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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

“Iraq,” he said. “IED went off on our Jeep. Piece of shrapnel cut through my leg and I got this little present right here on my neck.”

“Looks manly. I wouldn’t sweat it.”

He bit into his Danish. “Let’s forget the chitchat for a minute and just get to why you asked me here.”

I took Anderson’s juvenile file out of my bag and placed it in front of him. He opened it and flipped through it.

“Guess I don’t need to ask how you got an expunged file from our archives without clearing it with the assigned detective,” he said.

“No, you don’t. And that’s why I’m here. First, I need to talk to the assigned detective. Gates said she lives in town, so that won’t be difficult for you. I need to know every detail that she left out of the case notes. The most important is Anderson’s alibi. Detective Trevor didn’t interview the boy. Why? That’s a massive, massive omission that only makes sense if you already know the case is going to be dismissed. Someone made it happen.”

He nodded and flipped through the remaining pages of the file before closing it. “I can tell you why now if you like: because the maid probably had sex with the little twerp willingly, tried to get some money outa Anderson’s daddy, and then stopped cooperating when he wouldn’t pay up. Gold diggers come up with schemes like that all the time.”

“Okay, well, how about we do our jobs and just make sure. Also, the alleged victim just disappeared after. I want to talk to her.”

He slid the file over to me. “Great. Do it yourself.”

I sighed. Did everything have to be hard?

“You don’t like me, I get that, but this isn’t about me. It’s about that young girl rotting in a grave when she had her entire life ahead of her. Whatever people fixed this case for Anderson might be doing the same for Patty’s case.”

He leaned back in his seat. “Do you remember a cop on a case you had in Miami named Cynthia Phelps?”

I took a sip of coffee. “No. Why?”

“Well, she remembers you. You got her on the stand. It was her second year as a cop, pretty much a rook. You had her so shaken up she ran to the bathroom and puked and was cryin’ for days after.”

“I’ve made a lot of cops cry. Sorry, not ringing a bell.”