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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

“She said they dated for about a month. That he would drink and get high and become violent but then buy her things the next day and cry and apologize.”

“Sounds like a typical scumbag domestic abuser. What else?”

“Get this: One time he thought she had cheated on him with the manager at the bar. After slapping her around, he began choking her and said he would dump her body in the forest where no one could find it.”

“The proper term is strangle, not choke, don’t ever say choke in front of a jury. They’ll think about chicken bones. And nice work.”

Will said, “When’d she break up with him?”

“About four months ago, and she hasn’t talked to him since. Couldn’t give me anything relevant about the day of the abduction. She wasn’t working that night.”

“What’s the bad news?” Will asked.

“That wasn’t the first time Patty was at Skid Row. In fact, Diana says she was there a lot. They would talk sometimes while she sat at the bar. The last couple times she mentioned someone stalking her.”

“Stalking her how?” I said.

“Showing up at her school, driving by her house, following her around when they didn’t think she would notice. She told Diana it was a guy she had hooked up with, and she was getting freaked out. Asked if Diana thought it’d be a good idea for her to carry around a gun.”

“Anderson?”

Jia shook her head. “Diana said Patty talked about it in front of Anderson once. Not him.”

“Great,” Will said. “So she had a creepy stalker that isn’t one of the guys sitting in jail right now for her murder. Jury will love that.”

I shrugged. “I don’t like being convinced of guilt and then having another suspect pop up either. Gives me indigestion. But we’ll work it and see what shakes out. Take some notes and let’s get back. I wanna see you guys in action.”

22

22

We got back to River Falls, and Jia and Will grabbed their files and headed to the courtroom. I sat behind the prosecution table as they got ready.

The defense was a private attorney, an older man with glasses and a gray beard. The defendant was a middle-aged man wearing cowboy boots who smirked as he checked out Jia’s legs.

“Lemme see the police report,” I said.