Page 91 of The Woman on the Jury

“Yeah. I was just a little banged up. But… but I couldn’t stay there anymore. Laur, it was the brothers.”

“What brothers?”

“The ones of the guy who was killed,” I said. “The one I’d been on jury duty for. It was his brothers.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’d deadlocked the jury. They… they must have figured it out, and were mad that their brother’s killer walked free because of me.”

“Whoa. Okay. Alright. Did you go to the police?”

“I did about my grandfather.”

“But not about you?” she asked, confused.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know… I thought they would think I was crazy for pointing the finger at them.”

“Where have you been then?” she asked.

“I don’t know if I should tell you this part,” I admitted.

“Well, now you have to,” she said.

“I, ah, I went to him.”

“To whom?”

“Cosimo Costa,” I said.

“What?” she hissed.

“I figured, and I admit I probably wasn’t thinking too clearly at the time. I’d been terrified. But I figured that he would have to protect me if he heard that I was the reason he was a free man.”

“And?”

“And I was right,” I admitted. “My grandfather and I have been under constant guard.”

“Okay,” she said, trying to process things. “But why haven’t you been in touch with me? Let me know what’s going on?”

“I didn’t have my phone. I left my apartment in a rush. And I haven’t been back.”

“Where have you been then?” she asked. “Halle?” she added to my silence. “Have you beenliving withthat delicious piece of man meat?” she asked.

“I, yeah, yes.”

“Oh, my God. It’s like a smutty book. What’s his place like?”

“A penthouse that likely costs more money than I will ever see in ten lifetimes.”

“What happened?” she asked, suddenly serious, likely picking up on something in my tone.

“Nothing. I just… I was starting to feel like a prisoner. And I needed to leave. So I kind of… tricked my guards and ran off.”

“Okay, we are going to circle back to that, because, quite frankly, it sounds like an action movie. But, nope. You’re not fooling me. This isn’t your ‘I was starting to feel like a prisoner’ voice. Something else is up.”

---