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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

“She needs my help. A week gives me time to work something out with her.”

“How? What do you plan to do?”

“I’ve got some ideas I need to sort out.”

“What exactly?”

“Will you just let me work on this?”

“Jeff, you’re making me nervous. You need to tell people about Vida now. I don’t understand why you won’t.”

“Because I can’t let this thing snowball and implicate me in any way. The break-in almost derailed things at work, almost cost us the campaign. I can’t have this crap with Vida surfacing, not now.”

“The break-in.” Struck by a sudden fear, Lisa said, “What if Loften’s connected to Vida—helping her? What if she does know guys in prison? We need to tell the detectives.”

Jeff shook his head. “Vida spews a lot of bullshit. Besides, Loften’s locked up.”

“But, Jeff, what harm would it do to tell them?”

“I told you, it’s too risky at this point. I’d have to say how all of this is connected to my job. Cruz and Reddick would need to question people in Cleveland, in Miami. If it leaked out, it could have an impact on the South American campaign. There could be headlines, a scandal that would injure the company’s reputation. Globo Aedifico could cancel their contract. We could lose other contracts. Asgaard-T-Chace would surely fire me. Then where would we be, Lisa? No job, hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt? We’d be on the fucking street! And don’t say that won’t happen—I know it will, it’s happened before!”

A moment passed.

Lisa turned from him, her eyes stinging.

“I’m sorry,” Jeff said, standing, cursing under his breath. He thrust his hands into his hair. The veins in his temple throbbed as he went to pour himself a glass of water. “I’ll talk to Vida.” He gripped the glass hard, drinking to douse the inferno raging inside. “I’ll handle it. I’ve worked too hard, come too far, to let this bitch ruin my life!” The glass cracked in his hand but stayed intact, and he set it down.

“Okay, okay.” Lisa was unnerved by Jeff’s rising anger. “Take it easy.”

His phone vibrated, and he picked it up.

He had a new message from Leland Slaughter.

Meet me in Foster’s office first thing tomorrow. We need to talk about an important confidential matter.

33

FBI agent Terri Morrow stopped typing at her desk to cover a yawn.

She’d been out all night on the streets of West Flagler with the violent-crimes squad surveilling suspects believed to be conspiring to commit an armored-car heist. They’d gained strong leads on new players. The next step would be warrant applications for wiretaps.