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Back The Lying House
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’s expression tensed, aggravating the scratches webbing his face from his arrest at the mission.

“Let’s get started,” Cruz said and introduced the investigators. “There are a lot of us here because we have questions on a number of cases and jurisdictions.”

Cruz propped up her tablet, unfolded the keyboard and typed.

“Mr. Loften,” she said, “I want to remind you that you’re still under the Miranda warning that was given to you upon your arrest and our conversation is being recorded. Please acknowledge that you understand and agree to this interview, which you can stop at any time.”

Loften held each investigator in his gaze for a moment. “I do,” he said.

“Good.” Cruz turned her tablet showing a photo of Vida Warren to Loften.

“Describe your relationship with this woman.”

Loften looked at the image but said nothing.

Cruz then displayed the photos Loften had taken of Vida’s son, Lucas, walking with his grandmother, Ellen Hagen, at the strip mall in Boca Raton.

“Why did you take these pictures of Vida Warren’s son and mother-in-law?”

Loften looked at the photos without responding.

“All right, Mr. Loften.” Cruz tapped away, coming to evidence photos of bundles of neatly wrapped cord. “This cord was found in your motel room in Allapattah. It’s blue, black and orange nylon five-fifty paracord. Guess where else we found nylon five-fifty paracord?” Cruz tapped to another photo showing severed black cord on dirtied wrists. “On the wrists of Vida Warren’s corpse.”

Loften looked at the photos without expression.

“Now,” Morrow said as she sat forward and turned her laptop to Loften, showing him crime-scene photos and summarizing all The Collector cases, specifically the cords used on the victims in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Buffalo, Chicago, Indianapolis and Cleveland. “Nylon five-fifty paracord, the same type of cord found in your possession, sir, was used in the murders of all these women.”

Loften said nothing.

“As well, we can place you at or near the locations of some of these cases during the time frame of the crimes.” Morrow showed Loften photos of traffic tickets. “You were cited in Indianapolis and Kentucky.”

“And guess what, Clete?” Reddick folded his arms across his chest. “One was missed, but not long ago, our friends with the Akron PD found you in their system. You were cited for speeding in your twenty-sixteen Dodge Ram fifteen hundred during the time frame Maylene Marie Siler, a clerk at one of Cleveland’s malls, vanished after meeting up with a man on an online-dating site. Now, you visited online-dating sites, and Akron is like—what?—about half an hour, forty minutes from the Siler crime scene. Again, paracord was used with Siler.”

Loften remained silent.