Murder at Bridge | Page 8

open; third: the left side of her face is unevenly coated
with powder, while the other is heavily but evenly powdered. Therefore
I can't see why she didn't scream, or turn around when she heard your
gunman clambering up to her window, or even when he had crouched
in it. I don't see how she could help seeing him!"
"Well--what do you think?" Strawn asked sourly, after he had tested the
visibility of the window from the dressing-table mirror.
"I'm afraid, Captain Strawn, that there are only two explanations
possible. The first, of course, is that Nita Selim was quite deaf or very
nearsighted. I happen to know from having met her today--"
"You met her today?" Strawn interrupted incredulously.
Dundee explained briefly, then went on: "As I was saying I have good
reason to know she was not deaf, but I can't say as to her being
nearsighted, except that it is my observation that people who are
extremely nearsighted do not have very wide eyes and no creases
between the brows. I am fairly sure she did not wear glasses at all,
because glasses worn even a few hours a day leave a mark across the
nose or show pinched red spots on each side of the bridge of the nose."
"You must have had a good hard look at her," Strawn gibed, his grey
eyes twinkling, and his harsh, thin-lipped mouth pulling down at one
corner in what he thought was a genial smile.
"I did," Dundee retorted. "Well, conceding that she was neither deaf
nor half-blind, she would necessarily have heard and seen her assailant
before he shot her."

"What's the other explanation?" Strawn was becoming impatient.
"That the person who killed her was so well known to her, and his--or
her--presence in this room so natural a thing that she paid no attention
to his or her movements and was concentrating on the job of powdering
her very pretty face."
"You mean--one of that gang of society folks in there?" and Strawn
jerked a thumb toward the left side of the house.
"Very probably," Dundee agreed.
"But where's the gun?" Strawn argued. "I tell you my men--"
"This was a premeditated murder, of course," Dundee interrupted. "The
Maxim silencer--unless they are all lying about not hearing a
shot--proves that. Silencers are damned hard to get hold of, but people
with plenty of money can manage most things. And since the murder
was premeditated, it is better to count on the fact that the murderer--or
murderess--had planned a pretty safe hiding place for the gun and the
silencer.... Oh, not necessarily in the house or even near the house," he
hastened to assure Strawn, who was trying to break in.... "By the way,
how long after Mrs. Selim was killed was her death discovered? Or do
you know?"
"I haven't been able to get much out of that bunch in there--not even
out of Penelope Crain, who ought to be willing to help, seeing as how
she works for the district attorney. But I guess she's waiting to spill it
all to you, if she knows anything, so you and Sanderson will get all the
credit."
"Now, look here, chief," Dundee protested, laying a hand on Strawn's
shoulder as he reverted to the name by which he had addressed the head
of the Homicide Squad for nearly a year, "we're going to be friends,
aren't we? Same as always? We know pretty well how to work together,
don't we? No use to begin pulling against each other."
"Guess so," Strawn growled, but he was obviously pleased and relieved.

"Maybe you'd better have a crack at that crowd yourself. I hear Doc
Price's car--always has a bum spark plug. I'll stick around with him
until he gets going good on his job; then, if you'll excuse me for butting
in, I'll join your party in the living room.... And good luck to you,
Bonnie!"
Dundee took the door he knew must lead into the central hall, but found
himself in an enclosed section of it--a small foyer between the main
hall and Nita Selim's bedroom. There was room for a telephone table
and its chair, as well as for a small sofa, large enough for two to sit
upon comfortably. He paused to open the door across from the
telephone table and found that it opened into a closet, whose hangers
and hat forms now held the outdoor clothing belonging to Nita's guests.
Nice clothes--the smart but unostentatious hats and coats of moneyed
people of good taste, he observed a little enviously, before he opened
the door which led into the main hall which bisected the main floor of
the house until it reached Nita's room.
Another door in the section behind the staircase leading to the gabled
second