"
"How did Mrs. Selim get out to Breakaway Inn, if she left her own car
with the maid?"
"You saw her arrive with Lois," Penny reminded him.
"Nita had told us all about Lydia's dentist's appointment when she was
at my house for dinner Wednesday night," Lois Dunlap contributed. "I
offered to call for her anywhere she said, and take her out to Breakaway
Inn in my car today. I met her, at her suggestion, in the French hat
salon of the shop where she got her shampoo and manicure--Redmond's
department store."
"A large dinner party, Mrs. Dunlap?" Dundee asked.
"Not large at all.... Just twelve of us--the crowd here except for Mr.
Sprague, Penny and Janet."
"Who was Mrs. Selim's dinner partner?" Dundee asked.
"That's right! He _isn't_ here!" Lois Dunlap corrected herself. "Ralph
Hammond brought her and was her dinner partner."
"Thank you.... Now, Penny. You were saying the maid had not returned."
"Oh, but she had!" Penny answered impatiently. "If I'm going to be
interrupted so much--. Well, Nita rang the bell and Lydia came, tying on
her apron. Nita kissed her on the cheek that wasn't swollen, and asked
her why she hadn't let Polly in. And Lydia said she hadn't heard the
bell, because she had dropped asleep in her room in the basement--dopey
from the local anesthetic, you know," she explained to Dundee.
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