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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

“No, I’m not. I’m so—I feel like this is some kind of bad karmic payback for what happened with Stacey all those years ago.”

“You’re just shaken up. We both are.”

“Jeff, I’m scared.”

“I know. But we can get through this.”

He held her head against his chest for some time before the doorbell rang.

Through the window, they could see that Detective Reddick had returned.

And he wasn’t alone.

7

With Lisa behind him, Jeff opened the door to the detective and three other people.

“Hi again,” Reddick said. “We’d like to introduce you to some people who want to help.”

The first was a tall woman in her forties with blond shoulder-length hair, wearing hoop earrings and a heart necklace. She stood smiling next to a stocky man, affable-looking, in his fifties. Lisa recognized the third man, Jeff’s height—six foot, midfifties, rugged face, piercing eyes. He was their neighbor, from the house across their backyard. She’d met him briefly on the street a couple of days after they’d moved in; he’d been walking by and had welcomed them to the neighborhood.

“This is Michelle Judson,” Reddick said, “a former sergeant in the Marine Corps.” Reddick put his hand on the shorter man’s shoulder. “This is Ned Tripp, retired firefighter. And this is Roland Dillard, retired detective. Rollie’s your closest neighbor. They’re all with the watch group, and Michelle’s also with the community association. I have to go, but it’d be good for you to talk to these folks.”

After shaking hands, Jeff pushed the door open and invited them into the living room.

“The place is still a mess.” Lisa touched her fingertips to the corners of her eyes. “But I’ve got some fresh coffee.”

“Please, don’t worry about it.” Tripp had a deep voice. “We appreciate what you’re dealing with here.”

Jeff summarized events as he poured their guests coffee, then led them to the sliding door to show them the assailant’s point of entry.

“We want you to know that we feel awful about this burglary, especially with you being new to the neighborhood and everything,” Judson said. “We don’t get much crime in Palm Mirage Creek, and we want to keep it that way. We’re here to help in any way we can.”

Tripp tasted his coffee, then nodded to Lisa. “We understand the suspect briefly took you hostage with a knife.”

Lisa’s face flushed. She hesitated with embarrassment before nodding.

Tripp gave an awkward glance to the others.

“Oh. Sorry,” he said. “Being with the watch, we get notifications. We work with police. We had people on patrol last night, but they were south of here. As soon as police alerted us, we mobilized our call-out list, getting maybe fifty or sixty people searching all night for him.”

Lisa and Jeff looked at each other.