Through the Night Read Online Free PDF

“What made you become a procurer of fine things ?”
    He swirled the Don Julio Añejo liquor in his glass before taking a drink, giving himself a moment to formulate a reply. People automatically assumed he was born with psychometric abilities and he’d honed the talent over time. Very few knew the truth, and because he’d been met with a whole lot of skepticism the times he’d given an honest answer, he was now more careful with his response to that question.
    “I search for antiques and old collectibles because I’m good at it,” he said, opting for a version of the truth, even if it did sound cocky. “I love the challenge and I’m an adrenaline junkie who feeds off the thrill of the chase. And let’s face it,” he added with a grin, “I’ve got this crazy gift of being able to read an old object and learn about its history. Who it belonged to, where it came from, and how the item was used, and what kind of emotions are attached to the piece. Some of the older antiques I’ve come across have led to some very interesting historical facts.”
    She took another sip of her drink, her brows rising in interest. “So, you’re a history buff, too?”
    “I’ve become one, yes, because it’s the nature of the job.” And because it had been a connection he’d shared with his grandfather, the one man in his life who’d accepted him, and his gift, unconditionally and loved hearing all about Chase’s findings and travels. He died two years ago, and there wasn’t a day that went by that Chase didn’t miss the old man. “I touch old things, and they connect me to some kind of past history, which then requires me to do research and discover all kinds of intriguing things that are linked to the object.”
    “That’s fascinating,” she said, her tone earnest.
    He shrugged. “No more so than your psychic gift.”
    Something painful passed across her features, and before he could analyze those dark shadows, they were gone, leaving him to wonder what had happened in her life to cause such a strong emotional reaction.
    “There’s nothing fascinating about being a clairvoyant,” she said, back to being composed. “It’s more a curse than a blessing, and it’s not something I’d wish on anyone. I’m sure you feel that way sometimes, too.”
    “Actually, I don’t,” he replied honestly. “I think it’s freakin’ awesome to be able to see history in something I touch, though there are times when there is a lot of emotion attached to an object, and that attachment can make things more difficult.”
    She nodded in understanding. “Same thing when I touch people. The emotional aspect of it all is so draining.” Then she shook her head, as if their conversation had turned much too serious and personal for her. “Tell me about this antique you’re searching for, and why Steven is paying you the big bucks to find the other pieces that are a part of it.”
    Since they had time before dinner arrived, he decided she’d better understand the case if he let her see the one and only piece of the cane that he had in his possession. “There’s something I want to show you. I’ll be right back.”
    He left her sitting at the bar while he went into the master bedroom, then opened the safe in the walk-in closet. After retrieving the polished wooden chest he’d stored there earlier, he returned to his place behind the bar, opened the box, and folded back the soft cloth bundling his prized possession. Or rather, Steven’s prized possession. While Steven was interested in completing the cane that once belonged to Al Capone and was paying Chase a small fortune to do so, Chase wanted what the cane ultimately led to.
    “This fine piece of carved mammoth ivory was a part of a walking cane that Al Capone had commissioned for himself back in the early 1930s,” he told her. “Peter Smed, the man who created and carved the handle, mostly worked with metals, but this is one of the very few ivory pieces he made, which makes