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The Perfume Counter
The Perfume Counter

The Counter Itself

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Chapter 3 of 10

The perfume counter is the store's prettiest twenty feet: glass shelves, good mirrors, testers with bulbs and tassels, the dignity of things costing more than they weigh. Frank and Peggy inventory it twice, bottle by bottle, atomizer by atomizer, against the stock cards: perfect. Nothing leaves this counter but what is sold and wrapped. Peggy finishes the count steady, then, wiping the glass, asks what she has carried all summer: is it me? She has counted her drawer nightly since June and dreamed about it. Frank tells her the truth: her drawer is the cleanest arithmetic in the building. Half a summer's weight lifts, then settles back: if not her, still somebody, and she works between suspects all day. The case book gets one line: the counter is where the number surfaces, and numbers surface downstream of their springs.

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Use the arrow keys to move between letters. Press Enter or Space on the first letter of a word, then again on the last letter. Press Escape to cancel.

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About this case

A chapter of The Perfume Counter, a mystery told in word searches. Each chapter leaves you one clue; the finale needs them all.

How a mystery chapter works

  1. 1
    Read the scene first.Every chapter opens with a scene from the case. The word list is drawn from it, and so is the clue.
  2. 2
    Find the words.Tap a word's first letter, then tap along to its last, or press and drag. Found words colour themselves in and cross off the list.
  3. 3
    One listed word is not in the grid.Find the other nine and the word left over is the chapter's clue. Note it down, or let the case page keep it for you.
  4. 4
    The finale needs every clue.The last puzzle's word list is the clues you collected, and once you find them all, the leftover letters spell out who did it, and why.

Prefer pen and paper?

Print The Perfume Counter as one large-print booklet: every chapter and its puzzle, a clue ledger, and the ending sealed on the last page.

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All chapters of The Perfume Counter

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