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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

“Brass knuckles. You know, metal, several holes for your fingers to fit through?”

He chuckled. “You think I injured Anderson’s eye? Trust me, Mr. Graham, if I wanted to hurt him I wouldn’t need brass knuckles to do it.”

“See, ’cause I heard you showed up to the football field and did a little number on your son.”

“That’s preposterous. Who told you that? Roscoe Mallory?”

“Does it matter?”

He stared at us a moment. “I wasn’t going to help you anyway, Mr. Graham, but perhaps you need to look a little more closely at dear Coach Mallory.”

“For what?”

“For the fact that he was sleeping with Patty Winchester.”

Will and I glanced at each other. “Bullshit. You would’ve said something to help your son from the beginning.”

“Mr. Pritcher recommended not saying anything and instead surprising you in court with it when he called Roscoe to the stand. But seems appropriate now. He became obsessed with her. Patty once confided in Anderson that she was frightened of him.” He finished his whiskey. “Drop the charges against my son and go get the real killer. That’s what the taxpayers are paying you for. Now get the hell out of my house.”

Once outside, we stopped on the porch and I looked back at the Ficcos’ home. Near the roof was a wasp’s nest tucked under the gutter.

“Looks like you were right,” Will said.

“We need confirmation. You didn’t find anything?”

“Not much. Got Roscoe’s bank accounts, and there weren’t any large transfers in or out in the past year. But there were three charges to the State Street Motel downtown. The times were all in the afternoon.”

“Go talk to Cecily. If anyone might know if Patty was sleeping with him, it’s her. Then head down to that motel and show Roscoe’s and Patty’s pictures to everyone that works there and see if they ever showed up together.”

“What about the eye injury? You still think Anderson’s dad hurt him?”

“Roscoe said he beat him with brass knuckles over a DUI arrest.”

“DUI? I don’t remember that coming through the office.”

“Which means either Roscoe is lying or Daddy used his influence to get rid of it. I need you or Jia down at the station digging through the files. And then pull Nathan Ficco’s criminal history. I specifically want any times where the Department of Child Services was called out to investigate reports of child abuse.”

“Got it. Out of curiosity, though, why are we so interested in his eye injury? I mean, however it happened doesn’t change the fact that Anderson murdered Patty.”

“It’s an unknown, and I don’t like unknowns. They have a nasty little habit of coming back and biting you in the ass.”

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