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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

“White, about six feet, medium build, good-looking guy.”

Holbrent took notes, then said, “Do you remember when this was?”

“I was watching my favorite adult-movie stars—nothing illegal about that. Then…then after—oh yeah, I remember, True Grit, the original, was on a regular channel, and I switched to that because I love that movie.”

“We can check listings to narrow that down,” Holbrent said. “Did he touch anything in Vida Warren’s unit?”

“He touched a lot of stuff. Even tried to take her computer, but I stopped him. You guys have everything now, with your warrants and all.”

“Yes, we do.” Holbrent continued making notes. “This is very helpful, Mr. Prewitt.”

“Isn’t there a reward or something?”

“I’m not sure about that. You’ll have to excuse me.” Holbrent seemed a bit excited as he left the office and reached for his phone.

79

Dissatisfaction fingered its way into the air during the next case-status meeting at Miami-Dade’s Midwest District Station.

Everything had pointed directly to Clete Younger Loften, but now an unspoken sense of unease grew among the investigators as they listened to the updates of forensic analysis.

Bogan and Cruz led the meeting, starting with the autopsy report. It found that Vida Warren died from multiple stab wounds, “at least fifty thrusts inflicted with a serrated blade four to five inches in length.” There were scratches on the deceased’s legs; however, no injuries to the genital organs were found. That did not rule out forceful penetration. However, no semen was found after swabbing, indicating that if there had been forceful penetration, a condom had been used.

No murder weapon had been located. Of course, the serrated knife recovered at Loften’s first arrest in Palm Mirage Creek was not the murder weapon, but it was consistent with the type of blade used in Vida Warren’s murder. But the Mirage Creek knife was still being processed. Multiple latent prints found on the blade were overlapped, and separating them for comparison and verification with other evidence in The Collector cases was a complicated procedure. More work was ongoing.

So far, no usable latent prints had been recovered from the motel-pad note found with the deceased. Samples of Loften’s handwriting, along with the original motel-pad note, had been sent to the Questioned Documents Section at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s lab in Pensacola. Loften’s handwriting and clear copies of the note were also sent to the FBI’s Questioned Documents Unit in Quantico, Virginia.

Analysis concluded that the handwriting in the new note matched that in notes found with previous victims of The Collector, but that Clete Loften did not write the notes.

A soft but audible groan went around the table.