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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

The light reflected in Nell’s large eyeglasses. Lisa searched the woman’s face. She didn’t wear her usual scarf on her head, accentuating her skull. Her eyes were closed, her skin pallid. Lisa touched her shoulder—she didn’t respond.

“Nell, wake up.”

Lisa took up Nell’s gnarled hand and tapped it.

“Nell, please! Please, wake up!”

Lisa felt her loose skin for a pulse but was unable to find one as the couple’s message blazed in her mind.

A terrible thing has happened.

The light veered in Lisa’s shaking hand as she raised the phone to dial 9-1-1, but she stopped.

“No! No! Oh God, please, no!”

Roland’s anguished voice resounded from a distance. Lisa left Nell to follow it to the far end of the house.

“It’s Lisa, Roland! Where are you? I’m coming!”

Roland’s cry led her to the fourth bedroom. The one they used as a guest room. The one that was self-contained and self-powered, built for survival—the one with the fortified safe room they always kept locked.

But when Lisa arrived, the steel door with its triple locks was open.

Brilliant light and the murmur of a man’s voice spilled from it.

91

A small LED night-light glowed from the electrical outlet in the front hallway of Jeff’s home.

He was glad he’d installed several of them. They had chargeable batteries so when the power failed, they became emergency lights. He unplugged it, activating the flashlight feature and began searching for Lisa. Except for the tiny red lights of the smoke detectors and the security cameras, which had automatically switched to backup battery power, the house was enveloped in darkness.

“Lisa!”

He went to every room, probing it with the light, searching for her.

Where is she?

He had no phone, no computer, no way of contacting her. The storm pounded as he recalled the coldness in her eyes the last time she’d looked at him.

Had she left him?

His stomach tightened with anger.

No, no, no.

He went to their bedroom.

Had she gone back to Cleveland? But the car was in the driveway—maybe she took a taxi to the airport… But are there flights with this storm…?

He checked the closet. Their luggage was still there. He stood at the bedroom window and caught sight of the Dillards’ house. Light flickered inside as if someone was moving through their home.

Jeff’s mind rolled back, and it suddenly registered.

The figure he’d seen at the Dillards’ door was Lisa.

Thunder cracked, the sky streaked white, making the neighbors’ house glow for an instant.

What is she doing there?

92

Inching into the safe room, Lisa found Roland sitting in a swivel chair holding a sheet of paper with handwriting on it.