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Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

Maja thought that he sounded like he was on the verge of losing it. She had a feeling that if she pushed him, they might really have a fight. The bad kind, with days of silence before they could reach an uneasy truce. And there was part of her that wanted it; that wanted to scream and blame and make someone else hurt as much as she did right now.

But instead, she took a deep breath. It was one thing to fight when you knew, in your heart, that the other person would still be there, next to you, when it was all over. Maja wasn’t totally confident that that was true right now. Her marriage had always felt like a sure thing. The house, almost finished, felt like a sure thing. And now both seemed to be slipping through her fingers.

She kept her voice steady as she finally replied. “Ted, we’re going to get through this. I know you’re overwhelmed. I am too. But we can use the initial amount from the insurance company to at least get started with the new contractor. It doesn’t feel like it, but we are making some progress.”

Ted sighed. “You’re right. We’ll figure it out. Maybe we can apply for another construction loan to see us through until we can figure things out with the insurance company. I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thank you,” Maja said. That sounded a lot more like the Ted she knew: a problem solver.

“Okay, well, I have to get back to work,” Ted said, and Maja thought she heard a catch in his voice. He’d told her not to worry, but his tone said something different. “I love you,” she said, but he’d already hung up the phone.

29

When Maja called the DA’s office on Thursday afternoon, Jake Tillman finally had some good news to share with her. It had been almost a month since the house party, and the Jensens’ calls had become increasingly uncomfortable as the investigation failed to move forward. Jake had assured Maja that the police were making progress, but privately he’d started to think they’d be lucky to get minor charges to stick. The evidence they had was just too thin.