Every Song He Stole Was Mine novel · Chapter 7 of 24
Chapter 7: Eight Bars
On Monday morning the courthouse steps were packed with cameras.
Jude walked on my left and Tilda on my right.
My lawyer walked ahead of us, a tall woman in a gray coat who had said exactly four sentences to me in two days and meant all of them.
Inside, the courtroom was full.
Dax sat at the other table in a dark suit with his lawyer beside him.
Kiera sat behind him in a high-necked white blouse with her sleeves buttoned to the wrist.
She did not look at me.
The judge was a gray-haired woman who wrote slowly and looked up fast.
"We are here on a protective order violation and one count of larceny," she said. "Mr. Kingsley's counsel, you may begin."
Dax's lawyer stood.
"Your Honor, this is a simple case. Ms. Ellery entered a private home in violation of a court order. She copied unreleased property from a private studio. And she has spent the weekend telling the press that she wrote songs she never wrote."
"Objection to the press comment," my lawyer said.
"Sustained," said the judge. "Stay on the charges."
"Understood." He turned a page. "We call Ms. Kiera Lund."
Kiera walked to the stand with a tissue crushed in her fist.
She swore on the Bible.
Her voice was small.
"Ms. Lund," the lawyer said, "did Ms. Ellery enter the studio on the night in question?"
"Yes."
"Did she say why?"
"She said she wanted her old notebooks." Kiera wiped her eye. "I told her they weren't there. I didn't want any trouble."
"And the drive?"
"I saw her take it from the computer. I said, Jo, please don't. She said Dax owed her."
"Did she put her hands on you?"
Kiera hesitated.
She rolled her sleeve up slowly.
Four purple bruises sat on her forearm.
A murmur went through the benches.
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