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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

We shook hands, and he asked how I liked being back in River Falls so far and I said, “Fine.”

He put his hands on his hips and glanced over his shoulder at the class. “What’s going on, Tatum?”

“I’m helping out Gates, prosecuting Patty Winchester’s case. I’m guessing you heard about it.”

“Small town, everybody knows everything.”

“What do you know about Patty? She went here, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I knew Patty pretty well. She was in my class a couple years back. Sweetest girl. The room would just light up when she came in. She helped one of the kids that was struggling. Tutored him every night so he could pass the class. Didn’t tell anyone, just did it. That’s the kind of kid she was, never wanted any credit for anything. She did it because it was the right thing to do. And her father—” He shook his head. “I can’t even imagine what Hank is going through. He’s got a big heart, and I’m afraid he’ll never recover. If it wasn’t for the fact that he’s still got his boy to look after, I mean, who knows what he would’ve done by now.”

“Do you have kids, Roscoe?”

“Yeah,” he said, folding his arms. “Why?”

“How old are they?”

“Got a boy that’s ten. Lyle. Why?”

“When was the last time you were over by the Hallows campgrounds?”

“Hallows? Where Patty was found?”

I nodded.

“Oh, jeez, I dunno . . . last year maybe.”

Damn it.

“Last year? You’re certain of that?”

“Yeah, we went camping up there during the summer.”

“Did you buy Lyle a toy monkey a few weeks ago from the hobby shop? White with plastic swords in its hands?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“You’re sure? Because the owner has a credit card receipt with your name.”

“My ex and I have a joint account still. Might have been her.”

“Roscoe, which of you has custody of your boy?”

“She does.”

“I’m going to need her address and phone number.”

28

28

Nikyee Geller lived in an upscale condo across the Nevada border. Mesquite wasn’t a large town, but it looked new enough and had several casinos along with a new marijuana dispensary. I drove through residential neighborhoods filled with stucco homes with red Spanish-style roofs. I parked in front of one with a red Mercedes in the driveway. The porch had several toys on it, something younger kids would play with. Nikyee was expecting me, but she didn’t answer after several knocks. I rang the doorbell a few times, and she answered in workout clothes.

She was my age but looked a helluva lot better. I guessed several hours a day of working out, tanning, and fruits and veggies would do that—all things that belonged in hell as far as I was concerned.

“Hey, Tatum Graham. We spoke on the phone.”