Джон Коннолли - The Dirty South

Parker didn’t care. He had rarely thought about the Cades since leaving Cargill, and only once had the events of that time intruded with force upon his thoughts. A few months earlier, down in Houston, he had caught sight of a man walking with a woman in Tranquility Park, a pair of teenage girls alongside them. Parker thought the man looked like Tilon Ward, who had vanished without a trace from Arkansas in the aftermath of the confrontation at the Buttrell property. Ward did not notice him, and Parker made no effort to confirm his identity.

After all, he might have been mistaken.

‘What about you?’ said Parker.

‘I retired a decade ago,’ said Griffin. ‘I got three kids now, and we all live in Siloam Springs. Cargill grew too busy for me, once Kovas got situated and started to expand. Too many faces I didn’t care to get to know. It’s become a wealthy town – or it is for some, but still better than it was for most.’

He drew in a long breath before speaking again.

‘I saw that you found the man who killed your family.’

‘Yes,’ said Parker.

‘Did it bring you peace?’

‘Not immediately.’

‘But now?’

‘I have a kind of peace.’

‘That’s more than a lot of people can say.’

‘I suppose it is.’

‘You still making promises to the dead?’

‘On occasion.’

‘Old habits. There is one more thing.’

‘Yes?’

‘They dug a bullet out of a sycamore down by the Karagol about five years ago. The tree was being milled over at Rich Emory’s when someone found it. The bullet had been there a long time: more than a decade, judging by the growth around it. Rich called me himself, in case I wanted to take a look. The slug was messed up, but I thought it might have been a ten millimeter.’

‘What did you do with it?’

‘Took it away, then lost it. Careless of me.’

Griffin said goodbye. Parker collected his car keys, his phone, and his notebook. He thought about the 10 mm Smith & Wesson he no longer possessed, and the Glock that Kel Knight was carrying as his sidearm on the day Nealus Cade died: a G20, chambered in 10 mm.

Then Parker cast Cargill from his mind forever.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It seems odd to compile a list of acknowledgments without adding the titles of a slew of reference works, but The Dirty South is different from some of my other books. I began writing this novel just a few days after delivering A Book of Bones to my publishers. Since each novel tends to be a reaction to the one that preceded it, and A Book of Bones was a mammoth endeavor, requiring enormous amounts of research material, I wanted The Dirty South to be less bound to other texts. And so, while I read newspaper articles relevant to the period, and the occasional piece on recent Arkansas history, most of this book derives from my imagination, aided by a little time in the Ouachita and the assistance of a handful of kind and knowledgeable Arkansas residents.

First off, then, my thanks to J. R. Howard, former United States Marshal, former executive director of the Arkansas State Crime Lab, and – as Colonel J. R. Howard – former director of the Arkansas State Police. What he doesn’t know about Arkansas law enforcement probably isn’t worth knowing, but I suspect there isn’t anything he doesn’t know. I can think of few more pleasant ways to have spent an afternoon than in J.R.’s company at a Burger King in Searcy. He is an extraordinary man, and his expertise and generosity of spirit made The Dirty South a better book. Its flaws are entirely mine, not his. I am also grateful to Brian Cliff and John Couzens for their help with making introductions.

I am also hugely grateful to Ryan and Rebecca Webb, who took the time to speak with me about growing up in Arkansas, and to share their recollections of the tornadoes that struck the state early in 1999. The novel may be called The Dirty South , but my experiences of Arkansas were entirely positive and the best of the characters in the book are based on people like J.R. and the Webbs.

As always, my novels continue to find a home with Hodder & Stoughton, just as they have since 1999. Thanks to my British editor, Sue Fletcher, and all those at Hachette who support, improve, and promote my work: Swati Gamble, Carolyn Mays, Lucy Hale, Auriol Bishop, Alice Morley, Ruth Mundy, Alasdair Oliver, Breda Purdue, Jim Binchy, and the Hachette sales teams around the globe. Similarly, in North America, Atria/Emily Bestler Books have remained faithful to me down the years, and I’m indebted to my American editor, Emily Bestler, and all who work with her, including Lara Jones, Stephanie Mendoza, and the staff at Atria and Simon & Schuster. To my foreign publishers and editors, and all my sub-agents, thanks for bringing my books to far-flung shores; and to booksellers and librarians everywhere, long may you run.

My agent, Darley Anderson, and his crew are as fine a bunch of folk as a man could hope to have guarding his interests. Huge thanks, and much affection, to you all. Ellen Clair Lamb, as well as being friend, fact-checker, and advocate, holds the online fort together, and Cameron Ridyard does a sterling job on making that online presence as beautiful and easily navigable as possible. Jennifer Ridyard and Cliona O’Neill, meanwhile, were among those who generously lent their time to catching some of my many errors, supplementing the efforts of various staunch copy-editors and proofreaders.

Finally, love to Jennie, Cam, Al, Alannah, and Megan. At the very least, I hope I keep you all amused.

John Connolly

August 2019

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Table of Contents

Contents

About the Author

Also by John Connolly

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

How to Use this eBook

Part I

Now

Chapter 1

Then

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Part II

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Part III

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Chapter 70

Chapter 71

Part IV

Chapter 72

Chapter 73

Chapter 74

Chapter 75

Chapter 76

Chapter 77

Chapter 78

Chapter 79

Chapter 80

Chapter 81

Chapter 82

Chapter 83

Chapter 84

Chapter 85

Chapter 86

Chapter 87