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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

“We was at that bar in Vegas just drinkin’ and havin’ a good time. Me and Stevie. And Patty and Cecily get there like around midnight. Her daddy don’t let her out much, so she sneaks out late at night. I hooked up with her a few times, so they came over—”

“Hooked up?” I asked. “What’dya mean hooked up? Sex?”

“Yessir.”

“How many times?”

“Shoot, I dunno. Three times. It weren’t nothing. But she ain’t got no lovin’ for Stevie, that’s for damn sure.”

I noticed his yellowed teeth. One of them had a chip, making it look jagged, like the outline of the mountains in the night sky on my drive to Vegas. For a rich kid, he certainly didn’t take care of himself.

“I mean, he was always tryin’ to hook up with her, and she don’t care. Didn’t pay him no attention. Until that night he killed her.”

“Walk me through it.”

He shrugged. “We was just havin’ a good time is all. And when the girls came, Patty was all over me. I weren’t in the mood, though, so I passed her on to Stevie. Thought it was ’bout time he hit that.”

“So what happened?”

“We was there till one or two in the mornin’. Cecily left early, so we drove Patty home. Stevie dropped me off at home and then said he was gonna drop Patty off. And that’s it.”

“That’s it?”

He nodded. “That’s the Lord’s honest truth.”

I leaned forward a little. Normally, I could get inside the head of a little jerkoff like this and tear him apart, but not with Pritcher there. If I got too aggressive, he would shut it down and I’d miss my chance, so I had to word things as carefully as possible.

“I’ve seen pictures of Patty. She’s beautiful. Some would say too beautiful for someone from this town.”

He grinned. “She was hot. So?”

“So, sorry, Anderson, but you don’t exactly strike me as a Casanova. No way she was hooking up with you all over the place.”

I had to rattle him. See how he reacted.

Pritcher immediately jumped in. “Don’t answer that, Anderson. There a question in there, Counselor?”

I leaned back in my seat. “You were accused of raping a woman when you were thirteen, weren’t you, Anderson?”

Pritcher said, “Do not answer that. Tatum, I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing, but that juvenile record is certainly not pertinent to this case.”

“Who says anything about the case? I’m not looking to introduce it at trial. I’m just curious.”

“Don’t answer that, Anderson. This interview is over.”

“Nah, I’ll answer.”

“You certainly will not.”

Anderson looked at him, anger in his eyes. “Sit your ass down and shut up.”