Piper leaned in. “It’s actually very common in these circumstances. So whatever you tell me is what we’ll go with, but I should warn you, the police will most likely refer to him as a victim.”
Izzy had thought about that, because she knew police procedures like the back of her hand. Having to deal with it in her own life was another experience entirely, though. “I’m pretty good at compartmentalizing. I’m just going to have to use those skills here. Between us, let’s just call him the sergeant. I can’t control what anyone else is going to call him.”
Piper made a note. “What can you tell me about the sergeant’s death?”
Izzy took a moment to explain who Jay and Aiden were and then described the phone call from Jay.
A deep frown pulled down on Piper’s lips.
“What is it?” Izzy sensed something was really wrong.
“I’m just trying to figure out the lay of the land here. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I have to think about all the possibilities. Is it possible that either of them could be under the microscope too?”
Izzy’s stomach clenched. “Why would you say that?” She didn’t see what the two of them could have to do with this.
“Given what you’ve told me, it’s possible that Jay and Aiden are also going to be questioned. My top priority as your attorney is you, but my years of experience tell me that your top priority may not be you. It might be Aiden or Jay or both of them. So we need to get all that out on the table right now.”
Izzy’s pulse quickened at the implications. “There’s zero chance that either of them murdered the sergeant. I can promise you that.”
“They love you, right? You basically said that Jay is a father figure in your life. He’s the one who convinced you to seek help. You also said that you think Jay previously confronted the sergeant, then the next thing you know, the guy takes early retirement. You have to admit that looks suspicious at the very least.”
Izzy lifted her hand. “You don’t know Jay. He’s a man of honor. A Green Beret. An Army CID agent.”
Piper shook her head. “Actually, with each word out of your mouth, he sounds more and more interesting to the police. It’s possible that Arlington PD wants to question you because they think Jay’s the guilty party.”
The thought of them going after Jay almost felt worse than having them come after her. He’d had such a positive impact in her life and had helped her so much. There was no way she would do anything to put him in jeopardy. And that was why she had to fess up to Piper. “I don’t want you to talk like that. I appreciate what you’re doing here, especially taking this on pro bono, but I am loyal to these guys, and I will have their backs no matter what.”
Piper arched an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t testify against them?”
“Absolutely not.” There was zero chance that would ever happen.
“You believe they’re innocent?”
“With every fiber of my being, and that’s why I also need to share some things with you that might explain why the police want to question me.” Izzy steadied herself and continued to recount to Piper what she had told Viv about the text messages and the encounters she’d had with the sergeant.
Piper ran her hand through her hair. “I’m not going to lie to you. This does make things more complicated.”
“How do I handle the questioning? Do I tell them about this up front, assuming that they already know or will soon find out?”
Piper tapped her pen on the table. “We need to be careful with how we play this. I want you to be honest if asked. But I’m not sure I’m at the point where my legal advice is for you to just spill your guts.”
She had to put her trust in Piper right now. Izzy wasn’t an attorney, but she realized that these facts didn’t look good for her.
Piper took a sip of water. “Let’s get back to the details. You know he was killed, but nothing else?”
“Nothing. Jay wouldn’t tell me.”
“Okay, don’t go investigating. Let’s get through the interview in the morning. I have a feeling you’re not going to know the answers to most of their questions anyway, but it’s time for some ground rules.”
“I’m listening.”
“Don’t answer any question immediately. Give me a second to make a determination about whether you should answer it. There’s a tendency to want to get your story out there. Don’t do it. Answer just the question asked. I think our discussion on the text messages shows you how important this can be.”
“Should I be taking notes?”
“I’d prefer you just listen. Any notes you take could potentially be discoverable in any litigation.”
“Okay.” She hoped she could keep this all straight. She’d never been on this side of questioning before. “How much detail am I going to have to go into about the attack?” That was one of the biggest things bothering her.
“The attack is your motive. I’d prefer to minimalize the discussion as much as possible, but I have to be forthright with you and say that’s probably not going to happen. They’re going to ask for details. The worse the attack was for you, the stronger the motive you would’ve had to kill him. They know that. It won’t be any type of secret strategy.”
Izzy bit the inside of her cheek. “I don’t know how I’m going to handle that.”
“Just do the best you can. And while we’re on the topic, you’ll need to walk me through it. That way I can know best when to cut off the questioning.”
For the next half hour, Izzy powered through and told her story in painstaking detail—going to the sergeant’s office, what started out as a friendly career discussion, and then when he first touched her. She’d immediately backed off and tried
