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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

We went to the front door and knocked. No one answered. We rang the doorbell. I tried the door, but it was locked. There was a window near the porch, and I looked around before taking off my jacket and wrapping it around my fist.

“What’re you doing?” Will said.

“Baking a cake. What’s it look like?”

“We don’t have a warrant. We can’t go in there.”

“Will,” I said, pointing to the door, “this guy helped Patty’s killers. Sabotaged the investigation from the beginning. Lied to us constantly. And we’re the only ones that know it and the only ones that would want to see him prosecuted. This is a huge embarrassment to the mayor and the sheriff. They’re going to do everything they can to raise doubt that he had anything to do with it. If we don’t stop him, he’s going to get away with it, and do it again. We can’t let him have a badge anymore.”

He sighed and put his hands on his hips. “Fine, but you gotta wrap it tighter than that or you’re gonna get cut.”

I grinned as I wrapped it tighter and then approached the window. I cocked my fist and shattered the glass. Moving aside some of the broken pieces with my jacket, I unlatched the window and lifted it, making sure to check that there wasn’t a sensor indicating an alarm.

Inside was warm and had a stale, rotting stench. Like no one had opened any windows for years. I went to unlock the front door and thought it might be best not to get Will involved in this, so I left it locked.

“Hey, Will, wait out there for me. If I’m not out in ten minutes, call it in. Do not come in here yourself.”

“Aw, man, I don’t need protecting.”

“Yes you do. I don’t care if I get disbarred, but I do care if you do. Ten minutes.”

“Fine. Ten minutes.”

The house was cluttered and messy. In the corner were stacks of boxes filled with everything from bills and papers to clothes and dishes. Howard was a hoarder. The kitchen wasn’t much different, with overflowing boxes stacked against the wall. The sink was full of dirty dishes and the kitchen smelled like rotting food. On the table was a half-finished breakfast.

I wandered around the living room and entered the bedroom. The bedroom was where it all was. Anything that had ever happened to anyone, good or bad, came out in the actions in here.

I checked the dresser drawers and didn’t find anything and then tried the closet. It was a mess, with shoes piled on top of old dirty clothes, piled on top of blankets and pillows, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary.