We'd hardly got there when the Marshalls
came, poor little Karen not suspecting that she was going to have to
play. Then came Johnny Drake alone, with the news that Carolyn was in
bed and very miserable with a summer cold. Polly walked over from her
house, which is on the next hill to the right, you know. She said Clive
had decided to work late at the office, and had promised to call for her
about eleven, to take her home."
"What about Janet Raymond? Was she left out?" Dundee asked.
"I told you it wasn't a planned affair," Penny reminded him. "But Flora
did telephone her, and she said she didn't feel like coming. She's been
moping about like a sick cat since Nita's death. We all knew she was
idiotically in love with Dexter Sprague, and it must have been an awful
blow to her to hear you read aloud that note Nita received from
Sprague."
"So I noticed," Dundee nodded, recalling the deathly pallor of the
girl's face as Sprague had glibly explained away that damning note and
all its implications.
"Well," Penny continued, "Tracey suggested bridge, and at first Karen
flatly refused to play, but Hugo finally persuaded her.... Karen would
do absolutely _anything_ for that ridiculous old husband of hers! I
simply can't understand it--how she can be in love with him, I mean!"
"I thought you liked Judge Marshall," Dundee laughed.
Pages:
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274