BooksBarbecue
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

Morrow surveyed recent comments posted by other task-force investigators. Some were concerned that they only knew of the six confirmed cases. There may have been more. Others observed that the killer appeared to be dormant after the Kentucky case, and they speculated that, having been thwarted, he’d been thrown off his game. An FBI agent in Chicago wondered if it was time to go to the media with the case.

The Behavioral Analysis Unit, in its study of the offender, noted that he kept the driver’s licenses and other items of his victims as trophies and as a means for him to relive and fantasize about his acts and to possess his victims again.

That prompted an agent in Buffalo to nickname their unknown subject The Collector.

Morrow felt her gut tighten with anger at how this monster preyed upon lonely, vulnerable, beautiful women, and how he was outsmarting law enforcement, getting away with his crimes.

We’ve got to catch this guy.

She’d been working with Jake Zhu, an FBI analyst, to monitor the crime databases of the three metropolitan counties, Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach, and Monroe in the south, along with several others for any similar key details found in crimes committed in her area. She knew it was hit-and-miss because not every jurisdiction or police department was thorough or had the resources to keep their systems detailed and current.

She made one last check for any alerts or updates.

Nothing.

She exhaled and logged out of the investigation.

At least we have no connection to The Collector in Florida.

13

Jeff took Lisa to a French restaurant not far from the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables. Nick Martinez, from his office, had recommended it. It was cozy with elegant wood paneling, ornate mirrors and candlelight flickering on their table. The aromatic air held the promise of delicious food.

“This place is so expensive,” Lisa whispered behind her menu after they were seated.

“We’ve earned this. We’ve had a wild ride these past few days.”

They selected a red house wine and the six-course option that began with an appetizer of grilled octopus, pine nuts, potatoes and romesco sauce. It was delicious, but at the outset of their evening Jeff seemed distracted.

“Jeffrey.” Lisa tapped his hand playfully as he swiped his phone’s screen. “You’ve checked it several times since we arrived.”

“Sorry.” He slipped his phone into his jacket pocket.

“Is it the house? Is it work?”

“Everything, I guess. There’s a lot riding on the South American account, and I was checking the security system, you know. Tell me how things went for you today.”

The next course came, and Jeff started on his small portion of tangerine-roasted Alaskan king crab. Lisa tasted her warm potato salad with smoked salmon, then related her day.

“I worked on the pesticide data for a while, then I had a video chat with Joy.”

“How’re things with her?”