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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

“It’s Nina.”

I looked up. “She’d eat you alive.”

“I know. Isn’t love grand?”

I closed the file and said, “I’ll be in the courtroom.”

Judge Allred’s court hadn’t changed. I’d come here sometimes as a kid and watch the proceedings. There wasn’t exactly much to do in small towns, and watching someone you knew in handcuffs get lectured by a judge sufficed to pass the time.

The courtroom had several large windows, and the defense and prosecution tables looked almost new. I walked around and sat in one of the chairs of the jury box, which had wooden seats with blue cushions, seeing what the jury would see.

Pritcher came in a second later with his two associates. He grinned at me as he put his briefcase down on the defense table and said, “Gotta admit, the courtroom’s nicer than I thought it would be.”

“It’s got its charms.”

“Would you like to know my favorite courtroom? It was a small courtroom in Florence. I was defending a man accused of killing young women and posing their bodies in various ways. You don’t even want to know the hassle of an American attorney getting special permission to try a case over there, but I did.”

“Didn’t know you spoke Italian.”

“I speak six languages, actually. Haven’t you done your homework on me? I’m disappointed, Tatum.”

I rose and walked to the prosecution table as a bailiff came out of a door behind the judge’s bench. “Sorry, Russell, you’re just not that interesting.”

Another bailiff came out a second later, pushing Anderson in front of him, and two bailiffs followed with Steven. The boys were seated at the defense table. The attorney representing Steven joined them and began whispering to him. Anderson and Pritcher didn’t talk.

“All rise, Fifth District Court is now in session. The Honorable Beatrice Allred presiding.”

Judge Allred came in and sat down and said, “Please be seated.”

Though she had a computer, she still pulled out a couple of files, a notepad, and a pen before putting on her glasses and saying, “We’re here for the preliminary hearings of State versus Ficco and State versus Brown, which I have signed an order striking and am setting this today for oral arguments on motions I received last week. I have received Mr. Ficco’s motions to suppress and the State’s responses, and I have received Mr. Brown’s motions and the State’s responses. After Mr. Ficco’s motions today, we may address Mr. Brown’s motions. Are we ready to proceed?”