BooksBarbecue
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 know, Jeff…” Roxanne’s voice was shaky as if she were struggling with something she’d been holding inside for a long time. “It was so unfair the way everyone, and I mean everyone, treated her here. She was going through a rough time. She wasn’t a criminal. She was sick. I lost my brother to his addiction, you know?”

“I know, and I’m so sorry. You’re right. Vida faced a lot of hardship.” He cleared his throat. “Listen, she may have told you I saw her here in Miami. She looked good. She’s trying to get her life back on track. I’m trying to help her get a job, and I need to find her.”

Roxanne said nothing.

“Do you know where she’s staying?” he asked. “Do you have an address for her? Because two companies want to see her for interviews.”

Roxanne remained silent, leaving Jeff to hope she was considering helping him while, at the same time, he feared Roxanne might know all about Vida’s threats against him and may, in fact, have been helping her.

For all I know, Roxanne could’ve given Vida my address here. But I can’t accuse her of anything. I need her.

“Roxanne, please. I’m trying to find her,” he said.

“Everyone here was against her. She was treated like garbage. Jeff, are you aware of the fact that I was in charge of handling all her files and folders on her computer after she was terminated?”

Jeff froze.

“No. I thought the IT guys just deleted everything, purged it all.”

“First we have to go through everything. Some files we delete, some we keep. I read through a lot of her work. While I don’t know the inner workings of campaigns, from what I could tell, she had some good ideas.”

“I guess so, yeah.”

“I get the feeling that people never appreciated how good she was.”

A bead of icy sweat trickled down Jeff’s back. “I agree.”

Did Vida put her concept, the one that I found discarded, into the system, in one of her folders? Is it in the Asgaard system somewhere?

“And all she’s doing now,” Roxanne said, “is trying to get her son back and trying to get her life back together.”

“What files of hers did you keep?”

“I can’t tell you that because it’s confidential in the case of a termination. Why would you want to know that?”

“Sorry. I mean, it could be useful to have examples of her work. For the job opportunities. I’m trying to help her, so help me do that, please. I need to know where she is.”

“I haven’t heard from her in a while.”

“Did she ever tell you where she was staying?”