the article twice, her coffee untouched. 'Archie and Gwen's company got canceled,' she said.
Her father sat at the opposite end of the table, his gray hair in a storm and his eyes on the sports page. 'I saw that.'
'How can it be worth millions then nothing?'
'Those problems the lady talked about.'
'What the hell is a four-hundred-million-dollar glitch?'
Clark looked over his glasses at her. 'Ask her.'
With little hope of getting through to industry captain Carol Spenser, Merci took the B. B. Sistel general number from the operator, then dialed. The receptionist put her through to Public Information. Carol Spenser's assistant answered the phone. Merci identified herself as an Orange County Sheriff's Homicide Detective and asked to speak to Ms. Spenser.
'Just a moment, Detective.'
'This is Carol Spenser.' She had a sweet, middle-aged voice with the distinct ring of intelligence in it.
Merci explained that one of her homicide cases involved OrganiVen investors, and she wanted to know just a little more about OrganiVen's restructuring.
'That just means we keep the people and the equipment but drop the division,' said Spenser.
'But why? I saw the MiraVen video-it worked great.'
'Those were animal trials, as you know, and human ones would have turned out to be much more complicated and expensive.'
'What was the development glitch, Ms. Spenser?'
'Detective Rayborn, I can't tell you that. I am a vice president and the head of public information for a multinational company, and part of my job is to protect proprietary information about our company and its employees. We're under no legal obligation to reveal that kind of information unless we're under subpoena in a United States court. Some of that information we are not required to disclose under any circumstances. To do so would be like you giving out details of an investigation.'
'I understand. But I've got a murder case to close.'
'Well, certainly, our decision to restructure a division here at Sistel can't have had anything to do with a murder? I mean, we just made the announcement yesterday, and your case must have begun before then. Correct?'
'A week ago. The victim was an OrganiVen start-up investor named Gwen Wildcraft. She and her husband made two million dollar when you bought the company last September.'
'And?'
And, Merci thought: her husband, shot in the attack and perhaps suspect, now suffering brain damage, said that a huge man he believe to be connected somehow to that investment met with his wife in bar and may have had something to do with the killing.
Think fast, she thought. She thought as fast as she could and came up with almost nothing.
'I thank you for your time,' she said.
'Feel free to call again if there's anything I can help you with, wish you success in solving your case.'
Merci hung up, hit redial and asked for the B. B. Sistel security department. The receptionist put her through to Plant Security, which transferred her to Personnel Security, which transferred her to the Legal Department, Patents and Infringements.
'Ron Billingham,' a smooth voice announced.
Merci identified herself and told Mr. Billingham that she was investigating a Southern California homicide, Gwen Wildcraft, a woman who had invested substantially in OrganiVen before it was bought b Sistel.
There was a pause, then Billingham put her on hold for nearly two full minutes. Merci listened to music and drank her coffee.
He came back with an apology, then, 'Sergeant Rayborn, I'm going to give you a number for Ardith Day at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. After you've talked to her, you can call me back if you need to.'
Merci took down the number and called Ardith Day. Day took HER call immediately and gave her the number of FBI Special Agent Nicholas Behrens in Washington. Behrens took her call immediately and gave her the number of Special Agent Carl Komer in the FBI Investigative Resident Agency in Orange County. She left a message with the Santa Ana RA and Komer called back in less than one minute.
'We should talk,' he said. 'How about my office, eleven-thirty?'
'Thank you. I'll be there.'
Sheriff Vince Abelera looked at her unhappily as she walked across the blue carpet of his office and sat in front of his desk. Marilyn shut the door behind her and Merci felt the familiar hush of the office.
'Have you heard from Wildcraft?' the sheriff began.
'Last night, sir, at ten-fifteen. He called. He would not tell me where he was. He would not let me come get
