The amount of tension in the room was unbelievable. It was a small office with only five desks and a separate room for the Chief of the division. The office equipment (including the desks) had the appearance of being remnants from a salvage sale and the atmosphere of a government agency.

“Maybe the call yesterday was just a crank call,” the secretary said with the hope that someone would agree with her. The secretary,Betty Williams hadn’t been with the Security Division very long. She replaced the former secretary who was killed in a bomb blast in a previous case.

Every time the phone rang, the jumpiness and the strain of ‘is this it?’ was evident upon the face of everyone and in the ashtrays of smashed out cigarettes.

“Did the caller give an exact time he would call?” I asked.

“No,” Betty said. “He called and was told that I’m the only one here. He said he would call back tomorrow and somebody in charge had better be here or he was going to snatch, that’s the word he used, one of our school principals.”

“Franklin says, “Bob, you’ve been here ten years and you’re the senior investigator. Doesn’t that make you in charge?”

I knew the responsibility would be mine since the Chief hadn’t come in yet. I ran my hand through

My blond hair knowing this case was going to give me more gray hair. I started getting a little gray hair when the former secretary, Sally, was killed in a bomb blast that was intended foe me.

I had planned on proposing to her right before it happen. Suddenly, I realized I was daydreaming.

“Go over it again. The part he said about the money,” I asked Betty.

“I’ve told you twice already, but oh – all right, I’ll tell you again. He said he wanted $1,000,000 or he will snatch one of our principals.”

“Did you hear any background noise that would give any clue to where he was calling from?”

“No, but his voice was course and harsh as though he had a cold or he was a heavy smoker.”

“Maybe it’s a crank call like you said,” I told her, “he can’t expect the district to pay out a ransom when there hasn’t been any kidnapping.” The phone started ringing.

“Turn on the recorder,” I told Franklin, “just in case it’s him.”

The phone was on its third ring when Franklin gave the signal that the recorder was ready to go.

The phone rang its fourth ring.