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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

She began shaking her head. “You’re not making sense. If you did nothing wrong, if everything is as you say, then you should be helping the police, telling them everything. And did you forget what happened to me?” She pounded her chest as tears came.

“I didn’t forget.”

“Then, call the detectives, call that FBI agent. Tell them everything!”

“No.”

Lisa stared hard at him.

“Did you sleep with Vida? Is that why you want this kept quiet?”

“How many times do I have to tell you? No.”

“I want to believe you, but how can I with the way you’re acting?” Tears rolled down her face as she shook her head slowly. “Where did you go, and what did you do that night you went out looking for her?”

“Again, I found Vida’s motel. I went to talk to her. She wasn’t there.”

“And it took you all night?”

“I was waiting for her to return. What is it with all these questions? What about you?”

“Me?”

“I see the weird way you and Dillard look at each other. I saw it from the first time he set foot in our house. It’s like you two have some little secret going on.”

“What? He’s a good neighbor, he’s helped us and his wife is dying. Don’t try to turn this on me. You’re keeping something from me, something terrible.”

“You’re dead wrong, Lisa.”

“Why were you out all night?”

“To confront her, and I fell asleep.”

“And you’ve got that cut on your hand.”

“Cutting an apple! Dammit, Lisa!” Jeff took a long breath and let it out slowly. “I’m sorry,” he said, his tone softening. “We’re both going a bit crazy here. I’m sorry.”

He stood, tried to comfort her, tried to take her in his arms, but she refused.

“Listen,” he said, “I’m upset, and I’m not thinking clearly. But you’ve got to believe me. We’ve got to hang in there. We’ll get through this, I promise.”

She looked at him, searching his face as if assessing a stranger.

That night, Jeff slept in the guest room, while Lisa cried alone in their bed, aching for her real husband, the Jeff she knew, to return.

66

The next morning Reddick was at his desk paging through his notes on Loften and working on his still-warm take-out coffee.

Set against the most recent Collector killing, Loften’s link to the woman and her kid from Cleveland and the woman’s link to the Taylors were interesting elements of the investigation, but the detectives were not yet sure where each one fit.