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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

Now Morrow, Bogan, Reddick and Cruz sat at a table straining to comprehend some of Nell Dillard’s recorded statement.

“…for years…I felt…something maybe not right… I saw him…computer, looking at missing-person cases…cities he visited… Taylors moved in…obsessed with the girl, Lisa…obsessed with murder at airport…that room…he was always locked in that room…tonight it was open… He thought I had passed out from my medication but I went in… I saw and I knew…didn’t want to believe…but it was true…all those women, their driver’s licenses… On his screens…their faces looking at me… I was married to the devil… I knew what he did and I knew what he was going to do… I had to stop him…no more…no more…”

The recording ended.

Reddick shook his head, cursing under his breath.

“This just tears me up,” he said. “Dillard was one of us. We worked with him for years. I had dozens of coffees with the guy, discussed cases with him. Dammit. How the hell did he get by us?”

“They always do, Joe,” Morrow said. “There’s a photo of serial killer John Wayne Gacy shaking hands with the First Lady. Many of these guys are arrested for something small without anyone knowing who they are. Then they’re let go and kill again. The smart ones blend in.”

A knock, then a weary doctor in scrubs opened the door.

“I wanted to inform you there were complications in surgery. The patient expired minutes ago.”

A moment passed.

Morrow nodded and thanked the doctor.

The investigators exchanged looks, then Bogan tapped Morrow’s phone.

“This is Nell Dillard’s dying declaration now.”

The Collector case became national news for weeks.

Jeff and Lisa Taylor declined all interview requests by major news outlets. Journalists sought out people who knew the Dillards, former coworkers, friends, neighbors, anyone with a connection, to shed light on the chilling crimes and how the story unfolded.

In that time, a task force of investigators confirmed through the evidence they’d found that former New York detective Roland Dillard was responsible for Vida Warren’s murder and all the known homicides in The Collector case.

In an investigative profile, the New York Times reported that Roland Dillard had had a history of psychological issues that had fallen through the cracks because he was a master at hiding his demons. The Times revealed that new information had surfaced tying Dillard to two cold-case homicides in New York City and two on Long Island, committed during the time Dillard was a cop.