"Dr. Price would be the first to grant a leeway of an hour, one way or another," Dundee told her. "Of course, if Tracey did kill him, he let Flora believe that he had given Sprague the blackmail money he was demanding. For it is inconceivable that a woman of Flora Miles' hysterical temperament could have slept--even with two sleeping tablets--knowing that a corpse was in the house."
"Oh, I'm sick of your silly theorizing!" Penny told him with vehement scorn. "Listen here, Bonnie Dundee! You probably laugh at 'woman's intuition', but take it from me--_you're on the wrong track_!"
"Oh, I'm not so wedded to that particular theory!" Dundee laughed. "I can spin you exactly six more just as convincing--"
"And I shan't listen! You'd better dash home and pack your bag if you want to catch the five o'clock train for New York."
"It's already packed and in my office," Dundee assured her lazily. "Got lots of time.... Hullo! Here's the home edition of _The Evening Sun_," he interrupted himself, as a small boy, making his rounds of the courthouse, flung the paper into the office. He reached for it, and read the streamer headline aloud: "ITALIAN GANGSTER SOUGHT IN BRIDGE MURDERS ... I wager a good many heads will lie easier on their pillows tonight."
"Let me see!" Penny commanded, and snatched the paper unceremoniously. "Oh! Did you see this?" and she pointed to a boxed story in the middle of the front page. "'Bridge Parties Cancelled'," she read aloud. "'The society editor of _The Evening Sun_ was kept busy at her telephone today, receiving notices of cancellations of bridge parties scheduled for the remainder of the week. Eight frantic hostesses, terrified by Hamilton's second murder at bridge----' Oh, that's simply a _crime_! The newspapers deliberately work up mob hysteria and then----"
"I'd rather not play bridge for a while myself!" Dundee laughed, as he rose and started for his own office. "And don't _you_ dare leave the room when you become dummy, if you have the nerve to play again! Remember, that gun and silencer are still missing!"
"What do you mean?.... You don't think there'll be more----?"
Dundee became instantly contrite before her terror. "I didn't mean it, honey," he said gently. "I think it is more than likely that the gun is at the bottom of Mirror Lake. But do take care of yourself, and by that I mean don't work yourself to death.... Any messages for anyone in New York?"