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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

Now, as he gazed across the bedroom at one of those bequests, Bo blinked back tears of gratitude. Then he whispered, “I love you, Lila.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

2

On November 6, 2015, the people of the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit voted to reelect Helen Evangeline Lewis to a record fourth term as district attorney general. A victory party was thrown at Giles County High School chaperoned by Danny Cothren, and over one hundred people came to give their best wishes to the General.

The next morning, Gloria Sanchez reported to work, fully expecting to be fired. Instead, she found fifteen case files on her desk. Before she could even sit down, Helen bellowed from her office, “Gloria, I’m way behind, and I need you to come in here and give me summations on every file that I put on your desk. There’s a settlement docket in front of Page this afternoon, and I want to be ready.”

Gloria tiptoed through the opening to Helen’s door and stood in front of her. “I still have a job?” she asked.

“Did I stutter? I need those summations,” Helen snapped. “Chop chop.”

“Why?” Gloria asked, unable to contain her curiosity. “I testified against you in your trial, and I dismissed the rape charges against Michael Zannick. Why aren’t you firing me?”

“Because doing those things took guts. You had to make difficult choices, and you didn’t shy away from them. You made a decision and stood by it.” Helen paused. “Besides, as I said, I’m six months behind, and who else is going to catch me up? I doubt Sack Glover is going to offer his help.”

“Th-thank you, General,” Gloria said.

Helen gave her a look. “Don’t make me regret this.”

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A week later, the civil lawsuit filed by Mandy Burks went to early mediation. After eight hours of negotiations, Mandy, with her mother’s blessing, agreed to accept the sum of $1.5 million in full settlement of all claims against Michael Zannick. After the paperwork finalizing the agreement had been executed by all parties, Bo called Helen and delivered the news.

“Zannick buys his peace,” Helen said, her voice tinged with bitterness.

“And skates clean,” Bo added. “After everything.”

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Within twenty-four hours of the execution of the settlement documents and the contemporaneous dismissal of Mandy Burks’s civil lawsuit against Michael Zannick, the deal with Hoshima was announced. A thousand more jobs were coming to the town of Pulaski.

That night, Michael Zannick had a huge party at his mansion off Highway 31 and invited the entire town.

Helen didn’t show up until the end. When she did, she asked for a word in private.

He invited her into his study, and Helen sat in a rocking chair and gazed at him. “I’d like to know what you did with my gun.”

He smiled. “Ahh, General Lewis. I wondered when you would put two and two together.”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense.”