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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

“One thing the prosecution told you that is true is that my client suffers from addiction. He has since the time he was sixteen. If any of you have family members suffering from addiction, you’ve seen what it can do to the human mind and body. The night of Patty’s abduction, Anderson was simply too out of it to fight for her, and Steven saw his chance.

“Steven Brown gave Anderson and Patty a ride back into town. He dropped Anderson off at home and then proceeded to take Patty, not to his apartment, but to the townhome that he knew Anderson owned. Anderson will testify that he had given a key to Steven, and that he didn’t know when or how often Steven was there.

“When Steven arrived with Patty, she was highly intoxicated. He took her into the townhome, and for two days he stayed with her. For two days, he tortured that poor girl until she was close to death. Then he took her body with another unidentified person, whom Mr. Graham’s detectives have been very conveniently unable to locate, if they’ve even tried, and dumped her in the Hallows. Anderson Ficco was nowhere near there. Anderson didn’t know anything had happened to Patty until the police arrived at his door to arrest him. Anderson Ficco is innocent.” He leaned on the banister in front of them.

“Anderson Ficco is innocent. Can you even imagine what it would be like to be convicted of a murder you didn’t commit? To spend the rest of your life in a prison cell, knowing the man who actually committed the murder is free and roaming about, enjoying his life?

“There’s a Bible passage in Genesis I’m quite fond of. Abraham is speaking with God, and God is about to destroy Sodom. It says, ‘And Abraham drew near and said, Will you consume the righteous and the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? What if ten are found there?’ And God answered Abraham and said, ‘I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.’ That, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is what the Bible teaches us. Better to let a city of the wicked live than to unjustly kill ten good men.” He paused and looked at each of the jurors. “Better to let ten guilty men go free than to punish one innocent man. Anderson Ficco is that innocent man.”

62

62

The judge called a ten-minute break. I took Jia, Will, and Howard out into the hall.

“What the hell was that?” I said to Howard, barely able to keep my voice down. “She tried to take a stalking injunction out against Steven?”

He shrugged. “I guess. I mean, I don’t know.”