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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

Lawrence glanced at him and then looked down to the body. “We had a couple fractured bones that weren’t in the coroner’s report. Her navicular bone on her right foot was fractured. Something heavy was probably dropped on it.”

“Or maybe someone stomped on it wearing a boot.”

“That would also explain it, yes. The lacerations across her body were also not mentioned.”

“It’s fixed now. But what I’m really concerned with is the time of death.”

“Hard to tell at this point, but I did send some photos to my entomologist on the larvae that the detectives took at the scene. He thinks they were too young for her to be exposed to the elements for four days. Lividity suggests she was killed at the scene, so more than likely she was dead less than a day before the witnesses found her.”

“He’ll testify to that?”

“I suppose, for what it’s worth after just looking at a few photos.”

“So if that’s accurate, it means she was probably tortured somewhere else.” I turned to Jia. “We need to find that somewhere else. Tweedledee and Tweedledum’s search of Anderson’s and Steven’s homes said they didn’t find anything. But if those boys killed her, I’ll bet you if we go through the basements, and I mean really go through them, we’ll find something. Get the forensic team from a bigger county down here, and tell them it’s high priority. We can’t trust our dear old mayor right now, so if they drag their feet, tell Gates to get our state rep to call their state rep or district attorney or sheriff or whatever. Just get them down here.”

“On it,” she said, taking out her phone and leaving the room.

“What about the rape?” I said, turning back to Lawrence.

“That I can’t help you with. The body is simply too degraded.”

I nodded, looking down at Patty’s ghostly white face, one eye closed and the other halfway open and rotted away. “What else?”

“That’s it. There’s just not enough for me to work with here.”

“Did you review the tox report? Anything I should be worried about in there?”

“No, luckily the coroner sent that to the state lab, so everything’s good there. Alcohol in her system but no narcotics.”

I nodded. “I appreciate you coming down, Larry.”

“I came down for her,” he said, pulling the tarp back over the body. “Not for you.”

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