CHAPTER # 1
# 1 > Sunday, August 7th, 6:00 P.M. Now Jake Dragged another piece of piping-hot apple pie onto his plate and looked across the table. His wife was eyeing him closely, something on her mind, no doubt. "Next time, honey, I'd appreciate if you'd let me do the talking," she said. "Especially with something so sensitive." Jake gave her a crooked grin and nodded. "You can handle things like that next time," he said, before digging in to the pie. Annie was right, of course. He'd almost bungled their last task, as simple as it was. They were hired of find a man's missing son. No problem there__a few minutes online and it was done. But going off half-cocked, Jake had made a call and demanded the boy return home. He almost got hung up on, but when the more sympathetic Annie got involved, she convinced the boy to contact his father. There was ultimately a satisfactory outcome for all.
# 2 > "No harm done," she said with a smile that made Jake wilt. She knew how to tell him off gently. After he finished eating, Jake helped Annie clean up the table and put the dishes in the sink. He turned to her and sighed. "I'm tired of barely making ends meet." Annie turned to face her husband. He was a daunting sight at six feet inches tall, short dark hair, and an impressive physique. She touched his arm and looked up into his eyes. "We're doing ok. Just let me handle the finances." She was better at that too. She was better at a whole lot of things, and wondered what he would ever do without her. He took a sideways look at his wife. At just over five feet four inches, she still about the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. Her mid-length golden hair, and the trim figure she'd kept all the years since he'd known her, always made his heart melt. She was his motivating force and he thought the world of her.
# 3 > The phone jangled on the counter and interrupted Jack's thoughts. He scooped it up. "Lincoln Investigations. This is Jake." It was Annie's best friend from next door. "Hold on, Chrissy. She's right here," He said, holding out the phone. Annie and Chrissy had been friends for a long time, and it seemed to Jake they were always yakking about something. Annie took the receiver and settled into a chair. "Hi Chrissy. How's everything?" Jake wandered into living room, grabbed the remote, and switched on the TV. Just some stupid sitcom. He flicked through the channles, eventually gave up, and turned it off again. Tossing the remote back where he found it, he stretched out on the couch. A rocket the size of an eight-year-old boy suddenly landed on his chest. The rocket's name was Matty, a bundle of energy, and ready to wrestle his father into submission. The battle soon took to the floor, but before long, Jake surrendered, pinned down, and seemingly helpless. From the other room came a warning, "Don't you guys break anything in there."
