Dead Even - Mariah Stewart [0]
STEWART
DEAD
EVEN
BALLANTINE BOOKS • NEW YORK
COVER PAGE
TITLE PAGE
DEDICATION
EPIGRAPH
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
EPILOGUE
BY MARIAH STEWART
COPYRIGHT
For our darling Katie,
with love and pride, as you graduate from
college—from Mom, who wonders
where the years have gone
The belief in a supernatural source of evil
is not necessary; men alone are quite
capable of every wickedness.
—JOSEPH CONRAD, Under Western Eyes
PROLOGUE
February 2004
The ride from the prison had been tense and gloomy in the narrow van. The storm had started around midnight, pelting the roads with a steady rain that turned to sleet just before the dark, gray dawn. To compensate for the slick film beneath the tires, the driver had kept one foot on the brake almost all the way to the county courthouse, where he would deliver his six passengers: four prisoners, two armed guards.
Archer Lowell—nineteen years old, thin and pimply-faced, with soft features and soft hands—sat in a seat on the right side of the van by himself—all the prisoners sat alone—and worried about his upcoming trial. His court-appointed lawyer hadn’t had much good news for him when they’d spoken the day before. The D.A. had several witnesses lined up who would testify that he, Archer, had indeed stalked and harassed Amanda Crosby for several months, and, as a result of his obsession with her, had beaten her following her last rebuke of his declaration of undying love. He’d also threatened to kill her business partner and one of her friends.
Things weren’t looking so good, his attorney had told him as he urged Archer to accept the deal the ADA was offering.
Bullshit. It was all bullshit. Amanda knows I love her. And as for that asshole guy, Derek what’s-his-name, that guy who was hanging around her all the time, I know what he was trying to do. Trying to take her away from me. He must think I’m stupid or something, like I couldn’t see what he was up to. I’d like to show him who’s stupid. Yeah. Someday, I will show him. . . .
The van pulled to the rear of the courthouse and stopped near a ramp leading from the ground level to the first floor. Lowell watched as the other three prisoners were led off, then stood and followed obediently when the guard released the lock that secured him to his seat and motioned him forward.
He ducked his head as he stepped through the door, took the big step down in a quick hop, and waited for the brown-clad deputy sheriff to take custody of him. He followed his guard up the ramp, cursing the leg shackles that prevented him from making a speedier move into the building, hating the icy needles of sleet that peppered his head and slid down the back of his neck. Once inside, he shook it off as best he could, and allowed himself to be led to the anteroom where, a picture of studied calm and infinite cooperation, he’d wait for his lawyer.
In his head, he imagined the judge interrogating his guard.
And what was Mr. Lowell’s demeanor while in your custody, Deputy?
He was totally cooperative, Your Honor. A true gentleman.
The sort who’d stalk and harass a lady like Amanda . . . ?
Oh, no, Your Honor. He was gentle as a lamb.
I have no choice but to dismiss the case against Mr. Lowell, and offer our apologies for any inconvenience.
Apology accepted, Your Honor, he’d say with a shy smile. Oh, and thank you.
Yeah, sure. It could go down like that. . . .
The opening of the door snapped him out of his reverie, and he looked up, expecting to see his lawyer. Instead, a second deputy sheriff had poked his head in, just far enough to whisper something unintelligible into the ear of Lowell’s guard.