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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

The faces of Vida Warren, Maylene Marie Siler and the other murdered women filled the screen of her tablet as she worked at home.

Thunder crashed and lightning flashed outside her window.

Morrow came back to the fact that Jeff Taylor had opportunity and motive for Warren and had lived in Cleveland within the time frame Siler vanished. They were going to question him again in the morning. And they needed samples of his handwriting. But it was going to be difficult because now he had an attorney.

Morrow massaged her temples. She’d been working on her notes for hours. Another case-status meeting was set for the morning, and they’d see where things stood with the latest evidence.

I hope we get something out of that before we go at him again, she thought, when her phone rang.

“Agent Morrow, this is Melinda Daxon with IAFIS in Clarksburg. I’m handling latents in your case. Got results you need to know.”

The lights dimmed, then came back.

“All right, go ahead, Melinda.”

“We’ve got a match from the Florida knife and the Kentucky case.”

“A match? You’re certain?”

“Sixteen clear points of comparison. We have identified your subject. I’m sending you the information now.”

“Thank you, Melinda. Thank you very much.”

The lights went off and on again as Morrow opened the information and read the identity of The Collector.

She froze.

Oh my God. Right in front of us, all this time.

At the same time Morrow got her call, Miami-Dade detective Jack Bogan was across the city, heading home from dinner at Zelinski’s house, where they’d spent much of the time discussing the case. Bogan’s wife was driving in the downpour while he was on the phone with Joe Reddick.

“You won’t believe what just happened,” Bogan said.

“What?” Reddick was home studying his case notes while watching a game.

“They released Jeff Taylor.”

“What?” Reddick sat bolt upright. “They’re supposed to hold him for us until all those latents are analyzed. What the hell happened?”

“Someone dropped the ball. Taylor got a hotshot attorney with a channel to the Miami-Dade State Attorney.”

Their connection crackled, then beeped.

“Hold on,” Reddick said. “I’m getting a call from Cruz.”

“And I just got a text from Morrow,” Bogan said.

Within seconds, all four investigators were up to speed on the identity of the killer known as The Collector.

“How did we miss this?” Reddick said.

Bogan sent a new text to the other partners.

We need to activate the Special Response Team and set up an arrest in Palm Mirage Creek.

90

The rain came down in torrents.

Rushes of wind punched at Lisa as she reached the Dillards’ bungalow.

She pressed the doorbell. It didn’t work. Remembering the power was out across the neighborhood, she knocked.

A moment passed without a response.

The text the Dillards had sent continued glowing on the phone.