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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

Loften’s eyes took a walk all over Cruz when she entered the room with Reddick. Cruz ignored his leer as the detectives rolled up chairs and placed a clipboard, yellow legal pad, iPad and phones on the table.

Staring at the suspect, Reddick released a low whistle.

Cruz glanced at Loften’s pocked face. With the bandages, his swollen blackened eyes and crusting lacerations, Loften looked as if he had been torn apart then mashed back together, like a hastily made scarecrow.

“Mr. Loften, I’m Detective Camila Cruz, my partner is Detective Joe Reddick. We understand you’ve already been read your Miranda rights?”

Loften locked his eyes on hers for a long moment before nodding.

“Answer yes or no, Clete,” Reddick said. “You know this is being recorded.”

Loften shot Reddick a look. “Yes.”

Cruz turned the clipboard to Loften. “And this is your signature acknowledging you understand your rights?”

Loften glanced at the document, then stared directly at Cruz. “Yes.”

“We’d like to talk about a few things, the charges against you and additional charges you’re facing. Understanding your rights, do you wish to talk to us?”

The veins in Loften’s neck pulsed.

It may have been the beating he’d taken, or his failure to overpower Jeff Taylor and escape or the cold, hard fact he’d been caught. Or it may have been all of these elements coming together that had Loften seething beneath the surface with such ferocity his skin should’ve been bubbling.

“Clete,” Reddick said, “the witness statements we have indicate you used a knife to attack a community neighborhood-watch member who caught you in the act of breaking into a house. The member fought back and disarmed you. Do you wish to dispute the statements?”

Loften gave the detectives a look that conveyed that everyone knew what really happened, but for Loften to dispute it was futile. He grimaced and shook his head. “No.”

“Mr. Loften,” Cruz said. “We have information that needs to be addressed. We need a clear response that you either wish to talk to us, to help us get to the bottom of things, or not.”

Loften stared at her without speaking.

“It’s your right to remain silent, and to end this interview at any time and request an attorney,” Cruz said. “But that leaves us no choice but to pass along your decision not to cooperate to the State Attorney’s Office. You understand the ramifications of that, Mr. Loften?”

Loften didn’t respond.