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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

Will said, “We could ask around to some of the girls he’s dated. Dollars to doughnuts he’s brought them to his condo or whatever before if he has one.”

I pointed at him. “That is a great idea. And don’t ever say dollars to doughnuts again. All right, Jia, I want you at Steven’s house. They should be wrapping up by now. He’s got his own lawyer, but I bet you Russell will be there, too. Let them know we’re not giving them any easy outs. Will, you know these people. Talk to anybody Anderson’s dated.” I checked my watch. “I got an appointment to keep.”

35

35

I went to the home of Nikyee Geller, who I’d learned had adopted her new husband’s name of Ellison, and waited in my car the half hour until our appointment. I watched the neighbors coming and going; several of them were retired elderly. One guy kept glaring at me.

I got a text from Will:

Sorry, boss, Mayor was at a charity dinner in Mesquite the night Patty was abducted, and at a family reunion the night before her body was found. There’s photos of him at both with his wife and kids. Wife says they went home after both and he was with her both nights the entire night

Damn. It would’ve been so much more satisfying to get a conviction against a corrupt jackhole mayor than two kids barely out of high school.

A black SUV pulled into the garage and Nikyee stepped out. A young kid with floppy brown hair jumped from the passenger seat with some drawings in his hand. I got out of the car and grabbed a brown paper sack from the back seat. Nikyee saw me and grimaced. I guess she’d thought I wouldn’t actually show up.

“Hi, Nikyee.” I smiled at Lyle and said, “Lyle, how are you, pal? My name is Tatum and I’m a friend of your dad’s.”

“Hi.”

I turned to Nikyee. “Should we talk inside?”

“Sure.”

We went inside through the garage, and she did a few things in the kitchen while Lyle and I sat in the living room. Nikyee came in a second later and sat down next to him. She was wearing workout clothes and had sweat stains on her chest. She folded her arms and said, “Lyle, Tatum has a few questions to ask. Just be honest with him, okay?”

“Okay.”

I opened the bag and pulled out his monkey.

“My monkey!” he said. He grabbed it without hesitation, and I saw his mother smile.

“Left it at the campsite,” I said. “Do you remember when you went camping up there, Lyle?”

He nodded.

“Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, we made s’mores.”

“Oh yeah? I love s’mores. I put extra chocolate on mine.”

“I like the marshmallows.”