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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 rose and watched as she nimbly hopped onto her horse like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Last one back has to unsaddle them.”

I scrambled to get on my horse as she took off down the hill, a woman in her most natural environment. It put a smile on my face to think what the women I dated back in Miami would think of someone like Gates.

Then I raced after her.

33

33

The next morning I got a text from Jia that the forensic team was down at Anderson Ficco’s house. I rushed there as quickly as I could, and as I got out of the car, Jia handed me something. It was a gold shield in a black wallet.

“Welcome to the County Attorney’s Office,” she said.

“Nice. Now I need my Mayberry uniform, and I’m officially in.” I grabbed my jacket out of the back seat and put it on. “What’ve we got so far?”

“Nothing yet.”

We walked up to the home. It was a mansion, which probably wasn’t easy to pull off in River Falls. The city council, I guessed, didn’t like monster homes being put up in a town where people prided themselves on being salt-of-the-earth types.

We took the steps up and went inside. White carpets, crystal chandeliers, spiraling staircases on both sides of the room leading up. Dining room with marble table to the right, and library to the left. This wasn’t a River Falls home: this was something someone from a big city flew down whole. It felt out of place here, like some colossal red tree in a green, level forest.

“Are you the asshole that authorized this?” a man said, walking up to me.

“You must be the father,” I said.

Nathan Ficco folded his arms, his eyes narrowing to slits as he stared at me. I could almost feel the anger bubbling off him like heat. His gray hair was combed to the side, and I could see the outline of a vein popping in his forehead. I thought it might burst and we’d have to give this guy CPR right here.

“I’ve called my lawyer. If there’s so much as a broken plate—”

“Mr. Ficco, the judge signed the warrant. Take it up with her. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to sift through your underwear drawer.”

I brushed past him and into the dining room, Jia right behind me. “They won’t find anything here.”

“What makes you say that?” she asked.

“Look at this place. It’s like something Marie Antoinette would own. Look at the crystals in that cabinet; there’s not even dust on them. Anderson had to have known Joseph Stalin over there would somehow find out if he did anything like that here.”