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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

He eyed me and then lowered it but didn’t put it back in the holster. I turned to Roscoe and said, “Can I come in?”

Will was about to say something, and I held up my hand for him to be quiet.

“Just you.”

“Okay. I’m walking toward the house now. I’m unarmed, Roscoe.”

I approached, my heart like a drum in my ears. I undid my jacket and took it off, dropping it on the ground to make sure he could see I wasn’t armed. I kept my hands high as I approached. When I got to the door, he stepped to the side and let me in. He shut the door behind me. Some old furniture was inside, covered in dust and cobwebs.

“Where’s Lyle?”

“He’s safe. I would never hurt him. Hell, Tatum, what kind of person do you think I am?”

“The kind that kills young girls, apparently.”

“Is that what you think? That ain’t me. I would never hurt Patty.” He swallowed. “I loved her.”

“You loved her?”

He nodded. “We’d been together a long time. I would see her whenever I could. She said she loved me, too. That we would get married when she turned eighteen next year and run away together. She’d been saving money for it, too. I was broken when she died. Couldn’t work, couldn’t eat or sleep. You know how long it took me to be able to get outa bed again?”

“Then why’d you run?”

“When you came to the school, I knew you’d find out, and I would lose everything. I mean, forget prison, I’d be on the sex offender registry. I could never work as a teacher again, could never see Lyle again. I’d have to live with them scumbags in the trailer parks outside’a town ’cause that’s the only place there ain’t no kids . . . I don’t want that, Tatum. I’d rather die right here.”

“Easy, pal. No one’s dying today.” I took a deep breath and looked around the house. Rusted nails thrust out from the floorboards, and broken glass lay in front of all the windows. “Picked a helluva place for Custer’s Last Stand, didn’t ya?”

He sat down in an old chair, staring at the floor. The gun hung limply from his hand. “I ran outa gas. You believe that? You see in them movies people on the run, and they never stop to get gas. Little things are what always hurt ya in the end, ain’t they?”

I nodded. “They sure are.” I glanced at some stairs leading up. “Is Lyle upstairs?”

He nodded.

“Anderson’s eye, was that really his father?”