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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

“You found a conviction she had when she was sixteen, prostitution. See, she had an abusive boyfriend, drug addict that got her hooked on pain pills. He pimped her out one time when she was nearly unconscious, and when the cops arrested the john, they cited her. She’d run away from home, her parents weren’t there, so she just pled to it. Didn’t realize the cops had made a mistake in charging her.”

“Mark, I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but I want to talk about this case, not ancient history.”

“Oh, you’ll like this part. See, she cleaned up her life. Started going back to church, married a good man, had two kids, and joined the police force. But see when she joined, she thought juvenile convictions didn’t count and didn’t realize you still have to put them down on your application. So you found this conviction, somehow, and I can only guess that you bribed somebody, but you found it, and you brought it out in court. She got fired from the force, lost her pension, and couldn’t find another job as a police officer. It broke her somethin’ good.”

“Look, if she was your friend, I’m sorry, but that’s just the job. I did what I did to save my client. And don’t lie on an application. What can I tell ya?”

“Well, she wasn’t my friend.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “Phelps was her married name. Her real name was Howard. Cynthia Melinda Howard.”

I stayed quiet a second. “Sister?”

“Half sister. My family’s from Tallahassee. Born and raised.” He shook his head, staring down at the table. “She had a great career ahead of her. Our dad was a cop and our granddad was a cop. She had the brains for a good career. Much smarter than me.” He took another bite of Danish and then pushed the plate away. “I liked Patty. I know her daddy, and I feel sorry as hell for what happened. But if my not helpin’ hurts you even a little, you better believe I’m gonna do it.” He tossed his napkin over his plate. “You can burn in hell for all I care, Counselor.”

I watched him leave and stared down at Anderson’s file. Well, I guess if you want something done right . . .

I called Will.

“Yo,” he answered.

“I’m flying somebody out, like, today. On the next flight out from Miami I can find. I need you to book the flight and pick her up from the airport.”

“Sweet. Girlfriend?”

“No, not exactly.”

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