She woke to a suffocating darkness and the agony of over zealously bound limbs tied to a wooden chair. Through the hood she could see and sense a man whom she addressed fearfully: “Why am I here; what do you want with me?”

The shadow growled back, “Be quiet Anne, and you won’t be hurt unless your husband fails to pay the ransom demand.”

She fainted again, overpowered by the pain and fear, not knowing how they knew her name, or why she had been kidnapped when they had so little.

“She’s out,” said the voice to another.

The other nodded, a man, a husband with gambling debts and a wife with very good life insurance cover.