Page 48 of Goodbye Girl

“Did you ever threaten to harm any of the men with whom she was having sexual relations?”

“That’s ridiculous. No. I never threatened anyone.”

Owens retrieved a file from the table behind him and faced the grand jurors. “I bring to the grand jury’s attention the sworn testimony of Ms. Beatriz Alonso, who is testifying by affidavit.”

Shaky’s lawyer had warned him that in a grand jury proceeding, unlike a trial, the prosecutor could stop and explain things at any time, or even submit hearsay affidavits from witnesses who failed to appear. It was his show.

“Mr. Nichols, Beatriz Alonso was your live-in housekeeper throughout your marriage to Imani. Is that correct?”

Shaky swallowed hard. Beatriz knew the good, the bad, and the ugly, and it seemed safe to assume that this was not going to be good. “That’s correct.”

“In her affidavit, Ms. Alonso recounts an argument that you had with your wife about one of her indiscretions. Her testimony is as follows: ‘One night, Mr. Nichols was very mad. He was screaming at Imani. He shouted, “If I catch you two together, I’ll shoot him in the balls and you in the head.” And he kept saying it, over and over again. “Him in the balls, and you in the head.” He was like a madman.’

“End of quote.” The prosecutor looked up from the affidavit and locked eyes with the witness. “Did you say that to your wife, Mr. Nichols?”

“If I did, it was hyperbole. I didn’t mean it literally.”

“Did Imani have any response?”

Shaky paused. There was no point in lying. It was obvious that the prosecutor already had the answer in the sworn affidavit from theirhousekeeper. It would only hurt his credibility with the grand jurors to feign no recollection.

“She said something like—”

Shaky stopped himself. His anger was rising, and he needed to check it before saying more.

The prosecutor stepped closer, prodding him with his proximity. “Mr. Nichols, when you said that if you caught Imani and her lover in the act, you’d shoot him in the balls and her in the head, what did your wife say?”

Nichols was seething. “She said, ‘If you catch us, you’ll only need one bullet.’”

The old woman in the front row gasped, made the sign of the cross, and whispered something to Jesús in Spanish.

The prosecutor laid the sworn affidavit aside. “Thank you, Mr. Nichols. I have no further questions at this time. You are reminded that grand jury proceedings are secret, and you are not allowed to speak publicly about anything that transpired here, except for your own testimony. You may step down and leave the room.”

Shaky rose and started toward the door. The fact that he was in and out so quickly gave him no comfort. It told him only that the prosecutor already had the evidence he needed to get the indictment he wanted. It told him that this grand jury investigation was not about music piracy.

This was all about Tyler McCormick.

Jack called Andie from his hotel room. The next available flight was not until the following morning. He was staying at the Tower, a business hotel north of the Thames and about a ten-minute taxi ride to the Old Bailey, the criminal courthouse where Theo’s first court appearance would have occurred. Should have occurred, but for the fact that law enforcement was apparently willing to look the other way when it came to the extraction kidnapping of a Russian oligarch’s son. The more Jack thought about it, the more it made sense that the FBI would have a vested interest in keeping the extradition pipeline flowing. Jack imagined that many of the pirates extradited on copyright charges were charged with even more serious crimes once they were in the United States.

“How’s Righley?” he asked into the phone.

“She was fine this morning,” said Andie. “I haven’t picked her up from school yet.”

Jack forced himself up from the bed. He’d powered through the day to avoid Miami-to-London jet lag, and he was tired enough to fall asleep in his clothes on a made-up bed. Andie had just reminded him that he now had to power through another four hours, at least, to avoid London-to-Miami jet lag.

“Give her a kiss for me.”

“I will.”

Jack walked to the window. He had a nighttime view of the famous Tower Bridge, and the reflection of its lights twinkled on the river.

“I have a confession,” said Jack.

“That sounds kind of scary.”

“I glanced at your phone when I shouldn’t have. I saw a text I should never have seen.”

“Shit. I swear, that Bradley Cooper just won’t leave me alone.”

---