It is a warm, sunny Saturday in Bellview, Massachusetts, when Kevin and Maria Sanderson receive horrifying news--their seventeen-year-old daughter, Jenny, has been kidnapped. Left with nothing but a typewritten note that asks for a million dollars in return for Jenny, the Sandersons feel they have no choice but to pay the ransom. Despite the kidnapper's threats, the Sandersons enlist the help of the local police and the FBI, who devise a plan to catch the kidnapper at the time of the ransom drop. The kidnapper, however, outsmarts the FBI and makes off with the ransom money--without releasing Jenny. Suddenly questions begin to surface about whether Jenny was really kidnapped in the first place. As the police and FBI try to unravel this mystery, a number of suspects and possibilities emerge, including a teenager from a neighboring town, the leaders of a prostitution ring, a family friend, and a runaway girl from another town. In this gripping, fast-paced thriller, unexpected twists and turns in the investigation into a young girl's mysterious disappearance ultimately lead law enforcement to the surprising discovery of what really happened to Jenny Sanderson. Pacific Book Review: Brilliant plot machinations, credible character development and excellent structural underpinnings of realism. But mostly his logical mind provided for a good storytelling "voice," one which rang with his obvious enjoyment of writing the story as much as his hopes for readers to enjoy the story. I certainly did. Jack Shevlin practiced law for a number of years before leaving the profession to write full-time. In addition to his passion for reading and writing, he is an avid sports fan. He currently resides in Massachusetts, with his wife and four children. This is his first novel. Marked Money By Jack Shevlin iUniverse, Inc. Copyright © 2011 Jack Shevlin All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4620-2603-6 Chapter One It was a warm Saturday in early June, and the sun was shining on Bellview, Massachusetts, a small town of about fifteen thousand people located twenty miles north of Boston. Bellview was a well-to-do town, known for its good school system, the beautiful Orchards Country Club, and the nice neighborhoods surrounding the club. It didn't quite have the money of some of the other bedroom communities outside of Boston, but most folks would tell you it didn't have the pretentiousness of those towns either. Simply put, it was a small, safe, and sterile town—the kind parents love and kids hate. Kevin Sanderson had spent the afternoon golfing with friends at the Orchards. A shade under six feet tall with a medium build, Kevin still had a full head of sandy hair, though it was beginning to turn gray. In decent shape at age forty-five, he remained physically active, jogging or lifting weights every other day and golfing whenever he could. Eighteen holes, followed by a few beers in the clubhouse bar, was part of his Saturday routine throughout the spring and summer. "You guys ready for another round?" asked Joe Scala, one of the members of Kevin's regular Saturday foursome. Following a "Sure" and a "You bet" from the other two guys, Kevin briefly dampened the mood at the table. "I better get going. I gotta stop at Home Depot, then pick up Jenny." Jenny was his seventeen-year-old daughter, the only child of Kevin and his wife Maria. "Home Depot?" smiled Pat Curran, another member of the foursome and Kevin's next-door neighbor. "What project has Maria got you working on now?" "Nothing too bad. She wants me to get some grass feed for the front lawn. She thinks it looks a little raggedy." "I think it looks fine," Curran said. "Thank you. I do, too," replied Kevin. "But it's easier to spread some grass feed than to fight about it." "Amen, brother," said Peter Gallo. "You gotta pick your spots. Though I can't believe you're leaving after the first round. What's the point of dragging our ass around in the hot sun for four hours if we can't pound some beers afterwards?" The subtle dig failed to change Kevin's mind, and he finished his beer and said his goodbyes. Walking to his car in the Orchards parking lot, Kevin's thoughts turned, reluctantly, to the domestic duties that required his attention on his way home. After stopping at Home Depot, he had to pick up Jenny at her friend Alison Hughes' house. Kevin looked forward to this about as much as he looked forward to fertilizing the lawn. Jenny, who was nearing completion of her junior year at Bellview High School, was the source of all kinds of contrasting emotions in Kevin—love, sure, but also bewilderment, frustration, and sometimes anger. When Jenny was born, Kevin and Maria realized they—like virtually all first-time parents—did not know how to care for a baby. But they were also confident that they would learn what they needed to know, whether it be changing diapers, making baby formula, or potty-training the child. After all, they told themselve