Tammy’s Reviews > Murder Must Advertise > Status Update

DB lets Ginger reasonito figure out a theory. DB asks who had access to her drawer and who saw her put the catapult in it. Ginger turns pale once he puts the dots together. He asks Ginger to inquire quietly to find out who knew about the catapult (Ginger says he can pretend the elastic is ruined) and who had no alibi for the murder. He’s asked if he’s Scotland yard. No, but he can put in a good word for his brother.

Ginger wants to be a detective (his brother’s in the police). DB asks the boy to keep his mouth zipped. He gives Ginger a ten-bob note to buy grey powder and an insufflator. I wonder if he is going to dust for fingerprints and that’s exactly what he did! Ginger is psyched. There are no prints. Then he has Ginger pretend to use it and this time DB found prints. Clearly, someone had wiped it. Who got into her drawer?

He confirms details that Mrs. Johnson told him. Ginger states he never used it at work; he shows it to friends. The last time he had it was a month ago. Nobody at work has ever brought a catapult or any device like it. One guy keeps a peashooter at home. He’s never heard of anyone else shooting things at work. DB asks about what Ginger was reading and it is called “The Clue of the Crimson Star.” Red like Ginger.

She wears a garnet and he comments on it. He puts his hand in the drawer to get the catapult and cuts his finger. RED. More alchemy? While Mrs. Johnson gets a bandage, he calls Ginger over from reading his penny dreadful detective novel and asks him to meet after work to do a favor. Ginger thinks it’s passing a note to a young woman. LOL Tallboy shows up with work for the boys to do and DB bolts, not being a boy.

He tells her about his catapult and she warns him for she confiscated Ginger’s catapult a month ago. DB convinces her to give it to him and he will pay for any broken windows. After mandatory fun is over, he follows her to her office and makes a comment about the keys. Her drawer has to be locked because of tamp-money and confiscated items. He comments on her ring while she goes through her drawer.

I am glad to know from the podcast that it is normal to feel information overload at the beginning of a detective novel. Guilty as charged. BD learns that Mr. Binns excels at darts and pulling obscure periodicals but stinks at bridge. Mrs. Johnson, a widow, chides BD for not meeting other people. He admits to misbehaving, worthy of a rap on the knuckles. Ginger broke a window playing “Round the World” with his yo-yo.

He asks Tallboy if he’s good at catapulting since he’s good at tennis. He asks about darts as well. I think he’s drawing out people. He brags about winning at darts and he earned free beer for winning a dart competition. How interesting, he lies at a place where they get paid to lie without crossing legal lines. In this way, he’s collecting names of potential suspects by learning who has good hand-eye coordination.

Harris blames college on extending childhood when a person should be working. Well, there’s that. They bump into death and they find out he’s shooting at sparrows. He gets fresh air that way. He brags to tallboy that he bagged a starling and he invites everyone up. I wonder if he’s trying to see who’s a good shot. He also imitates George Washington, “I cannot tell a lie.” He’s advertising the benefits of the roof.

Ch. VI Miss Rossiter thinks DB is nuts because he plays with catapults on the roof. I wonder if he wants to be seen to lure someone. So, she thinks he’s mad. How very Alice of her! They are having their monthly tea. Wait! A tea party? You don’t say! Smayle uses the excuse of getting her tea to leave. He talks to Harris (so much gossip) who says that everyone in the copy department is mad. Arrested development.

Woo hoo! I just finished listening to the first LitLife episode and I am seeing the descent imagery as well as the upside-down world imagery correctly! I thought the ... stuff was stream of conscience but it was imitating advertising. WOW. That was very clever of Sayers. Lord Peter simply slept.