George walked around the local mall browsing the shops, and an older man approached him. The guy looked confused and shaky and was asking for assistance. However, George couldn’t react because another man arrived and grabbed the old man’s arm to lead him away.
Still, the look of confusion and slight fear in the old man’s eyes made George follow the pair to determine what was happening. Was it a simple misunderstanding or something sinister?!
Strong Grip
George wanted to confront the man because he felt something was wrong. In fact, he believed the old man was in danger. He wondered why this younger man had a strong grip on the senior citizen’s arm. This caused bystanders to get involved quickly!
Strong Grip
Shouting
George yelled at the young man, asking him to stop. However, he kept going, which attracted even more attention. Now, the older gentleman seemed to want to talk while looking over his shoulder. However, the young guy whispered something that caused the senior to pale.
Shouting
Black Van
George chose to follow the pair so that he didn’t cause a scene. However, he felt fear because the younger man was now quickening his pace. Just as George got outside, he saw the old man getting pushed into a black van and driving away. He asked the bystanders to call the police.
Black Van
Calling the Cops
A bystander happened to have a cell phone and called the police. Soon, every officer was on the scene at the local mall. George was impatient until they arrived, even though they got there fast. They couldn’t waste time if that old man got kidnapped!
Calling the Cops
Questioning
The cops questioned George to determine what had happened. He actually wished he could have done more. Was this a crime scene? It seemed like it with so many police officers. Plus, they questioned all the bystanders, with one claiming to have seen the senior citizen before.
Questioning
Every Second Counts
That bystander was immediately put into another room. The police had to get any information he had because each second counted at that point. If that older gentleman was kidnapped, they had to avoid wasting time and must do something about it.
Every Second Counts
Store Owner
Jack owned one of the shops in the mall and saw the old man come around a few times every month. That was a great lead, but there was also a problem. No one knew who the younger man was. How could they find him and see if the senior citizen had gotten kidnapped?
Store Owner
Security Cameras
Jack had security cameras in place and gave the cops permission to check them. Hopefully, that would lead them to the younger man. In fact, Jack cooperated fully with their investigation and ran to get the backups from his computer servers. Then, something strange surfaced.
Security Cameras
Checking the Footage
When the cops checked the security footage, they soon learned that the young man tried dodging the cameras. He seemed to know where each one was, which made him look even more suspicious. As the police viewed older tapes, they realized something even worse!
Checking the Footage
Background Checks
The senior citizen was shown on his own each Monday. However, it appeared that the younger man had been watching him. Therefore, the police ran a background check on the old man and realized that he was filthy rich!
Background Checks
Hedge Fund Manager
The older gentleman had made tons of money trading stocks because he was a hedge fund manager. This was a huge motive for the younger man because he clearly hoped to extort cash from the senior citizen. The police now monitored those bank accounts for clues.
Hedge Fund Manager
Cameras Outside
While all that happened, other cops checked the cameras outside the property. They got a full visual of the van, and it wasn’t there initially. Therefore, it appeared an accomplice was helping the younger man. This was a truly elaborate extortion plan!
Cameras Outside
Number Plate
Because of the cameras outside the building, the cops saw the van’s license plate numbers. There was even more trouble; when they ran the plates, they learned that vehicle had been reported stolen on that day. Therefore, the lead was out the window, but they soon got a hit!
Number Plate
Tracking It Down
Many traffic cameras caught the van, making it easy to track. Therefore, police officers went to its last known location, bringing George with them to identify the pair. However, they were quickly shocked with horror once they arrived on the scene!
Tracking It Down
Burned Out
They located the van, though it was fully burned. It appeared that the kidnappers were trying to hide the evidence of their crimes. Now, they used George to get a better idea of who the young man was. He was now their only lead, and everyone hoped to find the old man alive!
Burned Out
A Drawing
George had to work with a composite drawer and provide as many details about the young man’s appearance as possible. Therefore, the police could get a clearer picture of the suspect. Once they were finished, the cops ran it through their database to get hits.
A Drawing
Identity Match
After a few seconds, something amazing happened! They got the match they wanted. Immediately, the police captain’s face lost all color because he realized who their criminal was. He did a double-take because it just couldn’t be that guy!
Identity Match
Local Gang
The match came back for Marcus Lee, a well-known felon in the area. He was actually the local gang leader before going to prison. He had gotten released a few months ago, and they were on his trail because he didn’t report to the parole officer. This wasn’t good!
Local Gang
High Alert
The police captain had to put the force on high alert. They were now solely focused on locating Marcus Lee to find out where the old man was. Now, they gathered a list of accomplices, finding that Lee’s former driver was their top choice.
High Alert
Rounding Up Dave
The cops grabbed Dave, taking him to the station. However, he was confused about the incident. Finally, he put things together, realizing that Marcus got him in trouble. Dave talked about Marcus asking him for help on a job, with him declining the offer. However, no one believed him!
Rounding Up Dave
Stacks of Cash
While the police searched Dave’s home, they found large amounts of money, and Dave had no good explanation of why it was there. Overall, the cops had to throw him in a holding cell to keep him in one spot while they cracked his cell phone to get Marcus’ number.
Stacks of Cash
Calling Marcus
Once they retrieved the cell phone data, they saw that Marcus had called Dave earlier with a message that he required help. The cops demanded that Dave tell the truth, and his alibi held up. Finally, they asked him to call Lee; a human being was in trouble!
Calling Marcus
Calling Back
Dave agreed, calling Lee’s number twice. Though he wanted to stop, Marcus returned the last call. Dave answered, putting the call on speakerphone so that the police could hear Marcus. He sounded very suspicious, as though he was hiding something.
Calling Back
Track Him Down
Marcus didn’t want to speak to Dave, convincing the cops that Dave was actually innocent. Luckily, Lee stayed on that call long enough to get tracked. The pings showed him at a warehouse, and everyone wondered if the older gentleman was also there.
Track Him Down
The Warehouse
Available police officers went straight to the warehouse, along with a hostage negotiator. There were plenty of workers around because it was a shipyard. Luckily, Marcus didn’t run when the cops showed up, but his look of confusion put them off slightly.
The Warehouse
Taking Him In
The police officers brought Marcus to the police station by force. He struggled a little because he said he hadn’t done anything wrong. This man felt attacked! Finally, the cops asked him about the older gentleman, but Marcus wouldn’t say anything about the situation!
Taking Him In
Identified
Now, George was asked to be part of a lineup, and he identified Marcus as the one who kidnaped the senior citizen. In fact, there wasn’t any hesitation! Marcus was the bad guy here, and they needed him to give them information quickly.
Identified
Caught in the Act
Marcus had no idea why he was being questioned and didn’t speak. Finally, the cops showed a picture of the old gentleman, and he turned as pale as a ghost. This made him look suspicious, and the cops believed he was the kidnapper; he was caught in the act!
Caught in the Act
No Credibility
Marcus now claimed that he hadn’t hurt the man. This confirmed that he knew the senior citizen, but he claimed he hadn’t the slightest idea of his richness and hadn’t done anything. Still, there was no credibility since he had committed crimes in the past.
No Credibility
Finding the Old Man
Marcus refused to say much more, and the phone rang within the police station. On the other end, a female police officer said that she’d found the old gentleman at one of Marcus’s houses. He heard the conversation and went pale.
Finding the Old Man
Confused
The police officers immediately went to the house, finding a confused senior citizen. He actually seemed to fear for his life and refused to go with the police. In fact, he begged them to go away before there was trouble.
Confused
Not Recognizing
The cops believed the old man thought Marcus would come back, and he was scared of what would happen to him if he left. Eventually, they got him to the police station. He stared straight at Marcus and said he had no idea who the young man was.
Not Recognizing
Sinister Laugh
Marcus laughed a little, which confused the cops. What was going on here? They hadn’t experienced something like this before. Was the senior citizen under so much pressure that he couldn’t blame his assailant at all?
Sinister Laugh
Gary Cries
The older gentleman started crying and told the officers he wished to go home. Therefore, the cops asked him why he was at Marcus’s house. Gary answered and told them that he’d been searching for his daughter.
Gary Cries
Barging In
Marcus tried to interrupt the cops and offer assistance, but they silenced him because they felt he had done enough harm to Gary. They told him to get comfortable in small spaces because he was going to jail. Then, Marcus’s parole officer barged in.
Barging In
Release Him
The parole officer demanded that they release Marcus because he had done nothing wrong. Everyone was confused, including the police captain. Gary recognized the parole officer but not Marcus. Finally, they got an explanation.
Release Him
Marcus Explains
Marcus was released from jail a few months ago and wanted charity work. Therefore, the parole officer put him in touch with an elderly home. Overall, Marcus knew Gary but had no idea of his background. The poor man had memory loss, making things more difficult.
Marcus Explains
Looking for His Daughter
In fact, Marcus was the volunteer caretaker for Gary, but Gary forgot where he was and Marcus all the time. Therefore, he started searching for his daughter so that they could visit the mall. It all made sense now!
Looking for His Daughter
Accident
Everything was out in the open now. Gary was heading to the nursing home in that van, but it had gotten into an accident and burned completely. Marcus then lost Gary in the mall and had to search for him.
Accident
Unfortunate Circumstances
Marcus went to all the places Gary liked, including the mall and shipyard. However, Gary went straight to Marcus’s house as it was familiar. A kidnapping had never taken place. In fact, it was all a simple misunderstanding!
Unfortunate Circumstances