BooksBarbecue
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

“Probably. I’m just making sure all our bases are covered.”

She chuckled. “You don’t think they did it.”

“I didn’t say that. But I need to find this guy. Her stalker would be someone older, I’m guessing, that maybe was rebuffed when they wanted to go further than Patty was comfortable. Maybe someone with a history of instability. Patty ever talk about anyone like that?”

“Honey, everyone in her life was like that. She was a sweet girl born with the curse of looks, and every piece of human garbage she met tried to take advantage of her. You really need to go talk to her friends and the people that knew her.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you need to look at everyone in that little hick town of yours. A man came in here one night looking for her, drunk out of his mind. He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her out of here. My bouncers tossed him out on his ass, but he kept shouting that he was a mayor and would have their jobs. Patty said he had told her that day he was going to leave his wife for her and wanted to marry her and all this nonsense. She was seventeen and he was almost sixty. How he thought that would turn out well I have no idea.”

“The mayor? You’re kidding?”

She finished the booze left in her glass and then what was left in mine and put both glasses back into the drawer with the bottle. “Like I said, you need to look at everyone.”

I glanced around the office. “You know, you made it sound like only men abused her. You abused her, too. I highly, highly doubt you stopped with men paying for her booze. You’re not the type of person to see someone like Patty and not use her up as thoroughly as you can. Did you set her up on dates as well? Was she an escort for you?”

She smiled and said, “Take a look at your own house before you start judging other people’s.”

25

25

On the drive back from Vegas, I called Gates and she picked up.

“Hello?”

“You’re not gonna believe this. I hope you’re lying down in bed.”

“Tatum? It’s like one in the morning.”