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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

And it sounded to her that Jeff had beat him up pretty badly, too. On a moral level she didn’t really approve of what Jeff had done or the way it was handled, with Roland holding his gun, giving Jeff an advantage. It seemed savage, kind of Neanderthal.

Just plain wrong.

But when she resurrected the memory of the intruder’s hands on her and what he’d said, part of her was secretly glad he’d got his ass kicked.

The creep had it coming.

She turned into a large park with vibrant gardens and massive banyan trees that created cool, dark tunnels of green canopy, shading her way. Each time she met other people jogging in the opposite direction or passing her, she’d smile and wave, offering a fellow runner’s sign of friendship.

Lisa was buoyant: she felt her confidence restored, felt free to live her life again. And best of all, this morning, Jeff had agreed that she should stop taking the pill, that it was time to start a family. She had an appointment to see her doctor.

The intro guitar riff of “Radar Love” by Golden Earring, another classic from her playlist that she loved, began throbbing in her ears, and she increased her stride, picked up speed and smiled to herself. The sex she and Jeff had had the previous night had been the release both of them had needed.

Meandering into a darker part of the park, Lisa glimpsed the fluorescent orange shirt, white cap and dark glasses of a woman jogging behind her.

I saw her going in the opposite direction. Now she’s behind me.

Lisa shrugged it off, figuring every runner has their own route, and kept going, thinking about the future and having a child.

She thought of Jeff and his revelation, and how he’d kept his dark, dangerous persona hidden from her. It just went to show you that when you think you know a person, something happens to prove that you don’t.

He wouldn’t keep secrets from me, would he?

Her right shoe became loose. Broken laces flapped.

As she stopped to tie the frayed ends together, the woman in the glowing shirt came up and passed her. Lisa offered a friendly wave. The woman ignored it and disappeared around a bend, leaving Lisa alone to cope with her broken lace.

It took longer than expected to repair it. Frustrated, she pulled off her headphones to concentrate. In the quiet calm, she found herself completely alone. She welcomed the birdsong from the dense forest, then the rustle of branches and a crisp snap stopped her cold.

Is someone in the brush?

Lisa quickly tied her lace together and resumed running.

26

The offender’s name was Clete Younger Loften.

He kept his handcuffed hands on top of the veneer table in the stark interview room of Miami-Dade’s Midwest District Station. His knuckle tattoos spelled HELL FIRE.