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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

We need your help. A terrible thing has happened.

She knocked again, hard this time, drawing her face to the door.

“Nell! Roland!”

No response.

She raised her fist to knock even harder but stopped at hearing a faint noise from inside, a mournful moaning growing into a plaintive cry.

Lisa shouted for them. “Roland! Nell!”

She tried the door, surprised to find it unlocked.

Lisa pushed it open, and with the storm lashing at her, she stepped into the waiting darkness.

Jeff’s taxi entered Palm Mirage Creek.

Several trees had toppled, and the neighborhood was without power, giving him a feeling of isolation, the rhythm of the wipers pulling him back into his memories.

His dad, on the ground…his eyes imploring, “Why, son?… Why did you…?”

No! No, stop dwelling on him.

Jeff’s thoughts of his father gave way to those of his own life, everything he’d experienced, everything he’d achieved, and how he was going to lose it all. He searched the night for answers, but it was futile. He needed to ensure that Lisa knew the truth about him.

I saw it in her eyes. What she thinks of me. I’ve got to make her understand, if it’s the last thing I do before it all ends.

The taxi wended through streets near his home, its headlights raking over the Dillards’ house as they passed it.

What was that?

Jeff thought he saw a figure at the Dillards’ door, but glimpsing it in the darkness through the taxi’s rain-streaked window, he was unsure.

He turned and took a second look but saw nothing there.

A moment later, Jeff was home.

Guided by lightning flashes, he walked past Lisa’s rental in the driveway and used his key to unlock his front door.

“Lisa!” he called into the darkness.

Taking careful steps in the dark, Lisa moved through the Dillards’ home.

“Roland! Nell!”

She found nothing but stillness and silence, punctuated by the rumble and flash of the storm. Using the flashlight feature on the phone, she went to the living room.

No one there.

Then the kitchen. Empty again.

“Roland! Nell!”

Fear was coiling in her stomach.

Swallowing hard, she continued through the house to the great room, which opened to the pool and gardens, the palms flailing in the storm. The dining room was empty. Lisa went to Nell’s tranquil room, swept her light over the empty rocking chair and massive Bible.

“Nell! Roland!”

Bedroom after bedroom, Lisa found nothing.

It was as if the house had been vacated of life, until she came to the hallway where her light landed on something heaped on the floor.

Nell.

The older woman was unconscious.

“Oh my God, Nell!”