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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

With Jia running down a forensic team to search the boys’ homes, and a request from me to interview Patty’s best friend Cecily to see if she knew anything about Patty’s stalker, Will and I headed to the scene. Many lawyers didn’t visit the scene of a crime, but I always did, no matter what type of case. If it was shoplifting, I went to the store and wandered around; if it was a DUI, I went to where they were pulled over; if it was murder, I went to the scene and took my own photos and tried to imagine what my client and the victim felt.

“Up here,” Will said.

We were in a wooded area with a few clearings here and there. It was up a canyon so there weren’t that many people, and I’d only seen a few cars on the drive up. When we got out of the car, I could smell the pine trees and hear a stream nearby. Peaceful and quiet. A couple of picnic tables were near the stream.

We walked a trail through some trees. A small clearing about the size of a basketball court with tall grass was just beyond. A breeze blew, and the grass swayed with it. I tapped one of the pine cones at my feet with my shoe. The Hallows hadn’t changed even a little since I’d seen it last almost thirty years ago.

“I forgot how secluded this place is,” I said. “It hasn’t been developed at all.”

“No one really wants to move here, so there’s no need to build anything. We used to think the place was haunted when we were kids.”

“I remember someone killed themselves here when I was in elementary school. All the kids would go up after school to see if there was a ghost.”

“I don’t remember any suicides, but there was another murder here a while back,” Will said. “Some teens up here drinking, and one just, outa nowhere, smashed a bottle and stuck the business end into this other kid’s throat. Couldn’t even explain why he did it after. Said he just felt like he had to. I don’t blame people for not wanting to develop here.” He stopped, pointed. “Patty’s body was found over there.”

We walked to a small ditch in the middle of the clearing. It wasn’t wider than a couch, and it was about as long as one. I knelt down and looked from one end to the other. Then I looked from one end of the clearing to the other. It was a perfect spot for this kind of thing: far enough from the road and civilization that no one could hear screams. For this type of killing, with this type of brutality, I had no doubt that the killer or killers would’ve enjoyed hearing the screams before she died.