Year of the Jackpot 5

She frowned. "I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.
I guess I just went crazy." She added round-eyed, "But I
don't feel crazy. Could I go off my rocker and not know it?"
"You're not crazy . . . not moi-e so than the rest of us," he
amended. "Tell mewhere did you see someone else do
this?"
"Hub? But I never have."
"Where did you read about it?"
"But I haven't. Wait a minutethose people up in Canada.
Dooka-somethings."
"Doukhobors. That's all? No bareskin swimming parties?
No strip poker?"
She shook her head. "No. You may not believe it but I
was the kind oi a little girl who undressed under her
nightie." She colored and added, "I still dounless I re-
member to tell myself it's silly."
"I believe it. No news stories?"
"No. Yes, there was tool About two weeks ago, I think it
was. Some girl in a theater, in the audience, I mean. But I
thought it was just publicity. You know the stunts they pull
here."
He shook his head. "It wasn't. February 3rd, the Grand
Theater, Mrs. Alvin Copley. Charges dismissed."
"Hub? How did you know?"
"Excuse me." He went to his desk, dialed the City News
Bureau. "Alf? This is Pot Breen. They still sitting on that
story? . . . yes, yes, the Gypsy Rose file. Any new ones
today?" He waited; Meade thought that she could make
out swearing. "Take it easy, Alfthis hot weather can't last
forever. Nine, eh? Well, add anotherSanta Monica Bou-
levard, late this afternoon. No arrest." He added, "Nope,
nobody got her namea middle-aged woman with a cast in
one eye. I happened to see it . . . who, me? Why would I
want to get mixed up? But it's rounding up into a very,
very interesting picture." He put the phone down.
Meade said, "Cast in one eye, indeed!"
"Shall I call him back and give him your name?"
"Oh, nol"
"Very well. Now, Meade, we seemed to have located the
point of contagion in your caseMrs. Copley. What I'd like
to know next is how you felt, what you were thinking about,
when you did it?"
She was frowning intently. "Wait a minute, Potiphai do
I understand that nine other girls have pulled the stunt I
pulled?"
"Oh, nonine others today. You are" He paused briefly.