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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

Then it showed Warren finding something on her phone, holding the screen out to the man. She attempted to leave, when the man seized her arm yanking her around.

“And that’s Jeff Taylor,” Reddick said. “What the hell?”

“This is a nice catch by Miami,” Cruz said. “We’ve got to look into it.”

“Hold on.” Bogan was reading from his phone. “Digital just pulled material from Warren’s phone and laptop. They’ve got several messages she exchanged with a number assigned to Jeff Taylor.”

“Well, he said he’d talked to her,” Cruz said.

“Bet he didn’t tell you this.” Bogan held up a hand, indicating he had more as he typed and nodded to the investigator handling the laptop. “Take a look.”

The laptop’s keyboard and mouse clicked.

The security footage was replaced with a series of crisp color photos showing Vida Warren completely naked with Jeff, who was dressed, on a sofa. Other images showed them kissing, Jeff with his hand on her breast, then his pants unzipped with Vida’s head in his groin.

Amazement rippled around the table.

“Wow,” Reddick said. “Just like that—boom! Things turn on a dime. And I thought this sort of break only happened in the movies and on TV.”

“Okay, this is critical,” Bogan said, chewing his gum. “We’re going to have to recalibrate this investigation and move very fast because Jeff Taylor from Cleveland just became a person of interest.”

80

Lisa was running.

She needed to run to clear her mind.

With Florence + the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” pumping through her headphones, she entered the park near her house with its lush gardens, giant banyan trees and tunnels of green canopy.

She should’ve been running with a renewed sense of freedom. She was going to have a baby. They were going to Europe. All their troubles were behind them. The worst was over.

So why can’t I believe it?

In the days since Loften’s arrest and Vida Warren’s murder, Lisa had grown apprehensive. Whenever she tried talking to Jeff about baby stuff or their upcoming trip, he was distant. He was obsessed with every news report on Vida’s murder. Jeff stayed up late at night, and one morning got up and disappeared to who knew where.

Then there were the concerns Roland Dillard had raised. How Jeff had a violent streak and was intent on handling his trouble with Vida himself. How he’d never wanted to inform the detectives about her threats toward him.

This is all stupid—I know my husband. He’s a good man. Loften’s the guy police are focusing on, for good reason.

Still, she didn’t like where her worry was pointing her and tried to shake it off. When she left the park and headed home, it had started raining. Rain was falling at the same time the sun was shining.