The Dead Man: Face of Evil Read Online Free Page A

fist, poised to smash his friend's face in. He slowly lowered his arm and unclenched his fingers.
    By now other loggers had gathered around them. They pulled Andy off of Matt, who raised his hand up to his friend for a lift to show there were no hard feelings.
    But Andy just backed away until he was swallowed up in the crowd and disappeared from Matt's sight.
    Another logger took Matt's hand and helped him up. Matt thanked him, slapped the dirt off his clothes, and went to clean out his locker.

     
    The Longhorn looked like a sawmill that served drinks. The walls were decorated with blades and vintage sawing tools, and just about everybody in the place when Rachel came in was a B. Barer and Sons employee or, in the case of Andy and Matt, ex-employees.
    Andy was at the center of attention, holding court at a table overflowing with mugs and pitchers, people buying him more beers than one man could possibly drink, though he was certainly going to give it his best try.
    Matt sat at the bar, where he had been nursing a beer and a bowl of mixed nuts for an hour, idly watching the celebration of the bravado that had cost Andy his job.
    Rachel took the stool beside Matt and helped herself to a sip of his beer.
    "That was a stupid thing you did today," she said.
    "You're right," Matt said. “Silbert probably deserved to have his head caved in."
    "You know what I'm talking about, Matt. You didn't have to go down with Andy."
    Matt shrugged. “He had every right to be angry and didn't deserve to be fired for it."
    "That's not what happened. Andy is undependable, irresponsible, and an asshole. He knew he'd be the first to go, and that's why he pulled this stunt, so he could go out feeling like a hero. But you ruined it for him. He's still an asshole and you're the hero."
    "I don't feel like one," Matt said.
    "That's how you know you are one," she said. “Because the real heroes know being one means you've got to lose something big in the deal. What are you going to do for money now?"
    "I can get by without much," Matt said. “Besides, I'm pretty good with a hammer and saw and there's always plenty of folks who need carpentry work."
    "Only there's not many folks here who can afford it."
    "So I'll work in trade," Matt said. “Patch a mechanic's roof in exchange for him fixing my transmission."
    She studied his face now, seeing something there she hadn't seen before. “You really are okay with this."
    "I take things as they come," he said.
    "What did Andy Goodis ever do to deserve you?"
    Before Matt could answer, Andy sauntered over, bringing two overflowing mugs of beer and two dozen of his admirers over with him.
    "I love this man," Andy said, setting the mugs down hard in front of Matt and spilling beer on the counter. “Matthew Cahill is the greatest human being in the Pacific Northwest. Am I right?"
    The crowd cheered and whooped and applauded, which clearly embarrassed Matt. He dismissed it all with a shrug.
    "You think what he did today was great, you should have seen him in the seventh grade," Andy said, then turned to Matt. “Remember that?"
    "Nobody wants to remember anything they did in junior high," Matt said. “Why doesn't somebody put a song on the jukebox?"
    Matt reached into his pocket for some change, but Andy wasn't going to be so easily distracted. He turned back to regale the crowd with his story.
    "The principal came into first period and accused me of breaking into his office and leaving a pile of horseshit on his desk. He hauled me out of my seat by my ear," Andy said. “But before we even got to the door, you know what Matt did? He confessed."
    Rachel looked at Matt in astonishment. “You did that?"
    Matt grimaced and nodded.
    "He was suspended for an entire quarter, and when Matt got home, his dad took off his belt and whipped his ass raw," Andy said. “The thing is, Matt wasn't the one who left the shit on Ackerman's desk."
    "Then why did you take the blame?" Rachel asked Matt.
    "The principal always