“As all of you know,” he intoned, “my wife was murdered last night.” He paused to let that line have effect. “It sounds so neat, all compacted into one sentence like that. But the act itself was not neat. It was the work of a madman, or perhaps several. And we tonight are faced with the debris left in the killer’s wake.
“I don’t know how many of you ever met Stella. Those who did, I’m sure, must treasure their acquaintance with her as one of the best in their lives. I know I did. We were married for almost fifteen years, and every day of it was the best day of my life. Stella’s smiles were sunshine and to me she was always as beautiful as the day I married her. She loved children very much, and it was our great misfortune that we never had any. And now we never will.”
He paused again and
