Meridian Systems, where Ryan last worked, no longer existed. A 1999 merger had folded it into a larger Atlanta tech group, which had eventually become Axiom Tech Partners, stock exchange-listed, with offices across the country. Tracing that corporate lineage took four days, two official requests, and a favor from an analyst in Washington.
Ryan’s employment records from Axiom’s archived files were cooperative and useless: standard HR, good performance reviews, resignation recorded as voluntary in August 1994, citing personal reasons. Dellray stared at the date: August—-only two months before the honeymoon and wedding. He knew he had to find out more.