wisecracking
about the dangers of being dummy!... Well, boy, now that I've talked
myself past the worst shock, suppose you give me the low-down. But I
warn you I'm going to take a powerful lot of convincing."

Painstakingly, and in the greatest detail, Dundee told the whole story,
beginning with his arrival Saturday evening at the Selim house,
including the ghastly replaying of the "death hand at bridge"--a phrase,
by the way, which the prosecutor instantly adopted--and ending with
Ralph Hammond's establishing of an alibi, to the entire satisfaction of
Captain Strawn, as well as of Dundee himself. He was interrupted
frequently of course, scoffingly at first, then with deepening solemnity
and respect on the part of the district attorney.

"Let me see the plan of the house again," he said, when Dundee had
finished. "Also that table you've worked up showing the approximate time
and order of arrival of the four men.... Thanks!... Hmm!... Hmm!"

"You see, sir," Dundee repeated at last, "the list of possible suspects
includes Lydia Carr, Dexter Sprague, John C. Drake, Judge Marshall,
Polly Beale, Flora Miles, Janet Raymond, Clive Hammond--"

"But Polly and Clive were in the solarium _together_ all the time!"
Sanderson objected.

"So they said," Dundee agreed. "But it is a very short trip from the
solarium by way of the side porch into Nita's bedroom. And either Polly
Beale or Clive Hammond could have made that trip, on the pretext of
speaking to Nita about Ralph!... Motive: murder to end blackmail.
Naturally such a theory would not include _both_ of them, but if _one of
them_ was being blackmailed and made use of the pretext of warning Nita
of Ralph's overwrought condition--"

"Sprague's your man!" Sanderson interrupted with relief. "Motive:
jealousy because Nita was ditching him to marry Ralph.... As for the gun
and silencer, it seems pretty clear to me that Nita herself stole it
from Judge Marshall, and that Sprague got it away from her. You say the
maid, Lydia, went upstairs to tell Sprague he had to pack his things and
take them away--for good!... Very well! Sprague goes down the backstairs
with the gun in his pocket, through the back hall into Nita's bedroom,
shoots her, bumps into the lamp, goes out by the back door, and comes
around front to join the party.... You say yourself he has admitted to
everything but the trip to Nita's room and the shooting--even to
sneaking back to get his bag, which I believe also con