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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

If they’ve got Loften in the crosshairs, is it finally over?

His phone pinged with an email message from Detective Cruz.

We’d like to follow up with you on Vida Warren at your earliest. Call me to arrange a time.

77

“Jay Thomas Ellsworth.”

He had to be midfifties. With his wrinkled suit and short, graying hair curling in every direction, he exuded rumpled chaos. But behind his glasses were eyes as sharp as dagger points.

“My firm does pro bono work, and as I indicated to Detective Cruz on the phone, I’ve replaced Tarrah Pond of the Public Defender’s office as Mr. Loften’s attorney.”

Three days had passed since Loften had requested a lawyer as investigators questioned him.

Now, Cruz, Reddick, Bogan and Morrow were again sitting across from Loften, who was in chains, staring at his pocked grimace in the same cinder-block room of the Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial Detention Center.

Several long moments ticked by with only the deadened sounds of prison life beyond the steel door and the crackle of pages as Ellsworth reviewed his extensive notes on his yellow legal pad.

“Clete left us hanging, Jay,” Reddick said. “When we last left off, he promised to tell us everything.”

“Certainly. Thanks for your patience.” Ellsworth uncapped a pen. “I’ve conferred with my client and worked with my firm’s research team. We’ve provided the handwriting samples you requested. My client denies any role in anyone’s death, and we’re now prepared to help you get your investigation pointed in the correct direction.”

“Oh, it’s pointed in the correct direction.” Bogan snapped his Juicy Fruit. “Isn’t it, Clete?”

Loften remained silent, and Ellsworth cleared his throat.

“My client is prepared to cooperate, provided the State Attorney gives his cooperation consideration.”

“Noted,” Cruz said.

“Thank you.” Ellsworth pulled a sheet of paper from his briefcase. “My client admits to the felonies in Palm Mirage Creek, the burglaries and assaults, and the escape from this very facility.”

“That’s a no-brainer, Jay,” Reddick said. “Let’s get to the good part.”

“My client also admits to an association with Vida Warren, initiated by her through an online-dating site.”

“Excuse me,” Morrow said. “Would it be possible for us to hear your client explain that relationship in his own words while we question him?”

Ellsworth blinked behind his glasses, tapped his pen on his pad.

“It would demonstrate his cooperation,” Morrow added.

Ellsworth digested Morrow’s point, then nodded to Loften. His chains jingled slightly as he repositioned himself in his plastic chair.

“Yeah, well, we met online,” Loften said. “Vida said she was coming to Florida to fix her life. She was lonely, hurting. She moved into the same motel as me, and we hooked up. She was trying to get clean, but I saw she was in pain and needed drugs. I got her drugs in exchange for sex.”