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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 will. And, um, be careful around those guys, huh? Never know.”

She chuckled. “I can handle myself, old man. Just get me that conviction.”

“Haven’t lost yet,” I said, no longer sure that was a point of pride.

My suit was wrinkled beyond repair, and I had brought only one with me. Didn’t think I’d be needing one at all. In the morning, I googled the nearest clothing shop and found it was in the next town over, about a half hour away. I bought the most expensive suits and shirts they had and drove back to River Falls.

When I got into the office, Jia and Will were already there.

“All right, boys and girls, time for business. Jia, where we at on the ME?”

“He finished the autopsy this morning. Said he’d be down at the coroner’s.”

“Will, how are we on witnesses?”

“Tried to interview the elderly couple that found the body, but they weren’t answering. Was going to go over there today.”

“Any new motions from the great Russell Pritcher?”

Jia said, “Got a call from his office asking if we needed to get any discovery to them before the preliminary hearing. Said I would check with you first.”

“I checked this funky state’s rules, and we’re under no obligation to give them anything before the prelim.”

Will said, “That doesn’t sound right.”

“Check rule seven. It’s right. Remember, this state is descended from cowboys and pioneers. Justice moved slow in the Wild West. So that means we need to get done as much as we can before the preliminary hearing next week so we know where we are and what we got. If there’s any way for this case to get dismissed, Russell Pritcher is going to find it.” I checked my watch. “Where’s Gates?”

“Meeting with the mayor.”

“The mayor, huh? Well, I’ve got some news on our dear old mayor. I’ll tell you on the way. Let’s go pay the ME a visit and see what he found on our girl.”

The coroner’s building looked like something you would see in an old Western movie. The interior was filled with paintings of cowboys and buffalo. A prayer carved into a wood block hung over the door. I didn’t see a single science journal or book on any of the bookshelves.

I walked over to the desk as Will went to find the coroner. Staring at his degrees, I saw only an undergraduate degree in biology. I checked the rules for coroners in Utah on my phone and confirmed what I’d already guessed: in Utah, you didn’t have to be a doctor to be a coroner. Another gift from the frontier towns of the 1800s. There weren’t enough doctors, so anybody who could fill in was allowed to run and be elected.