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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

Typical Florida weather. They called it a sun-shower.

It was beautiful, but Lisa remembered reading that according to some myths, a sun-shower meant the devil was beating his wife, angry because God had created a glorious day, and the raindrops were her tears.

What a terrible image, she thought. Is Mother Nature trying to tell me something?

Lisa actually enjoyed the rain because it took her mind away from her anxiety. It also signaled that the storm season was upon them. And as she neared her home, she remembered she had things to do.

In the house, Lisa pulled off her damp clothes, got into her sweats and an old Cleveland Browns T-shirt. In the bedroom, she grabbed all their clothes from the hamper and prepared to run a load of laundry.

As usual, she checked pockets. She found nothing in Jeff’s clothes. Then, at the bottom of the hamper, she noticed a small message pad and withdrew it. It had a palm-tree logo from the Oceanwave Gardens and bore a handwritten message: Jeff, 5:30, Café Romero Sunrise, Bayside Marketplace.

Oceanwave? That’s the motel where the news said Loften and Vida stayed. Why does it indicate a rendezvous with Jeff? What’s this doing in the hamper?

Lisa stared at it, but it offered no answers to her questions.

The doorbell rang.

Lisa went to the door, opening it to Detective Cruz and Agent Morrow.

“Yes?” Lisa looked at the two investigators with a question on her face that darkened as she looked beyond them to several police vehicles in her driveway and on the street.

“I’m sorry, but we have a warrant to search your house and vehicles. Now.” Cruz handed Lisa a folded official document.

When Lisa opened it, some of the words leaped from the pages. In the Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida…affidavit…search warrant. There were other terms, like probable cause, property and evidence sought.

Lisa’s back slammed against the wall, and the foyer began spinning.

81

Downtown at the Coral Cloud Tower, Jeff stepped into the bathroom to check his hair and tie before heading to Foster Shore’s office.

The plan was to join Shore and Leland Slaughter there before they left together for Vida Warren’s memorial service in Boca Raton.

Standing alone before the mirror in his dark suit, Jeff tensed.

It’s wrong for me to go to this after everything that happened. How can I even look at her family, or Roxanne, who’s flying in from Cleveland?

Shore had wanted him there, and executive orders had to be followed.

Jeff took a breath and let it out, then headed to the office, but Shore’s assistant stopped him when he reached for the door.

“I’m sorry, but Foster said you should wait in your office, Jeff.”

“In my office? But he asked me to come here.”

“I know. Something’s come up.”