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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

Then he closed his eyes and thought back to the Friday before April Fools’ Day, a few hours after he’d been granted parole. Of meeting his true benefactor, Michael Zannick, for the first time and receiving the young man’s congratulations and thanks.

And a final request.

Ennis had agreed and complied. To get the money he had needed for Mae, he had had no choice. Now he cringed at the consequences of his actions. I prayed for forgiveness . . . I prayed for a fresh start . . .

. . . and all I’ve managed to do is make another awful mess.

Ennis turned west and walked up the hill and past the college. He saw a few students leaving the fine arts center with books under their arms and stressed-out expressions on their faces. Then he paced past the school-bus garage and hung a right on Eighth Street, finishing his trek at Exchange Park, where he used to umpire Little League baseball games at night. By now, the lights were out, and the only remains at the park were empty popcorn cartons and a few half-drunk Gatorade bottles. He went to the storage unit where he kept his blanket, bag of clothes, and shaving kit hidden in an old equipment sack. He cleaned up in the sink of the boys’ bathroom, and a few minutes later, Ennis stepped through the gate to the field and lay down on the hard bench inside the covered dugout. He’d prefer to sleep on the outfield grass, but he didn’t want to take a chance on being spotted.

Though he was still homeless, he’d finally landed a job working as a janitor and gofer for a Mexican food truck on Industrial Boulevard that had popped up between the Sun Drop Bottling Company and Magneti Marelli Suspensions. The pay was minimum wage, but the money would keep him fed and clothed until he could figure something else out.

He lay on the hard surface of the bench with his eyes open for a long time. He thought of Roosevelt Haynes. The look of fear and anguish in the man’s eyes as the noose closed around his neck. He also imagined his granddaughter Mae, her hair taken by chemotherapy and clinging to life. He prayed that the money he’d left on his daughter’s porch would help in some way. And that it would be worth the sacrifice he’d made to get it.

Before sleep finally came, Ennis saw the image of another face. One he knew would haunt him too.

The face of Butch Renfroe.

God forgive me, Ennis prayed.

44

44

The town of Destin was a slice of heaven on the panhandle of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Originally a small fishing village, the area’s white beaches and emerald-green waters made it one of the most popular vacation spots in the United States, attracting families and tourists from all over.