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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

“Judge,” I said, “while I appreciate Mr. Pritcher’s zeal, the State is going to need time to prepare.”

“Your Honor, this case has garnered national media attention. My client’s reputation continues to deteriorate the longer the case goes on. Mr. Graham has had ample time to prepare this case. We waived our preliminary hearing and expect to have this case expedited. I have not addressed bail with this court in the hopes that we can have a quick trial date.”

Judge Allred said, “Mr. Graham, you may be new to this case, but it has been lingering in my courtroom since before you. The defense is correct in that they have waived their preliminary hearing, and I see no reason you can’t be prepared as quickly as they can, considering the State has actually had the evidence in this case quite a bit longer. Also, Mr. Graham, for future reference, I expect the prosecution on a case to be ready for trial the day they file charges. If you’re not ready for trial, that means you’re not ready to file charges against a citizen of this county.” She took her glasses off. “I’m setting a jury date for three weeks from today. I assume all parties will be ready by then?”

Pritcher grinned. “Perfect, Your Honor.”

Steven’s attorney said, “That works.”

“We’ll make do,” I said.

I watched as Anderson and Steven were taken back and Pritcher and the rest of the attorneys filed out of the courtroom. Jia had her arm up on the backrest in the audience pews, and when we were alone, she said, “He’s got something.”

“Damn right he does. Pretty good defense tactic is to drag a murder case out as long as you can and hope witnesses disappear or evidence gets lost. If he wants a trial fast, he has something that may not last very long that he needs to get on the record quickly. Our job, young lady, is to find out what it is.”

52

52

For the next few days, I kept my head low. I wasn’t in the office much. I found it distracting, and it didn’t help my concentration to be in a conference room where I could hear the bureaucrats on the floor above me stomping around.

I sat in the corner at a coffee shop. It was small, with paintings for sale on the walls and only about ten things on the menu, but everyone here was young, and there was something about youthful energy that could pep up the middle-aged. Like a vampire sucking the blood of the young, I guess. Man, I was being morbid today.