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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

Eva Sawyer came back on. “Thank you, Reese. Now, we have our people processing the note, our BAU people working overtime on this. We have our forensic people going flat out on all the trace that surfaced in the previous homicides. It is clear, by the display here in Cleveland and the note, he’s communicating to us. It is also clear that he will continue. He’s intelligent. We know he’s a traveler. We need each member of this task force to take a good, hard look—and I mean really hard look—at all the key facts and apply them to your respective jurisdictions across the country. We need to find a connection. There is one. It’s out there. It’s our job to find it and to stop him, because he’s going to do it again.”

The call then evolved into a Q and A session and discussion of theories and possible strategies. After it ended, Morrow got up from her desk, walked to the window, staring at nothing as she gathered her thoughts.

Bit by bit, we’re getting more evidence, but we’re not getting any closer, and he’s collecting more victims.

Before leaving the office, Morrow went back to her desk to check the system for any updates or new internal emails for her. She found a few announcements, then one from Jake Zhu that had been sent late Friday.

Hi, Terri:

Still checking with the SF counties for any similar key facts; nothing hot surfaced. Then I got word from a colleague of mine with Miami-Dade on a case she recently investigated. There might be something interesting there. We should talk. How about Monday morning?

“How about now.” Morrow clicked onto the FBI master contact list and scrolled to the bottom for Jake Zhu’s private contact information.

20

Dillard cued up a page, then slid his tablet to Jeff.

“First thing, you have to complete this volunteer application for me,” he said. “Miami-Dade requires it for all civilians who participate in the watch program.”

“Now?”

“We should get it done before I take you out. Standard stuff, Jeff. Won’t take long. I’ll wait.”

It was Saturday morning, and they were at the Taylors’ kitchen table. Jeff scrolled through the form’s questions about his address for the past five years, his employer, his medical-insurance provider, if he’d ever been arrested and convicted, if he abused drugs or alcohol, had any mental disabilities, was a registered firearms owner and so on. Jeff pulled out his wallet to reference his cards and began typing on the tablet while Dillard sipped coffee Lisa had made.

She was at the sink washing fresh vegetables she and Jeff had bought at the market that morning. She stopped, dried her hands and, while tightening her ponytail, asked, “So how’s Nell doing?”

“The same. We take things one day at a time.”

“I guess that’s the best thing you can do.”