At four P.M. nothing much had changed, except Karin had started the electric fan in the office. “Karin, do you have the number of that girl who came in this morning?” I asked.

She handed me a piece of paper with a phone number on it. I went into my office, picked up the phone, and dialed Tracy’s number.

“Hello,” said the voice on the other end of the line.

“Hello, could I speak to Tracy Martin please?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, Miss Martin said she had to see some detective.”

“When did she leave?”

“Just a few minutes ago. Can I take a message?”

“No thank you. Good-bye.” I said. She repeated a good-bye and hung up. So, she’s coming here, I thought. Just then I again heard someone talking to Karin, and my phone rang.

“Adam,” Karin called with a giggle, “Tracy’s back!”

“Karin,” I replied.

“Yes.”

“Cut it out.”

“She wants to see you!”

“Just send her in.” I replied. A few moments later, Tracy was in the room. I got up and offered her a chair. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Well, you didn’t call me back, and I thought that there could be a problem. I wanted to come and see for myself.” She replied.

“I will take the case.” I told her.

“Oh, thank you very much.” She replied, rising to her feet.

“I’ve got a plan, come with me to my car, please. We’ll go and move some of your belongings from your apartment to my house on the outside of town.”

“Why do we have to do that?”

“Well, in order for this plan to work I must be able to convince the other people in your apartment complex that our decoy, Jacie is you. She will live in your apartment and work at your job, just like you would do. Then, if the kidnapper lives in the building he’ll suspect nothing, and therefore, go on with his kidnapping.”

“Won’t Jacie be hurt?”

“No, we’ll follow her with a tracer my cousin is building. For now, I need you some place out-of-sight, where no one will suspect a thing. My house is on the outside of town. I can keep a close eye on you, plus I will be able to protect you from the kidnappers. By the way, where do you work?”

“At the Nano Building and Loan.”

“I’ll tell Jacie right away.”

“Why, thank you very much for all of this,” she said. Getting Karin to come with us, we went outside and down to my car. I opened the back door for Karin, and the passenger’s door for Tracy. Then I went to the other side and got in. I drove to the apartment where she was staying. We loaded two pairs of clothes and a few other belongings into the back of my car.

On the way to my house Tracy and I discussed more old times, and I talked about what she should expect at my house. Eventually she said, “So, what do you plan to do tonight?”