"Please stop!" "Please..." "You almost wrecked my car." "Well?" "Get in." "And now, fellas, we'll hear that fine new platter by Nat King Cole," ""I'd Rather Have the Blues"." "# The night is mighty chilly" "# And conversation seems pretty silly" "# I feel so mean and brought" "# I'd rather have the blues than what I've got" "# The room is dark and gloomy" "# You don't know what you're doing to me" "# Your web has got me caught" "# I'd rather have the blues than what I've got" "# All night I walk the city" "# Watching the people go by" "# I try to sing a little ditty" "# But all that comes out is a sigh..." "A thumb isn't good enough for you." "You've gotta use your whole body." "Would you have stopped if I'd used my thumb?" "No." "What's this all about?" "I'll guess." "You were out with some guy who thought "no" was a three-letter word." "I should've thrown you off that cliff back there." "I might still do it." " Where are you headed?" " Los Angeles." "Drop me off at the first bus stop." "Do you always go around with no clothes on?" "What's the trouble, officer?" "A woman escaped from an asylum upstate." "Young, wearing a trench coat." " Seen anybody to fit that description?" " No, officer." "OK, move on." "Haven't seen a thing, officer." " Oh, my wife's been asleep." " All right, move on." "May I have my hand back now?" "So you're a fugitive from the laughing house." "They forced me to go there." "Took away my clothes to make me stay." "Who?" "I wish I could tell you that." "I have to tell someone." "When people are in trouble, they need to talk." "But you know the old saying." "What I don't know can't hurt me?" "This wheel doesn't feel right." "It keeps pulling over." " Good evening, folks." " Check the right front wheel." "What'd you find?" "Caught in the spindle." "We must've picked it up when we went off the road back there." "The only thing I ever pick up when I go off the road is poison ivy." " Thanks, kid." " Thank you." " Would you do me a favour, please?" " Wouldn't mind at all." "Would you put a stamp on this and drop it in the mailbox for me?" "Yes, ma'am." "Anything else, ma'am?" "Did you find out what was wrong with the wheel?" "Oh, yeah." "You picked up a piece of branch when you took that little trip off the road." "So long." "Come back again." "You're angry with me, aren't you?" "Sorry I nearly wrecked your pretty little car." "I was just thinking how much you can tell about a person from such simple things." " Your car, for instance." " What kind of message does it send you?" "You have only one real, lasting love." "Now who could that be?" "You." "You're one of those self-indulgent males who thinks about nothing but his clothes, his car, himself..." "Bet you do push-ups to keep your belly hard." "You against good health or something?" "I could tolerate flabby muscles in a man if it would make him more friendly." "You're the kind of person who never gives in a relationship, who only takes." "Ah, woman." "The incomplete sex." "And what does she need to complete her?" "Why, man, of course." "Wonderful man." "All right, all right, let it go." "That bus stop will be coming up soon and I don't even know your name." "You forget, I'm a loony from the laughing house." "All loonies are dangerous." "D'you ever read poetry?" "No, of course you wouldn't." "Christina Rossetti wrote love sonnets." "I was named after her." " Christina?" " Yes, Mike." "I got your name from the registration certificate, Mr Hammer." "Get me to that bus stop and you can forget you ever saw me." " If we don't make that bus stop..." " We will." "If we don't... remember me." " She's passed out." " I'll bring her to." "If you revive her, you know what that would be?" "Resurrection, that's what it would be." "And do you know what resurrection means?" "It means "raise the dead"." "Just who do you think you are that you think you can raise the dead?" " Put him in the car too?" " Naturally." "Mike." "Mike." "Hey, Mike." "Mike." " Hi, Velda." " Hi." "You're never around when I need you." "You never need me when I'm around." "Pat's here." "Five minutes, that's all you've got." "Nurse." " Hi, flatfoot." " Hi." "Three days ago I was figuring I'd have to finance a new tux to bury the corpse." "Three days?" "How am I doin'?" "You're doin' all right." "In a couple of weeks you'll walk out of here." "Can you remember, Mike?" "How it happened, the whole thing?" "I never thought I'd smell that again." "Ooh, look at all the goodies." " I have a cab." " Mr Hammer?" "You won't need the cab." "We'd like to ask you a few questions." "That figures." "See you later." " Why not come in?" "We may be a while." " I'll wait here." "We're not getting very far, are we, Mr Hammer?" "Well now, we have most of the facts." "All we need is a little more fill-in." " I almost get killed and he wants fill-in." " Is it too much to ask for cooperation?" " And make 'em try it again?" " You'll be given full protection." "Maybe we'll have better luck with more elementary questions." "Your full name please, Mr Hammer." "Michael Hammer, 10401 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles." " Just what do you do for a living?" " He calls himself a private investigator." " His speciality is divorce cases." " He's a bedroom dick." "He gets dirt on the wife, then does a deal with the wife to get dirt on the husband." "Plays both ends against the middle." "How do you achieve all this?" "You crawl under beds?" " Nothing so primitive." " He has a secretary, as he calls her." " What's her name, Mr Hammer?" " Velda Wichman." "She's a very attractive young woman." "Real woo-bait." "Lives like a princess." "He sics her onto the husbands and in no time he's ready for the big squeeze." "Who do you sic onto the wives, Mr Hammer?" "That's his department." "All right, you've got me convinced." "I'm a real stinker." "Now if that's all that's on your minds, I'd like to get home." "Yes, I know." "You're anxious to get back to your life's work." "You're free to go." "Open a window." "Thanks for waiting, Pat." "She was a cute kid." "Had the nicest way of needling a guy." "There'll be a long pause before those characters work this out." "The law isn't fast enough, you could do it better - is that it?" "Look, Mike, who do you think you are?" "What's the pitch, Pat?" "An ordinary girl is killed and it rings bells in Washington." "Gotta be a pitch." "I'll give you a bit of advice." "Too many people like you have contempt for the law." "You'd like to take it into your own hands." "But when you do that, you might as well be living in a jungle." "I picked up a girl." "If she hadn't gotten in my way, I wouldn't have stopped." "She must be connected with something big." "Mike, why don't you tell us what you know, then step aside like a nice fella and let us do our job?" "What's in it for me?" "Mikey!" "Mikey!" "Hey, Sammy!" "Look, my friend just returned from the grave!" "Ha-ha!" "Va-va-voom!" "I'm sure glad you're back, Mike." "Like Lazarus, rose out from the grave." "Now tell me, what happened?" "Did you drive too fast in that new rod?" "Where is it?" "Velda says you were picking it up." "There's nothing to pick up." "You ought to have seen that pretty little rod of yours." "All torn up." "Scrap." "Junk." "Never gonna go va-va-voom no more." "Break my heart." " Anyway, you're all right now?" " A little shaky." "A little shaky, huh?" "Know what we're gonna do?" "We're gonna pick up a couple of cute little Greek girls!" "What I mean, va-va-voom!" "Pow!" "Uh-oh." "Forgot to tell you." "Some guys were looking for you." "Asking a lot of questions." " What kind of guys?" " Tough guys." "Very tough guys, Mike." "Ah, forget it." "Look, I'm glad you're back." "You look swell." "I'll see you tomorrow." "And take care of yourself, will ya?" "Are you all right, Mike?" "I don't know yet." "Maybe not." "Oh." "Hey, Sammy, what does he mean, "maybe not"?" "Ah, who knows what he means." "This is Crestview 5-4124." "Mr Hammer, whom you are calling, is not available at present." "If you wish to leave a record of your call, please state your message at the tone." "Hello, Mike." "Just checking to see if you got home." "Call me when you..." "Velda." "Oh, I'm glad you're there." "Are you all right?" " Sure." "Why?" " I'll be right over." " What did they want?" " Asked a lot of questions." " What kind of questions?" " Questions." "When you leave, tell Nick..." "What do you want me to tell him?" "You know, just to hold the soft part of your arms is a meal..." "Tell him to drop his car off tonight and pick it up in the morning." "What's in the folder?" "A fella named Ray Diker called up while you were in the hospital." "He wants to see you and I thought you'd want me to check up on him." "Don't answer it." "Mike?" "It's Pat." "Official business this time." "Maybe he'll go away." "Go ahead." "Don't mind me." "I'm revoking your private investigator's licence." "Also your gun permit." "If I catch you snooping around with a gun in your hand, I'll throw you in jail." "I don't think you'd like it in jail." "Who's Ray Diker?" "What do you do with this guy?" "He was a reporter on the News, wasn't he?" "Used to write a science column." "Why did he drop out?" "I hear your friends were over to question him too." "I've gotta say it: he's got a nose." "He can sniff out information like nobody I ever saw." "What else did you hear?" "Couldn't find him." "He dropped out of sight." "Science editor of a newspaper drops out of sight and nobody knows why." "If you know anything, you'd better tell me, Mike." "If I knew anything, I would." "Sure you would." "You ought to tell him, Mike." " Did Diker leave an address?" " Somewhere over on Flower Street." "But if I were you, I wouldn't go." " That tape of you and lover-boy got lost." " There goes your case." "Call him up and set up another session." "Tell him you're sorry, you want to make up for all the pain you gave him..." "Give him some of that sincerity." "What'd you find out about the girl?" "Christina Georgina Rossetti, poetess, English, born 1830, died 1894." "Your Christina was being held in that hospital for interrogation." "Who by?" "The feds or state?" "That they wouldn't tell me." "What's the point of all this?" "If it's any of my business." "She told me if I dropped her off at the bus station I could forget her." "But if she didn't make it, she said... "Remember me. "" "So remember her." "She's dead." "But I'm not dead." "Hey, remember me?" "Yeah!" "I remember you from somewhere." "Weren't you supposed to call that fellow, Mr..." "What's his name?" "Friendly?" "That's my name for him" " Mr Friendly." "He certainly was friendly." "Maybe he'll give you some of that nice dialogue again, that honey talk." "That tape sure was nice." "Do me a favour, will you?" "Keep away from the windows." "Somebody might blow you a kiss." " 121?" " South." " Popcorn?" " Yeah." "How much?" "Dime, like always." "Thank you." "Drop the knife." "Drop the knife." "Drop the knife!" "What do you want?" "Force your way in." " I want in!" " Who do you think you are?" "!" "Make it sound good." " Make it sound good." " What's on your mind?" "You were with her the night she died." "She knew she was gonna get killed." " She must've talked to you, told you." " Told me what?" "If you knew, you'd be afraid, like she was afraid." "Like I am." "You'd better go." "She told me her name was Christina." "Christina what?" "Bailey." "Christina Bailey." "Her address, the last place she lived?" "325 Bunker Hill." "If you change your mind and wanna talk, get in touch with my secretary." "Oh, you are the one." "Every time when I pick up the trunk, I take a deep breath." "Make you stronger, deep breaths." "This time I think "Oh, you breathe good deep - trunk feels very light. "" ""By golly, old man, you are becoming very strong," I think." "But you are the one, eh?" "Moving somebody in?" "Move in, move out." "Always people come and go." "One place they never leave." "You know, 63 years I live in one place - the house of my body." "Move in when I born, move out when I die." "You bet." "Yes, sir." " Can I help you?" " Oh, no, grazie." "I mean thank you." "If you help, then afterward other thing gets heavier." "I go and get the other one." " What do you want?" " To see the super." " What can I do for you?" " Card on the mailbox, Christina Bailey." "The police have been through her apartment." "The police have been through her apartment." "I wanna go through her apartment." " Ask him who he is, Horace." " Tell her to shut up." "Shut up." " Can I help you?" " I don't be fooled so easy this time." "Is the young fellow, my deep breath." "Always willing to help an old man moving people around." "Because people, they always move." "They never stand still." "Move from here, from there, and move all the time..." "Her lease still has a month to go, but the police said I could rent it." "Whose stuff is this?" "We rent it furnished, but she fixed it up to suit herself." " No bird?" " Her roommate let it die." " What's her name?" " Carver." "Lily Carver." "She moved out a couple of days ago." "All of a sudden, in the middle of the night." "Didn't say where." "She always had it tuned to that station." "OK." "Hey, mister." "Look, mister, you make a deep breath for me." "I'm a-gonna tell you a little secret." "The other girl, the roommate of Miss Christina, she tells me not to say." "Afraid, she is." "Like somebody is afraid to die." "I moved her." "I tell you where." " Buona notte." " Buona notte." "Come in." "Who are you?" "My name is Mike Hammer, if it matters." "What do you want?" "I was with Christina the night she was killed." "They tried to kill me too." "If you like, I'll show you the scars." " How'd you find me?" " Picked up a thread." "Anybody could do it." "Mind if I sit down while you're making up your mind?" "Christina was my friend." "The bird in the cage, what happened to it?" "It was a nice bird." "Used to eat out of my hand." "You let it die." "Why'd you let it die?" "It reminded me of her every time it sang." "She was a good kid." "She was lots of fun." "We worked together, couple of jobs..." "Till she got sick." "That's when I noticed that she started to change." "You get on a merry-go-round and think you can get off any old time." "But then it starts going too fast." "She was scared." "She was more and more scared." "She was afraid to go out." "She'd go to the movies once in a while or out for groceries, but never very far." "Then the police came around." "They asked questions, lots of questions." "Then they took her away." "After a while, I had a feeling someone was watching the place." "Then those men came." "What did they want?" "I didn't stick around to find out." "Why was Christina so afraid?" "It's all right, you can trust me." "I don't know." "You wanna get even for what happened to Christina, don't you?" "I'll see what I can do." "This is Crestview 5-4124." "Mr Hammer, whom you are calling, is not available at present." "If you wish to leave a record of your call, please state your message at the tone." "Good evening, Mr Hammer." "You will wonder who this is, but it does not matter." "What does matter is that your work has been interrupted, your car wrecked." "Your life has been ruffled - to put it mildly." "If you had not stopped to pick up Christina, not any of these things would have happened." "So let's pretend you did not pick her up." " So what happens if I pretend?" " Ah, so there you are, Mr Hammer." "Why, nothing will happen." "Your life will go on as serenely as before." "As a token of our intentions, look in front of your apartment tomorrow morning." "Ha-ha!" "That Mike." "He wrecks one car and goes out and buys another one, just like that!" "Wow." "Va-va-voom!" "Oh, some day I'm gonna get me a car just like this." "I'm gonna get in and I'm gonna drive." "Oh, shines like a million." "Hey, even the keys are in." "Think I'll go around the block and come back before he wakes up." "Why not?" "Pow!" "Nick!" " Don't touch anything." " I didn't." "Turn that key and it's the last thing you'll ever do." "Open the hood." "Look under it." " No, the other side." " The other side." "Down around the starter." "See anything?" "Yeah." "Disconnect it and take it out." " Is this what you mean?" " Yeah." "A torpedo." " Turn the key and, boom, no more Nick." " Wow." " The hood." " Oh, the hood." "Wow, that was close." "Boy." "Oh, boy." " Are you sure?" " Yeah, I'm sure." " Are you really sure?" " I said I'm sure." "He's sure." "Pom-pom-porrr..." "My moustache!" "My father's moustache!" "Let's go to the freeway." "I wanna see how this bird flies." " We better stop off at the garage first." " Why?" " That's the one they expected us to find." " There's another one?" " You sure?" " Yeah, I'm sure." "He's sure." "Find anything?" "The sweet little kiss-off." "It's a bomb connected to the speedometer." "Car goes slow, nothing happens, but when you open her up wide..." "Va-va-voom?" "Hey, Nick." "How'd you like a rod like this one?" " Mine?" "All mine?" " Down to the last cotter pin." "What do I have to do?" "Name it and it's done." " Can you find out who souped her up?" " A cinch." "I know of a place in Culver City." "I'll dig around and ask a few questions." " Va-va-voom?" " Va-va-voom." "Nicky, you should ask what it's worth to him." "What he's gonna get out of it." "Don't bother me, small fry." "You play your guitar, Sammy-boy, and I'll drive my car." "Voom-voom pow!" "Nicky, you're gonna get yourself in a lot of trouble." " Did you call your friendly Mr Friendly?" " Yes." "He awaits me anxiously." "Then call him back and cancel it." "Forget these penny-ante divorce cases." "I got a line on something better." "That girl was mixed up in something big." "And a cut of something big... could be something big." "I want you to find out all you can about her." "First you find a little thread, the little thread leads you to a string, and the string leads you to a rope... and from the rope you hang by the neck." "What kind of a girl was she, this friend of yours, Christina?" "I only ask because Ray Diker phoned up." "He left two names." "He said you might check up on them." "Where are they?" "In my typewriter." "Va-Va-Voom says that in Greek your name would be Michali Sfiros." "But under any other name would you be as sweet?" "Kawolsky." "Kawolsky." "He was a professional fighter." "His first name was Lee." "Couldn't get anything on Raymondo." "Don't know what he was." "Why do you keep saying "was"?" "They both knew your Christina." "They both died the same way she did." "How was that?" "The way you almost died." "Traffic... accident." "One fell out of a cab and the other was run over by a truck." "Who's Carmen Trivago?" "Carmen Trivago, a poor man's Caruso, an unemployed opera singer in search of an opera." "Raymondo's friend." "And who's Harvey Wallace?" "He drove the truck that ran over Kawolsky." "I was going down Washington Boulevard." "Where they're building that freeway?" "It was kinda late." "I'd had a long day." "Winter." "You know how it gets dark early." "I had my lights on." "I had 'em on." "I know that." "Streets are jammed down there around quitting' time." "This was after seven..." "and the street's empty." "I was goin' under a bridge, and goin', you know?" "This guy come out of nowhere." "Did he step out or run out?" " Or maybe he was pushed." " Yeah, pushed." "More like he was pushed." " Hello, Mike." " Hi, Eddie." "How do you like my new boy?" "Kid Nino." "Doesn't he move pretty?" "Sure - just like all your fighters, Eddie." "All right, Kid, shadow-box around." "I'm showing you off to a friend." "Isn't he beautiful?" "Isn't he lovely?" "Look at the way he moves." "Sure, he's great." "But when he fights his big fight he won't be able to punch his way out of a paper bag." " Why not, Mike?" " You'll sell him out, like all the others." "Not this one, Mike." "Wait until the odds build up, until you can't resist." "No, Mike." " When does he go?" " Tomorrow night." "Main bout." "He's a winner, so it'll be short money." "Bet all you can." "Bet your shirt." "It'd pay more if he lost." "You sure he isn't gonna lay down and die?" "On my word, Mike." "Now that's the kind of a bet I like." "Thanks a lot." "What I really came over for was to find out what you know about a kid that used to fight under the name of Lee Kawolsky." " What about him?" " Come on, don't give me that." " You know just about everybody." " About him I don't know." "He was killed in an accident, but it wasn't really an accident." "Two fellas, they came in here." "Charlie Max and Sugar Smallhouse." "They asked, if anybody asked questions about Lee Kawolsky, what do I know?" "I looked at their faces." "You know what I said?" "I said "I don't know anything. "" "They said to keep that in mind and they'd make it worth my while." "You'd sell the gold out of your mother's teeth." " How much did they give you?" "I'll top it." " You can't top this." "They said they'd let me breathe." "Hello." "Pat Murphy, please." "Tell him Mike Hammer's calling." "Hello, Pat." "What do you know about a pair named Charlie Max and Sugar Smallhouse?" "Never mind what I know." "All you have to tell me is whose whistle they jump to." "Carl Evello?" "Yeah..." "Yeah..." "Go ahead." "I can hear you." "Just a minute, I'll ask Mr Evello." " What do you wanna do, Carl?" " We'll take half his action." "Carl says we'll take half." "They out for the fifth yet?" "We can get down a bet, huh?" " Would you give me a light, Sugar?" " Don't bother me." "Aw, come on, Sugar." "Give us a thousand on Big Boy, on the nose." "Aren't you gonna light my cigarette, Sugar?" "Blow!" "Dames are worse than flies." "You playing cards, Charlie, or ain't you?" "Hello." "Well, this is a coincidence." " How do you do, ma'am?" " How do I do?" "Crazy." "Don't be afraid." "I won't bite." "You don't taste like anybody I know." "But it's all right." "In fact, it's wonderful." "Come on, crazy." " Seconds?" " OK." "Sure we haven't met before?" "Never." "Who are you?" "Who am I?" "Who are you?" "I'm Friday." "I'd have been named Tuesday if I'd been born on Tuesday." "I'm Carl's sister." "Half-sister." "Same mother, different father." "You know, you're not like the others." "Carl's friends, I mean." "Maybe because I'm not his friend." "Wonderful." "Then you can be my friend." "All mine, nothing to do with Carl." "There they go!" "They come away from the gate..." "They're big, hairy and ugly." "They chew long black cigars and they talk loud." "I don't like them." "But I like you." "Then why don't you invite me into the house?" " Will you come into my house?" " Why not?" "What's that horse doin', walkin'?" "He ain't even in on the call." "Gin." "Gin?" "Gin?" "!" "He don't pay no attention and he kills me with his gin!" "Here's to... friendship." "Friendship." " I have lots of friends." " I'll bet you have." "I'm not hard to get along with." "Really I'm not." "I can be a very... good friend." "Will you be my friend?" "What do I have to do?" "If you wanna be a... close friend, ask me something." "And no matter what it is, the answer is yes, huh?" "Maybe." "Let's see how good you are at spelling." "Can you spell "no"?" "N - o spells no." "That's a good girl." "Now you practise saying that." "Because one of the best ways to be friendly is to know when to say no." "Your brother wouldn't be wearing blue suede shoes by any chance?" "Hardly." "He's more the black moccasin type." "You know, it's a hot day and I'm feeling kind of warm." "Why don't you invite me for a dip?" "Sure." "Just get all wet." "Hey, look who's here." "You'll find a suit inside." "I'll wait." " Are you kidding?" " Why not?" "Charlie, Sug." "Send him into the house." "How do I know what he knows?" "All I know is he's snooping around." "All right, I'll be polite." " Mr Evello?" " In here." "I'll call you back." "Hello, Mr Hammer." "You handle yourself pretty well." "I figure it's good to speak a lot of languages." "Any country you go to, you can take care of yourself." " Maybe you can speak my language, eh?" " Like putting torpedoes in gifts?" "I'll admit that was a little crude." "We keep underestimating you." "I don't know what's on your mind." "What do you want, Mr Hammer?" "Yesterday I was looking for a thread." "Today, a piece of string." "And tomorrow, who knows?" "You don't even know what you're looking for." " Tell me." " Trouble." "That's what you're looking for." "You're lucky." "That drop off the cliff didn't kill you, the torpedo should have." "Or Sugar." "What'd you do to him, anyway?" "You scared Charlie half to death." "Look, Mike." "I like you." "I like the way you handle yourself." "You seem reasonable." "Why don't we make a deal?" "What's it worth to you to turn your considerable talents back to the gutter?" " Name a price." " And you'll try it on for size, huh?" "You're cute." "You oughta know better than anyone what it's worth." "I set my fee according to the case." "This one keeps getting higher." "It does, huh?" "Maybe you'd like to make an exploratory offer just to get the ball rolling." "OK, Mr Hammer." "It's been nice talking to you." "Drop round again sometime." "Maybe then I'll have a better notion of my fee." "It's too late to set a fee, Mr Hammer." "Suddenly it's too late." "I've been out here three times and this dame keeps brushing' me off." "I gotta make a living, too." "Send somebody else." "How much can a guy take?" "I'm not comin' out again." "Get somebody else." "There are other guys around here." "A guy could get a heart attack walkin' up here." "Who invited you?" " Carmen Trivago." "What room?" " Follow your ear." "Thank you." "He love her." "She's dead." "He sings, il maestro." "Magnifico." "Che bella voce." "Bello, bello." "Bravo!" "Bravissimo!" " Who are you?" " You're a friend of Nicholas Raymondo." "Raymondo?" " That's right." "Raymondo." " I know nothing." "Nothing!" " Quite a stack of records you got here." " Oh, yes." " Caruso's Pagliacci." " ll maestro." " That's a collector's item." " Yeah." "Please, what you wanted to know?" "I will tell you." "Raymondo is my friend." "Very sad friend." "Always he's sad." "He's - how you call?" " engineer scientist." "Very smart." "Very bright." "Very sad." "He was murdered." "Why?" "I don't know." "I don't know." " What was he so sad about?" " For the way the world is, he is very sad." "He says to me..." ""I'm very intelligent, Trivago, but I'm very stupid. "" ""I'm very rich, I'm very poor. "" ""I have a little secret, and it's very important." "And it's not important at all. "" " What did he mean by that?" " When I ask him, he says it's a riddle without an answer." "I think he's making a joke." "But when he's dead, I know it's not a joke." "Somewhere... somewhere he has a secret." " How do you know that?" " They come, the ones that kill him." "They want something small." "Something he can hide where they don't find." "And they ask "Where is it?" "!"" "But I don't know." "I don't know!" "It's a lovely record." "Mike?" "They came last night, right after you left." "I heard them." "I hid in the basement." " They think you know something." " But I don't." " Tell them that." " I've got to get out of here." "They found you once." "They'll find you again." "I'm going down to my car." "When you hear the horn, come running." "Mikey!" " Hi, Mikey." " What happened?" "I went to Culver City." "They know nothing." "But they wanted to know why I asked." " What did you tell them?" " Nothing." "Uh..." "Look, I've got to drop something off, but I'll be back." "We'll go together." "Oh, hi." "Anything I can do for you, mister?" "I'm busy right now..." "What are you doin' there?" "Use anything in the closet until we can get you some clothes." "Take the bedroom." " Where will you sleep?" " I'll take the couch." "If you want coffee, the kitchen's..." "Thank you, Mike." "Thank you." "Thank you." "OK, you've made your point." "You're welcome." "Mike?" "Mike!" "Why did you come back tonight?" "In your absence, there have been no calls." "You changed your mind." "Something changed it for you." "What was it?" " You say you don't know a thing." " It's true." "I don't." "But they think you do or they wouldn't be after you." "Maybe that's worth something." "Keep the door chained and don't answer the phone." "They won't know you're here." "But if they pay you off, you'll tell them." "Then where will I be?" "Mike!" "You can't do that!" "Mike?" "Mike!" "Nico, Nico..." "Oh, Nick..." "They kill Nick, Mike." "Somebody, they kill Nick." "No..." "No, no, no..." "Velda?" "Velda?" "Hello, Mike." "What is it?" "What kind of trouble are you in this time?" "Yes." "Yes, you are." "I can see it." "I'm glad." "I'm always glad when you're in trouble because then you always come to me." "What is it, Mike?" "Nick's dead." "Nick?" "The jack slipped and the car came down on him." "Is that what really happened?" "He was doing a couple of jobs for me." "And he got it." "Like all your friends are gonna get it one of these days." "What is it you're after, Mike?" "Something Nicholas Raymondo had and the girl knew about." "Something very valuable." "But is it worth Nick's life?" "Or Christina's, or Raymondo's, or Kawolsky's?" "Or mine?" "Or Lily Carver's?" "Christina's roommate." "She's in my apartment." "They tried to get her last night." ""They. " A wonderful word." "And who are they?" "They are the nameless ones who kill people for the great whatsit." "Does it exist?" "Who cares?" "Everyone everywhere is so involved in a fruitless search - for what?" "Why don't you turn her over to Pat?" "It's his job to protect her." "If she needs protection." "Or to question her if that's what's needed." "Why are you always trying to make a noise like a cop?" " What were you doing in bed so early?" " I had a few drinks." "I'm trying to sleep off a hangover." "I met your friend Ray Diker over at Toscio's this afternoon." "He pointed out some joker at the bar." "A dealer in abstract art or something." "I went over and just happened to pick him up." "Make your ears stand up?" "He dropped a few names." "Wanna hear them?" "Carl Evello you know, but..." "Dr Soberin." "Does that do anything for you?" "This joker says there's a new art in the world." "This doctor's starting a collection." "What kind of a collection?" "I don't know." "He... tried to date me." "With a few drinks and one thing leading to another," "I suppose I could get some more information about the doctor." "Do you want me to date him?" "Well?" " Well what?" " Well, what do you think?" "I think I'd like to get my hands on whoever killed Nick." "You want to avenge the death of your dear friend." "How touching." "How sweet." "How nicely it justifies your quest for the great whatsit." "Why don't you leave, Mike?" "Before I change my mind." "Besides, I'm gonna need all the rest I can get if I'm gonna have any strength to fight off my new-found, my bosom friend." "Mike..." "Meet me at the Pigalle." "Two o'clock." "Huh?" "OK." "# The night is mighty chilly" "# And conversation seems pretty silly" "# I feel so mean and brought" "# I'd rather have the blues than what I've got" "# The room is dark and gloomy" "# You don't know what you're doing to me" "# The web has got me caught" "# I'd rather have the blues than what I've got" "Say, man, you sure look beat." "You look real lean, real wasted." "You don't look like you're with it." "Give me a double bourbon, and leave the bottle." " Pour one for yourself." " Sure." "Any time." "Who we drinkin' to?" " Nick." " Nick." "Va-va-voom." "Pretty pow!" "# Looks very frightening" "# The rain begins, and then comes..." "Mike." "Mike!" "Mike, come on." "A fella just come in." "Said they got your girl." "They got Velda." "Told me to tell you." " Where is he?" " I don't know." "He cut out." "He blew." "I'm sorry, Mike." "Thanks, kid." " Jaguar not good enough for you, huh?" " The ashtrays were all full." "That girl I was with gave you a letter." "Know who it was addressed to?" "Yeah." "I just wanted to know who the lucky guy was." "It was some joker named Mike." "Mike?" "Interesting letter, huh?" "Good evening, Mr Hammer." "We took a gander at it." "Couldn't quite make it out." "Won't be no trouble this time, Mr Hammer." "I've been taking lessons." "I was out for two hours after you flipped me." "Couldn't move a muscle." " Give him a hand, Charlie." " Yeah, sure." "Lean on me if you like, huh?" "Feel OK?" " Well, here we are, Mr Hammer." " Watch your step." "For a couple of cannons, you guys sure are polite." "We're here on this earth such a brief span, we might as well be." "Well, you are awake." "Lie still." "Why torment yourself?" "Who do you see?" "Someone you do not know." "A stranger." "What is it we are seeking?" "Diamonds?" "Rubies?" "Gold?" "Perhaps narcotics." "How civilised this earth used to be." "But as the world becomes more primitive, its treasures become more fabulous." "Perhaps sentiment will succeed where greed failed." "You will die, Mr Hammer." "But your friend, you can save her." "Yes, you can." "The young lady you picked up on the highway, she wrote you a letter." "In it were two words: "Remember me. "" "She asks you to remember." "What is it you must remember?" "Do not be alarmed, Mr Hammer." "It is only a harmless drug." "Sodium Pentothal." "The truth serum." "Under its influence, you will sleep." "And while you sleep, your subconscious will provide the answer, and you will cry out what it is that you must remember." "Pleasant dreams, Mr Hammer." ""Remember me. " What did she mean?" "No..." "No..." "No!" ""Remember me. " What did she mean?" "Any luck?" ".. six, seven, eight..." "And Bender is up once more." "The referee is holding McCoy away." "Here comes McCoy once again." "McCoy senses this may be the end." "It's a left hook to Bender's jaw." "That was his third knockdown in the fight, and we're only halfway through." "Bender has been taking a bad beating." "Hey." "Hey!" "Bender tries frantically to get on his bicycle but McCoy is in full chase." "He has Bender up against the ropes now..." "Back among the living, eh?" " I got it figured." " You have?" " Yeah." " OK, let's have it." " Will you let her go?" " Sure." "Take my word." "Free as a bird." "You want to talk?" "I want to whisper." "So whisper." "Sug." "Sugar!" " Yes, Mr Evello?" " He talked." "He's yours." "I believe they brought Bender along too fast." "He has been unable to cope with McCoy, who is a real tiger tonight, bent on the kill." "McCoy has shown too much experience and punching power for Bender, who is a comparative novice." ".. seeking the telltale sign that Bender had had it." "Gilmore thought, while Jim was taking a thorough shellacking, he still knew where he was and what he was doing." "There's the ten-second buzzer, and the young man is going out again." "Round ten." "McCoy leads with his left, and is nicely blocked by Bender." "McCoy closes with a left hook." "Bender parries it and they're in a clinch." "Bender pushes McCoy out of it now and jabs with the left." "Bender scores heavily with a right..." ".. Bender has hurt him." "McCoy's eyes have a glazed look and Bender is on top of him." "Now it's McCoy on the run and Bender in pursuit." "McCoy is in a neutral corner." "Jim Bender is on top..." "Carver." " Carver?" " I'm coming!" " Carver." " I'm coming." "I'm coming!" " Where'd you get those clothes?" " Your friend Miss Wichman brought them." " When?" " Yesterday." "She brought some perfume, too." "I feel almost human." "Wanna smell?" "What is it?" "What's the matter?" "What did she mean, "Remember me"?" "Read this." ""Remember"?" ""Remember me when no more, day by day" "You tell me of our future that you plann'd;" "Only remember me: you'll understand" "But if the darkness and corruption leave" "A vestige of the thoughts that once we had... "" "Read that last part again." ""But if the darkness and corruption leave" "A vestige of the thoughts that once we had... "" "Mike?" "Mike!" "Don't leave me." "They were at the door last night." "They tried to get in." "They tried to get in." "They?" "Better get your coat." ""If the darkness and corruption leave a vestige of the thoughts that once we had. "" "But if it's a thought, it's dead because she's dead." "It's got to be a thing." "Something small, something she could hide." "But where would she hide it?" "She didn't have time at the gas station." "She swallowed it." "And if she swallowed it, you've got it." "Close the door, please." "What is it?" "No, that's all you get." " I paid you for it." "Now hand it over." " I didn't say I'd give it to you." " In fact, I don't recall saying anything." " I want it." "Hand it over." "I performed an autopsy on that young lady, and I found a key." "But whatever it is that's locked away, I don't want it." "You have to find a fence and split the take." "That's too much trouble." "All I want is the cash, right here in my hand." "So if you want this key... pay." "No more." "Suit yourself." "HAC." "HAC." "You wait here." "I'll be right out." " May I help you, sir?" " This key, what's it for?" " Are you a member, sir?" " No." "Just tell me about the key." "Pardon me, sir." "If you're not a member..." "My dear sir...!" " Now tell me about the key!" " It's a locker key." "Whose?" "Just a minute, sir." " It's..." " Well?" "Whose?" "It's..." "Nicholas Raymondo." "Ten-year membership." " Take me to it." " Yes, sir." "This is it." " It's hot." " Hot, sir?" "Pardon me, sir." "What is it?" "I don't know, but keep away." "Don't let anybody near." "Yes, sir." "Carver?" "Carver!" "Yeah." "Yeah, but check that bar he goes to." "Check his girl's apartment in case he comes around." "Just a minute." "It's OK." "He just came in." " Where's the key?" " What key?" " That you took from Doc Kennedy." " I don't know." " The key is very important." "Hand it over." " Is it as important as Velda?" "If you hadn't sent her out to do your dirty work, she'd be OK." "Now give me the key." " Will you make a deal for her?" " Please, the key." "Sure, you'll make a deal for her." "Like you did for Christina." "You held her under custody in a hospital and you let her get away and get killed." "The way Raymondo and Kawolsky were killed." "And Nick." "And maybe Carver, too." " Carver?" " Yeah." "Surprised?" "What kind of an investigation are you running, anyway?" "Lily Carver, Christina Bailey's roommate." "We fished Carver's body out of the harbour over a week ago." "You're so bright, working on your own, you penny-ante gumshoe." "You thought you saw something big and you tried to horn in." "What about this dame who's passing herself off as Carver?" "How did you get that?" "Now listen, Mike." "Listen carefully." "I'm going to pronounce a few words." "They're harmless words." "Just a bunch of letters scrambled together." "But their meaning is very important." "Try to understand what they mean." "Manhattan Project." "Los Alamos." "Trinity." "Let's go." " What about Velda?" " What about her?" " What about him?" " Let him go to hell." "Let the big slob sit there and think about his girl, what's likely to happen to her." "I didn't know." "You didn't know." "Do you think you'd have done any different if you had known?" "Diker?" "Ray Diker!" "The man you pointed out to Velda, what's his name?" "What's his name?" "!" "William Mist!" "His name is William Mist!" "Where's Velda?" "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "He pointed out some joker at the bar." "A dealer in abstract art or something." "I went over and just happened to pick him up." "He dropped a few names." "Does that make your ears stand up?" "Wanna hear them?" "Dr Soberin." "Does that do anything for you?" "Dr Soberin." "Does that do anything for you?" "Dr Soberin..." "Dr Soberin..." "Dr Soberin..." " Dr Soberin's office." " Dr Soberin, please." "I'm sorry." "Dr Soberin isn't available at present." "He's referring all his calls to this answering service." " Why not call another doctor?" " I need him." "It's important." "I can't help you." "He might be at his beach cottage, but there's no phone." "There is something sad and melancholy about trips." "I always hate to go away." "But one has to find some new place, or it would be impossible to be sad and melancholy again." "What's in the box?" " What's in the box?" " Curiosity killed a cat, and it certainly would have you if you'd opened it." " You did well to call me when you did." " Yes, I know." "But what's in it?" "You have been misnamed, Gabrielle." "You should have been called Pandora." "She was curious about a box and opened it and let loose all the evil in the world." "Never mind about the evil." "What's in it?" "Did you ever hear of Lot's wife?" " No." " No." "She was told not to look back." "But she disobeyed and she was changed into a pillar of salt." "I just want to know what it is." "Would you believe me if I told you?" "Would you be satisfied?" "Maybe." "The head of the Medusa." "That's what's in the box." "And whoever looks on her will be changed not into stone, but into brimstone and ashes." "But you wouldn't believe me." "You'd have to see for yourself, wouldn't you?" "Where are we going?" "Where I am going it is not possible for you to go." "I had no illusion about deceiving you." "You have the feline perceptions that all women have." "Would you mind moving?" "You're sitting on my coat." "Whatever is in that box, it must be very precious." "So many people have died for it." "Yes, it is very precious." "I want half." "I agree with you." "You should have at least half." "You deserve it, for all the creature comforts you've given me." "But unfortunately the object in this box cannot be divided." "Then I'll take it all." "If you don't mind." "Gabrielle!" "Listen to me... as if I were Cerberus... barking with all his heads at the gates of Hell." "I will tell you where to take it." "But don't... don't open... the box." " Hello, Mike." " Where's Velda?" "Come in." "Come in." "Kiss me, Mike." "I want you to kiss me." "Kiss me." "The liar's kiss that says "I love you"" "but means something else." "You're good at giving such kisses." "Kiss me." "Velda!" "Velda!" "Velda!" "Velda!" " Velda!" " Mike!" " Mike!" " Velda!" " Velda!" " Mike!" "Mike!"