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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

Two years since the divorce and Addie had been resilient adapting to what had become their new reality. Morrow had custody, but the terms meant Addie pinballed every third weekend and every second holiday from her home to her father’s place in Hallandale, where he lived with his girlfriend and her two boys. But Addie had rolled with it.

“I’ve got one big family, Mom, like a lot kids in school,” she had said.

Watching her, Morrow accepted the old truth: they grow up too fast. Now she stood, placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled a cheer. As Addie moved the ball down the field, Morrow’s phone vibrated in her pocket delivering a secure message from her supervisor.

Terri: task force conf call in 1 hour. Need you to take it in the office.

Morrow calculated the distance and time. She’d pretty much have to leave now to make it.

Stephanie Gleason was standing next to Morrow. Gleason was her neighbor and Gleason’s daughter was on the field, on Addison’s team. She turned to Morrow and asked, “What’s up, Terri?”

“Work.”

“On a weekend?”

“Yup. I’ve got to go. Steph, can you take Addie? I’ll catch up with you guys later. I shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours.”

“You got it.”

“Thanks.”

Stepping down to the sideline, Morrow waved, caught Addison’s attention on the field, held up her phone, pointed to Stephanie. Addison, understanding her signal, nodded. This happened when your mom was an FBI agent.

Driving across the sprawling metropolis, Morrow was frustrated that she had to leave her daughter’s game to take this call at the FBI office. But that was where the encrypted system was, and this was the job.

She glanced at the image of her and Addie on her phone’s home screen and thought Yes, they grow up too fast, and all you want to do is protect them because—her mind flashed on images of all The Collector’s victims—because there are monsters in this world.

Morrow made it in with fifteen minutes to spare.

As she expected, no one was in the office.

She made coffee. At her desk, she logged in to her computer, put on her headphones, went to the secure app for video conference calls and punched in her password and today’s code.

Staring at the FBI seal and the motto Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity on her screen, she sipped coffee, wondering why no advance information was given on who was leading this and why the urgency.

A static click sounded, and the seal was replaced with an image of several men and women at a conference table.