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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

Jia looked like she was going to throw something at him, so I spoke before she could.

“Boys,” I said, “listen to me because kindergarten is over: You’re the prime cops in a murder investigation. Anything you do or say affects this investigation. I’ve known Judge Allred since you guys were in rookie diapers. She’s tough and fair and hates crap work. What you two just told me is crap work.”

“Hank is a fellow marine,” Howard said. “A good, God-fearing man. I just wanted to spare him some pain.”

I stared at him a second. “Detective Howard, you are going to file a supplemental narrative to your report and put in there what you just told me. You’re going to say you misplaced the reports and the photos and filed them as soon as you found them.”

They glanced at each other. “That’s lying.”

“Yeah? Well, you can go get hugs from your mommies after you do it. Now do it. What else you got?”

They were silent a second. Howard said, “We found a toy near the crime scene.”

Vail added, “Like a little monkey action figure. It was near a picnic table where the body was found. We took some photos, but we just figured some kid lost it, so we didn’t mention it.”

“What else?”

“That’s it.”

“You’re sure? There’s nothing else I’m going to get surprised with in court?”

Howard shook his head. “No. Not that I can think of.”

I looked between the two of them. “Time to take the diapers off and get in big-boy pants, guys.”

We left, and out in the hall Will said, “That was amazing.”

“What was?”

“The way you handled them. I’ve never seen them so rattled. Howard especially. He’s tough as nails.”

“Listen to me—you’ve got the law degree. The cops are there to gather evidence. If they can’t do their job, it’s your job to tell them how to do it, or find some other cops that can.” I put on my sunglasses. “Now let’s go. Police stations give me the creeps.”

19

19

We drove down to Vegas while I played Creedence Clearwater. Jia sat in the passenger seat consumed by her phone; I figured she was texting or on social media, but when I glanced over, she was reading a book on the forensics of murder investigation. I looked back to Will, and he was staring out the window.

“So what’s your story?” I said to Jia.

“No story.”

“Everyone’s got a story. Why’d you take a job at the County Attorney down here? You go up to Provo or Salt Lake you could make a lot more money.”

She shrugged. “Better to be a big fish in a small pond. I’ve been out of law school fourteen months. How many lawyers fourteen months out do you know that handle murder cases?”