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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

“…as we reported earlier, Loften was recently captured at a Miami mission, but sources have told us that Loften resided in the same motel as Warren, the Oceanwave Gardens in Allapattah, and is considered a person of interest in her murder. We’ve also learned that the FBI is looking at Loften’s possible connection to the unsolved murders of several other women across the country.”

“What can you tell us about those cases?”

“Florida investigators and the FBI are reluctant to reveal details at this time, saying the release of additional information could damage their ongoing investigation, Tom.”

“All right, thank you, Brianna. We’ll be following this developing story closely. Now to Washington, where a Florida congressman…”

Jeff muted the TV.

Lisa stared in disbelief at the screen.

“Jeff, they’re saying that Loften, the man who broke into our house and tried to kill me, the man you fought with, murdered Vida and possibly other women… I just can’t believe it… Jeff?”

He was transfixed in front of the screen. The barely audible sound of the remote rubbing against his leg was all she heard. It was making that sound because Jeff’s hand was shaking. All the color had drained from his face, and his eyes had widened—all he could see was the crime scene and Vida’s grave.

73

It was a nonfolding knife, with a partially serrated blade of high-carbon steel measuring four and three-quarters inches.

A gnarled-texture black rubber grip made its total length nine inches.

Miguel Perez, a latent fingerprint examiner, wearing a white lab coat, blue latex gloves and plastic safety glasses, took measurements, photographs and notes.

He was working into the night in room 1126, the Crime Scene Investigations Identification Section in the Miami-Dade headquarters complex in Doral.

The knife was one of the first key pieces of evidence in the sexual assault/burglary cases he had gotten to. The Palm Mirage Creek material had been previously mired in a backlog at the section due to a mass shooting at a warehouse, an unrelated triple homicide from an arson, and three separate double homicides in Miami-Dade.

Now everything concerning Palm Mirage Creek had changed.

And in a big way, Perez had thought after he’d come out of the conference call with forensic personnel earlier that afternoon. Investigators now believed the Palm Mirage cases were linked to several unsolved homicides, which not only made it a priority but meant it had mushroomed, with multiple scenes in multiple jurisdictions.

This is a big one, Perez thought.

In Florida, there was the homicide near the airport, Loften’s arrest at the mission, Loften’s and Vida Warren’s residences in Allapattah, not to mention several vehicles. Add to that the FBI had a mountain of material to compare from homicides and attacks in more than half a dozen states.