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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

“Marshmallows are good, too.” I glanced at his mother. “Lyle, something very bad happened up there when you were camping. Somebody got hurt. A very nice girl. And I’m trying to figure out who was responsible. Do you know what responsible means?”

He lost his smile and nodded without looking at me. “Yes.”

“What does it mean?”

“It means someone did something.”

“That’s right. It means someone did something.” I hesitated. “Did you see anyone up there? Someone that could’ve hurt someone else?”

He didn’t answer. His mother looked worried now and said, “Lyle, did you see something?”

He blinked and nodded.

“What did you see, pal?”

“I . . .”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m a friend. I’m here to help. So you take all the time you need. Just think about it and put it into your own words what you saw.”

He looked to his mom and then said, “I heard someone getting hurt.”

I glanced at Nikyee again. “How do you know they were getting hurt?”

“They were screaming.”

“Was it a girl?”

He nodded.

“What was she screaming?”

“Just screaming. And she said, ‘Please stop.’ She was crying and screaming.”

Nikyee looked like she might faint. “Why didn’t you tell me, sweetheart?”

He shrugged.

I leaned forward and said, “Did you see who was screaming?”

He shook his head. “Not really.”

“Did you see anyone else up there?”

He played with his monkey a minute and then nodded.

“Pal, if you saw these people again, do you think you would know it’s them?”

He nodded.

I looked to his mother. “Can we talk in the kitchen?”

We went in there, and I looked back to make sure Lyle couldn’t hear us.

“We need him to do a lineup.”

“No way,” she said, folding her arms. “I’m not making him a part of this.”

“Did you know Patty?”

She stared at me a second. “I don’t see what that has—”

“They tortured her for days before taking her up to the Hallows to kill her. You think that’s the type of thing you do once and then stop? They got a taste for it now. How’re you going to feel when you see the next girl on the news? How’s Lyle going to feel when he sees their faces splashed everywhere and hears what they did?”

She sighed and leaned against the wall, her gaze drifting to the ceiling.

“What would he have to do?”

36

36

As I was leaving Nikyee’s house, I called Jia. She didn’t answer, so I left a voice mail. “Get a lineup set for Anderson and Steven. We got a witness.”

I was about to get into my car and join them at Steven’s house when I got a call from Gates.

“Hey,” I said.

“Tatum, you need to get down to the hospital.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Adam.”