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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

Again, he counted the drives and memory cards. Everything was here.

He shuffled through the dates of files saved from his Asgaard work in Cleveland, found the stick he needed. He inserted it into his computer, scrutinizing with intensity all the files. Clicking through folder upon folder, file upon file, until he came to one labeled Food VW.

It was a scan of a handwritten, four-page draft of an Asgaard file concerning a project for a surplus-food redistribution campaign. The marketing approach involved storytelling married with media, on a local and national scale.

Reading through it, the truth squirmed in the back of his mind.

This was Vida’s draft; this was her idea.

Jeff remembered how he’d found the discarded draft in the recycle bin in Vida’s office when she’d been falling apart. He was certain no one had seen it or knew of it. It was pretty good stuff. Fair game, he’d thought at the time. So he took the paper out of the bin, and late one night, he scanned it into his computer and shredded the hard copy. And after Vida was fired, he began adapting the strategy.

Who would know? I built on it, applying other dynamics, essentially creating a solid new concept.

But the new concept was a factor in getting him his Miami job.

Jeff rubbed his lips with his fingers.

Look, he reasoned, ideas pop up from all kinds of people in all kinds of ways. It’s common practice for someone to improve on them. It happens all the time. And this concept was exactly what he needed to get out of Cleveland and climb higher, to get control of their mounting debts. No one will ever know, he’d thought then.

No one will believe her, he thought now.

He froze.

Lisa was home.

Jeff closed down the files, put everything back into its hiding place and braced himself.

He met her in the kitchen.

She was drinking ice water from the fridge, her back to him.

“Lisa, I’m sorry—”

She held up her palm, then whirled to him, her face taut with anger.

“You tell me everything that’s going on with you right now, or I swear I’ll go back to Cleveland and stay with Joy until you get your shit together.”

He stared at her.

“Jeff, I moved here for you. I gave up so much for you. I was attacked in my home!” She took a breath and kept going. “We’re planning to have children. My God, I’m your wife! I deserve to know the truth.”

The anguish in Lisa’s eyes was more than Jeff could bear. She was right. Pushing back his emotions, he gestured for them to sit at the table.

“Do you remember a woman I worked with, Vida Warren?”