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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

Dillard finished his wine, set his glass on the counter, contemplated it, then said, “They know far more than they’re indicating. They always know more. I suspect they were feeling you out, Jeff.”

Hearing his name pulled Jeff from his thoughts. “Feeling me out? For what?”

“Likely to see if what you told them is consistent with what they know.”

“What’re you implying, Roland?”

Dillard shook his head casually. “Nothing. Just telling you what my ex-detective gut tells me.”

“Thanks, but I didn’t ask—”

“Oh dear Lord!”

Everyone turned to Nell, who was shaking as she stood, revealing bright red damp splotches staining her light-colored pants. A toppled wineglass was at the table’s edge dripping where she’d sat.

“I’m sorry, my glass slipped,” Nell said.

“Goodness, don’t move, Nell.” Lisa took the glass. “I’ll get a dishcloth.” She went to the sink.

“No, don’t worry. I’ll throw them in the wash,” Nell said. “I think this is our cue to thank you for a wonderful evening.”

“Yes,” Dillard said. “It was a fantastic dinner.”

Jeff and Lisa saw the Dillards to the door where the men shook hands and the women hugged. Then the Taylors watched their guests walk into the darkness.

But the night was far from over.

65

Lisa grappled with the storm twisting in her head as she cleaned up.

Foil snapped from the roll as she wrapped leftovers. The garbage disposal growled as she cleared scraps. She loaded the dishwasher, hip-slammed the door, switched it on, then went upstairs to confront Jeff before bed.

He wasn’t there.

Searching the house, she called for him, but he didn’t respond.

She noticed his office door was closed. She knocked, then opened it to darkness. Thinking it empty, she turned to leave.

“I’m here,” he said.

“What’re you doing sitting there in the dark?”

“Thinking.”

Lisa turned on a light, dimmed it. She stood before him, hands on her hips, taking stock of him sitting there. “We need to talk.”

“So talk,” he said.

“They’re looking at a Vida–Loften connection.”

“Evidently.”

“So why didn’t you tell them the truth?”

“The truth?”

“That she’s trying to extort you. That she threatened your job, threatened you with false accusations and horrible pictures?”

“I didn’t think it was relevant.”

Lisa’s jaw dropped. “What’s wrong with you? It is relevant! Besides, isn’t it against the law to withhold information from the FBI?”

Jeff sat up, anger bubbling beneath the surface. “Look, if she hired Loften or convinced him to scare us so that she could destroy me, then that’s for the detectives to discover. We don’t need to make this public and part of the story. Don’t you see, Lisa? Right now, Vida’s gone, Loften’s gone. We’re out of the picture.”