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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 swallowed as tears came to her eyes. “This can’t be real. I don’t understand.”

“I’m going to help you understand. I retired from my hobbies not too long ago. But I couldn’t stop. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. My compulsion takes over. Then you came along. I never met anyone like you, and I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my days with you and enjoy my legacy.”

She fought against the handcuffs. “I don’t—please—”

On one of the live video screens monitoring her home, one that Roland had not been watching, Lisa thought she saw someone going room to room with a flashlight.

“You told me how troubled you were by Vida Warren,” Roland said. “So I came out of retirement to remove her, knowing Jeff’s involvement with her would seal his fate. The whole Vida-and-Loften thing was a bonus. It drove you closer to me, threw suspicion on Loften to the point where I could play him against Jeff and cause you to doubt your husband. His violent streak and his sleepwalking episodes didn’t hurt my case either. That’s all behind us now. The good news is you’ll never see Jeff again. He didn’t deserve you. I mean, those pictures of him with Vida… I’ll show you.”

Roland worked on one panel, and a slideshow of images flowed, showing Vida naked with Jeff, who was dressed, on a sofa. One image showed them kissing, in another Jeff’s hand was on Vida’s breast. Another showed Jeff with his pants unzipped, then came one with Vida’s head in Jeff’s exposed groin.

“See?” Roland said. “You should be glad he’s out of the way. But that’s not all I did for us. I helped Nell by expediting the inevitable, adjusting her medication. Don’t worry, it’ll all be fine. I know exactly how these things are investigated. This note will help us. Besides, we won’t be here.”

Lisa struggled against her handcuffs as tears rolled down her face.

“There’ll be a huge insurance payout for Nell. I’ll have it sent to us. You and I will move to South America to be safe, either Ecuador or Bolivia because both countries have been known to refuse extradition requests. I’ve been arranging things, creating the documents we need. We’ll leave tomorrow on a private medical charter to Belize. You’ll be sedated, of course.”

Lisa sobbed.

“Don’t cry. I know it’s a lot to take in right now, and there’s a little bit of cleaning up to take care of, but don’t be sad. I need you, and you need me.”

Blinking through her tears, hair falling in front of her face, she struggled in vain to comprehend her soul-boiling nightmare.

“You have to see the best part.” Roland adjusted the controls. “Watch.”