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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

Cruz had moved to the bathroom, logging Loften’s toiletries to be processed. When she finished, she lowered herself to the area under the sink near the toilet, her attention going to the wall plate that covered access to the room’s plumbing.

Cruz pried the plate away, used her penlight to search the space in the wall. Her focus sharpened when the beam reflected something in clear plastic. Before removing it, she took photos with her phone. Then she reached into the wall and pulled out a large resealable, clear plastic bag, filled with colored items.

“Well, would you look at this, Joe?”

Cruz held up the bag. It was jammed with women’s panties, bras and condoms.

“How about that,” Reddick said.

“I’m telling you, Joe. I got a bad feeling about our guy,” Cruz said.

“Me, too. We’ve got to get this place processed by Crime Scene and update everything you submitted to ViCAP and all the other databases.”

“Now you’re a believer,” Cruz said. “I told you that what we have here might be more than a burglar.”

“I’ve not only seen the light, Camila, but I’m thinking it’s showing us the tip of the iceberg.”

“Yeah,” Cruz said, nodding, taking stock, fearing that what she was standing in was akin to a wild animal’s lair.

30

“Did you hear me?”

In the kitchen, Jeff sat at the table. Lisa was making banana smoothies and turned from the counter to see him on his phone.

“Jeff?”

“I’m listening.” He looked at her. “So you went to the doctor.”

“Yes, I’m now officially off the pill.” She smiled, turned back to pour milk into the blender. “The doctor said some women can conceive as soon as they’re off it, but for others it can take a couple months. I can’t believe we’re finally doing this.”

She turned for his reaction.

“That’s good,” he said to his phone.

Lisa pivoted back to the counter, slammed the lid on the blender, jabbed the switch inciting a near-deafening whining and grinding of blades. She looked out the window to the yard, willing away her frustration.

Moments later, sitting together at the table with their smoothies, her disappointment abated when Jeff put his phone down and turned it over.

“Sorry, got a lot of things going on,” he said, drinking from his cup. “This is really good.”

“Have you heard anything more from Cruz on the guy?”

He shook his head with a glint in his eyes. “Only that he’s facing felony charges and a lot of prison time and they’re looking at him for other crimes. The prick.”

“But he’s still in jail?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” She sipped her smoothie. “It was good to get out of the house and go running again, to get my life back.”