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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 looked out over the Hallows. The last time I had been here, I was eleven and with a group of friends. We left soon after coming here because we heard rocks falling down the hills, like someone, or something, was climbing down toward us.

On the north end of the clearing was a picnic table. The only indicator that this place was anywhere near civilization.

“The detectives said they found a toy near the picnic table, right?” I said.

“Yeah, a little monkey. Like an action figure.”

I rose and stared at the picnic table. It was maybe thirty feet away. Heading over there, I listened for cars but couldn’t hear them this far in. Nothing but the tall grass rippling in the breeze and the occasional bird.

Sitting down at the table, I placed my hands on the worn wood. The table tilted slightly to the right; the ground had moved underneath it. To the left, a trail led back into the woods.

“Where does that go?”

“A parking lot.”

We followed the path through the trees, and sure enough, there were a few parking spaces. A dirt road behind them led out through the forest and back into town.

I took out my phone and pulled up the file for the case. I’d had the secretary scan and email me all the reports. I looked at the photo of the doll: a white monkey with swords in its hands.

“There’s no dirt on this toy.”

“So?”

“So it means it wasn’t out here very long. In fact it looks brand new.” I looked up and around at the parking spaces and the trail leading out of the forest. “Why would a kid leave a brand-new toy? They usually hang on to these like gold.”

He shrugged. “Kids lose stuff all the time.”

“At a picnic table with nothing else around? I mean, he would’ve realized at some point the toy was missing, and his parents would’ve driven back here, right?”

“Maybe.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Maybe.”

I looked back to the ditch, and I remembered the photo Gates had shown me, Patty lying there with a child’s heart necklace around her neck. I wondered if her father had seen that photo.

I took a deep breath and then said, “What stores around here sell toys?”

27

27

Only two places in town sold toys: the Walmart and a small hobby shop. We drove to Walmart and walked up and down the toy aisles but didn’t see anything like the monkey. We asked a clerk if they carried anything similar, and she said she didn’t think so.

Next we hit the hobby shop. Walking in, Will said, “They could’ve ordered it online.”

“They could’ve. Make a note to check which stores carry it and might have shipped it here.”