BooksBarbecue
Back The Lying House
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

Lisa typed several commands on her keyboard and soon Joy’s face appeared on her monitor.

“Hey, how was your trip to Niagara Falls?” Lisa asked.

“Exhausting but wonderful. The kids loved going on the Maid of the Mist. We all got wet. Then in Toronto, we went up the CN Tower—everyone loved that. We had a blast. It’s so beautiful. You have to go. What about you? All I got from you were texts. Fill me in.”

Lisa recapped and elaborated on most of the things she’d told Joy: how she’d stopped taking the pill—“I’m so happy,” Joy said, “not because I’m going to be the best aunt ever, but because I got all these baby clothes to give you!”—then how Jeff got the big contract, then how her attacker had been arrested.

“So he’s definitely in jail?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re serious, Jeff beat the guy up?”

“Yes. My neighbor, the guy I told you about, was there kinda helping arrest the creep, and he saw it all.”

“Wow. Compared to Cleveland Jeff, Miami Jeff is a badass. Who is this guy you’re married to?” Joy laughed.

“I know. Seriously, though, it’s like he’s got this dark, violent side to him. I mean, it’s disturbing. And there’s more.”

“More?”

“I need your advice on something troubling me.”

“Sure. Shoot.”

“Ever since we moved, Jeff’s been acting weird, like he was keeping something from me. I finally got it out of him.”

“What is it?”

“There’s this woman from his Cleveland office.” Lisa related everything she knew about Vida Warren as her sister listened. “So here’s the thing—she didn’t show up in Jeff’s office until after Loften was arrested. That’s why I think that there’s a possibility Vida could be connected to him.”

“Oh my God. What does Jeff think?”

“He doesn’t think they’re connected. But here’s the other thing—Jeff’s still acting like he’s hiding something, and he says that Vida knows where we live and she’s been by our house. Once I saw this woman with a ball cap and dark glasses while I was running in a park. She seemed to be watching me.”

“You’ve got to tell the police.”

“Jeff says we can’t. He says he has to handle it.”

“That’s stupid. Just tell the detectives, ‘Hey, by the way, check out this wacko who’s threatening me and my husband.’”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”