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Back The Lying House Save as PDF
Chapters (103)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. 85
  92. 86
  93. 87
  94. 88
  95. 89
  96. 90
  97. 91
  98. 92
  99. 93
  100. 94
  101. Epilogue
  102. Acknowledgments and a Personal Note
  103. Excerpt

“So it’s like a panic room or a safe room?” Jeff said when they’d returned to the living room.

“You should consider installing one.” Dillard got more beer. “These days, our storms are getting more intense.”

Lisa and Nell joined them in the living room, bringing more wine. Before sitting on the sofa, Lisa, hit by a wave of dizziness, swayed.

“Are you okay?” Jeff moved to help her sit.

Lisa rolled her head. “I just need a minute.”

Nell sat next to her and touched her knee. “Can I get you anything?”

“No. Thanks, I’ll be fine.”

“Lisa and I were talking about Cleveland’s virtues,” Nell said. “I was telling her how, up until very recently, I liked to travel with Roland and help him at the conferences. I liked Cleveland.” She sipped her wine and patted Lisa’s knee again. “And you’re both from there. Isn’t it funny how, in some strange way, we’re all connected?”

Nell grinned behind her glasses, drawing the skin on her face even tighter. For some reason, Jeff suddenly saw two blurred versions of her and began rubbing his forehead and blinking to sharpen his focus.

That’s when his phone rang.

He answered without thinking.

“Jeff, this is Joe Reddick, Miami-Dade.”

“Yes?”

“I’m calling to inform you and your wife that earlier today Clete Loften escaped from Dade county jail.”

“What?”

Alarmed by Jeff’s tone, Lisa asked, “What is it?”

Jeff held up his hand as Reddick continued.

“There’s a major manhunt, and we’re confident he’ll be captured. We’re putting even more patrols in your neighborhood. We don’t think there’s reason for you to be concerned. We believe he’ll head out of state, likely Georgia.”

“How did he get away?”

“Through a trash compactor.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“I’m confident he’ll be caught.”

“I sure as hell hope so. Keep us posted, please.”

Jeff ended the call and looked at the others. “Loften escaped from jail today.”

47

Dillard switched on the living room TV and surfed channels until he found one reporting live.

A Miami station had a breaking-news banner topping the screen. Under it was footage of a helicopter, police K-9 units and officers at roadblocks stopping cars, while the news anchor’s voice told the story.

“A massive search is underway across Miami for a prisoner who escaped the Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial Detention Center. Clete Younger Loften was in custody awaiting trial for a list of first-degree felonies that included armed burglary, assault and sexual assault.”

Loften’s photo filled a quarter of the screen.

“Officials first believed Loften had fallen into a compactor and was crushed to death while on cleaning duty. But later, a review of security cameras showed he had in fact escaped through a gap in the mechanism. Police are advising residents in the areas surrounding the jail to lock their homes and cars…”