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

“We’re good. Thanks,” Jeff said.

After the server left, Vida leaned in to Jeff.

“How can you treat me like this?” she asked. “After what you did, after what we did—”

“We didn’t do anything! I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She picked up her phone, scrolled through it until she came to a series of photos and turned the screen to him. The images showed a naked Vida with a dressed Jeff on a sofa, them kissing, Jeff’s hand on her breast, Jeff with his pants unzipped, her head in his groin.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” Vida smiled.

All the blood drained from his face. “What is this?”

“Remember Artie’s party a few years back in Cleveland? You and me, when the wife was away?”

“I drank a lot at that party—I passed out. You staged these.”

“Did I? Will it look that way to Lisa when she sees them, or to Foster Shore and Leland Slaughter or the rest of the world when I post them online?”

“My God, why would you do this?”

“Because I liked you. Because it was fun, and you never know when something like this will come in handy.”

“You’re unbelievable!”

Vida closed her phone, secured it in her bag, stood to leave.

“I’m giving you forty-eight hours to make things right. If I don’t hear from you by 5:00 p.m. the day after tomorrow, your world ends.”

She turned and walked away, moving fast around the tables. Jeff moved faster, grabbed her arm roughly and turned her around.

“Don’t do this, Vida.”

“Let me go!” She slapped his face hard and struggled free.

“Vida!”

“You leave me no choice, Jeff!”

“Okay, I’ll—I’ll talk to some people. I’ll help you.”

“You’ve got until five in two days. Ticktock.”

Vida disappeared into the market crowd, leaving Jeff stunned, standing alone in the café. People were staring at him, shaking their heads. The café music throbbed with an ominous beat, scoring the nightmare future uncoiling in front of him.

39

Jeff texted Lisa when he started walking to his car: Heading home now.

Lisa responded quickly.

I’ll order pizza. It’ll be here when you get home.

Jeff arrived to the smell of baked spicy meat and onions. When he got to the kitchen, Lisa turned away from the kiss he tried to press on her cheek. She slapped a slice of pizza on a plate, nearly slamming it on the table.

“What is it?” Jeff asked, chewing on his first bite.

“Did you fix the problem that kept you late at work?”

He nodded as he chewed.

“Funny. After you called me, I called your office back to ask you about getting something else instead of pizza for dinner. They said you’d left your office for the day and that you had no late meetings.”

Jeff’s chewing slowed.

“Why were you late, Jeff?”