All I've Ever Wanted - Adrianne Byrd [9]
“Of course. Why don’t you two join me in the kitchen for some tea.”
Max glanced at his partner and saw the surprise on his face.
“Go ahead,” Dossman encouraged. “I need to make a phone call. Mind if I use the phone?”
“Not at all. There’s a phone in the den,” she answered.
Max nodded and said, “Call me if you find anything,” then followed Hickman.
As they walked down the long hallway, Max continued to be impressed by the lavishly appointed home.
“This is a beautiful home,” he said as they entered the kitchen.
“Thank you.” She gestured toward a table. “Won’t you have a seat?”
Suddenly, Max suspected that the tables had been turned and that he was the one about to be interrogated. He suppressed a smile at having been sucked in by the judge’s demure act.
“Detective Dossman informs me that you are the lead detective on my husband’s case.”
Good old Dossman passing the buck. “I understood that you and Mr. Underwood were estranged.”
“Only on paper,” she said.
Who was he to question her claim of true love? It wasn’t like he knew the secrets to a successful marriage. But marrying the same person three times…?
He took out his notepad. “Did your husband have any enemies?”
“Come on, Collier. You knew my husband. It would be quicker for me to give you a list of his friends.”
He looked up from his pad.
“You’re wondering why I was attracted to him.”
He didn’t respond.
“That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for more than a decade. I’m no closer to an answer now, than I was the night he proposed to me—the first time.”
“But you did love him.”
“I still do.”
He believed her, and for a moment felt something akin to envy. No matter what his personal feelings were toward Underwood, the man had achieved something in his life that seemed out of Max’s reach: he’d found unconditional love.
“Maybe I should rephrase my original question. Did you know of any of your husband’s enemies who wanted him dead?”
She looked at Max with raised brows.
“Humor me,” he said.
“Let me answer your question this way. My husband had his share of secrets. I can only guess what some of them were. Even now, I’m not sure that I really want to know. But I do know his death deserves justice. Are there any leads?”
He thought about revealing his belief that there might have been a witness, but he knew better. “No. Not at this time.”
The judge picked up a kettle and filled it with water.
“Have you been to the D.A.’s office? Maybe his death had something to do with a case he was working on.”
“Checking that is definitely on our list,” he assured her. He noticed that she had stopped making eye contact, and wondered what she was hiding…until he noticed her eyes had the glassy sheen that showed they were filling with tears.
“You know his boss couldn’t stand him.”
“D.A. Judith Mason?”
Judge Hickman nodded. “She wasn’t too keen about me, either.”
Max already knew the story, but asked anyway. “Why do you say that?”
“Come on, Detective. I’m sure your partner has filled you in on his ex-partner, Jaclyn Mason, and her relationship to my husband.”
Max killed the innocent act. “They were married once.” He watched as Hickman’s body stiffened and her movements became jerky.
“He realized he’d made a mistake,” she defended.
Compared to the three he’d made with her? Max wondered, shaking his head to clear his negative thoughts. “I’ll make sure that we talk to Mrs. Mason, as well.”
Sandra sighed and let her shoulders slump. “I doubt if she had anything to do with this. It’s not in her character.” She finally met Max’s gaze again. “Don’t mind me, I’m just reaching for straws.”
He wanted to say, It happens. And it was true. Loved ones were often left struggling to make sense out of senseless crimes.
When he left the kitchen, he didn’t have any more information than when he’d gone in. He hoped that his partner had had better luck with the search. He followed Hickman’s directions to the den, and found Dossman poring over a book of some kind.
“Any luck?” Max asked, stepping into the room.
Dossman looked up briefly, then