The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-26
M,yvder Al BRIDGE
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picked UP in a village on my way
home. didn't like Mia Selim and
1 don't give damn about her being
murdered, except that my wife's
name is in all the papers. =.
Any questions?"
None, thanks!" Dundee an
swered CURLY, then turned TO Lois
Dunlap who was watching t:.e two
men with troubled, gray eyes. Il
am very grateful to you, Mrs. Dun
lap, for your kindness"
The detectives angry resentment
Of Peter Dunlaps attitude lasted
until he was a. the road into Ham
ilton. Then common sense inter
vened. Dunlap was undoubtedly
devoted to his wife.
Penny had said that he never
looked at another woman" 1t was
rather more than natural that he
should be in futile, clustering rage
at the outcome Of her friendship
for the little Broadway dancer.
EREE Of anger, his mind reverted
L to the story Lois Dunlap had
told him. For in it, he was sure,
was hidden the key to the mystery
Of Mia Selim's murder.
Not at all interested in the propo-
sition to organize a Little theater
in Hamilton, Nita had been seized
with a strange excitement as soon
as she was shown photographs Of
a large group of Hamilton's richest
inhabitants. e.
But there was the rubI A large
groupl Would that group of pos
sible suspects never narrow down to
one? OF course, there was Judge
Marshall but if Lois DunIap's mem
DRY was to be trusted Mia had not
noticed the elderly Beau Brummel's
picture until after that strange, hys-
terical excitement had taken pos
session Of her.
And if it had been Judge Mar
shall whom she had come to Ham
ilton to blackmail, would Nita not
have guarded her tongue before
Lois? The same was true about her
unusual interest in Flora Miles. .
Dundee tried to put himself in
Nita's place, confronted suddenly
with a group picture containing the
likeness Of a pe~son-man or
woman-against whom she knew
something so dreadful and so secret
that her silence would be worth
thousands of dollars.
Would he have chartered Of that
very person? No! OF any one else
but that particular person! 1t was
easy to picture Nita, her head whir-
ling with possibilities. hitting upon
the most conspicuous player in the
group-dark, tense, theatrical Flora,
already pointed out to her ias one
of the two female leads in the opera.
But Of whom had she really
been thinking?
Again blank wall! For in that
group photograph had appeared
every man, woman and girl who had
been Nita's guest ON the day of her
murder.
Dundee, paying more attention to
his driving, now that he was in the
business section of the city, saw
ahead of him the second-rate hotel
where Dexter Sprague had been liv-
ing since Mia had wired him to join
her in Hamilton.
On a sudden impulse the detec-
tive parked his car in front Of the
hotel and five minutes later was
knocking upon Sprague's door,
well, why do you want now?"
the unshaven, pallid man demanded
ungraciously.
Dundee stepped into the room and
closed the door. 81 want you to tell
me the name of the man Nita Selim
came here to blackmail, Sprague."
"Blackmail?" Sprague echoed. his
pallid cheeks going more yellow.
you're crazy! Nita came here to
take a job"
"She came here to blackmail
some one, and am convinced that
she sent for you to act as a partner
in her scheme. No, wait! I'm
convinced, I tell you," Dundee as
sured him grimly.
But I'll make a trade with you,
in behalf of the district attorney.
Tell me the name Of the person she
blackmailed and I will promise you
immunity from prosecution as her
accomplice."
Get out Of my room!" and Dex-
ter Sprague's right forefinger trem-
bled violently SIS it pointed toward
the door in a melodramatic gesture.
VERY well, Sprague," Dundee
said. But let me give you
friendly warning. Don't try to
carry on the good work.
"Nita got $4,000, but she also got
bullet through her heart. And
the gun which fired that bullet is
safely back in the hands of the
killer.
you're not going to get that
movie job. and was just afraid
you might be tempted Good
afternoon!"