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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

New footage showed Lisa and Jeff’s bedroom at night. They were sleeping.

“Remember the night you came over here for dinner and felt a little ill? Well, that was me. I had to make sure you’d be amenable to what I needed to do, what I know you wanted me to do.”

The footage showed Roland emerging from the darkness in Lisa and Jeff’s bedroom, removing his clothes and approaching Lisa’s side of the bed. She didn’t move as he began caressing her, then pulled away the sheets.

“Oh God!” Lisa’s face contorted when she saw Roland mount her. “God, no! No!”

The footage then cut to Lisa in her bathroom taking a home pregnancy test, then Lisa on the phone with her doctor.

Then it ended.

“I’ve known and savored every inch of you.” Roland stroked her hair. “I’ve known every move you’ve made. I’ve watched over you, given you everything Jeff couldn’t. You and our child belong to me now. We can start our new life together. It’s our destiny, Lisa.”

She screamed.

93

With its wipers working against the rain, the equipment truck used by the Miami-Dade Police Special Response Team rolled into the parking lot of the park three blocks from the Dillards’ bungalow.

It eased to a stop next to the RV that Miami-Dade used as the mobile command post. Inside, huddled around a small table, the team commander and SRT squad leaders studied a map of the community and sketched a strategy for an extraction from the target building.

Unseen for several blocks beyond the Dillards’ home, marked units established an outer perimeter. Officers choked off traffic at all access points in what was considered the hot zone. Others went door-to-door, quietly evacuating neighbors from houses deemed to be in the line of fire.

Without making a sound, SRT squad members, wearing helmets with night-vision goggles and headset walkie-talkies, and equipped with rifles, shields and other gear, took up strategic positions at key points of the Dillards’ house.

A knock rattled the door of the mobile command post. Reddick and Cruz, rain-soaked in ball caps and raid jackets, crowded into the unit. They nodded to Bogan and Morrow.

“So this is it.” Reddick wiped his wet face. “Dillard’s been our guy all this time.”

Morrow nodded. Lightning flashed, and she recalled the images of all the women Dillard had murdered, praying that tonight justice would be done. She turned to the squad commander, who was waiting for the last of his squad to get into position before giving the order for a tactical entry.

94

In the moments before the Special Response Team converged on the Dillards’ house, Jeff had stepped into their home.

“Roland? Nell?”

No response.

“Lisa?”

He listened and heard nothing.

Unknowingly, he followed Lisa’s path, using his flashlight to inspect the living room, finding nothing but an eerie stillness as the storm roared.