The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-04-16
CHAPTER ~FORTY-FOUR


SCIGIl" Dundee shouted, in a
VI voice so harsh with anger
that the girl. bending over a sta
tionary laundry tub. withdrew red
dened arms and gaped at him in
creduously.
N.Y. You scared mel" she
laughed uncertainty as the detec-
i've strobe toward her. I'm do
ing my daily Girl Scout good deed.
but I should have worn rubber
gloves. This stuff burns like the
DEVIL"
But he had no sympathy. He
seized her and shook her till her
teeth ratified against each other.
"You ought to have had on a
strait-iacketl" he corrected her saw
agely. do YOU know what you've
dcne7"
i hope I've got rid Of the stink
OF Fleur d'AIncur.' she retorted,
when he had dropped her arms
helplessly and a little ashamed. For
she did look so innocent
when the folks began to play
bridge this afternoon. all sitting
. Guy close together. you know, the
odor was sickeningly strong. be-
cause evervbody'S clothes are scent
Ell up with the stuff from hanging
in closets with the evening clothes
VIC were wearing Friday night
WHO complained of the odor?'
he asked quickly.
Seeing that she had his interest
In spite of his anger. Gigi rushed on
eagerly: "Abbie. She said it posi-
lively made her sick, and Mrs. Lam
bert said it did her too, and she'd be
glad when Monday came and the
perfume s%prinkled things could be
sent to the cleaners. And Dad said,
II the police will let you send
thcnl'"
did anybody suggest this stunt?"
Dundee interrupted hsrshly.
No. I thought of it all By my
self!" she retorted proudly. i told
you over the phone they wouldn't let
me play bridge. SO I finally got tired
of nothing to do, and sneaked up
stairs and collected all the clothes
that had perfume on them, shot
them down the laundry chutes in
the bathrooms, and-there they are!
Il did the evening dresses first,
then doused all the TuXedOeS, even
Wickett'S- Oh, don't look so
peeved!" she protested. Il didn't
take yours. l was afraid you would
not like 1t; besides, 1 know you're
not so SqueamiSh about smelling it
as the rest of us are.
"Abbie was right for once; she
said the smell Of Fleur d'Amour
would always be the odor of death
to her, and I didn't see why all Of
us should be reminded every time
we open a closet door"
He interrupted sternly. AT eX-
actly what time did this Good
Samaritan complex overtake you?
Before or after you found from
telepnoning me that johnson did
not kill Doris Matthews?"
Her eyes grew very wide and
innocent and injured as she an
swered: Why, it was after,
OuU-
"Gigi, you can't fool me! You
deliberately have destroyed evi-
dence, which is a crime punishable
BY imprisonment"
-Gigi laughed. a little shakily.
(which brings to light still another
advantage of being only Is! They'll
only send me to the reformatory-'
You made a clean sweep of it,
I suppose?" he cut in disgustedIy,
gingerly lifting a soaked coat by a
lapel.
I'm afraid I did" Gigi 0 n
fessed with an cir of deep hu-
initiation, but Dundee saw a CLINT Of
triumph in her eyes before she low
cred them. livery single thing but
the shoes we we're wearing Friday
night.
I'D have doused them. too, but
there wasn't any perfume on any
body's but Clorinda'S. There they
are. under the tub. I'm afraid ben
zine isn't awfully good for gold slip
pes she added ruefully.
~"Clorirda's slippers. cepe and eve
ming dress were in my room" he re-
minded her. You at least knew
that they had been confiscated by
the police as exhibits for the grand
jury.
And since the odor Of perfume
from them could not possibly annoy
your sister or any one but me-"
why hadn't you taken them to
the police station, them" she chal-s
lenged him.
Because I was a fool" he re-
tcrted bitterly. There was a bare
chance that johnson was guilty of
the murder. and would confess.
and that your sister need not be
dragged into the case.
II see now that chilvalry doesn't
pay in this case. Come clean,
Gigi!' he commanded harShly.
why did you do this? Why did
you destroy %evidence?"
why do you keep harping or
destroying evidence?'" she cried
angrily. "Clorinda told you she'd
been in the summerhouse after the
murder was committed. You didn't
need g cape WITH a Streak OF Dlood
on it and a pair Of slippers to prove
it,
AS for the rest of the things. the
OILY evidence I destroyed was that
I sprinkled perfume on all of you
Friday night, and you've still got
your own Tuxedo 10 prove thatl'
"You knew my coat was HARM
less he accused her. las harmless