Should I talk to a detective who says he just wants my side?

"I just want to hear your side" is one of the most effective openings in interrogation, because it's disarming and because it sounds fair.

What's usually true when that call comes: an investigation is already underway, the detective has information you don't, a theory has already formed, and the interview is being conducted to test that theory rather than to gather your account neutrally. The invitation is real; the framing isn't.

A related version is the call that emphasizes you're not in trouble, or that you're only a witness. That may be accurate, and it may change during the conversation.

What to do instead: get the detective's name, agency, and contact information, say you'll have an attorney reach out, and end the call politely. An attorney can find out what the investigation is, whether you're a subject, and whether there's a version of cooperation that makes sense.

That's not evasion. It's the difference between talking with information and talking without it.