ture, Hugo, so you couldn't have butted in
before this hand was played," Carolyn Drake spluttered. "Remember this
is a little slam bid, doubled and redoubled--"

"I should think _you_ would like to forget that, Carolyn!" Penny
commented bitingly. "But I agree with Carolyn, Hugo, that Karen is quite
capable of making her little slam without your assistance."

"Please don't mind," Karen begged. "Hugo just wanted to help me, because
I'm such a dub at bridge--"

"The finest little player in town!" Judge Marshall encouraged her
gallantly, but with a jaunty wink at the belligerent Penny.

Smiling adoringly at him again, Karen took his suggestion and led the
six of Diamonds from the dummy; Penny covered it with the nine; Karen
ruffed with the seven of Spades from her own hand, and Mrs. Drake
lugubriously contributed the four of Diamonds.

"I can get my trumps out now, can't I, Hugo?" Karen asked deprecatingly,
and at her husband's smiling permission, she led the King of Spades,
Carolyn had to give up the Jack, which she must have foolishly thought
would take a trick; the dummy contributed the deuce, and Penny followed
with her own last trump--the eight.

Karen counted on her fingers, her eyes on the remaining trumps in her
hand, then smiled triumphantly up at her husband.

"Why not simply tell us, Karen, that the rest of the trumps are in your
own hand?" Penny suggested caustically.

"I--I didn't mean to do anything wrong," Karen pleaded, as she led now
with the ten of Hearts, which drew in Carolyn's Queen to cover--Carolyn
murmuring religiously: "Always cover an honor with an honor--or should I
have played second hand low, Penny?"--topped by the King in the dummy,
the trick being completed by Penny's three of Hearts.

At that point John C. Drake marched into the room, strode straight to
Dundee, and spoke with cold anger:

"Enough of this nonsense! I, for one, refuse to act like a puppet for
your amusement! If you are so vitally interested in contract bridge, I
should advise you to take lessons from an expert, not from three
terrified women who are rather poor players at best. I also advise you
to get about the business you are supposed to be here for--the finding
of a murderer!"

CHAPTER SIX

Before Drake had reached his side, his purpose plain upon his stern,
rather ascetic features, Dundee had taken a hasty glance at the watch
cupped in his palm and noted the exact minute and second of the
interruptio