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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

“That brings me to another question,” Morrow said. “I’d like to interview him while he’s locked up. Would that be detrimental to your case?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Cruz said. “I’ll get you his attorney’s contact info. We could go with you. It should be arranged in a day or so.”

“Good. Thanks.”

“I’d like to go back over a few things about Loften and The Collector,” Cruz said. “With the most recent killing in Cleveland, can you put Loften there?”

“We’re working on that with our Cleveland office.”

“As we mentioned, and it’s noted in our report, when we questioned Jeff and Lisa Taylor as to whether they knew Loften or had had any contact or history with him, they both insisted that he was a stranger to them.”

“I read that.”

“But they recently moved to Florida from Cleveland, and Cleveland looms large in The Collector case.”

“It certainly does,” Morrow said. “It’s almost like we’re missing a puzzle piece.”

“Right,” Cruz said. “We need to determine if the Taylors have any knowledge or link to the victim in Cleveland, Maylene Marie Siler.”

“I agree,” Morrow said. “We’ve got a lot of dots here, but little by little, I feel we’re getting closer to connecting them.”

38

By 5:20 p.m. Jeff was threading his way among the boat groups, tour people and shoppers at Bayside Marketplace, Miami’s busy waterfront plaza.

The aroma from the restaurants mingled with live Latin music, creating a carnival atmosphere, while a storm churned in Jeff’s gut as he contended with the menace Vida posed to his life.

He was consumed with guilt for not telling Lisa everything, like how Vida had taken pictures of her jogging. At the same time, he felt his control slipping, control over all he’d worked for, over all he’d achieved, over everything he cherished and all the risks he’d taken.

I’ve got to put a stop to this now, before I lose everything.

His mind raced as he worked his way to the Romero Sunrise. He scanned the café’s cluster of outdoor tables topped with yellow umbrellas that looked out to Biscayne Bay and the marina, until he spotted a woman sitting alone, wearing dark glasses and a floppy straw hat. On the table before her was an empty glass, and beside it stood another, half-filled with what appeared to be a mojito.

“Vida,” he said.

“Hello, Jeffrey. You’re on time.”

He looked around. “We’re going to end this right now,” he said.

“Got that job lined up for me?”

“I can’t help you with that. Why are you doing this?”

“I need a good job to get my boy back, and I need you to make it happen.”

Vida touched her phone, gently, but Jeff could see her hands were shaking. He also noticed a bruise under her left eye, peeking out from under her glasses.