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Back Legacy of Lies Save as PDF
Chapters (88)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. PART TWO
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. PART THREE
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59
  67. PART FOUR
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. 73
  82. 74
  83. 75
  84. 76
  85. 77
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  88. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

He hadn’t really prayed until he was incarcerated next to men who were doing hard time for murder, rape, arson, and any number of other felonies. Forty bunks in a pod. Grown men putting up sheets around their cot so they could have sex. Going to sleep with one eye open, hearing the moans of those having relations, and feeling the adrenaline of knowing there would be a fight at some point during the night. There was an altercation daily in prison, and every inmate had a weapon of some kind. The pointy end of a pin top. A clothes hanger bent into a long, sharp wire. Shoelaces used as a choking device. To survive, Ennis spent every waking hour either in the weight room pumping iron, the library reading and writing letters for other inmates, or the commissary, where, because of his education and history as an officer, he had landed a job passing out goods to other inmates. He made himself valuable, stayed as quiet and still as possible, and never made eye contact with any inmate he didn’t know. Because of its implied challenge, eye contact almost always led to a fight. A battle for territory and space. When he did sleep, it was never restful. Ennis hadn’t seen combat, but he figured army officers who were engaged in a lengthy battle probably slept in the same manner. Shoulders tense. Stomach tight. Ready to move in an instant.

During those sleepless nights, Ennis prayed. He begged the Lord to help him and bargained with Jesus that, if he ever got out, he’d make amends.

Sheila filed for divorce six months after his sentencing. Ellen took her two kids and moved with her husband, David, to Portland, Oregon. She wanted to be as far away from her father as she could possibly get. Ennis did not see his ex-wife, his daughter, or his two granddaughters, Belle and Mae, at all during his imprisonment.

The only contact he received was a cryptic phone call from his daughter on Christmas Eve. “Mae has cancer. A rare form of leukemia, and they aren’t sure how to treat it. Her medical expenses are already through the roof. I guess we all have to pay for your sins. Merry Christmas, Dad.”

She hung up the phone before Ennis could even say hello. He prayed harder that night than he ever had before, repeating over and over again his favorite verse. I am the resurrection and the life. Please, God . . . please heal my granddaughter. Please make a path for me to help.