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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

“I don’t remember if he was. Sorry.” He looked to the jury. “I’m sorry I lied. I’m just scared. I ain’t never been in trouble before. But Anderson ain’t have nothin’ to do with Patty. I don’t know how blood got in his townhome or if it’s even Patty’s, but I for sure dropped him off at his house and then dropped her off at her house. That’s the Lord’s honest truth. I don’t know what else to tell ya.”

I glanced back at Pritcher, who smirked.

“No further questions for now,” I said.

68

68

I asked for a recess after Steven’s testimony. I turned to Howard, who was sitting behind me. He blew a kiss at me, the pleasure at my humiliation exuding from his face like a warm glow, and left. Jia and Will sat there dumbfounded. I joined them in the gallery.

“You don’t seem that shaken up,” Jia said.

“Oh, don’t let my calm veneer fool you, I’m about to bust up this courtroom. The Jolly Green Giant sandbagged us. Pritcher probably coached him before I was even on the case. I’m guessing he was promised they could both get away with it if they stuck together.”

“That’s a felony for an attorney to advise someone to perjure themselves.”

“Welcome to the practice of law. What’s legal and illegal doesn’t matter. It’s what you can show a jury. And we don’t have squat to show anymore.”

Pritcher gathered his things and came over. He patted my shoulder and said, “Better luck on the next case.”

When he and his associates had left, I rose and walked over to the jury box. I put my hands on the banister and stared at the empty seats.

“So what now?” Will said.

“Now, we go with what we got. Lots of blood was found in Anderson’s townhome, tire tracks belonging to a truck like his were at the scene, Lyle is going to testify that he saw Anderson dump the body, and I’ll get Steven back up there and tear him apart. We don’t need much else. We just gotta hit hard in closing that Steven is lying now to protect himself and his buddy, and that he was telling the truth when he told me Anderson killed her. And when this is over, we’re asking Judge Allred to revoke our plea arrangement since Steven lied and putting him on trial for the homicide, too.”

Will was staring at his phone. “Um . . . boss?”

“Unless that’s a text from Anderson saying he’s ready to give a full confession and get me some cowboy boots that don’t make my toes feel like they’re in a vise, I don’t want to hear it.”