Page 6 of Where Secrets Lie

“No.”

“Would it be fair to say that you never liked Mr. Harrison?”

“We weren’t friends, if that’s what you mean—but I didn’t really have anything against him until I realized he was a murderer and was trying to pin his crimes on my client, Ms. Legare.”

“But he was friends with your ex-wife, correct?”

Hez felt his blood pressure rising at the memory of seeing Savannah and Beckett together. “Yes.”

“Close friends?”

Close enough that Hez once walked in on Beckett giving her a shoulder massage. Hez did his best to purge the image from his mind. How had Savannah let such a sociopath into her life? “You’d have to ask them,” he forced out.

“Did their friendship bother you?”

Hope stood. “We’re getting pretty far afield. Counsel is simply harassing the witness now.”

Martine wrinkled her forehead. “Harassing? No, Your Honor. I’m merely demonstrating that the witness is biased against Mr. Harrison.”

Hope leaned forward. “The defendant kidnapped and tried to kill the witness, his wife, and his nephew. I think we can stipulate that the witness probably doesn’t have warm feelings for the defendant.”

The judge nodded. “You’ve made your point, Ms. Dubois. Move on.”

“Thank you, Your Honor.” Martine turned back to Hez. “In each of the attacks you claim occurred, you admit that Mr. Harrison did not act alone, correct?”

“Yes.”

“In fact, aside from him allegedly striking you on the boat, he never touched you in anger, correct?”

“Yes.”

“In every other case, someone else struck you, clamped a drugged cloth over your mouth, and so on, right?”

“Yes.”

“And one of these violent individuals was on the boat with Mr. Harrison at the time of the alleged attempted murder, correct?”

“There was another man on the boat, but I don’t know whether he was the same one who had attacked me before. I never saw their faces.”

“Are you aware that the other man on the boat with you, Deke Willard, has a long criminal history, including convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder?”

“I didn’t know anything about Mr. Willard at the time, but I subsequently learned about his past.”

“Mr. Harrison had previously stated that he was attempting to protect you, Savannah, and Simon from dangerous individuals, correct?”

Hez blinked. Was Martine really trying to portray Beckett Harrison as a frightened pawn trying to protect them from Deke Willard? “Yes—but it’s pretty clear from the surrounding circumstances that he was lying.”

“Is it possible that your bias against Mr. Harrison has colored your memory?”

“No.”

Martine picked up her notes. “Pass the witness.”

The judge looked at Hope. “Any redirect?”

She stood. “No, Your Honor.”

The judge leaned over the bench and peered down at Hez. “Thank you, Mr. Webster. You’re excused.”

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