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Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I turned away from Pritcher. I was nervous I might vomit if I had to stare at him any longer. “No. What is it?”

“I got it.”

We went out to the living room, and Detective Howard walked in with an evidence bag containing a black-and-gray Smith & Wesson handgun.

“Where’d you find it?”

“Mother-in-law apartment out back.”

I looked at Pritcher and said, “Rookie mistake to keep that thing around.”

“Every person in this county has guns. That adds nothing to your case, if it’s even his to begin with, considering it was found in his aunt’s room. But feel free to use it in trial. I think you’re going to find, Tatum, that your case is not as strong as you think it is.”

43

43

Gates came into the office that next afternoon, after we spent a couple of hours with Adam at the hospital. He seemed better and was joking with some of the staff and even ate a little.

I’d been reviewing the Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure when Gates came in. I had looked through Utah’s evidentiary rules, and nearly all of them were identical to Florida’s, but the Rules of Criminal Procedure had pronounced differences. It seemed almost like these rules were made for a Wild West town rather than modern cities.

Gates sat across from me in the conference room.

“You look tired,” she said.

“Haven’t been sleeping much.”

“Really? You? I would figure you sleep like a baby.”

“Why would you figure that?”

She shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like there’s much that bothers you enough to interfere with sleep.”

I leaned back in my seat and rubbed my eyes. “I wish. What’re you doing here? It’s clock-out time.”

“Actually, I need a favor. I have a fund-raiser tonight and . . . I thought maybe you would want to come with me.”

“Wow. Gates needs a prop, huh?”

“Look, you wanna come or not?”

I chuckled. “I’m kidding. Of course I’ll come.”

She stood up. “Good, go put on something nice. I’ll swing by and pick you up.”

I went back to the clothing store and bought a new blazer and, Lord help me, cowboy boots. I asked for the nicest and most expensive shoes they had, and the cowboy boots were it. When I was back home and sitting on the bed, slipping the boots on, I wondered how people walked around in them all day. They hurt like a mother.

Gates texted that she was here, and when I got in her truck, she grinned and said, “Are you wearing boots?”

“What? I gotta blend in with the local color here.”

She pulled away. “You wouldn’t wear those as a kid for some reason.”

“I never rooted for the cowboys in movies. I always wanted the Indians to win, so the cowboy stuff never appealed to me.”

She glanced at me. “You look nice. Really.”