BooksBarbecue
Back The Hallows
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 stopped at a pharmacy and picked up some antacids. I popped two of them and drank them down with a Sprite in my car. The parking lot was empty, and I sat and listened to an eighties station for a while. My Tesla needed a charge, and the nearest station was over thirty miles away, so I grabbed an energy drink and guzzled half before driving out there.

The station was at a Starbucks in a little town called Hurricane. I waited inside at one of the tables. My head was pounding again, and I stretched my neck from side to side. I wondered what Sarah was doing right now in South Beach. I wouldn’t say I missed her—missed wasn’t the right word—but there was some emotion that I couldn’t quite explain.

I picked up the phone and dialed the first few numbers and then stopped and put the phone down. That wasn’t my world anymore. Neither was this. I felt like I was drifting above the ground with nowhere to settle.

Once the car was charged, I headed back to River Falls. The trial was continued until the day after tomorrow, so I had about a day and a half to figure out how to best destroy Steven’s testimony. We still had the ME, a blood expert, a forensic tech, Cecily, and another officer to go before we rested. And I’d be recalling Steven to dismantle what he’d caught me off guard with. There was still a chance. Assuming of course we could find Lyle. Without the kid, I didn’t think we had enough to convict Anderson of anything.

Back at the office, I sat in the conference room. The office of the previous prosecutor had been cleared out, but it didn’t have any windows and only two bright lights that looked like they belonged in a supermarket. I grabbed the tennis ball I had left on the table and bounced it against the wall.

Jia came in a while later and folded her arms but didn’t say anything.

“More bad news? Did the ME disappear, too?”

“I . . . um . . . wanted to talk to you about something. I know it’s not the right time, but I need to do it now.” She sat down. “Something kinda fell in my lap.”

“Don’t say it.”

“My friend referred me to a firm, and I did an interview a couple days ago. It’s a big firm in Salt Lake. It’s double the salary, and I’d be learning civil litigation as well as some criminal, which they said I could head up since they don’t have anybody there specializing in it. It’s a good opportunity.”