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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 tend to grow on people.” I sat down in one of the chairs. “What do you know about her?”

She inhaled and put her feet up on the desk. She was wearing Converse sneakers without socks, and I could see her smooth, tanned ankles. “One of the boys they say killed her, I don’t know his name, we’ve had to throw him out of here a couple of times.”

I snapped my fingers and said, “Photos, kids.”

Will fumbled with his phone, but Jia had photos of Anderson and Steven right up on her screen. I showed them to the woman and said, “Which one?”

“The skinny, good-looking one.”

“His name’s Anderson Ficco. What’d you have to throw him out of here for?”

“You name it. He chopped a line of coke out on the bar once and just started snorting it up in front of two hundred people, he broke shot glasses on the floors, got so drunk once he pissed on a pool table . . . I mean, I only remember because I had to take a photo of him around to the staff to make sure they knew who he was.”

“Knew who he was? You mean after all that you didn’t ban him from the bar?”

She shook her head. “Kid could easily spend two or three grand in a night. As aggravating as he was, he would buy drinks for everyone in the bar for hours. He was well liked.”

“Two or three grand? No offense, but this isn’t exactly the Ritz-Carlton. Why would he come here if he had that kind of dough?” She didn’t say anything. “Oh, he was a customer for the higher-end merchandise I mentioned earlier. What was his poison of choice?”

Again she didn’t say anything.

“Off the record, I pinky swear.”

She grinned. “I would normally tell someone in this situation to get out and call my lawyer, but I have a feeling you and I might become friends.”

“Great. We’ll exchange Christmas cards. What drugs was he into?”

“Everything. You name it, he would take it. He was particularly fond of cocaine.”

Jia asked, “Was he ever violent?”

She nodded. “He dated one of our bartenders for a while. She came in one day with a broken nose and blackened eyes. Wouldn’t talk about it, but I knew she wasn’t dating anyone else at the time.”

“We’re going to need her name and address. What else?”

She inhaled and said, “Are you married?”

“Kinda personal for a first date, isn’t it?”

“Is that what this is?” She chuckled. “Our first date? Oddest one I’ve been on.”

“I’ve had worse. Now what else?”

“That’s it. Believe it or not, he’s not our only customer.”

I nodded and rose. “Will, leave her a card in case anything else pops up.”