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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

I distinctly smelled the stench of at least two or three different people’s vomit wafting around.

The Hulk led us around the bar to a door painted black. “Wait here,” he said. He knocked and then went in and shut the door.

“We don’t have jurisdiction here,” Will said.

“They don’t know that. Nice job flashing the badge and putting it away before he got a good look, Jia.”

She grinned. I figured neither of them got much feedback on their jobs. Gates wasn’t one to compliment much.

The door opened, and the giant motioned with his head for us to go in. The office was lit with a red light that shone on the stacks of papers all around. Behind a large desk sat an attractive woman in jeans and a white long-sleeve shirt. She was writing in a ledger and put her pen down before leaning back in her chair.

“Haven’t seen you guys before. You’re not Vice.”

“No, we’re not.”

“So who are you?”

“We’re prosecutors investigating the murder of one of your customers.”

She nodded. “The young girl. I read about it. That was in Utah, though. You guys are out of your little section of the playground.”

She had a keen intelligence in her eyes. If there was one thing I was good at, it was reading people, and this lady was not going to give us anything if she could help it. Threatening subpoenas wouldn’t accomplish anything. Time for a different tack.

“You’re probably dealing out of here, my guess is both meth and cocaine, although meth is much more lucrative and easier to get your hands on. I don’t care. And even if I saw a giant bathtub full of meth right here in front of me, I still wouldn’t care. Drugs should be legal, in my both humble and expert opinion, and I don’t care how much of the stuff you deal. What I care about is that girl’s murder. If you can help me and you don’t, then I care about the meth and I call the DA out here and see about a little raid. You’re thinking right now, ‘Hey, that’s fine. We’ll get everything outa here by then.’ But sorry, genius, your place will be monitored until we get a warrant, and that’s when we’ll do our search. Maybe take in a few of the regulars and see what they remember. Never know, we might get lucky and find someone that knows a lot about other things going on here and wants to cut a deal.”

I put my hands on the desk and leaned in.

“You have nothing to gain by stonewalling me and a lot to lose. You’re clearly intelligent, and I’m sure you see there’s no incentive for you to lie to me.”

She smiled. “I think I like you.”