The Courbet Connection (Book 5) (Genevieve Lenard) Read Online Free PDF Page A

agree. Your suspicions don’t have a solid base, Nikki.”
    “Aw, come on, Doc G.” Nikki folded her arms. “Don’t take Michael’s side. He didn’t read the articles about the other kidnappings.”
    “What other kidnappings?” This got my interest. And my concern.
    “A week ago, another boy disappeared from a university in Paris. They knew he’d been kidnapped, because there were signs of a struggle in his flat, his door was broken and some other stuff the article talked about.”
    “And you allowed this article to influence you so strongly that you drew unsubstantiated conclusions about Pascal?” I lifted both eyebrows and stared at Nikki. “You are more intelligent than this.”
    Michael chuckled at the same time as Rebecca gasped. Nikki just rolled her eyes. “At this moment, I don’t care how right your logic might sound. I’m going by my gut.”
    “Vinnie should never have encouraged you to start that silliness.” No matter how I had tried to dissuade Nikki from being swayed by Vinnie’s lack of rationality, she had decided to practice following her intuition. They preferred to call it ‘following her gut’.
    “Will you please check it out?” Nikki leaned towards me, her facial muscles contracted into an imploring expression. “Please, Doc G? Pascal might be an idiot at times, but I’m really worried about him.”
    I weighed up the time it would take to look into Nikki’s suspicions. It didn’t take me too long to conclude that my time would be better spent following leads to Dukwicz’s whereabouts.
    “Please, Doc G.” Rebecca’s quiet tone pulled me out of my thoughts. The concern on her face was as genuine as Nikki’s. I was convinced they were misguided in their suspicions.
    Why then did I feel an uncomfortable urge to give into their irrational request? I had never before been this concerned with someone else’s happiness.
    I shook my head and exhaled heavily. “I will not spend more than two hours on this undoubtedly fruitless search.”
    “Thank you!” Nikki jumped out her chair, ran around to where I was sitting and hugged me. I felt crowded and the need to push her away caused me to close my eyes tightly. I forced Mozart’s Horn Concerto back into my mind until I could open my fists and pat her lightly on her back. Colin insisted that people appreciated a gesture of acceptance when they reached out. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
    “Enough.” I gently pried her arms from around my shoulders until she straightened. “I can’t promise that I’ll find anything. I’m only promising to look.”
    “That’s all I’m asking.”
    The sound of keys in the front door thankfully interrupted the moment. I turned in my chair just as the door opened and Colin walked in. He was dressed in a pair of designer pants and a dark brown linen shirt. He never looked like the thief he was, but rather one of the old-moneyed art collectors he had stolen for or from. Sophistication, strength and intelligence were all clearly communicated in his posture and other nonverbal cues.
    His eyebrows raised slightly when he noticed everyone around the table. He locked the door behind him and smiled at Nikki’s friends. “Hi there. I didn’t know we were entertaining.”
    “We’re not,” I said. “Nikki, Michael and Rebecca are supposed to be studying, but they’re arguing and sullying my apartment.”
    “Our apartment.” Colin winked at me as he stopped by my chair. He leaned down and kissed me. “Hi.”
    It had been very hard for me in the beginning to be comfortable with his spontaneous affections. I still found it disconcerting, but no longer wondered why he wanted to touch me or be close to me. I returned his soft kiss. “Hi.”
    He straightened and gave Nikki a sideways hug, looking at her friends. “You are the two Nikki always talks about. It’s a real pleasure to meet you.”
    Rebecca blushed and Michael swallowed. I could understand their nervous behaviour. Many women