The Chase Read Online Free PDF

wanted to be my own man, equally adept at swindling and thievery. And to prove that I was, to myself and to him, I stole a Van Gogh from a museum in Amsterdam two days before Duff planned to steal it himself.”
    “What a jerk. You ripped off his scheme and stole the painting for yourself. You didn’t prove your mastery of theft. You proved you’re a backstabbing weasel.”
    “But I didn’t use his plan. I came up with a brilliant plan of my own and stole the painting by myself. I didn’t even cheat him out of the plunder. I left the painting on the wall of his living room as a gift. But for some insane reason he didn’t take it that way.”
    “What a
jerk
.”
    “You mean
him
this time.”
    “I mean
you
.”
    “Why? I was showing my respect.”
    “You were showing off and ridiculing him at the same time.”
    “I don’t see how.”
    “What you were saying was: ‘Look at me, I’m so much more clever and capable than you. See you ’round, sucker.’ ”
    “That wasn’t what I meant at all.”
    “Well, that’s what you said. You may be a great con man, but you still have a few things to learn about human nature.”
    “So that’s why he wants to kill me.”
    “Yes, plus you have way better eyebrows.”
    Nick ran his finger across his right eyebrow. “You think that’s a factor?”
    “It would be for me.”

Kate’s nose was cold, but the rest of her was deliciously warm. She came awake slowly, taking inventory of her situation. T-shirt, check. Silky pajama bottoms, check. Location, unknown. She hit the pause button and filled in the blank. Location, Scotland. And she wasn’t alone. She was totally snuggled into a man, her arm resting across his chest, her leg draped over his thigh, and her face nuzzled against his neck. There was a moment of panic and then horrified enlightenment.
    She opened one eye and grimaced. “Crap.”
    “I was hoping for something more positive,” Nick said.
    “Sorry, I’m afraid I accidentally gravitated to the warm side.”
    “Warm is a gross understatement. Especially after you snaked your leg between mine.”
    “Sorry.”
    “You could give it a happy ending.”
    “A happy ending for me would be half a loaf of bread, toasted, and a gallon of coffee.”
    “It’s occurring to me that I must be much
healthier
than you.”
    Kate eased away from him. “I’m perfectly healthy. I’m just very selective. I don’t do it with just
anyone
.”
    “So you’re saying I don’t measure up?”
    From what she could tell was going on under the covers, Nick more than measured up, so probably “measured up” wasn’t the appropriate phrase.
    “I have standards,” Kate said, rolling out of bed. “I don’t consider felons to be boyfriend material.”
    Nick switched on the bedside light so he could get a better look at her in her T-shirt and silky pajama bottoms. “How about one-night stands? Would you consider dropping your standards for a one-night stand?”
    “Good grief, you’re hopeless!”
    “True, but I’m fun.”
    Nick and Kate had a hearty breakfast of hot buttered potato scones, eggs, and what looked like boiled bacon, checked out of the hotel, and went over to the pub to see Duff MacTaggert.
    The Sweater Brothers had finished putting boards up over the windows and were sitting at the picnic table outside, sipping hot mugs of something. They acknowledged Kate with a nod. She nodded back. In the unspoken parlance of tough guys, it meant there were no hard feelings.
    “Is Duff around?” Nick asked.
    “He’s inside,” Turtleneck said. “He’d like the lady to wait outside.”
    Kate had no problem with that, but she did have a role to play.“How do I know MacTaggert isn’t going to do anything stupid, like shoot him?”
    “He’s never shot anyone before,” Crewneck said.
    “He stabbed a man once,” Turtleneck said.
    “Multiple times, if it’s the bloke I’m thinking of,” Crewneck said. “But he’s never sliced a man open in the morning, and