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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

The color left his cheeks, and he instantly slumped down into his seat. His fingers started to tremble.

Got you.

“I, um . . . could use a drink. You want a drink, Mr. Graham?”

“She was seventeen, Mayor. What were you thinking?”

“It, um . . .” His eyes rolled up to the ceiling. “I was in love with her. It just . . . I mean, it just happened. You can’t plan for something like that, it just takes over and happens. I mean, you saw her. You’re right, she’s one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.”

“Girl, actually. She wasn’t a woman yet.”

He swallowed. “When she broke it off, I just kinda lost it. I went out there to tell her that I loved her, that I wanted to be with her.”

“That you wanted to leave your wife?”

He sat stunned a moment and then nodded slowly. “I’m not proud of it. But it happens. Someone like me . . . that someone like her would even pay attention to me . . . I mean, no man could say no.” He chuckled mirthlessly. “You want to know something funny? I swear it made my marriage better. After being with Patty, I could go home and just be home. Be with my wife and kids.”

“Did you hire her as an escort?”

He nodded, staring down at his desk. “It started that way. It was, um, known that Patty was . . . you know, and that she had someone helping her with all that. I was given the information of who to contact. Some woman. But I promise you it wasn’t like that between me and Patty. She loved me, too. I think she was scared to commit because of what her father would think about her being with a man my age. She had all these dreams, all these plans, and I think she thought an older man would slow her down.”

“She was with you for the money, Roy. That’s it. She didn’t love you. She was working to support her father and brother the only way she thought she could. It was a job.”

He sat silently awhile, and I could see the sweat droplets that had formed on his forehead dribble down to his collar and leave little circular stains.

“Were you following her around? Showing up at places you thought she might be?”

“I don’t know. Some. The Vegas thing, I suppose.”

“Where were you on May fourteenth?” I asked.

“What?”

“The night Patty was killed. Where were you?”

“That’s ludicrous. I would never hurt Patty in a million years. I loved her and she loved me,” he said loudly, and then immediately recoiled when he realized his door was open.

“Where. Were. You?”