Captive Justice: A Private Investigator Mystery Series (A Jake & Annie Lincoln Thriller Book 4) Read Free

afraid.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
     
     
    Wednesday, August 31st, 9:56 AM
     
    ALL THAT COULD be seen of Jake was his feet sticking out from underneath his pride, a 1986 Pontiac Firebird.
    He had heard a light rattle from underneath the engine, a sound not one in a hundred people would notice, but Jake had, and it needed to be fixed.
    He turned his head and saw Annie’s running shoes step inside the garage and move in his direction.
    “Phone call for you,” she said.
    He pushed with his feet and the creeper rolled him out from under the vehicle. He stood, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, “Who is it?”
    “He wouldn’t say. He only wants to speak to you and he called on the house line,” Annie said, as she handed him the cordless phone.
    “Hello?” Jake said into the phone.
    “Is this Jake Lincoln?”
    “Yes.”
    “Are you a private investigator?”
    “Yes, who is this?”
    The man spoke in a feverish tone. “My name is Gould, Dr. Arthur Gould, and my wife . . . she’s been kidnapped.”
    Jake looked at Annie, touched the speaker button and whispered to her, “His wife’s been kidnapped.” He spoke into the phone, “Have you called the police, Dr. Gould?”
    “No, I’m not sure what to do. He . . . the kidnapper said not to call the police.”
    Jake hesitated and then said, “The police should always be notified. They’ve had experience in this and they know exactly how to proceed without letting the kidnapper know they’re involved.”
    Silence on the line.
    Jake continued, “Perhaps you should let the police handle it, but we’re happy to do what we can to help if they’re unable to catch the kidnapper.”
    “There’s more to it than that, Mr. Lincoln.”
    Jake waited.
    “He’s holding her for ransom and he told me to contact you. He wants you to deliver the ransom money.”
    Jake looked at Annie. She looked back at him and cocked her head. Jake frowned and said, “That’s an unusual request.”
    “I realize that,” the doctor said. “But he was insistent.”
    Jake thought a moment, trying to gauge Annie’s thoughts.
    Dr. Gould was impatient. “Will you do it?”
    Jake watched Annie nod and he spoke into the phone. “I’ll do it.”
    The doctor sighed in relief. “Thank you, Mr. Lincoln.”
    Annie whispered to Jake, “How much?”
    “How much money is he demanding?” Jake asked the doctor.
    “One hundred thousand dollars.”
    Jake raised a brow and asked, “Can you get the money today?”
    “Yes, I’d thought it might be more but I can get it immediately.”
    “Did you get any instructions yet as to when or where the exchange should take place?”
    “He said I must get the money and get it to you by this afternoon and he’ll call you.”
    Jake looked at his watch. “Then we’d better hurry,” he said. “Perhaps my wife and I should come and see you right away.”
    “Your wife?”
    “My wife and I are partners and it’s best if we both come to interview you.”
    “Very well then.”
    “We’ll come over now.”
    Jake found a pencil and an envelope on the workbench, scribbled down Dr. Gould’s address and phone number and hung up the phone.
    The couple looked at each other and Jake frowned, “We’d better get there right away.”

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 5
     
     
     
    Wednesday, August 31st, 10:22 AM
     
    DR. GOULD’S HOUSE was situated in what was once an old neighborhood, the houses built back when land was cheap and the lots were large. In recent years, the older houses had been torn down, one by one, and the rich and the newly-rich were coming in, tearing down the old and building new luxurious dwellings.
    Jake pulled the Firebird into the triple-width driveway and stopped beside a BMW. They climbed from the vehicle and went up the stone driveway, past the immaculately landscaped front lawn and onto a large verandah.
    Annie clanged the knocker and the door was opened almost immediately.
    Dr. Gould was in his mid-thirties, but the stress