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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

“What he did after that was rape and torture her for two days, and you let it happen.”

The lawyer said, “Save the drama for the jury, please.”

Steven said, “I didn’t want it to happen. But you don’t know Anderson. He’s crazy. I seen him put a cigarette out on some dude’s face. Like just did it.”

“Yeah, I heard about that one.”

He swallowed. “He . . . he almost killed someone once. Stabbed him right in the throat.”

“That’s not on his record. Where was this?”

“When we was huntin’ up in Montana. We took off right after, never got busted for it. He told me if I ever told anyone he’d kill me. Patty was just like that, sayin’ he’ll kill me if I say anythin’. And I believe him.”

“So she’s there for two days, and you, allegedly, don’t know what’s going on and don’t call the police. How’d you end up dumping the body?”

He exhaled loudly and glanced at his lawyer. “He called me and said I needed to come over. That he was ready to take Patty to the hospital. I drove down and Patty was . . . was . . .”

“What?”

“She was downstairs in the basement naked. There was blood everywhere. She was barely breathin’.” Tears came to his eyes and he started sobbing. His attorney put her hand on his shoulder. “I just . . . I just wanted to have some fun. I liked Patty. I liked her. I would never hurt her. He made me go up there with him, to the Hallows. He said he would hurt me if I didn’t. I thought he was just gonna leave Patty up there, and when he sobered up he’d let her go. But when we got there he tossed her in this ditch and then jumped on top of her and was chokin’ her. I was tryin’ to get him to stop, but he said he would shoot me dead right there. I backed off and he killed her. He killed her for no reason.”

He was crying now, and I waited while he composed himself. He finally took a deep breath before his attorney said, “What can you offer?”

“Assuming I can verify some of this . . . homicide without the aggravation tag. Fifteen to life with parole.”

“Attempted homicide, one to fifteen.”

“No way. He’ll be out in three years.”

“He didn’t do it, and what he did do was while he was under threat of being shot. I’ll add it as a lesser included charge in his trial and have him take the stand to tell the jury what he just told you. There’s a good chance they convict him of a lesser included or even a full acquittal, and you know it. One to fifteen is a good deal.”