Captive- Veiled Desires by Clarissa Cartharn Read Free Book Online Page A

missing?”
    “Well, I haven’t heard from her for a week. And she promised she would email me at most every two days.”
    “Miss Jacobsen, as much as I’d like to believe you, there is also the possibility that your friend may not have contacted you yet.”
    “But you don’t understand,” she insisted fervently. “She promised me. She told me that she would. That and the fact she’s a photographer. And yet she hasn’t uploaded a new photograph to her database since a week ago. I would think that is very strange considering photography is what took her to Kashmir.”
    She heard a brief rustle of static hover in the line.
    “What database is this, Miss Jacobsen?”
    She grew quiet. “Who am I speaking to again?” she asked cautiously.
    “Travis Mulholland,” the man replied curtly. “Miss Jacobsen, what database were you referring to?”
    She didn’t understand why she hesitated. Perhaps, it was the manner in which the man spoke to her. She didn’t like his officious tone. She was certain though that he annoyed her much too greatly.
    “I’m telling you there is something wrong,” she barked into the phone. “Nora wouldn’t just lose contact with me like that. She isn’t the sort. And she knew how worried I would be.”
    “Calm down, Miss Jacobsen.”
    “Don’t tell me to calm down,” she yelled angrily. “My friend is missing. And all I’ve been doing with you fucking lot in that department is repeating myself since yesterday.”
    “Miss Jacobsen, I understand that this can be a trying point in your life. We are here to help in any way we can to bring back your loved ones safely back home. For the present, I can assure you that there haven’t been any reports of any female American being arrested or hospitalized in India.”
    “Mr Mulholland, with all due respect, if she was arrested or hospitalized that would make her found . Unfortunately, she’s still missing.”
    She heard someone whisper in the background and she rolled her eyes. Was she talking to a fucking intern? Those voices had got to be from the trainee’s superior.
    “Miss Jacobsen, do you have a letter of authority from Miss Jennings delegating you to act on her behalf in cases of emergencies such as this?”
    The question took her by surprise. She had simply assumed that the office would be interested in the welfare of any American traveling in volatile territories.
    “No,” she replied slowly. She closed her eyes, her heart growing heavy from the words that would follow it.
    That annoying static hovered between them again. This time she noticed though it was longer than the first, making her more anxious than she already was.
    “I’m sorry, Miss Jacobsen,” he started and she bit her lip. “But unless you have a letter of authority from Miss Jennings, I cannot disclose any details on Miss Jennings’ whereabouts. You will need to provide significant evidence that she would have given you authority to act on her behalf had she had the opportunity to do so.”
    “And how do I go about doing that?” she remarked sarcastically. “That’s almost impossible to prove.”
    “I’m sorry, Miss Jacobsen.”
    The whispers started again and they aggravated her. “Give me your supervisor,” she demanded.
    That blasted static!
    “Miss Jacobsen, there is great possibility that your friend is safe and will contact you in due time. In the meanwhile, we will keep an eye out for any news of your friend,” he said.
    “Is that all you will do?” Her jaw fell open in shock. “Aren’t you going to actively look for her?”
    His supervisor muttered something in the background and she seethed. Why was he whispering like that? Why won’t he simply talk to her?
    “Miss Jacobsen, are you aware that there is a travel advisory issued for Jammu and Kashmir?”
    “What?” she blurted. “I thought that was over.” Nora had said the kidnappings of those tourists occurred two decades ago. She had said Kashmir was much safer now.
    “The