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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

His car had been seized from the Coral Cloud Tower lot downtown. He couldn’t call Lisa. Her phone had been seized, along with her computer. She had Dillard’s phone, but with all that was going on, he didn’t get the number. The desk officer working at a computer exuded indifference.

Jeff stepped into the public bathroom to get cleaned up. In the mirror he met the bloodshot eyes and mussed hair of someone he didn’t know.

Who is this beast?

This was how the others had seen him.

Jeff was certain he was going to lose his job. Asgaard would surely claw back the bonus, which by the time this was done was likely going to go to Sabrina Martinez anyway. And given the way Reddick, Bogan and the others had gone at him, they’d probably leak those photos of him with Vida.

He was finished.

Anger bubbled under his skin.

The worst of it was how cold Lisa had become. He’d caused her so much pain. Would the baby be okay?

His rage erupting, he turned and began slamming the metal stall door repeatedly as if trying to power himself out of the hole he was in.

Over and over he slammed, kicked and punched it.

“Hey!” The desk officer materialized in the bathroom. “Everything all right in here? You looking to get charged?”

Jeff stopped, ran both hands through his hair.

“I’m sorry. I’m… Can you call a taxi for me? Please?”

The cop eyed him coldly. “If it gets you outta here.” He held the bathroom door open. “Get out, sit your ass down and behave. It’ll take a while because of the storm.”

It was nearly twenty-five minutes before the taxi arrived.

“Wild night, you know,” the driver said.

Rain pelted the car’s roof. The wipers swiped at top speed in a losing battle. Sitting in the back, Jeff felt moisture on his palm but paid little attention, thinking it was rain. Then, in the ambient light, he saw that his palm was bleeding.

Why won’t this damn thing heal?

He must’ve opened the wound again during his explosion in the bathroom. He pressed his palm to his leg as if trying to bury an accusation and stared into the night.

Palm trees bent in the wind, severed fronds skipped along streets, disappearing into the dark, forcing Jeff to continue examining the horror that had befallen him.

Everything he’d worked for all his life was gone. Because of Vida Warren.

It’s sad she’s dead, but you reap what you sow.

Lightning lit up the sky with an apocalyptic display.

Jeff could not undo what was done. All he could do now was set Lisa straight with the truth.

It’s the only way I can end her pain.

89

Wide, lifeless eyes stared at Agent Morrow.