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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

Tripp took a moment, shot Dillard a glance. “Yes, that’s what happened.”

“You know you should’ve called us, Roland. You’re not vigilantes out here,” one of the older officers said.

“Yeah, well, it happened fast, and we didn’t want to lose him.”

“And you’ve got the weapon, Roland?”

Dillard pulled it from his pocket.

“Would’ve been better if you hadn’t handled it. You know that,” an officer said.

“He was in the process of using it on my neighbor. I had to take it away.”

“Did you fire your weapon, Roland?”

“No.”

“Will you surrender your gun to us, as a matter of routine?”

Dillard handed it, grip first, to the officer. Another officer preserved the knife in a bag, then got yellow tape from the trunk to cordon the scene.

“Okay, we’re going to need ID and statements from each of you independently,” one officer said. Another took the suspect’s arm, leading him to the back of the patrol car. “We’ll take you to the hospital so they can take a look at you. Then we’ll get your statement.”

Before the car holding the suspect pulled away, he glared from the caged rear at Jeff. The wild rage that passed between them was not lost on Tripp, as he struggled to blink away his worry over what he’d witnessed.

Nor was it lost on Dillard.

After Jeff watched the patrol car round the corner, he lifted his bloodied face to the sky, took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

24

Lisa’s sleep was fitful.

With Jeff gone in the night, she kept her phone in her hand.

But every time a dog barked or the air conditioner kicked on, she’d wake and check the security system. She was on edge.

She tried to relax by thinking of the baby furniture she’d seen the other day and how badly she wanted to start a family. She wondered again if she should stop taking the pill.

Without telling Jeff? Wouldn’t that be wrong? Would it? He promised to start a family as soon as we moved. It was part of the deal. Now he says he needs time.

But now’s the time.

Lisa tensed.

She heard a new noise. It was 3:41 a.m. She took up her phone, checked the security cameras and saw a figure at the front door.

It was Jeff.

She sighed with relief and went to him.

“What’re you doing up so late?” he asked, standing in the foyer, placing his keys on the entrance side table.

“I couldn’t sleep.” She took in his face, laced with scratches, his hair mussed, shirt torn and blotched with dirt and grass stains. “What happened to you? Are you okay?”

He smiled at her.

“We got him. We got the guy who broke into our home and assaulted you.”

“Really? You got him?”

“He’s in custody.”