Hide & Seek - James Patterson [86]
Nathan took less than forty minutes with her. That was our agreement, and he had practically signed it in blood. He finished, and then he sat down next to me. He took my hand and I squeezed his. “Thank you, Nathan,” I whispered to him, “for being so patient with me.”
“Thank you for trusting me,” Nathan whispered back.
The jury’s faces remained impassive, but I could see that the women at least were touched by Jennie.
I had not killed in self-defense, I had killed defending my daughter. Now they knew. Jennie had done what she’d meant to do.
Unfortunately, now came the bad part. Dan Nizhinski slowly approached the witness stand. A killer whale, I thought, about to eat a minnow. He’s doing this to get famous. That’s all this is to him: instant fame and celebrity status.
“Miss Bradford—Jennie,” he began softly, almost apologetically.
“Please don’t call me by my first name.” Jennie met his stare and did not waver. “You don’t know me, Mr. Nizhinski.”
The prosecutor sighed. Score one for Jennie.
“You have a good friend by the name of Millie Steele?” he asked after the briefest pause. It was hard to knock Nizhinski off his game.
Jennie seemed surprised by the question. “Yes, I do,” she said.
“She’s your best friend, isn’t she?” the prosecutor continued. He was being unusually nice.
Jennie hesitated, then she finally nodded. I could see her mind working, trying to figure out where he was heading with the questions.
“You’ll have to answer the question verbally, Miss Bradford,” Judge Sussman spoke from the bench. “Is Millie Steele your best friend?”
Nathan Bailford slowly rose from the defense table. “Objection, Your Honor. I don’t see what Miss Bradford’s relationship to Miss Steele has to do with this case. Need I remind everyone, Miss Bradford is only fifteen years old. This trial, especially this testimony, is an unbelievably painful experience for her, and it should be kept as brief as possible.”
“Your Honor,” Nizhinski responded, “the jury will soon see exactly where this line of questioning is leading. It’s an important point, I promise you.”
“Proceed,” Sussman said. “I’ll hold you to your promise though. Tread very lightly.”
Nizhinski moved closer to Jennie, and I flinched. I didn’t like that one bit. I could tell Jennie didn’t either.
“You talk to Millie Steele a lot? At school? Sometimes after school?”
“Yes, sir. Before school too,” Jennie said and she smiled. So did everyone on the jury.
I could see she was still puzzled though. Where was he leading her? Watch out! I wanted to call to her.
“Would you ever lie to your friend? Have you ever lied to her, that you can remember?”
“No. Millie and I don’t lie to each other.”
“Then listen to this, Jennie. On the thirteenth of October, your best friend Millie Steele made the following statement at the Bedford Hills police station—” He paused, and opened the thick binder he had carried with him to the witness stand. The binder was intimidating in itself, thick, with a black leather cover.
“ ‘Jennie was in love with her stepfather. She told me time and time again she wanted—she wanted—well, she wanted to go to bed with him, and would try anything to seduce him.’“
Nizhinski closed the folder gently. “Did you tell Millie Steele that you were in love with Will Shepherd?”
What’s he doing to her? I thought as my stomach clenched. Yes, she had a crush on Will.
“Yes, but—” Jennie tried to answer the question he’d asked.
“Just answer yes or no, please. Were you in love with your stepfather?”
He’s torturing her! He should be stopped right now. “Nathan?” I whispered.
“Wait, Maggie. Listen.”
“I had a crush on Will. Yes, sir.”
“Did you ever try to seduce him?”
“Not really.”
“That’s not answering my question, Miss Bradford. Yes or no: Did you try to seduce him?”
“Yes. In a way I guess.”
“Did you go to bed with him?”
“No! You’re such a bad person! No!” Jennie told the prosecutor. “No!”
No! Thank God! Now let her go.
“Then where did you make