Brad Meltzer - Dead Even

Jared turned to his wife and smiled. “How do I look?”

“Bedridden and unshaven – but in a cute way. How about me?”

“Baggy-eyed and frazzled – you have sort of an exhausted-starlet thing going.”

“Perfect,” Sara said. She grabbed her husband’s hand and nodded at Rubin. “Bring it on, baby. We can’t lose.”

I’D LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE, WHO CONTRIBUTED their tremendous talents and energies to this book: my wife and favorite lawyer, Cori, without whom this book would not exist. When I decided to write about married attorneys, I knew I’d be drawing on personal experience. What I didn’t realize was that I’d also be driving the two of us insane. From the very start, Cori kept it all together, and if this book is anything, it’s a testament to the strength of our marriage and the love I have for my wife. (Thanks, C – you know I’d be lost without you.) Jill Kneerim, my agent, for her unfailing faith in me as a writer, her insightful advice, and, most of all, her treasured friendship; Elaine Rogers; Sharon Silva-Lamberson; Robin Chaykin; Ike Williams; and everyone else at The Palmer & Dodge Agency for their constant support and, most important, for never giving up on me.

I’d also like to thank my sister, Bari, who always stands in my corner and, as a result, provides me with more help than she’ll ever realize; Noah Kuttler, for his tireless attention to every detail and nuance of this book (Noah, I can’t thank you enough; you really are incredible); Ethan Kline, for his discerning reaction to early drafts of the manuscript; Matt Oshinsky, Joel Rose, Chris Weiss, and Judd Winick, for their always perceptive suggestions and always valued friendship; Matthew Bogdanos, for inviting me into the world of prosecution and letting me see, up close, the vivid reality of what it really takes to fight crime – thank you for that trust; Maxine Rosenthal, for her extraordinary assistance; Dale Flam, Sandy Missakian, Barry Weisburg, Ronnie Aranoff, Alan Michaels, Bob Woodburn, and Eric Menoyo, for walking me through the details; Dr. Sam Snyder and Dr. Ronald K. Wright, for all the wonderful forensic and medical advice; Sara Emley, for the two words on the cover; Janice Doniger, for her keen understanding of what to wear and where to be seen; the helpful and extremely patient people at the Manhattan DA’s public information office; and all my family and friends, whose names, as always, inhabit these pages.

Finally, I’d like to thank all the truly incredible people at Rob Weisbach Books and William Morrow: Bill Wright, Patricia Alvarez, Jacqueline Deval, Michael Murphy, Lisa Queen, Sharyn Rosenblum, Elizabeth Riley, Jeanette Zwart, Richard L. Aquan, Tom Nau, Colin Dickerman, David Szanto, and all the other amazingly nice folks at Weisbach/Morrow whose hard work made this book a reality. I’m honored to work with every one of them. I also owe a great deal of thanks to Larry Kirshbaum, Maureen Egen, Mel Parker, Airié Dekidjiev, and all the terrific people at Warner Books, who always make it a true pleasure. Finally, I’d like to thank my editor and publisher, Rob Weisbach. After close to a thousand pages together, I still have a hard time finding the perfect words for Rob. As an editor and publisher, there is no better – he pushed me to draw on reserves I didn’t know existed, and his influence can be felt on every page. As a friend, he is someone I turn to without hesitation. So thank you, Rob, for your trust, for your enthusiasm, and, most of all, for your faith.

Brad Meltzer, recent Columbia Law School grad, has been the subject of a major profile in The New York Times , has written speeches for President Clinton’s national service program, devised marketing strategies for Games magazine, and married his high school sweetheart. He’s been compared to John Grisham, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Scott Turow by The Washingtonian and The New York Times . He lives in Washington, D.C.