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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

The drink tasted like gasoline mixed with cinnamon.

“That is just about the worst thing I’ve ever had.”

Farah shrugged. “My own recipe I’ve been working on. I’m trying to get into the booze business and go legit.”

“That’s the way to do it. If it’s not on the up-and-up, it won’t last.”

She poured a little more for herself and then leaned back in her chair with the glass between her hands. “So what brings you back? I can’t imagine it’s just to see little old me, although that would make my night.”

“Unfortunately, no.” I took out my phone and pulled up a photo of Patty, a school picture. I laid the phone down on the desk between us. “That’s the victim.”

She nodded. “I know.”

I didn’t want to throw Diana under the bus for telling us Patty was a regular, so I said, “So here’s the thing, Farah, my dear, what are the odds that an underage girl is at this bar for the first time ever and just happens to get abducted and murdered that night?”

She grinned. “You’re wondering how often she came.”

As sharp as I’d thought. I had a feeling that she would’ve excelled in any business, and I wondered how it was she fell into the drug game.

“I’m guessing she was here a lot.”

Farah nodded. “She was a siren.”

“A what?”

“Well, that’s just what I call them. A girl that sits at the bar and gets men to buy her drinks all night. The drinks are how bars make money, not the cover charge. I paid her fifty bucks an hour, and she easily made ten times that for me. I mean, men would fall over themselves for the privilege of buying her a drink.” She took a sip of her moonshine. “She hadn’t even grown into her beauty yet. Imagine what she would’ve looked like at twenty-three or twenty-four.”

“You hired an underage girl to work at your bar? That’s a dumb move, and you don’t strike me as someone that makes dumb moves. I’m guessing you’ve got the Narc and Vice guys wrapped around your little finger.”

“This is Vegas. We pay lip service to not breaking the law, but we all know why we’re here. The police aren’t looking too hard at any place that provides this much . . . entertainment to the tourists.”

“Did Patty ever complain to you about anybody maybe getting too handsy with her, or maybe calling her or following her around? Not leaving her alone?”

Farah grinned. “You mean every man that’s ever met her? Beauty is the trait that lasts the shortest amount of time and brings the least satisfaction, and it’s all men can think about.” She placed the glass on the desk. “I thought you had your killers already?”