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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

Loften attacked the home of people from Cleveland. He resided in the same motel as a woman—potentially a vulnerable, troubled woman—from Cleveland and took stalking-type photos of her child, her in-laws.

Pieces were coming together fast—connections were clicking.

Another detail floated across her mind: Asgaard-T-Chace.

Why do I know that name?

62

Dammit, Reddick thought to himself. This isn’t funny anymore.

Melvin again.

The guy was calling on the anonymous tip line almost every day now. It was untraceable to protect those who used it.

“I told you, Detective Reddick, I save newspapers, you know,” Melvin said. “I read horoscopes so I know what the stars are warning us. Anyway, I clipped the picture of the guy police are looking for. It’s him. You should arrest him because he stole money from me at the mission, you know. He doesn’t know I’m calling you. He’s not a very nice person. He doesn’t follow the commandments.”

“Melvin, you have to give us more information. We’re looking for a lot of people. Who is this guy, and where are you?”

Without answering Reddick’s questions, Melvin continued. “Jesus told me to also report on my meeting with the Emperor of the Moon about future events for the world.”

When Melvin was pressed for information, his thoughts pinballed into the galaxy. Reddick squeezed his handset in frustration. As ticked as he was, he got to thinking about what a grizzled old flatfoot had advised him about following all tips, no matter how crazy they sounded, because you never knew where they could lead. But Melvin was exhausting. Reddick wanted to toss the phone.

Then he noticed that Cruz was making big waves to him after ending a call she’d received.

“Melvin, sorry to stop you, but I have to go,” Reddick said. “But I need you to write everything down, all the details about this guy and the mission you saw him at, so you have it the next time you call me back, okay?”

Offended by the abrupt end of the conversation, Melvin hesitated. “Okay,” he said.

“Okay, thanks, buddy. I’m counting on you.”

Reddick hung up and turned to Cruz.

“I just talked to Terri Morrow,” Cruz said. “The FBI’s got something on Loften’s pictures and a new link to Cleveland. It sounds good, Joe.”

63

Early that evening, Lisa Taylor was in her kitchen cutting romaine lettuce, preparing to host the Dillards for dinner.

Lisa had been buoyant ever since learning she was pregnant. The darkness that had enveloped her life had been overtaken by light. Her sister was ecstatic when she told her the news.

“I’m over the moon, thrilled for you!”

And there were tears when she’d reached her parents in El Salvador for a static-filled video chat.