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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

His eyes turned to slits, and the confidence he had lost when I shook him had returned. He stood up and said, “This is my town. You’re just a visitor here. Get the hell outa my office. And if that video ever makes the light of day, I swear to you I will sue you into the Stone Age. I’ll make the DA file so many charges against you for criminal defamation you’ll spend the next year in a cell eating porridge and beef jerky. And I have connections to the Utah Bar, too. I’ll make sure you never practice law again.”

I rose and buttoned the top button of my suit coat. “It’s always nice meeting those who so selflessly serve their communities. Have a good one, Mayor.”

I glanced back once as I was leaving. He stood with his hands on his desk, his cheeks flushed red, his lips straight and narrow with anger. When he saw me looking at him, he barked, “Marcy! Shut my door and hold all my calls.”

31

31

I took a drive back to the Hallows after meeting with the mayor. I wanted to be out there by myself. The breeze hadn’t left, but the sun was so bright overhead I had to squint even with sunglasses. The Hallows had a cold, calm feel to it, like how a city got quiet after a snowstorm. It seemed like there was a bubble up here that shielded it from the rest of the world.

I went over to the ditch and sat on the edge, staring down into it. I wondered what the last thing Patty saw was. Did she look up and see the stars behind the faces of her killers? Was it painful, or was she in such shock that she was numb? It made me uncomfortable to think about her last moments, so I rose and left.

My father’s house wasn’t far, and though I didn’t entirely want to, I stopped there. The door was open. I went inside and didn’t hear anything. The silence in the house made it seem like a crypt; dust swirled in the sunbeams coming through the windows.

I saw my father sitting at the kitchen table, his back turned to me. He was coughing and wiping the blood from his lips on a handkerchief.

In his other hand he was holding a picture of my mother. He wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. I backed out of the front door and quietly closed it.

I sat on the porch a long time and watched the sunset. When darkness had fallen, I heard the door behind me open and my father said, “How long you been sittin’ out there?”

“A while. I like it, it’s quiet.”

“Well, come inside.”

“It’s nice out here.”