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Back The Lying House
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 master bedroom was huge with a king-size bed. Lisa noticed a forest of pill bottles covered one of the night tables and assumed it was Nell’s. The walk-in closet went on forever. The en suite bathroom was spacious. The second and third bedrooms had a sort of art-deco feel and were done in shades of verde agua and turquoise.

“It’s more room than we need, but we like to spread out. We like our space. Last stop.”

They went across the house to the far end where they came to the fourth bedroom. The guest room. It had a queen-size bed, coral accented walls, a matching love seat at the foot of the bed and twin bamboo night tables.

“Pretty,” Lisa said. She glanced at the closed closet door and stopped.

Something about the door was unusual. At first it looked like a regular door. The coral shade matched the room, yet it seemed…fortified. It was a solid door with a steel handle. A foot above the handle was a dead-bolt, then another near the top of the door and another at the bottom of the door. Nell saw Lisa’s curious expression.

“It’s a safe room,” Nell said. “They’re fairly common.”

“A safe room?” Lisa stepped to the door, touching it with her fingers.

“The original owner had it put in when he repaired the place after Andrew,” Nell said. “That door is fourteen-gauge steel, with triple locks. Nothing can penetrate it. The room itself is enormous, built with its own concrete footings and steel, its own A/C, ventilation and water. It can withstand any hurricane or home invasion. We don’t have to pack up and sit in evacuation traffic with every storm. Still, I prefer to evacuate, but if we can’t get out, we have this room. Rollie keeps it locked and stocked, takes care of everything.”

“Wow. That’s thinking ahead,” Lisa said, turning, surprised to see that Dillard had joined them for this part of the tour and was watching from the guest-room doorway.

“Because you never know what’s coming,” he said.

16

“So I shouldn’t put through any calls from Vida Warren?” Vanessa at reception repeated for Jeff, who was standing at her desk after arriving at the office.

“That’s right. Say I’m unavailable or you’ve passed her message to me. You know, something like that.”

“I’ll take care of it.” Vanessa typed a note on her keyboard.

“Thanks.”

When he got to his office, he set his bag down near his desk. Before he could deal with everything on his mind, his email chimed with a priority alert from Leland Slaughter’s assistant.

The director has called a meeting in the boardroom in ten minutes. RE: Globo Aedifico. If you’ve received this message, your attendance is required.