Tall Dark and Deadly Read online

  TALL, DARK, AND DEADLY

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  To Jenevieve Terese Campo

  Jessica pulled out her notebook. But instead of taking French notes, she wrote, "So tell me, Jonathan Cain, do you always ignore damsels in distress, or were you just feeling rude yesterday?"

  Grinning mischievously, she ripped the page out and folded it in half. When Ms. Dalton's back was turned, she tossed it onto Jonathan's desk.

  At first he ignored the note. Jessica tapped her fingernails on her book, waiting. Finally he picked it up and unfolded it. Jessica's heart beat rapidly as she watched him reading. Then he quickly wrote something in the space below her message and returned the note to her desk.

  Jessica's hands trembled as she read his response. You don't want to mess with me, it said. I eat little girls like you for breakfast.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 1

  "I can't believe there's not one interesting guy in here tonight," Jessica Wakefield complained as she scanned the crowd in the Dairi Burger, Sweet Valleys most popular hangout. The place was lively with the sounds of cheerful conversation and music from the jukebox, but every face was familiar—and boring. They were the same people Jessica saw every day at school. "Sweet Valley High is the pits when it comes to decent guys," she declared with a sigh.

  A chorus of agreement sounded from the other girls in the booth. Sitting next to Jessica, Sandra Bacon flipped back her short dark blond hair and laughed derisively. "That explains why five of the most popular girls at Sweet Valley High are packed into this booth, chowing down on burgers and shakes on a Saturday night."

  Annie Whitman nodded emphatically. "It's so frustrating," she agreed, rolling her green eyes. "The good-looking guys are conceited; the charming guys are boring; the rich ones are complete jerks."

  "And then you have Bruce Patman, who's rich, conceited, and a complete jerk," Jessica said, pointing to a nearby table where Bruce was apparently winning an arm-wrestling match. "It's so unfair for someone like him to be so rich," she muttered, thinking aloud. Bruce came from one of the wealthiest families in Sweet Valley, and although she had dated him in the past, Jessica considered him hopeless.

  Lila Fowler sighed contentedly. "I'm so lucky. But I know exactly what you girls are going through."

  Jessica braced herself. Here we go again! she thought, recognizing the sappy, faraway look in her best friend's brown eyes.

  "Before I met Bo at Camp Echo Mountain," Lila began, "I used to think that a girl had to choose between looks, class, and personality when it came to guys. But Bo has it all. And he's so intelligent and sophisticated. He knows the names of all the constellations in the sky and speaks French, Italian, and German fluently. I just wish he didn't live in Washington, D.C. I miss him dreadfully."

  Jessica rolled her eyes and yawned dramatically. She knew the gushing could go on for hours. The previous summer Jessica and her identical twin, Elizabeth, along with Lila and several other students from Sweet Valley High, had worked as junior counselors at Camp Echo Mountain, a performing-arts camp in Montana. Lila had fallen in love with Bo at first sight and had been driving Jessica crazy rhapsodizing about him ever since.

  "And he's so gorgeous," Lila continued. "He has this adorable crooked smile, and did I mention that he has impeccable taste? He can tell the difference between beluga caviar and the cheaper kinds that come from whitefish and herring. He's traveled all over the world. . . ."

  Jessica smiled as her thoughts drifted to her own camp romance with Paul Mathis, a gorgeous guy who lived near Camp Echo Mountain. They hadn't made any promises to each other, but after all they'd shared, Jessica knew she'd always have a special place in her heart for Paul. He'll never forget me either, she told herself. How could he?

  An excited cheer came from Bruce's table. Amy Sutton rolled her eyes. "I wish you could just date a guy's car," she said wistfully, referring to the sleek black Porsche Bruce drove.

  The other girls laughed. "That's an interesting idea," Sandy remarked.

  Lila shook her head pensively. "Bruce's problem is clearly amour propre."

  Jessica shrieked, "Please! No French phrases. We're eating."

  Lila glared at Jessica with a look of indignation. "OK, fine. Love of self, then. Vanity. You don't have to get rude about it, Jessica."

  Jessica laughed. "Don't knock my rudeness, Lila. In a minute I'm going to pelt you with greasy french fries."

  Lila batted her eyelashes, giving Jessica a withering, condescending look. "I see you've learned a lot from your experience at Camp Echo Mountain," she replied. "You must have been paying close attention during the food fights in the mess hall."

  Amy spooned a glob of ice cream dripping with fudge sauce into her mouth and dabbed her lips with the corner of a paper napkin. "And then there's Ken Matthews," she commented.

  Jessica frowned. "What about him?"

  Amy licked the spoon, then swirled it absently across the top of her sundae. "Ken was the last decent guy at Sweet Valley High. But he's got such a bad attitude now, ever since you cheated on him."

  Jessica glared at Amy. An awkward, tense silence fell over the booth. "I had my reasons," Jessica said. "And besides, it's ancient history."

  Amy shrugged. "I'm just saying that Ken is different now, that's all."

  Jessica shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Thinking of her horrible breakup with Ken Matthews, the captain of the Sweet Valley High football team, brought back a flood of painful memories. She pushed them to a far corner of her mind and quickly changed the subject. "Look what my grandmother sent me," she said brightly, showing off the diamond studs in her ears. "She sent Elizabeth a pair too."

  "They're beautiful," Sandy declared. The others murmured in agreement.

  Jessica took out one of the earrings and passed it around the table. "My grandmother's cool," she said. "When she was twelve, she was the first girl in her town to get her ears pierced."

  "They're gorgeous," Annie breathed as she placed the earring in Amy's outstretched palm.

  "Oh, wow! It's so sparkly," Amy exclaimed, holding it up to the light. She passed it to Lila.

  "This looks like a very good quality diamond," Lila proclaimed, examining it closely before giving it back to Jessica. "And the setting is exquisite," she added.

  "They have a lot of sentimental value too," Jessica said as she slipped the gold post back into her ear. "I don't get to see my grandmother very often, and these will remind me of her."

  They were interrupted by the sound of a loud crash, followed by hoots of male laughter. A waitress had dropped a platter of food, which the guys at Bruce's table seemed to find hilariously funny. Jessica shook her head in dismay as she watched the red-faced woman stoop to pick up the mess.

  "Even if they weren't diamonds, I think Jessica's earrings have more sentimental value than all the guys in here combined," Sandy declared.

  Elizabeth hummed along with the radio as she flipped through the contents of her closet, trying to decide what to wear that evening. She studied her sleeveless pale blue cotton dress for a moment, then pushed it aside and pulled out the next item in line, a peach-colored knitted tunic.

  Holding the tunic under her chin, she turned toward the mirror above her dresser and looked at her reflection. The shirt was fine, and her new diamond earrings were gorgeous. But the blue-green eyes that stared back at her seemed cloudy and anxious. Elizabeth mentally kicked herself. Snap out of it! she ordered herself.

  She and her longtime boyfriend, Todd Wilkins, were planning a romantic picnic on the beach that evening. She had a basket ready in the kitchen, packed with cheese, warm bread, juicy pears, and homemade pecan cookies. "It's going to be wonderful, and I can't wait," she said to her reflection in the mirror. But her voice sounded unconvincing, even to her own ears.

  Elizabeth sighed deeply and returned the tunic to her closet. Why is everything I own so bland? she wondered, frustrated. She considered raiding Jessica's closet, where she was sure to find bright colors and trendy fashions. But Elizabeth knew it wasn't just the clothes. My whole life is bland! she realized.

  "But this is who I am," she said softly, admitting the truth. The pastels and natural tones of her wardrobe suited her lifestyle, which was serious, quiet, and well ordered. And no matter how confused and out-of-sorts she felt, Elizabeth wouldn't want to change places with her twin.

  She and Jessica were as different as two sixteen-year-old girls could possibly be, in spite of being identical twins. Beyond their matching silky blond hair, blue-green eyes, and lean, athletic figures, the Wakefield twins were as similar as hot pink and light beige. Jessica lived for the moment and for taking advantage of all the excitement and adventure that every moment could possibly offer. The twins were juniors at Sweet Valley High, but for Jessica, school was a place to gossip, check out guys, and pursue the only school activity she cared about—cheerleading.

  Elizabeth was the older twin—by four minutes. But those minutes seemed to have made an enormous difference in their personalities. Unlike Jessica, Elizab
eth carefully considered the consequences of her actions. She was a conscientious student and worked hard to earn high grades in all her classes. She also wrote a regular column called "Personal Profiles" for the Oracle, Sweet Valley High's school paper, and she hoped to become a professional writer someday.

  When she wasn't studying or writing, Elizabeth enjoyed having fun just as much as Jessica did. But for Elizabeth, fun meant watching old movies, reading poetry, and hanging out with her small circle of friends. And quiet, romantic dates with Todd, she reminded herself pointedly.

  But something was different lately. Who am I? she demanded of herself. Her clothes, her life—nothing seemed to fit anymore.

  Feeling defeated, Elizabeth lowered her head. She knew exactly what the problem was: a letter she'd received that afternoon, one that felt as if it were burning a hole in the pocket of her jeans.

  Elizabeth took out the peach tunic and carried it over to her bed. What am I going to do? she wondered as she paced across the room.

  Exhaling deeply, she pulled out the letter and ran her fingers over the familiar white personalized stationery. Her name and address were written across the envelope in black ink, in a bold, angular script.

  Her hands trembled as she took the letter out of the envelope and unfolded its pristine white pages. Unable to stop herself, she read it again, her heart beating rapidly.

  Jessica and her friends were the last customers left in the Dairi Burger. "I think they're getting ready to close," Sandy said, jerking her thumb at the guy mopping the floor on the other side of the dining room.

  "Is it that late already?" Annie asked incredulously.

  Jessica looked at the pile of debris strewn across their table and giggled. "I'd say this has been quite the party, girls."

  "Yeah," Annie agreed as she tossed her crumpled napkin onto one of the trays. "Who needs guys, anyway?"

  Amy shrugged. "It would be nice to let them pay the tab." The others groaned in unison.

  Sandy picked up the wrappers in front of her and stuffed them into a paper cup. "I can't believe I drank two chocolate milkshakes tonight."

  "Don't worry," Jessica assured with a laugh. "You'll burn up those extra calories during cheerleading practice next week. I came up with three new routines for the squad that will knock the fans right out of the bleachers." Jessica shared the SVH cheerleading captain position with Heather Mallone, who had been trying to outdo Jessica ever since she'd first arrived at Sweet Valley High. Their intense rivalry helped keep Jessica inspired.

  Lila was the only one in the group who wasn't a member of the SVH cheerleading squad. "I'm thinking of working out with weights," she announced. "Bo says that free weights are the fastest way to get in shape. And you should see the muscles on him—washboard abs and iron shoulders . . ."

  Jessica snorted. "Careful, Li. You don't want to start drooling all over your silk blouse."

  Lila picked up her tray and scowled at Jessica. The girls continued chatting as they cleared off the table and dumped out their garbage.

  Annie's silver Ford and Lila's green Triumph were the only cars left in the front parking lot. The girls parted company, and Lila and Jessica headed toward Lila's car.

  "I wonder if Bo is going to send me more flowers this week," Lila remarked as she unlocked the doors of the Triumph. "My bedroom already looks like a flower shop."

  Jessica hopped into the car and pulled the seat belt across her shoulder. "I'm thrilled for you, Lila," she said sarcastically.

  Jessica had to admit that Bo Creighton was an OK guy—a bit snobbish maybe, but cute. But, above all, he and Lila were perfect for each other. They both came from wealthy families and they both hated roughing it. They'd spent most of their time at Camp Echo Mountain shopping by mail order for gourmet food and luxury items, using their credit cards. Bo had gotten in trouble with the director of Camp Echo Mountain for hiring the other guys in his cabin to do his chores.

  Jessica had nothing against him personally, but after having listened to Lila gush about him endlessly, she wanted to scream every time she heard Bo's name.

  Lila started the engine and glanced at Jessica. "Did I tell you that Bo sent me The Collected Stories of Guy de Maupassant?"

  Jessica flashed her a wild look. "Yes, you did," she choked. "Seven times!"

  "In a leather-bound, deluxe edition?" Lila asked.

  "Help!"

  Lila giggled. "But did I tell you that Bo has read all of them in the original French version?"

  "Yes!" Jessica shrieked. "At least twice. You're my best friend, Lila. Don't force me to strangle you." Lila glared at her in mock horror, and the two of them dissolved in a fit of laughter.

  Suddenly Lila stopped laughing and gaped at Jessica with a wide-eyed look of shock.

  Jessica frowned. "What's wrong?"

  Lila made a breathy, wheezing sound and pointed at Jessica's ear. "It's gone."

  "What are you talking about?" Jessica grumbled as she adjusted the rearview mirror with a hard yank. She looked at her reflection and gasped. One of her diamond earrings was missing. Jessica's heart plummeted. "This is horrible!" she cried. "It must have fallen out at the table." Lila nodded solemnly.

  "Come on," Jessica said, pulling off her seat belt. "We can't leave until we find my earring." She pushed open the passenger-side door and jumped out of the car. Without waiting for Lila, Jessica went tearing back into the Dairi Burger.

  Chapter 2

  Elizabeth and Todd walked hand in hand along the dock at the Sweet Valley Marina, their footsteps echoing on the wooden planks. A salty breeze brushed across Elizabeth's face. In the sky, a brilliant half-moon hung over the horizon, shooting a streak of silver onto the surface of the dark, shimmering ocean. The waves splashed rhythmically against the dock. The boats bobbed and swayed in time. The setting couldn't have been more beautiful or more romantic. At that late hour, she and Todd had the entire place to themselves.

  Todd hugged her close to his side, and Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder. But in her heart, she knew there was something wrong.

  Something is missing, an irritating voice in her head taunted. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it out as she wrapped her arms around Todd's lean waist.

  He lowered his lips to Elizabeth's and kissed her passionately. I love Todd, she thought.

  When the kiss was over, he continued to hold her close, running his hand along her back. This is wonderful, Elizabeth forced herself to think. Todd kissed her neck, the side of her face, her forehead. I love him, I love him, I love him, she chanted in her mind.

  But the moon over the water brought back memories of another place and time. Try as she might, Elizabeth couldn't keep the unwanted images away. Her imagination could easily turn the Pacific Ocean into a kidney-shaped lake, with mountain peaks looming in the horizon. Without any effort, she could almost smell the tangy fragrance of pine trees and the pungent smoke of campfires.

  Other details came rushing back . . . late night canoe rides on a moonlit lake . . . passionate kisses in the woods behind the boathouse . . .

  "I have a great idea," Todd whispered close to her ear.

  Elizabeth's eyelids fluttered open. She blinked hard and gazed into his eyes. For an instant she felt confused, expecting to see a pair of emerald green eyes gazing down at her.

  Todd's eyes are warm brown, she reminded herself. I'm with him, in Sweet Valley, California, and that's the Pacific Ocean out there, she thought, shaking her head to clear it.

  "Let's take one of those out for a ride," Todd suggested, referring to the canoes stacked upside down on the beach, which were kept on hand for customers of the marina.

  Elizabeth shifted uneasily in his arms. "I don't know, Todd. The ocean looks rough tonight."

  Todd chuckled softly and ran his hands gently up her arms. "What are you talking about?"

  Elizabeth looked at the water and cringed. It was low tide, and the ocean was as calm as she'd ever seen it. "You know how quickly ocean conditions can change," she insisted, groping for excuses.

  Todd touched his forehead to hers. "I'm not suggesting that we paddle to Hawaii," he whispered. "Just around the docks."

  "But what if we capsize?" she argued.