BooksBarbecue
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

Then he called her, and as it rang repeatedly, the images of Vida’s photos and the news footage of Loften’s escape gnawed at him, while Lisa’s words echoed in his head.

I feel like something is going to explode.

50

“A state trooper stopped a stolen Mustang northbound on I-75 south of Ocala,” Reddick read from his phone. “Suspect thought to be Loften. ID confirmed as Arlo Reemus Rains out of Jacksonville. Not Loften.”

Cruz was at her monitor. “Here we go,” she said. “Tampa police arrested a man stealing food from a Mobil gas station and resembling M-D fugitive inmate. Subsequent arrest confirmed he was not our subject.”

It was the afternoon after Loften’s escape. Cruz, Reddick and Morrow were working together in Doral at Miami-Dade’s Midwest District Station.

“Last night, Daytona Beach PD arrested a man suspected in a burglary of a residence.” Morrow scrolled through her phone. “A white male fitting Loften’s description—no, wait, there’s a supplemental update. Suspect confirmed to be Cody Edward Jarmette.”

They were scrutinizing scores of tips, sightings and reports coming in the wake of Loften’s jailbreak, confident one would lead to his capture. But so far, everything they had was a false lead or dead end. Despite a major dragnet and high-profile coverage, nothing had emerged to put them on Loften’s trail, and every hour that passed worked in his favor.

“I can’t believe that Corrections let him walk out like that.” Cruz leaned back in her chair, cursing under her breath.

“He’s smart, and he’s long gone,” Reddick said. “But sooner or later, he’ll mess up.”

Miami-Dade was working with investigators from several jurisdictions across South Florida as the search for Loften had expanded into a statewide manhunt. But the detectives and Morrow had little background from the Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial Detention Center, nothing on any of his communication while incarcerated. His attorney, Tarrah Pond, had no record of any family.

Reddick had gone back several times to their records on Loften, noting that their inquiries with contractors Loften had worked for provided nothing. “We struck out there,” he said, adding that they’d found no activity or useful information at any of the banks Loften had used to cash paychecks. “This guy’s light. He was practically living off the grid.”

Before meeting with Morrow at their station, Cruz and Reddick had spent a good part of the morning in Allapattah working with investigators from Miami PD’s central district canvassing the Oceanwave Gardens.

“You’ve got mostly transients there,” Reddick told Morrow. “Some with warrants, a couple of registered sex offenders. We’ll continue canvassing because a few people were not present. Just sent you the list of residents still to be interviewed about Loften.”