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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

He nodded. “Up by the farm, right? Like twenty years ago?”

I looked out over the parking lot. “A guy rear-ended her on that empty road up by McCaleb’s property. When she got out, he jumped her. She fought like an Amazon warrior, but he beat her until she was unconscious. Luckily another car came by, and the guy booked it before he could toss her into his car and take off. Anyway, she was in the hospital. I visited her, and you know what I remember most? Her nail polish.”

“Why?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. It was . . . pink and sparkly. Something a kid would pick out. I stared at it a long time.” Someone brushed past me up the steps. “And then a day later, I left, without saying goodbye. I was planning on leaving that year anyway, but I just . . . I don’t know. Froze. Something clicked in my brain. Turned off. And I left.” A deep breath escaped me. “I saw that nail polish on the girl my client killed.”

“Look, Mr. Graham, I don’t know you, but I can’t imagine that feels very good to have a guy you got acquitted go out and kill a young girl. I’m going to feel the same way if Patty’s killers walk because of me. And maybe you will, too, because you had a chance to help us and you didn’t.”

He rose and went inside.

When he was gone, I sat on the steps awhile longer, exhaled loudly, and then rose and followed him in.

16

16

I came into the office, and Gates, Jia, and Will were sitting around a desk speaking. I shut the door behind me and said, “Will, task number one: get my employment paperwork drafted up ASAP and get me a badge.”

He stood in shock a second.

“Should I send a stripper-gram to you?”

“Oh,” he said, “sorry.” He grabbed a legal pad and pen and began writing. “Um, we also get guns.”