Murder for Bid Read Free Page B

noticed that our bedroom was torn up a little bit. Then I walked into the bathroom and...” He broke into sobs.
    There was a respectful silence while Schmidt composed himself. I slouched further down still keeping my face hidden from view.
    Sean asked, “Did you use your key to get into the house?”
    “No, the front door was unlocked.”
    “Do you always go in the front door?” Sean was watching Schmidt’s reactions closely.
    “Most of the time. Why?”
    “Just routine questions, sir. You said that there was some jewelry missing. I’ll have one of the officers get a full description of the stolen items from you.”
    Just then, a black Mercedes screeched to a halt next to me. A well-groomed older couple emerged and rushed over to the group. I noticed that Sean’s demeanor change noticeably as the couple approached.
    “Judge Reiner, what brings you here?” Sean asked.
    “I’m here as a close personal friend of Councilman Schmidt.”
    One look at the man confirmed everything I’d heard. Judge Reiner, with his massive bulk, burly face, and comb-over, looked a bit like the Incredible Hulk having a bad hair day. His physical appearance definitely matched his reputation as a tyrant in the courtroom.
    The judge pushed his way toward Schmidt. “We just heard the news. Richard. I’m so sorry about Amanda. We got here as soon as we could.”
    The woman with the judge placed a heavily jeweled hand on Schmidt’s arm. “This is all so awful. What can we do?”
    Schmidt buried his face in his hands, “I don’t know. I can’t believe this is happening. I just saw her this morning and everything was fine.” He looked toward the house. “It was awful. All the blood...”
    Mrs. Reiner moved in closer and wrapped a consoling arm around Schmidt. “You need to be with friends right now, Richard. Why don’t you let us pack up a few things and take you back to our house? You can stay with us,” she said throwing her husband a prompting look.
    “Yes, stay at our place,” the judge offered after a slight hesitation.
    Schmidt bristled. “No I can’t do that,” he blurted out, and then added in a more subdued tone, “Thanks anyway. I’ll be fine.”
    “Well then, at least let us drop you somewhere. Do you have family nearby?” Mrs. Reiner began ushering Schmidt toward the Mercedes.
    “Just a minute, Mrs. Reiner. We have a few more questions for Councilman Schmidt.”
    “Look, Panelli,” the judge inserted himself, “The man just lost his wife. Can’t your questions wait?”
    I watched Sean as he shifted his stance slightly. I had dated him long enough to recognize this posture; it was his stubborn stance. “I’m afraid not, sir. You know as well as I that the first few hours after a crime are crucial to the investigation. I need to get as much information from Councilman Schmidt as I can, while it’s still fresh in his memory.” Sean lightly grabbed Schmidt’s arm. “Can you come with me, sir?”
    Schmidt stiffened. His eyes nervously darted between Sean and the judge. “I know enough about crime investigations to know that I’m the number one suspect. The husband always is. But, I didn’t do this. I would never kill my wife. I loved her.”
    You also loved your secretary, I thought.
    “Yes, sir,” Sean replied, still trying to nudge him away from the judge and his wife.
    Schmidt was starting to become agitated. “What about that homeless woman I told you about! She probably broke in to rob the place and killed Amanda. Aren’t you going to follow up on that? You’re wasting your time questioning me when you ought to be out looking for that vagrant woman.”
    I couldn’t shrink any lower in the car.
    “I can assure you that we’re being very thorough, sir. There’s a squad car right over here. My questions will only take a couple more minutes and then you can be on your way.”
    “Do you need me to call an attorney, Richard?” the judge asked.
    “What? I don’t need an attorney. I didn’t