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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 lifted the file. “Take a look at this.”

She opened it as I stepped inside. Her house was large, far larger than a single adult needed, and barely decorated. The TV and the couch were really the only luxuries.

“Howard?”

“He’s our puzzle piece,” I said. “Howard busted Anderson for a DUI and buried the case. Which means Roscoe was telling the truth, and it wasn’t him but Nathan Ficco that jacked up Anderson after he found out about the DUI. And I think the botched murder investigation was purposeful. I went back to Howard’s personnel files: he was with Atlanta PD for seven years before moving out to Utah, Robbery-Homicide for two of those years. No way a detective with his experience would bungle a homicide this bad, and it had nothing to do with him trying to be sensitive to Hank or his niece knowing Patty. Howard sold himself out to Nathan Ficco on the DUI, and I bet he did it again on the murder. Nathan Ficco cleaned up after his son just like he did for his rape case when he was a teenager. But I need something before I can prove any of that: I need to show Howard got some sort of compensation for this.”

She closed the file. “You want his bank records.”

“Yes. And I happen to know a young woman who can get me things faster than anyone I’ve ever had work for me.”

“Tatum—”

“Hear me out: You can work for a big firm anytime. Anytime. With your brains and your experience here, if that’s what you really want, you can do it whenever. But someone told me today that I needed this case, and that if I abandoned it, I’d regret it the rest of my life. I have a feeling you need it, too. That you’re going to be sitting in a crappy little office going over your one thousandth lease termination and wondering what would have happened if you’d stuck it out and seen this case through. Don’t live with regrets.” I folded my arms. “Trust me, I know.”

She sighed and said, “How long do I have?”

“I already got Judge Allred to give us one more day before resuming the trial.”

“All right. Give me until noon tomorrow, and I’ll find something.”

78

78

That night I slept at the hospital. The chairs were uncomfortable, and I woke up at least three times with kinks in my back. The chairs had armrests, so I couldn’t lie across them. Eventually I just lay down on the floor and tried to get a couple of hours’ sleep.