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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 know, I’m a night owl. I just got out of a little conversation with the owner of Skid Row, and guess what she told me? Our little Patty was a siren for her, someone that sits at the bar and gets men to buy her drinks, and I got the really strong impression, though Farah didn’t come out and say it, that Patty was escorting for her on the side. So I went back to that bartender’s apartment, Diana. Scared her half to death waking her up in the middle of the night, but she broke down and confirmed everything. Said she didn’t tell us because she didn’t want to get in trouble.”

“Wait, hold on, escorting? What do you mean escorting?”

“Just what I said. Escorting.”

“Patty was a prostitute?”

“I personally prefer escort, but if you want to put it that way, yeah. And that’s not all—Farah said the mayor, or a mayor, came in drunk one night after telling Patty he was leaving his wife for her. She didn’t say it was River Falls’ mayor, but I think we should have a chat with him. I asked Diana how much Patty was charging, and get this: two grand a date. That’s high end for New York, forget River Falls. There’s like maybe ten people in River Falls that can afford that. And Diana said Patty was uncomfortable going on dates with people she didn’t know, so her dates were almost always the same handful of older men from River Falls. The richest ones, I’m guessing.”

“Yeah, the ones that run this town and the county.”

“Don’t wuss out on me now, Gates. You got me to stay and you wanted this worked right. We’re working it right.”

“I’m telling you, Tatum, I interviewed Anderson myself once. He killed her.”

“Probably. Look, everything points to him, and I think we can get a conviction, but we gotta be sure. This one is too important not to be sure.”

She sighed. “We can’t let this get out. I know Hank, and he did everything he could to raise Patty well. If he found out she was escorting, it would kill him.”

“We got a bigger problem than that. When Russell Pritcher finds out she was an escort, he will make her look like Jack the Ripper. He’ll paint her to that jury as the worst person in the world and Anderson as a savior that was trying to help her and got blamed for a murder he didn’t commit. We need to figure out who was stalking her.”

“Well,” she said, exhaling loudly, “for now, we can’t hit those men up. I know them all. They have attorneys on retainer. If we go to them, they’ll clam up. Get me some more evidence, and I’ll see what I can do.”