Izzy sat at the end of the conference table, arm in a sling, ankle braced, hair pulled back in a shaky knot. She looked both small and unbreakable.
Scout hung in the doorway until Rhea crooked a finger. “Stay. If Ms. Moreno wants you.”
Izzy nodded at once.
Rhea set down her folio and softened her smile. “Izzy, I’m Rhea Lancaster. I’ll be handling the assault case against Evan Cole. You’ve been through a lot. We’ll move at your pace. Deal?”
Izzy swallowed. “Deal.”
Rhea clicked her pen. “Two tracks. One: practical—what the courtroom looks like, when we take breaks. Two: content—what you’ll be asked, what defense will try.”
Izzy’s eyes dropped. “Is he going to… be there? Evan?”
“Yes,” Rhea said gently. “But you’ll never be alone. Not in the hall, not in the courtroom, not in the parking lot. If you need a break, you’ll say so. If you need water, cough drops, a stress ball—tell me.”
Izzy nodded, dazed but listening.
“Here’s what matters.” Rhea’s voice steadied. “He pled not guilty this morning. They usually do. It keeps leverage on the table. If he takes the plea, it’ll be at the courthouse door after you’ve prepared. That’s the part I hate. But we prepare anyway. We assume you’ll testify.”
Izzy tried a shaky smile. “I could do pancakes after.”
“Good.” Rhea drew a small diagram of the courtroom. “Here’s where I’ll be. Here’s where he’ll be. You’ll look at me—no one else—unless I ask you to point. If defense gets nasty, I shut it down. And if they make you feel small, you remember this: you survived. That carries more weight than anything they can ask.”
Izzy’s eyes shone. Scout stayed quiet in the doorway, watching.
“Cross-examination,” Rhea continued. “They’ll try to rattle you. They may imply you were distracted. They may suggest you misunderstood. None of that matters. Truth is a straight line. You walk it. I’ll clear the debris.”
Izzy let out a breath—lighter this time. “Okay.”
Rhea leaned forward, voice low. “Shame belongs to him. Not one ounce belongs to you.”
Izzy’s chin trembled. Scout looked away, a muscle jumping in his cheek.
The room was still except for the tick of the wall clock—loud, relentless.She thought of the diagram again. So simple. So final.
The door cracked. Parker poked her head in. “Lancaster? Rumor has it you made three deputies fix reports just by walking down the hall.”
“Good,” Rhea said, not looking up.
Parker laughed and slipped out. Izzy even managed a tiny smile.
“They all like you,” she murmured.
“They all hate me,” Rhea corrected. “Which is fortunate, because I don’t work for them.” She capped her pen. “Ten minutes. Then we run it once more.”
Scout Wilson
Scout leaned beside Rhea in the hall. “That was good. She needed that.”
“She needs sleep,” Rhea said. “But the calendar doesn’t care.” She paused. “Cole?”
“Pled not guilty.”
“Of course.” Her mouth went flat. “Tell Burke I’ll file the motion to limit prior-relationship questioning. Defense doesn’t get to parade Caitlin’s life for sport.”
Scout smiled faintly. “Deputies hate you.”
“I sleep fine,” she said.
