“Aw.” Judy smiled, obviously touched. “I’d love you to. I know you can do it and I feel better with you being there.”
“Done!” Mary hugged Judy over her photogenic belly. “So folks, I know the defense-lawyer drill. Go there, say nothing, right? Don’t give them any information at all?”
“Correct,” Roger and Bennie answered in unison.
Bennie added, “I called Lou but he’s still canvassing the neighbors, so there’s no new news. A lot of the neighbors aren’t home because it’s such a nice day. Maybe we’ll get lucky later. DiNunzio, you can anticipate what the detectives already know, can’t you?”
“Yes, like we talked about.” Mary found her emotional footing. “They probably have surveillance film from some camera somewhere, showing Judy on John’s street, coming and going. So let’s assume they can place her there around the time of death.” Mary was thinking aloud. “And maybe somebody heard them fight.”
“Exactly.” Bennie nodded, satisfied. “I don’t think they’ll know anything that will surprise you, so stick to the script. Actcooperative even though you’re not cooperating. DiNunzio, let her state her innocence and don’t let her answer a single question. Or confirm or deny anything.”
Isaac interjected, “Don’t speak to the press, except to say that we’ll have a comment later. Don’t frown or appear angry. That won’t play well.”
Roger nodded, pressing his hands together at his chest. “And remain calm.”
“Calm, me?” Mary rolled her eyes. “I’m Italian-American, have you heard?”
“That’s merely a label, Mary. Don’t label yourself. Say to yourself, ‘Be here now.’ Do you understand?”
“No.” Mary smiled, jerking his chain. “Where am I now? Am I here or there? Or is it neither here nor there?”
Roger ignored her, closing his eyes lightly. “Visualize this with me. Sit in the interview with Judy. Try to breathe deeply. Find a space of conscious mindfulness. Say to yourself, ‘Go inside to serve outside.’”
“Whatever, let’s go!” Bennie clapped her hands loudly, startling Roger. “Once more, into the breach!”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Mary and Judy sat in the interview room opposite Detectives Krakoff and Marks, and Detective Marks had taken notes while Detective Krakoff had conducted the questioning. Mary thought it had gone well, since Judy had refused to answer any questions, remaining composed even when they’d Mirandized her “out of an abundance of caution.” Mary wasn’t fooled. This was custodial interrogation, and they were narrowing their suspicions on her best friend, which meant that Mary morphed into a bulldog. Apregnantbulldog, at that.
“So Ms. Carrier.” Detective Krakoff crossed his legs in his dark suit, dressed oddly formally. “Are you refusing to cooperate with us?”
Mary interjected, for Judy, “Not at all, Detective Krakoff. Don’t try and bully her. She’s already made her statement.”
“So Ms. DiNunzio, you’re here in an official capacity, as her lawyer?”
“Yes, in case she needs one.”
“And from now on, should we desire to communicate with her, we should do so through you?”
“I can’t imagine why you would want to, given what she’s already told you, but yes.”
Judy’s mouth set firmly. “Detective, as I said, I don’t know anything about John’s murder. I have no idea who killed him. I have no facts whatsoever that would further your investigation.”
Mary interjected again, “If we knew anything helpful to the police, we would tell you immediately. All of us are devastated over John’s murder, and we want you to find his killer and bring him to justice. That’s exactly why I came here last night with our law firm’s founding partner, Bennie Rosato.”
Detective Krakoff returned his attention to Judy. “Ms. Carrier, did you have a romantic relationship to the victim?”
Mary interjected, “She’s not going to answer that. You and I both know that no putative defendant would, in the circumstances.”
“What circumstances? We haven’t charged her. She’s not a suspect. She’s not even a person of interest.”
“YouMirandizedher,” Mary shot back. “Detective Krakoff, why don’t you tell us the information you have so far, so we understand why you called us down here? After all, last night, you refused to give me or Bennie any information or answer any of our questions.”
Detective Krakoff smiled slightly. “By the way, how are you feeling, Ms. DiNunzio? I would hate for you to have another contraction that would cut short the interview.”
“I feel much better, thanks.” Mary arranged her face into an expressionless mask, though it wasn’t easy since she had labeled herself Italian-American, before she’d found out that labels were bad.
“Glad to hear that.” Detective Krakoff faced Judy again, his mouth a firm line. “Ms. Carrier, I’ll lay my cards on the table. Our investigation is in the preliminary stages, but we have already developed facts supporting a theory that you committed this murder. We believe it is in your interest to consider making a deal and we are prepared to offer—”
