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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

Even now, everywhere I go, I see Stacey. I see her at the mall, in parks, on the street, in the faces of little girls who look like her and of women who are the same age that Stacey would be had she lived. I see those women with their husbands and children, and I wonder about the life Stacey would have had if I hadn’t—if I hadn’t… It just hurts so much. I feel that I don’t deserve a happy life, that karma’s going to get me, going to exact a painful toll for what I did to Stacey.

Lisa shifted her focus and considered her parents who, after working so hard on their business for decades, after putting her and Joy through college, set out devoting their lives to helping people less fortunate in the world. Drawing on her mother and father for inspiration helped Lisa focus and get to work.

She finished writing her report on the survey data relating to traces of pesticides in drinking water. She polished it, then submitted it and moved on to her next assignment. It involved working with a state government and a number of health groups to design a survey to help with the study of people who have emerging diseases. Lisa’s Cleveland office had sent her a file with twenty-six attachments of material of various sizes. She dived in, reading each file and making notes. It was midafternoon by the time she’d finished.

Her neck and shoulder muscles were knotted.

She’d worked through lunch and went to the kitchen to eat some fruit, happy that her work had taken her mind off of her troubles. Eating an apple, she walked to the sliding door, disarmed the security system, unlocked it and stepped into the warmth of the sun shimmering on the pool.

So inviting.

Admitting that since the attack she had not resumed her running routine because she was still afraid, she decided that until she climbed back on that horse, she’d get her exercise by swimming ten, fifteen, twenty lengths, whatever she could handle. She changed into her swimsuit, then got a big towel and placed it next to her phone at the poolside and stepped into the water.

It was liquid heaven against her skin, magically melting the tension. After ten lengths, she began to tire, but the no-pain-no-gain mantra kept her going. While turning her head automatically for air with every other stroke, Lisa had just begun her twelfth length when she was pierced with a spear of fear.

What was that?

She plunged underwater, frantic for her feet to find the bottom, crouching below the surface, swirling her arms and hands, steadying herself, turning toward the edge of the pool. Looking up through the water, she saw a distant, blurry face.

Someone was in her backyard.

15

Lisa’s heart pounded in her chest.

She didn’t know how much longer she could stay underwater.