Murder at Bridge | Page 5

in now, is the only house on what used to be a big
farm.... Why?"
"I was just wondering," Dundee said softly, almost absent-mindedly,
"why the 'lovely Nita' chose so isolated a place in which to live, when
Hamilton has rather a large number of 'For Rent' signs out just now....
By the way, know what time it is now?... Twenty to one! Get your hat
on, young woman. I'm going to drive you out to Breakaway Inn."
"You're not! I'm going to take a bus. One runs from the Square right
past the Inn," she told him firmly.
And just as firmly Dundee escorted her out of the almost deserted,
rather dirty old courthouse to where his brand-new sports
roadster--bought "on time"--was awaiting them in the parking space
devoted to the motors of those who officially served Hamilton County.
"I know why you want to drive me out to the Inn," Penny told him
suddenly, as the proud owner maneuvered his car through Saturday
noon traffic. "You want to see Nita Selim. Clank! Clank! I can hear the
padlocks snapping on the slave chains right now."
"Meow!" Dundee retorted, then grinned down at her with as much
comradely affection as if they had been friends for years instead of for
a couple of hours. "Is Nita very small?" he added.
"Little enough to tuck herself under the arm of a man a lot shorter than
you," Penny assured him with curious vehemence. "And if Penelope
Crain is no mean prophet, that's exactly what she'll do within five
minutes after she meets you--just as she is wistfully inviting you to join
the other men for the cocktail party which is scheduled to break up the
bridge game at 5:30. Then, of course, you'll be urged to join us all at
the dinner-dance at the Country Club tonight."
"Will she?" Dundee pretended to be vastly intrigued, which caused the
remainder of the drive to be a rather silent one, due to Penny's
unresponsiveness.

Breakaway Inn was intensely Spanish in architecture and transplanted
shrubbery, but its stucco walls were of a rather more violent raspberry
color than is considered quite esthetic in Spain or Mexico.
"There's Lois Dunlap's car just driving up," Penny cried, her face
softening with the adoration she had freely professed for her friend. But
it clouded again almost instantly. "And Nita Selim. I suppose Nita was
a little ashamed to drive up in her own Ford coupe."
As Dundee helped his new friend to alight his eyes were upon the two
women being assisted by a uniformed chauffeur from Lois Dunlap's
limousine.
In a moment the four were a laughing, exclamatory group.
"Oh, what a tall, grand man you've got yourself, Penny darling!" the
tiny, beautiful creature who could only be Mrs. Selim cried out happily.
"May I meet him?"
"I shouldn't let you," Penny answered frankly, "but I will.... Mrs. Selim,
Mr. Dundee.... And Mrs. Dunlap, Mr. Dundee.... How are you, Lois?
And Peter and the brats?"
"All well, Penny. Petey's off on a week-end fishing trip, and not one of
the brats has measles, scarlet fever or hay fever, thank God," Dundee
heard Mrs. Dunlap say in the comfortable, affectionate voice that went
with her comfortable, pleasant face and body.... Nice woman!
But his eyes were of necessity upon Nita Selim, for that miniature
Venus was, as Penny had predicted, almost tucked under his arm by
this time, her black-pansy eyes wide and wistful, her soft black curls
falling forward as she coaxed:
"You'll come to the cocktail party at my house at 5:30, won't you, Mr.
Dundee?"
"Afraid I can't make it," Dundee smiled down at her. "I'm a busy man,
Mrs. Selim.... You see, I'm Special Investigator attached to the District

Attorney's office," he explained very deliberately.
"O-o-oh!" Nita Selim breathed. Than, step by step, she withdrew, so
that he was no longer submitted to the temptation to put his arm about
her too intriguing little body. And as she retreated, Dundee's keen eyes
noted a hardening of the black-pansy eyes, the sudden throbbing of a
pulse in her very white neck....
"No, don't mind about calling for me," Penny protested a moment later.
"Ralph has already volunteered.... Thanks awfully!"
As Dundee backed out of the driveway his last glance was for a very
small figure in a brown silk summer coat and palest yellow chiffon
frock, slowly rejoining Penelope Crain and Lois Dunlap. What the
devil had frightened her so? For she had been almost terrified.... Of
course she might be one of those silly women who shudder at the sight
of a detective, because they've smuggled in a diamond from Paris or a
bottle of Bacardi from Havana....
But long before his car made the distance back to the city Dundee had
shrugged off