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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

Helen clicked out of the message and realized that she was still holding her breath. She exhaled and closed her eyes. She opened them when she heard another tone coming from the phone, this one indicating receipt of a voice message. It had been left at 6:03 p.m. When she clicked on it, her vehicle was filled with Hank’s voice. “General, just left you a text. Where are you? Been looking all over. We need to talk. It’s about the Butch Renfroe investigation. Please call me as soon as possible.”

Helen sighed and replayed the message a couple more times before exiting out of voice mail. Then she went back to her texts and scrolled down to the messages that Butch had sent her the day before.

After reading them, Helen again closed her eyes and leaned her head against the steering wheel. She knew these two communications would be evidence used against her to show motive for murder. And based on the texts from Gloria and Hank as well as the sheriff’s voice mail, they were closing in.

Feeling her heartbeat racing, Helen forced herself to open her eyes. The rain was showing no signs of letting up. She glanced at the time on the car stereo: 11:56 p.m.

“Screw it,” she said, keeping her hazard lights on and putting the vehicle in gear. Helen Lewis had never been one to procrastinate, and she wasn’t going to start now.

Praying that her instincts would be as wrong today as they’d been the night before, she pressed down on the accelerator, and the black Crown Vic flung gravel as it roared back onto the highway.

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Helen barely made it another mile before red and blue headlights appeared in her rearview mirror. Feeling her pulse quicken, she again pulled onto the side of the road. There was a sheriff’s cruiser behind her and two more pulled to a stop in front. At least three uniformed men approached the Crown Vic, and Helen noticed several other officers who stayed behind in the vehicles. She rolled down her window and tried to maintain her composure as rain droplets leaked into the interior of the vehicle.

“What’s the problem, officers? I’m getting wet here.”

After conferring with each other, one of the deputies stepped forward holding an umbrella over his head. Helen recognized him as a veteran member of the force named Ty Dodgen, whose wife, Cindy, taught history at Giles County High. Dodgen peered at Helen with a pained expression. “General, the sheriff needs to see you right away.”