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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

“You’re new to our mission.”

“Yes.”

“Welcome. I’m Sister Emily. We have beds and showers, if you’re in need, and a thrift shop for clothes, toiletries and other things. Just help yourself. And we have a jobs board. Landscapers are always looking for help.”

“Great.”

“We want you to know that you’re safe here, dear.”

Loften nodded.

Good, because I have a lot of work to do before I leave Florida.

52

Roxanne Peallor.

Reaching her was Jeff’s single occupying thought when he got home.

With his temples pounding, he walked into the house and called upstairs to Lisa, “It’s me! I’ve got some work to do!”

“What happened with Vida?” she called back down to him.

He didn’t answer—just went directly to his office and shut the door.

At his desk, he sent another message to Roxanne Peallor. Then he ran a hand across his throbbing brow. Vida’s deadline had passed, and he’d heard nothing from her. Neither had Shelley or Reed.

This was not good.

Jeff couldn’t reach Vida. He had no idea where she lived. She’d indicated she had in-laws in Boca Raton, but he didn’t know their names or address. He couldn’t track her location through her phone. Nothing he tried had worked. Before he’d left Asgaard for the day, his need to find her had grown into desperation.

Someone has to know where she is.

That’s when he’d thought of Roxanne Peallor, who still worked at the Cleveland office.

If Vida had one friend back there, it was Roxanne.

So from the moment he left the Coral Cloud Tower, he’d besieged Roxanne with messages, sending them from the elevator, then just before he entered the parking garage, and checking his phone at every red light.

Nothing.

He wouldn’t give up.

Roxanne, who worked in human resources, was the one person who, even after all the crap Vida had pulled, like passing out at work, lying and stealing money, had remained steadfast in her sympathy for her. If Vida had kept in touch with anyone in Cleveland, it would’ve been Roxanne.

His phone rang, jolting him before he answered.

“Hello, Jeff? It’s Roxanne. I got your message to call.”

He sighed with relief.

“Thanks for getting back to me. Hope you’re doing well.”

“I’m fine. You said you’re trying to reach Vida Warren. Why?”

He took a breath.

“You probably know she’s here in Florida?” Jeff said.

His question was followed with silence, and he pressed the phone harder to his ear, wrestling with the fact that he didn’t know how close Vida may have been to Roxanne or what she may have confided to her.