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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

“They can’t. Not this. Not against Russell Pritcher.” I inhaled deeply and said, “Go home and get some sleep. No reason both of us should be here.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Gates—”

“Forget it. I’m not leaving.”

I squeezed her hand. “Thanks.”

She leaned her head on my shoulder and we both stared off at nothing.

45

45

In the morning, my father was doing much better. Gates and I sat by his bed. He was out of it, but he was talking about some of the upcoming baseball games he was excited about.

“The Yankees,” he said, his voice hoarse from the coughing. “That’s the team. I saw them in 1966 at Yankee Stadium with my father and have never forgotten it. You weren’t into sports and wouldn’t have gone with me, but my father took me and I’ll never forget it.” He stopped for a while and stared off into space before saying, “I remember the smell of the popcorn and hot dogs. You don’t get that smell anymore. Too many people there now, too much pollution in the air. But back then you could smell it. It would get on your clothes and hair, and you would smell it all day.”

I sat and listened to him for a while, and when he stopped and closed his eyes to rest, I said to Gates, “You better get going. You’ve got an office to run.”

“It’s Saturday.”

“We both know you don’t take Saturdays off.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I don’t, and you and I are the same.”

She grinned, kissed me on the cheek, and left. I turned back to my father. He opened his eyes and said, “Wish I coulda taken you to Yankee Stadium,” before his eyes closed and he was asleep again.

I was heading down to the cafeteria when I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize.

“Hello?”

“Tatum, this is Russell. I got your number from your associate. Hope you don’t mind.”

“I do, but what’s up?”

“My client has decided, against the advice of counsel, to meet with you.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“Anderson wants to meet with you and tell you his side of things.”

I laughed. “You’re kidding me?”

“I am not.”

“Since when do you let your clients do anything against the advice of counsel, Russell? Gettin’ a little soft in your old age, are ya?”

Silence on the other end.

“I can assure you, I vigorously emphasized this was a bad idea, but he insists.”

“All right, I’ll meet with him. Where and when?”

“It would have to be today. Preferably in the next couple of hours. I have an important appointment to attend to afterward.”

“Yeah? You getting a massage or something?”

“Can you be down at the jail or not?”

I checked my watch. “Gimme half an hour and I’ll meet you down there.”

46

46