An Educated Death

 

 

 

 

 

An Educated Death

 

by

 

Kate Flora

 

 

 

 

 

Published by
ePublishing Works!

www.epublishingworks.com
 

 

ISBN: 978-1-61417-137-9

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright(s) reserved above and below, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

 

Please Note

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

 

The scanning, uploading, and distributing of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

 

Copyright © 1997, 2001 by Kate Clark Flora

 

Cover and eBook design by eBook Prep
www.ebookprep.com
 

 

Thank You
.

 

 

 

 

 

To my three guys, Ken, Jake, and Max,

who light up my life.

 

More to be desired are they than gold.

—Psalms 19:9

 

 

 

 

 

Acknowledgments

 

Thanks to all the people whose generosity helped me write this book. To my friend Carl Johnson, who designed a police station for me and who told me what a cop keeps in the trunk. To my readers, Nancy Mcjennett, Jack Nevison, Christy Bond, Christy Hawes, Diane Englund, Carl Johnson, and Robert Moll, who criticized, corrected, and supported me through the writing process. To Kendra O'Donnell, a superb headmistress, for reminding me that when students are upset, they need to be fed. To Gerry Zagarella, M.D. To Sgt. Tom Le Min, of the Newark, Delaware, police department, who patiently answered my questions. To my mother and hero, A. Carman Clark, who continues to believe in me, and who lets me cry on her shoulder when things go wrong. To a wonderful writer and friend, Barbara Shapiro, who helps me keep my perspective. And thanks, most of all and once again, to Meg Milne Moulton, Thea's mentor. The Bucksport School exists only in my imagination. You didn't go there.

 

 

 

Prologue

 

Laney took another step. The ice cracked ominously under her foot and a spurt of water came up through the crack. The dusting of snow on top of the ice made it hard to assess its thickness or choose her footing. Her little black suede shoes had been a foolish thing to wear out here. If she'd known she was going to be walking in the woods, she would have worn her boots. She wasn't a nature-lover at the best of times, which this was not. She was only doing this to get the money. She really didn't have any choice; she had to have it. She'd worn the shoes because she wanted to look pretty, young and girlish and pretty. At sixteen, she was all of those things, but she hadn't felt pretty lately. She'd felt trapped and frustrated and furious at herself for having unprotected sex. At the time it had seemed inviting and dangerous, and Laney loved breaking rules. Now it just seemed stupid.

She stood still and looked around. It was so quiet out here in the woods she might have been the only person in the world. Sometimes she wished she was. It wasn't as if she got along with many of the stupid girls in her stupid dorm. In the moonlight, the snow-covered pond was a serene white oval surrounded by the black trunks of the trees leaning out over it.

She looked back at the dark figure who hovered behind her, who was angry at her, and not acting much like a friend. "You were right. It's beautiful," she said, trying to hide her annoyance. She wasn't particularly interested in scenery and couldn't see why they'd had to come all the way out here just to conduct a business transaction. Adults could be so ridiculous sometimes. Kids were always being accused of being unrealistic but it sure wasn't her idea to turn this into a moonlight walk. She wanted to get the money and find Merri before her friend got disgusted and left without her. Maybe she already had. If so, she'd catch up with her at the movie.