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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

“Please, don’t hurt her.”

The man kept one arm pressed against Lisa’s chest and began moving, lifting her, her toes brushing the floor as he hauled her toward the open sliding-glass door. Lisa’s eyes ballooned with terror, struggling in vain as he got closer to the door.

In an instant Jeff saw the doors of the hallway storage closet yawning open to a landslide of unpacked boxes, deducing the intruder had hidden there. He eyed Lisa’s phone some distance away on the floor. So did the intruder, who was now at the door with Lisa.

“Don’t even think about it—I will stick her so fast!”

“Let her go, please!”

The intruder halted at the door, then ran his free hand over Lisa’s breasts, squeezing, and forced his masked face against hers while glaring at Jeff. Lisa fought, but he pushed the blade harder to her neck, his hand slithering down past her belly and grabbing her.

Then he dragged her into the darkness, leaving Jeff paralyzed as her screams escaped, echoing in the night.

2

The world stood still.

A lifetime passed in a heartbeat before Jeff rushed through the open door.

“Lisa!”

The blood rush hammered in his ears as he searched the blackness, scouring the pool, the shrubs, the fencing. He switched on the exterior lights. He couldn’t find his wife.

“Lisa!”

“H-here, I’m here.”

Crouched against a pool chair, she was hugging herself and shaking. Jeff flew to her, held her to keep her from coming apart. As she sobbed in his arms, he scanned their yard.

The intruder had vanished.

Breathing hard, Jeff battled to comprehend what had just happened, praying to God that it was over.

Sirens wailed.

Within ten minutes of Jeff’s call to 9-1-1, the first police units arrived. Others followed. Emergency lights splashed red and blue on the homes nearby as events unfolded in a surreal haze.

Adrenaline continued coursing through Jeff’s body. Clutching her robe, Lisa couldn’t stop trembling as the sky thudded. A Miami-Dade PD helicopter was circling overhead hunting for the suspect, its blinding searchlight probing the surrounding rooftops, yards and streets.

The first responding officers separated them. Hawkins, a woman, talked to Lisa in the living room, asking if there were firearms in the house and if Lisa was injured.

“Not physically, but he—” Lisa, her voice wavering, brushed at tears and touched parts of her body to describe the attack.

Ramon, a male officer, took Jeff into the kitchen, taking down his description of the suspect and details of the incident in his notebook. Ramon paused to speak into the shoulder microphone of his portable radio. It crackled with cross talk. A moment later, a dog barked, and another cop, this one named Brenner, arrived with a German shepherd on a leash.

Brenner huddled with Ramon and Hawkins before they approached Lisa.