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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

The radio crackled with a new call for the officers.

“We have to go,” Denley said. “Have a good day.”

The matter ended with everyone going their way, but watching unseen from a far corner of the mission was another resident, one who was struggling to understand why the officers left without taking away that guy in the glasses and beard—because he knew he was a bad man.

58

Detective Camila Cruz arrived at her desk at 7:00 a.m.

She put her coffee down, reached for the calendar clipped to her dividing wall, then took her marker and put an X through another day. It had been two weeks since Clete Younger Loften had escaped from Dade county jail.

Two weeks.

She sipped coffee and pushed back her frustration as she reviewed messages and database updates. The tips on Loften and the reported sightings were drying up. They’d pursued every possible lead in vain.

She opened file after file.

All the physical evidence they’d collected in the Loften–Taylor case—the serrated knife, all the material from Loften’s vehicle and his unit at the Oceanwave Gardens in Allapattah—was still in a holding pattern for processing for his DNA, prints, trace and other matter because of the enormous backlog and because this was not a murder case.

So far, none of the residents at the motel that they’d interviewed had any connection to Loften. There were still four residents they needed to locate and interview: Gertha Janice Fox, Vida Warren, Virgil Martin Grubb and Harry Carlos Herto. They made every attempt to locate them, leaving messages, going to previous addresses. All to no avail. All were believed to be unemployed transients who had likely moved on.

“You’re in early, partner.” Reddick settled into his desk.

“Got to leave early to take Antonio to the dentist.”

“Right.” Reddick peeled the lid from his take-out cup. “What’s got you shaking your head?”

“Loften. The way he escaped. Two weeks now, and he’s still at large. He’s one of the smarter ones.”

“He’s lucky.” Reddick downed some coffee. “Don’t worry, something will pop. Or he’ll make a mistake, and we’ll grab him. He has to be lucky at every turn. We just have to be lucky once. Meantime, we’ve got a lot of other work.”

True, Cruz thought, exhaling. She and Reddick had to prepare to testify at the upcoming trial of two men charged in the armed robbery of a grocery store and needed to review the case in detail for an upcoming meeting with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. She and Joe also had to follow up on the armed robbery of a jewelry kiosk at a flea market. They’d also caught the case of the armed carjacking of a bank teller.