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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

“Lisa, listen to me,” Joy said. “You have to hold on. Jeff’s not a murderer. You two have been together for nearly ten years. Deep down in your heart, you know he’s a good guy. He may not be perfect. Who is? But he didn’t kill that woman. And he didn’t cheat on you. I know him, too. Listen, you’re pregnant, far from home, you miss everybody. And—you—what—” Static crackled on the line, Joy’s voice breaking up. “This—what—should do right now—”

The line died in Lisa’s hand.

“Hello? Joy, are you there?”

Lisa tried redialing, but it was futile. Thunder hammered and lightning flashed. Oh, how she ached to be back in Ohio. Again and again, her agony pulled her back to Cleveland until suddenly, as a spear of lightning lit the sky, she thought of Maylene Marie Siler.

Lisa remembered Detective Reddick calling them, showing them a photo of Siler, asking if they knew the woman who’d been murdered in Cleveland.

No, Lisa didn’t know her, but in this moment she wanted to know more about her. Her fingers moved quickly on the phone, praying she still had an online connection. She went to Cleveland’s best news site and searched stories about Siler’s murder.

Coming to one with the most information, Lisa learned that Siler’s body had been discovered in a shallow grave by a man walking his dog near Tiffin Field. News pictures showed the wooded area sectioned off with yellow tape.

Lisa froze.

Tiffin Field.

Jeff and I used to walk there.

Thunder hammered at the windows, the lights flickered, and the house went completely dark except for the glow of the phone in her hand.

A chime sounded, and a message popped up on the screen.

Lisa, this is Roland and Nell. If you see this, please come to our home now. We need your help. A terrible thing has happened.

88

Jeff Taylor’s wallet, keys, tie, belt and shoelaces spilled onto the police counter from the large envelope.

Looking at them while grappling with the magnitude of what he was facing, his pulse sped up. He tried to stay calm.

All of his belongings were returned to him, except his phone.

“Guess your phone’s still being kept as evidence,” the desk officer said.

It was an inconvenience Jeff could endure because he was going home. He signed for the items, laced his shoes, looped his belt and slid on his jacket.

True to her promise, Sabrina Martinez had quietly secured his release.

Her conversations with the people she knew at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office had yielded results. She was not present at the police complex. She didn’t need to be. The officers holding Jeff had unlocked his cell, escorted him to the desk and told him that he was free to go.

Now Jeff’s problem was getting home.