BooksBarbecue
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

During his own trial for the murder of Andy Walton four years earlier, Bo had taken to calling Rick Drake his “believer” because of the kid’s earnest presentation in front of the jury. Now thirty-one years old and on the cusp of closing the offices of McMurtrie & Drake in Tuscaloosa so that he could return to his hometown of Henshaw, Alabama, Rick sounded excited to hear Bo’s voice.

“Been following the trial, Bo. Whatever you need, name it.”

“Do you remember what happened to all of Ray Ray Pickalew’s client files after he was killed?”

Silence for five seconds. “Not off the top of my head, but I’m pretty sure I’ve got some notes about wrapping up Ray Ray’s estate on our computers here at the office. The Professor was the executor of Ray Ray’s estate. Can I check and get back to you?”

“Yeah, but go fast, dog. The clock is running out on us here.”

fleuron

Thirty minutes later, Rick called back with the answer. “All the files are in a storage facility in Meridianville. Landwehr Mini-Storage is the name.”

Bo sighed with relief. “Meridianville is only an hour away.”

“Are you looking for the General’s ex-husband’s file?”

“Yeah. I think there might be something in there we can use.”

“What about the attorney-client privilege?”

“Butch is dead,” Bo said, “and I wasn’t his lawyer. I need to see that file.”

There was silence on the line, and then Rick spoke into the phone. “Bo, I have a pretrial conference tomorrow in Tuscaloosa, or I’d go to Meridianville myself and try to help you find that file.”

“No worries, I’ve got someone to help. Thanks, Rick. I really appreciate this.”

fleuron

For ten seconds, Bo tried to breathe, wondering if it was possible that Ray Ray Pickalew might save his ass one more time from the grave. Then he placed his last call of the night.

“Hooper,” the voice answered, loud and alert.

“You out Uber driving?”

“Not tonight.”

“Good. I need your help with something, and it’s an emergency.” For the next fifteen minutes, Bo explained what he wanted and provided the combination and passwords that the private investigator would need to get into the unit. When he finished, Bo let the investigator know the stakes. “No pressure, but the whole case rides on this.” He hung up the phone before the other man could answer.

70

70

Bo arrived at the courthouse the next morning at 8:30 a.m. He was wired on adrenaline and caffeine. He called Hooper from his parking space, and the investigator was inside the storage facility in Meridianville. There were, by his estimation, at least five hundred file jackets to go through. “I’ve already been through half of them, but it may take me a while longer to know whether Renfroe is here.”