Murder for Bid Read Online Free PDF

appreciate my Sasquatch legs), I began the transformation from homeless woman to rich urban chic. I hit a slight snag when I discovered that the sheath of the sweater was made for a much bustier woman. No problem, after utilizing a few well-placed safety pins, it fit great. Besides, with the cardigan over it, no one would be able to tell that I was pinned up the back. I paired the sweater with the pair of navy twill shorts that I had snagged for three bucks off a trendy department store clearance rack. They were a wee bit tight around the waist, but that was an easy fix. I ran an elastic pony tail holder through the button hole and secured the ends around the button giving me at least an extra inch of wiggle room. Years of struggling with my weight had taught me a few tricks. As for the purse, a couple of swipes with cleaner and a few squirts of hot glue made it almost as good as new.
    That left only shoes. Well, bargain-bin, canvas sneakers would have to do. No one really paid much attention to shoes anyway. I tied my red curls up in a tidy upsweep and put on an oversized pair of cubic zirconium earrings. Who would know they weren’t real diamonds? “Not bad,” I thought, scrutinizing my efforts in the mirror. At least I wouldn’t be mistaken for a bag lady.
    I felt confident with my outfit until meeting up with Sheila at the coffee shop. Of course, she looked like she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine. I truly admired the way she could put an outfit together. Plainly, she didn’t feel the same way about my fashion efforts. This was apparent by the way she appraised me with disgust over the brim of her grand latte while—with obvious effort—restrained herself from making any comment on my choice of club wear. Instead, she clamped her lips into a tight line and motioned for me to follow her to her vehicle. We drove, void of conversation, through Naperville’s shopping district to the nearby rolling residential area boasting expansive treed lots and large brick-front homes.  It wasn’t until we had reached the golf club entrance that I dared test Sheila’s mood with a little chit-chat.
    “Does Councilman Schmidt golf here often?” I asked.
    She ignored me.
    “I mean, you must run into him from time to time. I just figured that everyone here must know each other.”
    Sheila whipped her Sequoia into a parking spot and slammed the gear into park. “Look, Phillipena. I’m not sure what you’re up to, but I assume that since you think you’re some sort of Colombo, or Perry Mason…”
    “Perry wasn’t a detective. He was a lawyer.”
    Her eyes rolled. “Whatever. I know you’re checking up on Amanda Schmidt’s death. I don’t know why you don’t just leave it to the police.”
    “Try to understand my position, Sheila. I’m sort of a suspect in the case and my description is all over the news. Think how you would feel if you were in my shoes. Plus, I was at the crime scene. I heard first-hand how she was killed, brutally killed… and it … well, it’s affected me.”
    She shuddered.
    I continued, “Since I’m sort of a suspect, I have my reputation to clear. So, you see, it’s become sort of personal to me. Besides, it’s not that the police can’t handle this; it’s just that they may miss some things. It’s all so political. Especially since Schmidt is a Councilman and so highly respected.”
    “You think that he had something to do with his wife’s murder?” Sheila was fidgeting with a large diamond pendant that rested in the crook of her throat. I was willing to bet that she had never considered cubic zirconium as a viable substitution for the real thing. “Richard Schmidt is an acquaintance of ours. If you do anything to wreck our relationship with him, I will never forgive you.”
    “Don’t worry, Sheila. I won’t mention your name to anyone. However, since you know him, maybe you can tell me if there was, by chance, another woman?”
    “What!”
    “Was Richard Schmidt