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

He shrugged. “Ficco promised me another thirty after his son was acquitted.” He made a clicking noise against his teeth with his tongue. “See, then it looked like I wouldn’t get my money. Deal was Anderson wasn’t going to get anywhere near convicted, but damn if I never saw that little boy out in the woods that day. You got me with that, Counselor. You really did. I just about shit my pants when I found out someone saw us up there.” He chuckled. “Man, that lawyer pulled a number, though, didn’t he? Convincing Steven to get up there and lie. That dipshit didn’t have anything to do with this. I was just gonna make sure he got convicted for it.”

I nodded. “I figured it was just you and Anderson. I’m guessing Anderson didn’t have it in him to kill her.”

He shook his head. “Nah, his dad’s right about him. No balls.”

“And, um, wild guess, you didn’t grow up in Florida and don’t have a sister I screwed over.”

He chuckled. “No, man. But you had to think I had a reason to not help you. Worked nicely, yeah? Only problem was the photo Pritcher showed the jury of my niece. It was just some picture I found in Patty’s room when I went there pretending to look into the case.” He chuckled. “I was scared it could’ve been the daughter of someone on the jury. That would’ve put an end to our case real quick, wouldn’t it? But I tell you what,” he said, laughing, “I sent that lawyer every dirty thing about me, and then when I lied about it up there and he caught me, your face, aw, man, your face . . . I just about made my tongue bleed biting it so I wouldn’t burst out laughing.”

I tried to take a step closer to him, and he lifted the gun and said, “Only if you want a hole in your head.”

I held up my hands. “Easy. We can still work this out.”

“Bit too late for that.” He sighed and rubbed the side of his head with the gun. “Don’t know what to do with you, though. There’re gonna be a lot of questions, ain’t there? Don’t suppose you haven’t told anyone yet about our little secret?”

I didn’t say anything.

“Thought so.”

“I’ve known a lot of men like you. You’re gonna kill me no matter what I do, so we might as well get it over with.”

“Men like me?”

“I found your toy box with Patty’s pictures.”

He was silent. “You were in my house?” he said calmly.