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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

He pounded the wheel with his fists, cursing. I was so close, so damn close!

A police car raced by in the opposite direction.

Loften would regroup and try again. For now, he needed to track down that whore Vida.

61

Agents from the FBI’s violent-crimes squad had set up a stakeout box on their target vehicle in Fort Lauderdale—a woman driving a silver metallic 2018 Jeep Patriot.

It was parked in the driveway of a duplex not far from Las Olas Boulevard.

The woman was associated with subjects conspiring to commit an armed robbery of an armored car. New intel indicated that the woman with the Jeep was the mastermind and the plan had changed to the robbery of the armored courier’s depot, where hundreds of millions in cash was stored and processed for distribution.

Agent Terri Morrow and Agent Dez Gilfoyle were in the Charlie car parked on the street some distance from the Patriot, waiting for the woman to get in and start driving to meet her coconspirators. Other unseen FBI vehicles had taken up points in the vicinity. Morrow had insisted on dropping all the windows to catch the sound of an engine turning.

“We’ve been sweating here for nearly three hours, proving the old adage.” Gilfoyle’s eyes never left the mirrors.

“What’s that, Dez?”

“Police work is five percent adrenaline, ninety-five percent boredom.”

“I hear you.”

Morrow had used the time to review other cases on her tablet. Clete Loften had been a fugitive for weeks now, and she couldn’t stop thinking about him and The Collector case. Pictures of how he’d murdered those women had haunted her sleep, along with one question: Was Loften The Collector? Or were they chasing a false lead with him?

Morrow felt her phone vibrate with a text from her daughter.

Can I go to the movies tomorrow with Kaylee and her mom? Please?

Morrow smiled.

As long as you get your report finished tonight, it should be fine.

Thanks Mom! Love you!

Addison’s message blossomed with floating hearts as Morrow’s phone vibrated again. This time it was a call, and she didn’t recognize the number.

“Morrow, FBI,” she answered.

“This is Lamont Hagen.” The man was almost shouting. “I’m in Whitehorse, Yukon. We got your messages to call. Why is the FBI contacting us?”

Morrow set her phone to record the call, cranked up the volume, then powered up all the windows.

“Thank you for calling, Mr. Hagen. We’re making a routine follow-up on a case and seeking your help.”

“Certainly, but I don’t think we’d know anything the FBI would be interested in.”

“Sir, do the names Clete Younger Loften or Maylene Marie Siler mean anything to you and your wife?”

“No, never heard of them.” Hagen covered the phone to talk to someone. “My wife hasn’t either.”

“We understand you have a little boy with you.”

“Our grandson, Lucas.”