BooksBarbecue
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

“Storm season’s coming fast,” Dillard said. “Got to be ready.”

“I wanted to share the news. Loften was arrested!” Lisa said.

“That’s great. Where?” Dillard said. “Do you know details?”

“No, no details. Somewhere in Miami.”

“That’s terrific.” Nell gave Lisa a hug. “You and Jeff must be relieved.”

“I can’t tell you how much.”

“Good to have that animal behind bars again,” Nell said. “Did you want to come inside? I can make some celebratory coffee?”

“No, thanks. I just wanted to share the news. I’ll take a rain check.”

“Next time, then.”

Lisa returned to her car, smiling and waving to Nell and Roland as she drove off.

Everything’s going to be all right.

72

Jeff arrived home from work later that day with his tie in his hand, his brow moist and his face laden with concern.

Shedding his briefcase in the foyer, he walked to the kitchen, glanced up from his phone, pecked Lisa’s cheek, then returned to his device.

“I was thinking we could go out for dinner. Celebrate they caught Loften.”

“Sure, yeah,” Jeff said to his phone. “Wherever you’d like. Let me check something first, something I picked up on the radio in the car.”

Jeff disappeared, then Lisa heard the TV and followed him to the living room, where he was searching channels.

“Was it something on Loften?” Lisa asked.

Jeff didn’t respond. He was skipping through channels, stopping at one showing images of the scene where the body was found near the airport. The anchor at the news desk was speaking, and Jeff increased the volume.

“…return to a developing story. Investigators have confirmed to our Brianna Billings that the body unearthed near Miami International Airport is that of a white female, and the case is now being investigated as a homicide. We go to Brianna, who is at the scene…”

“Tom, police sources have confirmed that the woman has been identified as thirty-three-year-old Vida Warren—”

“Oh my God!” Lisa lowered herself onto the sofa. “Oh my God!”

A head and shoulders photo of Vida was inset at the corner of the screen.

“…Warren’s body was found by a grader operator at Stonewater Meadows, a new subdivision and golf course under construction near the airport. Sources say Warren was originally from Cleveland and had relocated to South Florida to be closer to her son, who was staying with family in Boca Raton.”

“We understand a disturbing new angle has surfaced in this case, Brianna,” the anchor’s voice said.

“That’s right. A stunning twist regarding Clete Younger Loften, the fugitive felon who escaped from Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial Detention Center while awaiting trial on burglary and assault charges…”

Loften’s menacing arrest photo was inset next to Warren’s image.