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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

“He was the doctor that treated Anderson’s eye injury last year when you took him in.”

He put his papers in his bag and then looked at me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That hospital has video,” I lied. “When I get that video and watch it, what’s it going to show me, Roscoe? I’m getting it this afternoon, so it’s best we not lie to each other right now.”

He sighed and sat down in his seat, rubbing his head. “I was just trying to protect him.”

“Tell me what you know, and maybe we can help each other.”

“This can’t leave the room.”

“We’ll see. What happened?”

“It’s Anderson’s father.”

“What about him?”

“There was no pipe. I swore to Anderson that we would make something up and stick to the story.” He exhaled and looked down to his desk. “His father was upset over something Anderson had done. It didn’t even seem like a big deal to me, an arrest for DUI. I mean, it is a big deal and it isn’t. Kids do stupid things. So when practice was finishing up, I was speaking to Anderson about how to go about fixing it when his father showed up.”

“And?”

“And he was furious. I’d never seen him like that. I tried to calm him down so the three of us could talk, but there was no talking. He grabbed Anderson and pinned him against the wall with one hand and pounded him with the other. I mean, just pounded the poor kid. I managed to finally pull him off, and when I did, I noticed the brass knuckles.”

“What?”

“He was wearing brass knuckles to beat his own son. What kind of man does that, Tatum? Beats his own kid to the point he deforms him?”

I was silent a second. “Assuming I believe you, why didn’t you call the cops?”

“You don’t know how much influence the Ficcos have. I mean, I guess you probably do, but it’s gotten even worse since you left. I mean, Nathan owns like half the land around this town. Whoever he wants elected to office is who’s going to get elected to office. The sheriff was elected almost exclusively by money the guy donated to him.”

Huh. Guess that would explain how Pritcher is getting such good intel. He wasn’t bribing anyone. He didn’t have to: the sheriff’s office was probably handing him the information on a silver platter.