BooksBarbecue
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

“We drank a little, played some pool, and then I decided to drive ’em home. Patty and Anderson were both too drunk to drive.” He swallowed and looked at Anderson and then looked away. “Then I dropped him off at his house and her at her house and that was it.”

My stomach felt like it dropped into my feet. “What did you say?”

“I said I dropped them off at their houses and then went home. Next day Anderson called me and asked if I’d heard from Patty. He wanted to call her and apologize for actin’ like an ass last night. I told him I dropped her off and ain’t heard from her.”

I stepped closer to him. “Do you remember speaking with me a couple weeks ago at the jail, Mr. Brown?”

“Yessir.”

“Do you remember telling me that Anderson was high on mescaline, and that while you were driving home, he hit Patty over the head with a hammer?”

He hesitated. “I do. I was lyin’.”

“You were lying?”

“Yessir. I was in trouble and thought if I blamed Anderson, I could get out of it. But my conscience got to me, so I’m tellin’ the truth now.” He looked to the jury. “Anderson ain’t had nothin’ to do with Patty dyin’.”

“Conscience?” I said, almost laughing. “Your conscience got to you? That’s just fantastic. So you lied to an officer of this court, correct?”

“Yessir.”

“But you’re telling the truth now?”

“Yes.”

“Your Honor, permission to treat the witness as hostile?”

“Granted.”

“Mr. Brown, Anderson kept a townhome separate from his home, as Detective Howard testified to, correct?”

“He did.”

“And a lot of blood was found in that townhome?”

“Yeah, I guess it was.”

“Patty went missing after that night you two were with her?”

“Guess so.”

“And a lot of blood was found in the townhome?”

“Yes.”

“Tire tracks belonging to a vehicle similar to Anderson’s truck were found in the Hallows where Patty’s body was found, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Cecily said in her statement that Anderson was so drunk he was harassing every woman in the bar. You aware of that?”

“I’d heard she said somethin’ like that.”

“Patty was extraordinarily beautiful, wasn’t she?”

“Yeah, she was.”

“No offense to you, but far more beautiful a girl than you or Anderson were used to spending time with. Outa your league, wouldn’t you say?”

“I don’t know. I guess. Hell, everyone had a crush on her. That ain’t nothin’.”

“You just said you drove them, right?”

“Yes.”

“So you were sober?”

“Yeah, I just had one beer.”

“And you, perfectly sober, saw how out of control Anderson was, correct?”