I thought they were overreacting too...but less out of guilt and more out of fear. They have been trying to convince us she is not corrupt, but they never really convinced themselves...and their teetering faith was built on the refrain of the investigation being closed.
That smell has been defined a a “combinatio of boiled cabbage, urine and farts”.
Yes, fear. There is no feeling of guilt. It is all Us vs Them and Them is getting the upper hand and Us is looking into the abyss.