Read Online The Chase by Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg
Ads: Link
changed into a tank top and running shorts, and took off on a jog down the deserted beach. The sky was clear, cloudless, and bright blue. Water birds scurried out of her way into the surf. Brown pelicans dive-bombed into the water for their breakfasts while gulls swirled around them, hoping to snag some table scraps.
About a hundred yards ahead, Bullet Belly emerged from one of the access roads and paused on the beach to do some warm-up exercises. It was a clumsy tail, she thought, but justifiably so. It wasn’t easy following someone on an empty beach, and they believed they were dealing with a civilian, somebody who wouldn’t notice sloppy surveillance. Before Kate reached him, the guy started running ahead of her, keeping a good distance between them. She assumed, without looking back, that there was somebody behind her by now, too.
She maintained a steady, even pace and was barely winded as she climbed the steps to the old wooden pier. There were already quite a few fishermen along the wood rails. Kate knew that her dad would be one of them.
Kate walked to the end of the pier. She stopped in front of a guy wearing a Lakers ball cap and a ratty gray sweatshirt.
“Nice hat,” Kate said.
“Gotta support the home team.”
“We’re meeting Carter Grove today,” Kate said. “So the job will be tomorrow.”
“I’ll be ready,” Jake O’Hare said. “Does Nick know I’m here?”
“I told him last night.”
“And what did he say?”
“He said he would have been disappointed if you didn’t find a way to hog some of the action.”
Well he got that right, Jake thought. No way was he going to be left out of a mission like this. There’d been too many times when Kate was a kid that he’d missed parent-teacher meetings, school plays, birthday parties, and God knows what else because he’d been on a black op in Burma or a slash-and-burn in Pakistan. He figured the least he could do now was cover her back. Not to mention: Retirement was killing him.
The wrought-iron gates at Carter Grove’s estate opened onto a large cobblestone motor court where a silver Lamborghini Aventador, a gold Bentley Continental Supersports convertible, and a white Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG were carefully staged around a huge marble fountain. Kate parked her rented Taurus beside the gleaming Lamborghini.
“Careful not to ding the Lambo,” Nick said, his eye on a security guard who stood on the lawn with a leashed Doberman at his side. “Or they might sic the dogs on us.”
“I’m surprised they even let us park in the driveway in this heap,” Kate said. “What will the neighbors say?”
“That the gardener has arrived.”
Nick got out of the Taurus, and his entire body language changed as he slipped instantly into character. There was a swagger to his walk that reminded Kate of John Travolta in
Saturday Night Fever
.
“I can see it now,” Nick said. “We begin with a high crane shot over the property. The camera swoops down over the motor court, past the fountain and the cars, and settles on the front doors. And there he is.”
As if on cue, the tall, elaborately carved front doors opened and Carter Grove strode out like a talk show host greeting his adoring audience. His assistant, Veronica Dell, came out two steps behind him in a low-cut, body-hugging sleeveless bandage dress.
“Welcome to Château du Roi,” Carter said.
Of course
the house had a name, Kate thought, and one about as subtle as the three cars out front. Castle of the King. She decided to name her apartment something classy when she got back to L.A. Her place overlooked a gas station, so maybe Château du Chevronview.
“Castle of the King,” Nick said. “It looks like it will live up to its name.”
“You must be Jim,” Carter said, shaking Nick’s hand. “You’ve come a long way from producing local news in Toledo.”
Nick nodded. “You’ve been checking up on me.”
Kate offered her hand to Carter. “I’m Lucy
About a hundred yards ahead, Bullet Belly emerged from one of the access roads and paused on the beach to do some warm-up exercises. It was a clumsy tail, she thought, but justifiably so. It wasn’t easy following someone on an empty beach, and they believed they were dealing with a civilian, somebody who wouldn’t notice sloppy surveillance. Before Kate reached him, the guy started running ahead of her, keeping a good distance between them. She assumed, without looking back, that there was somebody behind her by now, too.
She maintained a steady, even pace and was barely winded as she climbed the steps to the old wooden pier. There were already quite a few fishermen along the wood rails. Kate knew that her dad would be one of them.
Kate walked to the end of the pier. She stopped in front of a guy wearing a Lakers ball cap and a ratty gray sweatshirt.
“Nice hat,” Kate said.
“Gotta support the home team.”
“We’re meeting Carter Grove today,” Kate said. “So the job will be tomorrow.”
“I’ll be ready,” Jake O’Hare said. “Does Nick know I’m here?”
“I told him last night.”
“And what did he say?”
“He said he would have been disappointed if you didn’t find a way to hog some of the action.”
Well he got that right, Jake thought. No way was he going to be left out of a mission like this. There’d been too many times when Kate was a kid that he’d missed parent-teacher meetings, school plays, birthday parties, and God knows what else because he’d been on a black op in Burma or a slash-and-burn in Pakistan. He figured the least he could do now was cover her back. Not to mention: Retirement was killing him.
The wrought-iron gates at Carter Grove’s estate opened onto a large cobblestone motor court where a silver Lamborghini Aventador, a gold Bentley Continental Supersports convertible, and a white Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG were carefully staged around a huge marble fountain. Kate parked her rented Taurus beside the gleaming Lamborghini.
“Careful not to ding the Lambo,” Nick said, his eye on a security guard who stood on the lawn with a leashed Doberman at his side. “Or they might sic the dogs on us.”
“I’m surprised they even let us park in the driveway in this heap,” Kate said. “What will the neighbors say?”
“That the gardener has arrived.”
Nick got out of the Taurus, and his entire body language changed as he slipped instantly into character. There was a swagger to his walk that reminded Kate of John Travolta in
Saturday Night Fever
.
“I can see it now,” Nick said. “We begin with a high crane shot over the property. The camera swoops down over the motor court, past the fountain and the cars, and settles on the front doors. And there he is.”
As if on cue, the tall, elaborately carved front doors opened and Carter Grove strode out like a talk show host greeting his adoring audience. His assistant, Veronica Dell, came out two steps behind him in a low-cut, body-hugging sleeveless bandage dress.
“Welcome to Château du Roi,” Carter said.
Of course
the house had a name, Kate thought, and one about as subtle as the three cars out front. Castle of the King. She decided to name her apartment something classy when she got back to L.A. Her place overlooked a gas station, so maybe Château du Chevronview.
“Castle of the King,” Nick said. “It looks like it will live up to its name.”
“You must be Jim,” Carter said, shaking Nick’s hand. “You’ve come a long way from producing local news in Toledo.”
Nick nodded. “You’ve been checking up on me.”
Kate offered her hand to Carter. “I’m Lucy
Similar Books
