Read Online Dead Even by Emma Brookes - Free Book Online Page B

for that one. But we got it shut down, and Dad said he was proud to have a daughter with guts enough to take on the injustices of the world.”
    â€œWhat the devil are you talking about, Audra?”
    â€œMe! I’m talking about me! ” She looked down at the baggy sweater and pleated skirt she was wearing. “Have I ever told you that I was a cheerleader in high school? Editor of the school paper and president of the senior class?”
    â€œWhat has that got to do with anyth—”
    â€œIt has everything to do with who I have become!” Audra stood and strode purposefully into her bedroom. She opened the closet and pulled out a large box, rummaging through it until she found what she was looking for. She returned to Gerald.
    â€œ This is Audra Delaney,” she said, opening the old yearbook.
    Gerald looked at the smiling face of Audra. Her long hair was worn full, flipped back from her face in a Farrah Fawcett style. The photo was in color, and he could tell she was wearing eye makeup and lipstick. The red dress she was wearing was cut low and worn almost off the shoulders. She was beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful. Beside her picture was a list of activities and awards so lengthy extra space had been allotted. Class president, cheerleader, editor of the newspaper, homecoming queen, track, tennis, science club, spirit club.
    Gerald looked up in total amazement. “I had no idea you did so many things.”
    Audra flipped through the book and his astonishment grew as he looked at the girl he barely recognized. There was Audra standing on a platform in Wichita at the state track meet, both arms raised triumphantly above her head. The caption read: “Audra Delaney races to victory in four events, setting two new state records.”
    Other pages of the yearbook showed Audra being crowned queen, leaping into the air as she led cheers, and cutting up on senior sneak day. Gerald looked at the pictures of the woman he was to marry in three weeks, and realized he did not even know her. The girl in the yearbook bore no resemblance to the Audra he knew. His Audra was soft-spoken, shy, and reserved. There was nothing either shy or reserved about the girl in the pictures. He couldn’t have been more surprised if he had discovered her to be a mass murderer.
    â€œI can’t believe this is you, Audra,” he finally said.
    â€œBelieve it, Gerald! And believe this—” Audra pointed to herself. “ This Audra Delaney might be willing to set back and let the man who attacked her get away. But—” she pointed to her picture in the yearbook, “ that Audra Delaney is going after the sorry son of a bitch!”
    *   *   *
    Mike Ramsey spread the sheets of papers out in front of him. It had taken only two hours to verify Audra’s story. The Lawrence police had faxed copies of her files to him, including a brief psychiatric report. He scanned quickly through the pages, then started over again, reading slowly. There was really nothing new. Nothing that would help them. The attack had taken place in January, and the temperature that night had been below freezing. They theorized that at least part of the attack had to have taken place in a vehicle, although Audra, herself, could not verify that.
    There was a notation by the detective assigned to her case, that Miss Delaney could not remember anything specific about her assailant, other than he had a deep, gravelly voice. The detective described Audra as deeply traumatized, uncooperative, and highly emotional. Shit! What did he expect? She was seventeen and had been raped and nearly killed!
    The police had been unable to determine anything about the vehicle used to transport Audra to the isolated location. She, herself, could only remember jogging through the parking lot, getting ready for her run. One detective noted he thought it was weird as hell that she couldn’t remember one thing about the