“Yes, sir.”
“How would you describe him physically?”
“Well…” The detective looked over to where Demiris was sitting. “I would say he was a big man.”
“Did he look strong? I mean physically strong?”
“Yes.”
“Not the sort of man who would have to tear a room apart in order to kill his wife.”
Delma was on his feet. “Objection.”
“Sustained. The defense attorney will refrain from leading the witness.”
“I apologize, Your Honor.” Chotas turned to the detective. “In your conversation with Mr. Demiris, would you evaluate him as an intelligent man?”
“Yes, sir. I don’t think you become as rich as he is unless you’re pretty smart.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more, Lieutenant. And that leads us to an interesting question. How could a man like Constantin Demiris be stupid enough to commit a murder and leave behind at the scene of the crime a knife with his fingerprints on it, a blood-stained pair of shorts…? Wouldn’t you say that was not very intelligent?”
“Well, sometimes in the heat of committing a crime, people do strange things.”
“The police found a gold button from a jacket Demiris was supposed to be wearing? Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And that’s an important part of the evidence against Mr. Demiris. The police theory is that his wife tore it off in the struggle when he tried to kill her?”
“That’s correct.”
“So, we have a man who habitually dressed very neatly. A button is ripped off the front of his jacket but he doesn’t notice it. He wears the jacket home and he still doesn’t notice it. Then he takes it off and hangs it up in his closet—and he still doesn’t notice it. That would make the defendant not only stupid, but blind.”
Mr. Katelanos was on the stand. The owner of the detective agency was making the most of his moment in the sun. Delma was questioning him.
“You’re the owner of a private detective agency?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And a few days before Mrs. Demiris was murdered, she came to see you?”
“That’s right.”
“What did she want?”
“Protection. She said she was going to divorce her husband and he had threatened to kill her.”
There was a murmur from the spectators.
“So, Mrs. Demiris was very upset?”
“Oh, yes, sir. She certainly was.”
“And she engaged your agency to protect her from her husband?”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s all, thank you.” Delma turned to Chotas. “Your witness.”
Chotas wheeled his chair over to the witness stand. “Mr. Katelanos, how long have you been in the detective business?”
“Almost fifteen years.”
Chotas was impressed. “Well. That’s a long time. You really must be very good at what you do.”
“I suppose I am,” Katelanos said modestly.
“So, you’ve had a lot of experience in dealing with people who are in trouble.”
“That’s why they come to me,” Katelanos said smugly.
“And when Mrs. Demiris came to you, did she seem a little bit upset, or…”
“Oh, no. She was very upset. You might say panicky.”
“I see. Because she was afraid her husband was about to kill her.”
“That’s right.”
“So, when she left your office, how many of your operatives did you send with her? One? Two?”
“Well, no. I didn’t send any with her.”
Chotas frowned. “I don’t understand. Why not?”
“Well, she said she didn’t want us to start until Monday.”
Chotas looked at him, baffled. “I’m afraid you’re confusing me, Mr. Katelanos. This woman who came to your office terrified that her husband was going to kill her just walked out and said she wouldn’t need any protection until Monday?”
“Well, yes. That’s right.”
Napoleon Chotas said, almost to himself, “It makes one wonder how frightened Mrs. Demiris really was, doesn’t it?”
The Demiris maid was on the witness stand. “Now, you actually heard a conversation between Mrs. Demiris and her husband on the telephone?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Would you tell us what that conversation was?”
“Well, Mrs. Demiris told her husband she wanted a divorce and he said he wouldn’t give it to her.”
Delma glanced at the jury. “I see.” He turned back to the witness. “What else did you hear?”
“He asked her to meet him at the beach house at three o’clock, and to go alone.”