Morrow gave the list a quick scan: Bodine Hewett Carr, Naomi E. Ellerd, Jevon B. Cummings, Donna-Anne Fran Wellsley, Gertha Janice Fox, Vida Warren, Virgil Martin Grubb and Harry Carlos Herto. None of the names jumped out at her.

Morrow then reviewed the inventory list on the search warrant Cruz and Reddick had executed on Loften’s unit. Again she scanned through the items, including the women’s underwear, the phones and the laptop. They were still being processed. Then there were work gloves, boots, utility knives, a roll of cord and various tools.

“What about the serrated knife you recovered when Loften was caught by the neighborhood-watch people? Is that still being processed?”

“Yes, still waiting in the queue with our other material,” Cruz said. “The lab’s still backlogged with multiple homicides.”

Morrow tapped her forefinger against her chin as she returned to an aspect of the investigation that niggled at her.

“What is it?” Reddick asked.

Morrow recapped her thoughts on how The Collector’s most recent known victim was from Cleveland. Loften was a person of interest in the case. The couple he attacked in Palm Mirage Creek had recently moved from Cleveland.

“Are we missing a possible connection?” Morrow said.

“But the Taylors assured us that they know nothing of Loften,” Reddick said.

“Did we ask them if they knew of Maylene Marie Siler?” Morrow asked.

“Yes,” Cruz said. “Their response was negative.”

Morrow resumed tapping her chin.

“What about those pictures you found on a phone in Loften’s unit, a woman and child?”

Cruz’s keyboard clicked, and she cued up pictures taken at the beach, then images of a middle-aged woman walking with a young boy outside a strip mall that, judging by the names on the business signs, was in Boca Raton.

“And you suspect Loften took these photos?” Morrow asked.

“Yes,” Cruz said.

“Have you determined who the woman and child are and their relation to Loften?”

“No, we have no information, but we haven’t dug deep yet.”

Morrow leaned toward the monitor. “Do you mind if I take a closer look?”

“Be my guest.” Cruz gave up her chair.

Morrow continued standing, leaning forward and using the mouse to click through the pictures. “I think there might be something there,” she said. “Is there a bigger monitor we can use?”

Cruz and Reddick exchanged a glance.

Minutes later, they were in a meeting room, using a large video screen to examine the photos of the woman and child as Cruz clicked through them on the laptop she’d connected to the meeting room’s screen.

“Stop.” Morrow walked up to the frozen image of the woman helping the boy into an SUV. Morrow blinked, then pointed to a grainy section. “Right there. See it?”

Cruz and Reddick focused, nodding slowly.

“Right there, that’s our key to identifying the woman. It may take us right to Loften and maybe bust this open.”

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