Another Likely Suspect?

“I don’t believe it,” Mindy said flatly. “There’s no way that you could ever convince me that Tyler had anything to do with Fritz’s murder.”

“Why is that?” Peter quizzed. “Because you two were engaged or because you believe that he has such a sterling character?”

“Both,” Mindy replied stubbornly. “You don’t know Tyler. He’s the only decent person to ever come out of the Schuyler family. He’s good natured, good hearted—he’d never kill anyone.”

“Maybe he had a good reason that you don’t know about,” Peter countered. “After all, the two of you broke up a long time ago.”

“But Fritz was murdered while Tyler and I were still together,” Mindy pointed out. “I’d know if my fiancé had killed someone, wouldn’t it?”

“You’d be surprised,” Peter replied. “People are capable of hiding all sorts of things when they are properly motivated.”

“Even murder? That would take one hell of a motivation.” Mindy sighed and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the newsroom. It was almost time to go home. She wished Peter would get to the point and go away. While she found Officer Van Husen extremely attractive, she was also finding him extremely annoying. The man took forever to finish a conversation. “So what’s this evidence you have anyway?”

Peter drew a deep, self important breath. “It seems that Tyler was seen having a fight with Fritz shortly before Fritz was murdered.”

Mindy waited. When Peter didn’t continue she said, “So what? Plenty of people had fights with Fritz. He had that kind of personality. Prickly. Why, offhand I can name at least three people who had a fight with him the week he died.”

Peter leaned forward, his blue eyes intent. “Who? And Why didn’t you mention this to the police before?”

“I’m sure I did.”

“Well, humor me and tell me again.”

Thinking back, Mindy held out her hand and began to list the people who didn’t get along with the late chemist. “You’re right about Tyler; they didn’t get along and they did have a fight but it was nothing major. Tyler thought Fritz was interested in me and he told him to leave me alone.”

“Jealousy. Always a factor in crimes of passion.”

Mindy ignored him. “Then there was Bernard. Fritz and Bernard were always fighting over money and Fat Off. Fritz thought Bernard was taking advantage of him. He was right about that.”

“Bernard has an ironclad alibi,” Peter said. “Who’s the third suspect?”

Mindy sighed. “That would be me although I don’t appreciate being called a suspect. I didn’t kill Fritz.”

“You? What would you two have to fight about?”

Mindy sighed again, more deeply. “Tyler was right about Fritz. He was coming on to me and after one too many grabs in the lab I told him to knock it off. He laughed and told me that he could always tell when a woman was interested in him and that I showed all the signs of wanting to go to bed with him. That’s when I bopped him with a Bunsen burner.”

“Are you saying that you hit him with a lethal weapon?”

“I’m saying that I tapped him lightly with a lab tool,” Mindy clarified.

“Did you knock him out?”

“No! Fritz Weiss was alive and screaming the last time I saw him!”

It was Peter’s turn to sigh. “I’m sorry to tell you this, Mindy, but you’re going to have to come down to the station with me.”

Mindy couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you kidding me? Why would I kill Fritz?"

"You tell me. All I know is that you're another likely suspect and I'm sure that our detective would like to ask you a few more questions."

Shaking her head, Mindy glared at Peter. The crush that she had on him dried up like a puddle on a hot day and was quickly replaced by a huge wave of pure contempt. Honestly, her taste in men had become truly appalling. The next time she got a crush on anyone, she was going to make sure that it was on someone normal.