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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

“Something’s not sitting right with Anderson’s eye injury. He didn’t just fall on a pipe. Something happened. And either Roscoe is lying about it or Nathan Ficco is. One of them doesn’t want me to know the truth, and it’s connected to Patty.”

“Nathan will say and do anything to help his son. I wouldn’t believe a word he says, particularly over Roscoe. But . . .”

“But what?”

“But then again, you never really know what people are capable of when nobody’s watching.”

67

67

The next day in court, Jia and Will sat behind me, and I didn’t have Howard sit next to me. It was just me, Pritcher, and Anderson at the tables.

“Mr. Graham,” Judge Allred said, “I believe the floor is yours.”

“Thank you, Judge. The State calls Steven Brown to the stand.”

The bailiff went to the back and brought out Steven. He wore a suit and wasn’t cuffed. He was so large he took up almost the entire witness booth.

I rose and stood in front of the lectern. “Name, please.”

“Steven Brown.”

“You live here in River Falls, Steven?”

“Yessir, born and raised.”

“You know why we’re here?”

He glanced at Anderson, who was staring right at him with a smirk on his face. “Yessir.”

“Please tell us.”

“It’s about the killin’a Patty Winchester.”

“Tell us what you remember about that night.”

“Well, we was going down to Skid Row. It’s a bar in Las Vegas. We go there sometimes ’cause they don’t have great bars over here in Utah. They don’t really check for ID neither, so it works out. So me and Anderson go over there, and we meet up with Patty and her friend Cecily. We knew ’em from school. And Patty was really drunk. Like really drunk. Hittin’ on all the guys in the bar. Rough guys, like bikers and such. And so Anderson and I was worried about her. Like them guys was takin’ a likin’ to her, and they didn’t look like they would take no for an answer.”

I got a chill as I stared at him. Something in his voice was off. I stepped around the lectern and went up close to him, my arms folded as I stared into his pupils. I was close enough I could smell him, and I saw his pulse pound in his throat and the sweat glisten on his forehead. “What happened next?”

“Cecily had to leave. She said she had to work in the mornin’. So me and Anderson was left with Patty.”

“Describe what state Anderson was in mentally.”

“Mentally? I don’t know. He was fine. Bit too drunk, but that was a frequent occurrence.”

“Any drugs?”

“I suppose. Yeah, he was probably high, too. He likes mescaline.”

“So Anderson is drunk and high, and you guys are left with Patty. What happens then?”