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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

“Well, then get ready for these boys to walk. Your only hope is a terrible attorney that pleads them out.”

She shook her head. “That’s not going to happen. During the interview when one of the detectives told him he’s going to prison, Anderson Ficco said, and I quote, ‘Rich people don’t go to prison.’”

“Sounds like a charming lad. Who’s his lawyer?”

“He hired one of those celebrity lawyers from New York. Russell Pritcher.”

I chuckled. “Russell Pritcher? As in the Russell Pritcher that once defended one of the Saudi princes?”

“You know him?”

“We’ve met. Where are you in the case?”

“We’re going to have the preliminary hearing next week and then a trial after that.”

“Oh, forget the trial. He’ll get this dismissed at prelim. The guy’s good. Not as good as me, granted, but the best your money can buy if I’m not available. Is he representing both boys?”

“Just Anderson.” She glanced out the window. “If I lose this case, Horace will have it plastered in every store window, on every billboard, and running on every radio station. I’ll lose my seat.”

“I mean, it comes with the territory, right?”

“Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to rise to this position in a county like this? The men here still think it was a mistake to allow women the right to vote.” She shook her head. “All that time, all that work . . . for nothing. To lose to a man who just happens to have a lot of money.”

I stared at her a long time. “Wish I could help.”

She took the file and opened it up. She removed a photo of Patty’s body lying in the ditch. A necklace hung around her neck, half a heart. Something young girls share with their best friends.

I started to reach for it, then realized my hand was trembling for the second time in only a few days. I shoved my hand under the table and held it steady with my other hand, hoping Gates hadn’t seen.

“I don’t know who you are now, Tatum, but I know who you were. And the boy I knew would never have allowed this”—she pointed at the photo—“to happen if he could do anything about it. I’m asking for your help. But I understand if you can’t. If you just want to run away.” She rose. “It’s what you do best, right?”

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