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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

“You needed this. I felt like you had a hole inside you when I saw you that first time. You looked like a lost little boy.” She grinned. “It was the same look you used to have when we were kids and you’d get us lost in the forest but pretend to know where you were going because you thought I would get scared.” She reached out and lightly touched my hand. “You need this. For whatever reason. And I’m not saying it’s trivial; it’s just your personal reason that no one else will understand. But you need to finish this. If you don’t, I think you will regret it the rest of your life.”

77

77

It was the next morning before Dr. Langley came out and sat down with us. He exhaled and said, “The surgery went well. He had several tumors the size of dimes in his right lung, and we excised all of them. After we drained his lungs, he was able to breathe on his own quickly. He’s very strong. He’s resting in post-op right now, but you should be able to see him, probably, later today.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Doctor.”

He rose and said, “He told me to tell you something before he went under, in case he didn’t make it. He said to tell you he’s glad you came back.”

I finally forced Gates to leave and do what she had to do. I didn’t want her sitting idly by with me all day.

Evening came quickly, and I didn’t even remember the day passing. I sat in the hospital waiting room, staring at the lighting in the parking lot from a window in front of me. A nurse came out and told me my dad was still sleeping after the surgery and that it might be best to come back in the morning.

I left the hospital and wasn’t sure where to go. I sat in my car awhile with the windows rolled down and thought about what Gates had said. I exhaled, started the car, and headed to the police station.

It was quiet when I got there. The female officer at the front nodded to me and said, “How are you, Mr. Graham?”

“Hangin’ in there. Hey, need to review a file from last year for a case. Would that be possible?”

“For a deputy county attorney? Of course.”

She led me to the basement, where Gates and I had been before. Except now I wasn’t looking for a juvenile case for Anderson; now I was looking for the DUI that had disappeared into a black hole.

“Happy hunting,” she said as she headed back up the stairs. “Lemme know if you need to check out anything.”

“Thanks.”