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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

Morrow found a seat waiting for her beside Cruz and Reddick. They gave her a quick briefing before things got started. Then Morrow read a new text from Scott Wood and was pleased to learn that her FBI counterparts from The Collector task force in other cities would be on the line.

The meeting began with Lieutenant Len Tucker introducing detectives from Miami-Dade, the Miami PD, and several other jurisdictions at the table and on the line. He outlined the Warren–Loften cases before Jack Bogan and Cruz used slides of photos to present the status of the homicide investigation and its links to Loften.

“Right off,” Cruz said, “we’re working with the ME and human resources at Warren’s former employer in Cleveland, using health-insurance claims to get her dentist to confirm identification. I’ll note that we did show her photo from the scene to her in-laws, who are traveling in northern Canada. They made a visual confirmation.”

“This will be boiled down to what we know, what we’re doing and what we need to do,” Bogan said, continuing the brief. “Because the homicide now encompasses Loften, processing of evidence from both cases has been accelerated, and we expect to be receiving ongoing new information from forensics, the lab and other sources. We’re also seeking a number of warrants, including one to gain access to Warren’s cell phone and laptop. Some of this stuff will take time. We don’t have a murder weapon. Indications are that a knife was used. We have K-9 and drones, and we’re gridding the scene with metal detectors.”

On the line, Eva Sawyer, FBI ASAC in Cleveland, had sent attendees a digital file summarizing the entire Collector case: the attacks in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Buffalo, Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville and, most recently, Cleveland.

“We’re pulling together all the information we have so far,” Bogan said. “But let’s look at the facts of all cases and brainstorm.”

Loften and Warren were both residents of Oceanwave Gardens in Allapattah. What was unclear was why Loften had taken photos of Warren’s son in Boca Raton.

“We don’t know if he was stalking her, planning to help her with a parental abduction or something else entirely,” Cruz said.

Investigators had confirmed that Warren had been an employee in Cleveland with Asgaard-T-Chace until her termination and that she’d stolen money from coworkers to support an addiction to illicit drugs.