The Indianapolis times., 1930-12-08

Accompanied by Captain StraTn,
the exjudge went TO the telephone
in the little foyer between Nita
Selim's bedroom and the main hall.
And within five minutes he was
back, nodding his head gravely.
"Hinson tells me that the Colts
and the silencer are both missing
sir. May I express my pro-
found regret that my possession
Of"
Some other time, Judge Mar
SHALL" Dundee interrupted curtly,
and hurried from the room, fol-
lowed by Strawn, who nodded to
Sergeant Turner, still lounging
wearily in g. far corner Of the living
room, to stand guard yigilantly.
We'll, Bonnie, here's the devil to
pay" Strawn gloomed, but Dundee
made for the telephone without an
swering.
He called a number, then curtly
demanded: "Dr. Price, please!
Yes, I know he's busy on an au-
topsy. Just tell him that Dundees
of the district attorneys Office
wants to speak to him"
There was a long pause, then:
Hello, DR.. Price! Dundee.
-. What are the caliber and type
Of bullet that killed Nita Selim?
Thanks much, doctor.
Anything new? Finel Thanks
again!"
He hung up the receiver and
faced Strawn. Bullet from Colts
30" he said grimly. Il suggest you
send one Of your men around to the
Marshall home to pick up one of the
bullets that was shot in their
damned target practice.
If you send the two bullets to-
night, registered mail, to Wright,
the ballistics expert in Chicago, he
probably can wire you tomorrow
morning as to whether the same gun
was used to fire both"
Sure Bonnie" Strawn agreed
lugubriously. "I was going to do
just that Say, this town is
getting to be forse than Chicagol"
When he re-entered the living
room Dundee began upon the Judge
again, regardless of the fact that the
elderly husband was murmuring
consolatory endearments to- his
young wife.
Judge Marshall, how many keys
are there to the cupboard drawer in
which your gun and silencer were
kept?"
Just one. I have it with me-"
the old man answered YEARLY.
"Then when Hinson, your butler,
looked for them, he found the
drawer unlocked?"
He did. I confess to an almost
criminal negligence"
Then so far as you know, the
gun and silencer could have been
removed at any time by any guest
Of yours between noon last Sunday
and-today?" Dundee went on re-
lentlessly.
suppose SO. But these people
have been my close friends for
years" the judge answered. Not
one Of them, sir"
"After Mrs. Selin's departure
last Sunday, did your other guests
remain for any length Of tine?"
'Fo~ an hour or more, I think.
Lois and Peter Dunlap remained
for our 2 o'clock Sunday dinner,
but the others drifted away to vari-
GUS engagements"
did any of you return to the
room where the gun was kept?"
Il can speak only for myself and
Pete-Mr. Dunlap" Judge Marshall
answered, flushing with indigna-
ton. THE two of us went down
just before dinner was served. I
wanted to show him some new flies
for trout fishing"
Your home is popular rendez-
vous for your intimates, is it not,
Judge MarShall?"
"I pride myself that it is, sir!"
"And guests run in and out, hav-
ing the freedom of the placer"
Certainly, sir! And since I
am not so stupid as you may inn
agine, can tell you now that
understand the drift of your ques-
tions, an dean forestall them.
"Yes, all of these people-rny
friendsl-have had opportunity to
take the gun and the silencer from
the cupboard since it was placed
there last Sunday, if it was placed
there by Mrs. Selim. But may 1
remind you, sir, that opportunity
alone is not sufficient; that mo-
tive"
"Since Mrs. Selim Is dead, mur-
dered by the weapon which was
stolen, we can assume, Judge Mar
shall, that some one had motive"
Dundee reminded him implacably,
for in his mind there was no doubt
that the ballistics expert would bear
him out.
n
THERE was a heavy, throbbing
4 silence. The group that, with
the exception of Dexter Sprague
had been SO united so cemented