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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

“Everything happened exactly as I said it did this afternoon,” Helen said, talking as much to herself as she was to him. “I went over there to kick Butch’s ass. I beat him with the revolver, and he took it away from me.” She shivered. “But I didn’t walk away. I tried to wrestle the gun back from him, and it went off. When I stepped away, he was bleeding from his chest.” She wiped her eyes. “I knew it was a kill shot, and so did Butch.” Helen gazed at Ennis. “He asked me to finish him off. Begged me to do it.”

“So you did.”

She nodded. “I was in shock afterward and must have blacked out or something. I didn’t remember leaving the gun at the house. I didn’t even realize it was gone until I checked my glove compartment the next day.” She hesitated. “Ennis, if you knew that I did it, why didn’t you leave my .44 at Butch’s house? Or at least put it somewhere that the sheriff’s office could find it? That would have made my conviction a slam dunk.”

Ennis stood and stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “No comment.”

Helen gazed up at him. “OK, forget the gun. Why did you help Bo during the investigation and trial of the case?”

He let out a ragged breath. “Because I believe that good people make terrible mistakes in this world. I . . . made an awful one that I’m still paying for. I didn’t want you to have to go through that.”

“Why?”

Ennis looked down at her with kind eyes. “Something tells me that you’ve been paying for something else for a long time.”

She nodded. “Since 1977.”

EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

1

A week after the trial of Helen Lewis had concluded, Bocephus Haynes stood before Judge Lucas Woodruff in the circuit court of Madison County, Alabama, and made his case to be awarded full custody of his children.

“Your Honor, I have bought a house in downtown Pulaski, I have a law practice that’s doing pretty well, and I’ve kept my nose clean.” Bo gestured behind him where T. J. and Lila sat side by side in the first row of the gallery. T. J. had his arm around his sister, and both kids had anxious looks plastered to their faces. Each of them had already testified to wanting to live with their father in Pulaski. “I’ve made arrangements to reenroll T. J. and Lila in the Giles County School System, and they can start next week.” Bo paused. “Your Honor, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I’ve paid dearly for them.” He stopped and had to keep his voice from shaking as he finished. “I want my family back, Your Honor. I need them, and they need me.”