BooksBarbecue
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

Less than a minute later Joy’s face filled Lisa’s monitor.

“Oh, Lisa, it just sucks. I’m so sorry. How’re you holding up?”

“Doing my best. At first I wanted to move back to Cleveland.”

“How did that sit with Jeffrey?”

“He’s against it. He’s right. It’s not an option. I get it. But I’m afraid.”

Something blurred behind Joy, who turned. Then Lisa’s niece’s face filled the screen, her little hand waving.

“Hi, Aunt Lisa!” Six-year-old Charlotte pulled down her lower lip, showing the gap of a missing tooth. “The tooth fairy took my tooth, see?”

“I see, sweetie!”

“Bye.”

“Bye, honey.” Charlotte vanished.

“I know you’re afraid,” Joy said, “but you can’t let your fear run your life.”

“I told you what he said. What if he’s out there?”

“I know, but you’re strong. We come from fearless stock. Look at Mom and Dad, retired and building houses in some of the roughest parts of El Salvador.”

Something bumped Joy, then five-year-old Carter got in front of her.

“Aunt Lisa! Aunt Lisa! Look!” A bandaged index finger blocked his face. “I got a cut, and there was blood!”

“Wow! Did it hurt?”

Carter shook his head. “Bye!”

“Bye, buddy.”

Carter vanished, and Joy leaned closer.

“Sorry,” she said.

“No, no, don’t be. I love seeing them. I wish I were there. This whole thing has left me angry, feeling violated and paranoid, like a prisoner.”

“That’s perfectly understandable, but you can’t let it control you. You’re a fighter. You have to take control.”

“I know.”

“Want me to fly down? I’ve got vacation time banked and I can get Brad’s mom to watch the kids.”

“No. That’s nice, thanks. But I don’t want this disrupting your life, too.”

“Believe me, I could use the break, and we have a lot of points.”

“Let’s put a pin in that for now.”

“All right.”

A doorbell sounded at Joy’s end.

“That’s probably the furnace guy, to give us an estimate for a new one. He was supposed to come later. I’m sorry, I better go.”

“Sure, I understand.”

“My offer stands, sis.”

“You’re so kind. Hug everybody for me. Bye.”

The call ended.

Lisa sat alone in the silence of her empty house, gauging how Joy’s vibrant, kid-filled life in Cleveland accentuated the desperation of hers.

Wallowing isn’t going to solve anything. Joy and Detective Cruz are right. I can’t let this consume me. I won’t let it take over my life.

Her coffee cup was empty.

On her way to the kitchen to get more, Lisa passed the great room and stopped.

Scene of the crime.

It was the one room, the one place she didn’t check. She’d avoided it since the attack.