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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

Jeff’s phone vibrated with a message, and his fingers nudged the surface of it. He glanced at Lisa and didn’t answer it.

“When we finish these, I want you to come with me,” she said. “There’s something I want to show you.”

They went upstairs to the bedroom directly across the hall from theirs. Since the move, it had become a storage area for unopened boxes, but before the smoothies, while Jeff was in his office, Lisa had repositioned some of the boxes as if they were furniture. Taped to each of them was a sheet of paper identifying the boxes as crib, changing table, rocking chair, and dresser.

“Like we talked about when we first saw this house, we can make this the nursery.”

“Boy, you’re going full steam ahead on this.”

“It’s way too early, I know, but I saw some great-looking furniture at the mall the other day, and I got dreaming, or a little carried away. But this is the layout I had in mind. What do you think?”

Jeff was staring at his phone, running one hand through his hair.

“Come on,” Lisa said. “This has got to stop.”

Jeff didn’t react. It was as if he hadn’t heard her.

“Jeff!”

“What?”

“What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.” He switched off his phone and shoved it into his pocket. “I’m sorry. Nothing.”

“Nothing? Ever since we moved—no, ever since we learned we had to move—something’s been off.”

His Adam’s apple rose and fell. “I’m sorry I’ve been distracted. It’s work.”

“It’s more than work, more than the move, even more than the break-in. Don’t lie to me.”

He took in a deep breath. “It’s this campaign—it’s overwhelming. I’ve never handled one this big before, and it’s got me worried.”

Lisa searched his eyes for deception. She shook her head. “No. Something else is going on. And not only won’t you tell me about it, you lie to me instead.”

She stormed past him, tears in her eyes.

“Lisa.”

He followed her down the stairs.

“Get away from me.”

“Lisa, come on.”

She went to the foyer, jerked on her sneakers, tied them with a vengeance and picked up her phone and keys.

“Where’re you going?”

“I need to think.”

“About what?”

She glared at him, shaking her head. “It’s almost like another side of you is emerging, and I don’t like it. It’s scaring me, Jeff, because I don’t know where the hell that leaves us!”

The mirror over the entrance table rattled when the door slammed behind her, leaving Jeff to stare at his reflection.

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

Vida had sent him another message.

Ticktock, Jeff.

31

Biting her bottom lip, the heels of her sneakers hammering the sidewalk, Lisa felt unsteady and confused.