"Bye-bye, honey." "I'll see you later." "Effie." "Yes, Sam." "Honey, have I any more important engagements this afternoon?" "Not that I know of." "Yes, sir." "There's a girl outside to see you, Sam." "Her name's Wonderly." " A customer?" " I guess so." "You'll see her anyway." "She's a knockout." "Okay, honey, send her in." "Will you come in, Miss Wonderly?" "How do you do?" "Won't you sit down?" "Thank you." "Mr. Spade, could you..." "I thought..." "I mean, I..." "Perhaps it would be easier if you started from the beginning." "That was in New York." "She met him there." " She?" " My sister." "Oh, I see." "Then it's your sister you're concerned about." "Terribly." "And I must get her back home before Mother and Father return from Europe." " When will that be?" " The first of the month." "That's two weeks." "Oh, that's plenty of time." "Spade and Archer." "Hello, Effie, this is Iva Archer speaking." "Say, is my husband there?" "No, he isn't, Iva." "He isn't back from his trip yet." "Well, then put Sam on the phone." "He is in conference now." "Well, that's all right." "Tell him it's very important." "All right, hold the wire." "I'll switch your call to his office." "Excuse me." "Mrs. Archer on the phone." "She says it's important." "Will you excuse me just a minute?" " Hello?" " Hello, Sam." "Oh, I'm terribly lonesome, and I just had to talk to you." "Yeah." "Oh, hello, Mr. Archer." "Have a good trip?" "Yeah, yes, I had a good trip." "Found out what I wanted to know." "Effie, will you put these in on my desk, please?" "And get out the other papers in the case, too, will you?" "Yes, Mr. Archer." "Now you be sensible about it." "Please." "Don't do anything rash." "Things will work themselves out." "You sound so cold." "Don't you love me anymore?" "Is there somebody there that you can't talk to me like you used to?" "Yes." "Yes." "Goodbye, honey." "Call me soon." "I'll be waiting." "Very strange case." "Woman lost a dog last night and wants us to find it for her." " Excuse me." "I thought you were alone." " Come on in." "Miss Wonderly, my partner, Miles Archer." "How do you do?" "How do you do, Mr. Archer?" "Miles, Miss Wonderly's sister ran away from New York with a man named Floyd Thursby." " Thursby?" " Yes." "They're here in town." "She located Thursby, but he won't tell her where her sister is." " Is that right?" " Yes." "She wants a man to follow Thursby until we find out just where he's hiding her sister." "Well, how do we pick up this man Thursby?" "Miss Wonderly's gonna meet him tonight at her hotel at 8:00." "And I think it would be safe for you if you met him in the lobby." "But you must be careful." "I'm so afraid of what he might do... to her." "You think he's dangerous?" "I don't think he'd stop at anything to save himself." "We know how to take care of him, all right." "Now, don't you worry, Miss Wonderly." "Mr. Spade, could either you or Mr. Archer..." "Could either of you handle this matter personally?" "I'm so afraid about the whole thing, and I'd feel so much safer." "I'd be willing to pay most anything if you would." "Would that be enough?" "Oh, yes." "I'll look after this myself." " Thank you so much, Mr. Archer." " It's all right." " And thank you, Mr. Spade." " Not at all." "You've both been very kind." " Goodbye." " Goodbye." " Goodbye." " Goodbye." "Any phone calls for me, Sam?" " Oh, yes, your wife called." " Yeah?" "What did she have to say?" "Oh, wanted to know when you were coming home." "And she said she missed you an awful lot." "Yeah?" "Hello?" "Hello." "Yes, speaking." "What?" "Dead?" "Yes, I'll be right over." "Yes, I'll hurry." "Dead?" " Hello, Sam." " Hello, Tom." "I thought you'd want to take a look at the body before we took it away." "Got him right through the pump with this." "And fired so close, the powder burned his overcoat." "Archer didn't have time to draw." "His gun was tucked away in his hip pocket." " Better take it." " I don't want it." "I know how you feel." "I guess it's up to you to break the news to the widow, ain't it?" "Yeah, I guess so." "Say!" "Ain't you gonna take a look at him before you go?" "What's the use, Tom?" "You've seen him." "Nothing I can do to bring him to life." "Come on in, precious." " Who were you expecting, darling?" " You, sweetheart." "Was Archer working tonight, Sam?" "Supposed to be tailing a guy named Thursby." "What for?" "Well, for the swell reason that we've got a client that's paying us good old-fashioned American coin to have him tailed." "Did you break the news to Archer's wife, Sam?" " Yeah." " How did she take it?" "I don't know much about these women." "The devil you don't." "I warned you your foot would slip sometime, Spade." "Everybody's foot slips sometime." "Yeah, and this is your time." " What kind of a gun do you carry?" " None." "You don't happen to have one around here anyplace?" "No." " Are you sure of that?" " Well, have a look around." "If you find one, I'll make you a present of it." "I told you I didn't have any." "You've told me a lot of things tonight that didn't mean anything." "I tell just what I wanna tell." "You'll tell me just what I wanna know, or you'll tell it in court." "This is murder, and don't you forget it." "Listen, Dundy, it's a long time since I burst into tears because a policeman didn't like me." "Yeah?" "Well, you listen to me, Spade." "At 1:00 tonight, Archer was murdered." "Another man named Floyd Thursby was shot down in front of his hotel" "35 minutes after you left Archer in the alley." "Take your dirty paws off me!" "What have I got to do about all this?" "Tom says you were in such a hurry you didn't even stop to look at your dead partner." "I couldn't get sentimental over Archer, dead or alive." "And you didn't go to Archer's house to tell his wife." "You sent the girl from your office." "Well, now that you got it all figured out, maybe you can tell me how I killed Thursby." "I've forgotten." "As he started to go into his hotel, he was shot three times in the back with a.45 from across the street." "Nobody saw it, but that's the way it figures." "You may as well know it, if you don't." "Thursby died before he could tell anybody who shot him." "I never saw Thursby dead or alive." "Now get out of here and let me get some sleep, will you?" "You can't give us the runaround this way." " The D.A. Is gonna hear about this." " Yeah?" "Well, what I said to you goes for the D.A., double in spades." "What do you think of that, Mr. Dundy?" " Who is it?" " Mr. Spade." " Good morning, Mr. Spade." " Hello." "How are you?" "I didn't expect to see you." "I thought Mr. Archer was to call." "Mr. Archer couldn't come." " Won't you sit down?" " Thanks." "Too bad we couldn't find that little sister of yours." "Mr. Spade," "I have a terrible confession to make." "That story I told you yesterday wasn't true." "We didn't believe you." "But we believed your $200." "You know, darling, for that amount of money, I'd let you tell me a lie every day." "Well, when I told you that I expected Mr. Archer," "I lied again." "I know what's happened." "But you'll go on with the case just the same, won't you?" "That all depends." "There have been two murders committed." "That stirs up the police and makes things more expensive and harder to handle." "You don't think I had anything to do with those murders?" " I forgot to ask you that." "Did you?" " Oh, no!" "Of course not." "Good!" "Say, listen." "There are a flock of policemen, assistant district attorneys and reporters outside, running around with their noses to the ground." "What are we gonna tell them?" " Can't you keep me out of it?" " Maybe." "But I've gotta know what it's all about." "But I can't explain." "Not just now, I can't." "I'm sorry." "Please help me." "You must." "I haven't anyone else, and I need help so badly." "I'll explain later, when I can." "But I can't, not just now." "I'm afraid." "You see, I trusted Thursby, and he betrayed that trust." "But I'm depending on you to save me." "Why, if I hadn't believed that with all my heart," "I would have run away yesterday instead of coming to you." "I know I haven't any right to ask you to help me blindly." "But I do ask it." "Oh, be generous, Mr. Spade." "You won't need much of anybody's help." "You're pretty good." "As a matter of fact, you're very good." "It's chiefly your eyes, I think, and the throb that you get in your voice when you say, "Oh, be generous, Mr. Spade."" "I really needed your help, needed it desperately." " Goodbye." " Now, now, don't get your feathers up." "Tell me all about Thursby, and tell me the truth." "I met him in the Orient." "We came here together from Hong Kong about a week ago." "Why did you want him shadowed?" "By the time we landed, I was afraid I couldn't trust him." " Did he kill Archer?" " Of course." "With the gun he always carried in his overcoat pocket." " You've seen it then, huh?" " Often." "He never wore an overcoat without it." " Why all the guns?" " He was afraid of being caught unaware." "He always covered the floor around his bed with crumpled newspapers so no one could approach without making a noise." "You picked a nice playmate." " The only kind that could help me." " Help you do what?" " Say, how bad a hole are you actually in?" " As bad as could possibly be." "Physical danger?" "I'm not heroic." "I don't think there's anything worse than death." "Then it's that, eh?" "As surely as we're sitting here, unless you help me." "How am I gonna help you?" "You haven't told me anything." " Who killed Thursby?" " I don't know." " Your enemies or his?" " I don't know." " His, I hope, but I'm afraid." " You're impossible." " You won't go to the police, will you?" " Go to them?" "Why, all I have to do is stand still and they'll be swarming all over me like a bunch of bees." "I'm gonna tell them all I know, and you take your own chances." "Say, have you got any money?" "I've only got about $500 left." "Let me have it." " What for?" " Now, don't ask any questions." "Hey, there's only $400 here." "Well, I have to have something to live on." "Haven't you got anything you can raise some money with?" "A few pieces of jewelry." "Afraid you'll have to hock 'em, honey." " I'll call you when I get some news for you." " Thanks." " Goodbye." " Goodbye." " Hello, sweetheart." " Hello, Sam." "Oh, look, Effie, have them take Spade and Archer off the door and put Samuel Spade on it instead, will you, honey?" "All right." " Sam." " Yeah." "It's a gorgeous new customer." " Gorgeous?" " A knockout!" "Send her right in, honey." "Will you step in, please?" " Good afternoon." " Good afternoon." " Sit down, Doctor." " Thank you." "Well, sir, what can I do for you?" "Allow me first to offer condolences for your partner's unfortunate death." "Oh, yes." "Thanks." "Was there, as the newspapers indicated, any connection between his death and the death of the man Thursby?" "Oh, I don't know." "Why should there be?" "I'm not merely curious, Mr. Spade, but it occurred to me that the two, shall we say accidents, might have something to do with a certain ornament that I am trying to recover, not for myself but for the rightful owner." " What kind of an ornament?" " A statuette." "The black figure of a bird." "I am prepared to pay, on behalf of the owner, the sum of $5,000 for its recovery." "$5,000?" "And I can promise you that no questions will be asked." "Come in." " Anything else?" " Not a thing, honey." "Good night." " And lock the door as you go out." " Good night." "$5,000 is a lot of money." "You will please clasp your hands together at the back of your neck." "What are you doing, kidding me?" "You will please clasp your hands together at the back of your neck." "Okay, Doctor." "I'm going to search your office, Mr. Spade." "And if you attempt to prevent me, I shall certainly shoot you." "Stand up, please." "I must see that you're not armed." "Why did you strike me after I was disarmed?" "I'm sorry." "But you could imagine my embarrassment, Doctor, when I found your $5,000 offer to be nothing but a lot of baloney." "You're mistaken." "It was a genuine offer." "I am prepared to pay you $5,000 for the statuette's return." " Do you have it?" " No." "If it's not in this office, why should you risk your life to prevent my searching for it?" "What do you expect me to do?" "Sit around here and let people come in and stick me up?" "I see you've got my apartment address." "Have you been there, too?" "Yes." "While I am ready to pay $5,000 for the statuette," "I naturally wanted to save the owner that expense." "Who is the owner?" " I cannot answer that question." " What does this black bird look like?" "It's a figure, about 12 inches high, in black enamel." "All right, it's a deal." "But remember, you're not hiring me to go out and murder or steal." "You simply want me to get the black bird for you in a lawful and honest way." "Is that right?" "If possible." "At least with discretion." "Okay." "I'm at the Hotel Belvedere if you should wish to communicate with me." "Fine." " Good afternoon." " Good afternoon, Doctor." " May I have my gun, please?" " Sure." "Thank you." "You will please clasp your hands together at the back of your neck." "I'm going to search your office, Mr. Spade." "Go ahead and search, Doc." "You're paying for it." "Hello." "Sorry I'm late." "Been waiting long?" "I came over the moment I got your message." "I saw your friend Cairo today." "Do you know Cairo?" "Yes." "He offered me $5,000 for the black bird." "Surely you're not considering it?" "$5,000 is a lot of money." "But, Mr. Spade, you promised to help me." "I trusted you." "Now, don't let's try to figure out how much you've trusted me." "I promised to help you, sure, but you didn't say anything about any black birds." "You won't..." "Why, you can't treat me like this." "$5,000 is a lot of money." "Yeah." "It's more than I can afford to pay you for your loyalty." "That's good, coming from you." "Haven't you tried to buy my loyalty with money and nothing else?" "Well, if I'm peddling it, I'm selling to the highest bidder." "I love your apartment, Sam." "Don't you ever get lonesome?" "Sometimes." " Hello, Tom." " Hello." "Hello." "Saw your light." "Thought we'd come up and talk to you." "Go ahead and talk." "Love of Mike, you're not gonna make us stand out here, are you?" "Afraid you'll have to, Tom." "I can't let you in." "So you won't play along with us." "Still going it alone." "Say, what's on your mind beside your hat?" "Just this, there's a lot of talk going around that you and Archer's wife were pretty thick." "Any truth in it?" "No." "There's even talk that's why he was put on the spot." "Why don't you stop trying to be a hog, Dundy?" "You shouldn't try to pin more than one murder on me." " I haven't pinned anything on you." " I know you haven't." "All you've done is sneak around here after hours" " and ask me a lot of silly questions." " And get a lot of lying answers." "Well, maybe you're right, bucking us." "Think it over." "Glad to see you anytime, Lieutenant." "Drop around when I'm not so busy." "I'll let you in." "Any more of your tricks, and I'll finish you." "What's all this?" "Maybe you can tell me." "She hit me over the head." "She would have killed me." "What for?" "What did you do?" "Nothing!" "Nothing!" "On my word of honor." "Well?" "Miss Wonderly, I'd like you to meet Lieutenant Dundy and Detective Sergeant Polhaus." "Miss Wonderly is an operator in my employ." "And an old college chum of mine," "Dr. Cairo from back East." "The two of them indulging in a friendly little argument, huh?" " I can easily explain that, Lieutenant." " I'll bet you can." "Miss Wonderly never saw Dr. Cairo before." "And when he came into my apartment by the back way," " well, naturally, she was frightened." " Oh, I was." "I was terribly afraid." "And I'm so glad you aren't a burglar, Dr. Cairo." " You will forgive me, won't you?" " Why, most certainly, mademoiselle." "Why should your dear old college chum go and come through the back door?" "I'm sure, I don't know." "Joel, why did you?" "Why, as a matter of fact, I have a large sum of money on me, and, naturally, I was alarmed at being trailed." "I'm not usually timid, but in a strange city one never knows." "If I may go with you when you leave, I'll feel much safer." "Rather a brief visit, your old school friend is making." "You won't mind, Sam, will you, if I go along with these gentlemen?" "Not at all, Joel." " Come and see me again sometime soon." " Why, I certainly will." "I'm sorry this little thing happened." "Oh, that's all right, that's all right." "And Miss Wonderly, is she also afraid to go home in the dark?" "Miss Wonderly is taking some notes that I haven't finished as yet." "I see." "In that case, we'll leave you to your conference." " Good night." " Good night, Lieutenant." "If those detectives are waiting outside for me, they're going to have a long wait." "You can take my bedroom." "I'll sleep out here." "I hope I won't be putting you out." "Are you comfortable, honey?" "Come on, dear, tell me all about that black bird." "Oh, I'm so tired, Sam." "Tired of everything, of myself, of lying, of thinking up lies until I don't know a lie from the truth." "I wish I..." "Sam." "Don't shoot, honey." "It's only Sam the grocery man." " Where have you been?" " I went down to get the groceries." "I'm sorry I frightened you, babe." "I'll get breakfast ready, if you run my bath for me." "That's fair enough, sugar." " Hello, Sam." " Hello, Iva." "How are you, honey?" "I'm glad to see you." "I came to talk to you, Sam." " Can't I go in?" " I'm very busy right now." "Don't be silly." "I came to talk to you, and I'm not going to stay out here." "Come here." "I saw her!" "Who's that dame wearing my kimono?" "Now behave yourself, honey." "I suppose I haven't any right where you're concerned." "Well, I thought I had." "I thought your pretending to love me gave me some." "Well, let's not talk about that now." "What do you want?" "Just to talk to you, Sam." "I must." "I've got to." "I haven't got the time." "All right." "If you won't listen to me, I know someone who will." "Lieutenant Dundy might be interested in what I've got to say." "I'll be seeing you." "All quiet?" "Everything's under control, honey." "You have a lot of trouble with your women, don't you, Sam?" "Here's to plain speaking and clear understanding." "Okay." " A cigar, sir?" " Thanks." " You're a close-mouthed man, sir." " No." " I like to talk." " We'll talk if you like." "And I'll tell you right now that I'm a man who likes to talk to a man who likes to talk." "Fine." " Let's talk about the black bird." " Splendid." "Splendid." "No beating about the bush, straight to the point." " Let's get to the point." " Yes, by all means." "You are here, Mr. Spade, as Miss Wonderly's representative?" "No." "I'm here looking out for myself." "That's wonderful, sir." "That's wonderful." "I do like a man who says right off he's looking out for himself." "Don't we all?" "Let's talk about the black bird, huh?" "Of course." "Mr. Spade, have you any idea how much that little black bird is worth?" "I know it's valuable," " but I don't know what it is." " You don't know what it is?" "What do you know, sir, of the ancient Order of St. John of Jerusalem," " afterwards called the Knights of Rhodes?" " Nothing much." " They were crusaders or something." " Right." "And when the Emperor Charles gave the island of Malta to these crusading knights, he made the condition that each year they were to pay him the tribute of one falcon," "in acknowledgment that Malta was still under Spain." " You understand?" " Yeah." "Sure." "Have you any idea, sir, of the immense, the immeasurable wealth of the Order of St. John?" "As far as I can remember, they were pretty well-fixed." ""They were pretty well-fixed."" "For years, they had taken the cream of the East as spoils of victory." "We all know that to them the Holy Wars were merely a matter of loot." "Holy Wars?" "I'll bet that was a great racket." "The knights wanted to express their gratitude to the Emperor." "So the bird they sent him for the first year's tribute wasn't an insignificant live bird, but a glorious, golden falcon encrusted with the finest jewels in their coffers." "The finest, largest jewels out of Asia." " Those are historical facts, sir." " All right, all right." ""All right," you say." "But the falcon never reached the Emperor." "Pirates captured the boat on which it was shipped to Spain and took the bird." "I've traced the history of that bird all over Europe, sir." "In 1840 it turned up in Paris." "By that time, to hide its real identity, it was enameled over to look like nothing more than a fairly interesting statuette." " And it's still the same way?" " Under that disguise, it was kicked around the gutters of Paris for 70 years." " And then what happened?" " In 1911, a Greek found it and discovered its real value." "His home was raided, and he was murdered." "No one else knew what the bird was, and so it was lost again." " And it's still lost." " That was 20 years ago, sir." "It took me that time to locate it, but I did it." "I traced it to the home of a Russian in Constantinople." "Kemidov." "He wouldn't sell it." "So I sent some agents to get it for me." "They got it, and I haven't got it." "So it doesn't belong to any of you." " It belongs to General Kemidov." " Belongs?" "You might as well say it belongs to the King of Spain." "But I don't see how you can say it belongs to anyone, except by right of possession." " Then it belongs to Miss Wonderly now." " No, sir," " except as my agent." " Oh, I see." " You're sure she has it?" " I'm not sure of anything." "Yeah, but you know where to get it." "At the right time and for the right price." "Well, now, before we begin talking price, how soon can you deliver the falcon?" " A couple of days." " That's satisfactory." "Now, I have two proposals to make, sir." "I will pay you $25,000 when you deliver the falcon to me, and another $25,000 when I get to New York." " That's one." " And the other?" "I will give you 25°/0, one-quarter of what I realize on the falcon." "Now, take your choice." "Either an immediate $50,000, or a much greater sum within, say, a couple of months." " How much greater?" " Who can tell?" "If I were to tell you the probable minimum, you'd call me a liar." "No." "Not even if I thought so." "Well, what do you say, sir, to a half a million as your share?" "A half a million?" "And you really believe this bird is worth $2 million?" "Easily." "All right, it's a deal." "Now, Mr. Gutman, what about a deposit to cinch this deal?" "Oh, certainly." "Certainly, sir." "Why, what was I thinking?" "How about $1,000?" "Okay." "Now I have your word that you won't back out." "My word!" "You've got my $1,000 dollars, besides." "The doctor is here." "The doctor?" "Oh, yes." "Oh, dear me." "Excuse me, sir, I have a medical appointment." " Don't go away." " I'll be right here." "I'll be right back." "Joel, my boy." "Does this mean that you've come back to the fold?" "Get rid of him." "Why?" "I just offered him $25,000 for the falcon." "And I offered him $5,000." "We were both of us fools." " He hasn't got it." " He hasn't got it?" "Why, I just gave him a thousand bucks to bind the deal." "He says he can get it within two days." " We can get it without him today." " How?" " You remember Jacobi?" "Captain Jacobi?" " Jacobi?" "I mentioned him in my report from Hong Kong." "I wrote you I'd seen the Wonderly girl there with him." "Jacobi." "Yeah, I remember." " His boat was La Paloma." " Exactly." "And look." "Well, what's all this got to do with it?" "Oh, you don't connect it with the falcon in any way, huh?" " Miss Wonderly has the falcon." " No, she hasn't." "I've searched her apartment." "The falcon is not there." "Because she gave it to Jacobi in Hong Kong." "Gave it to him?" "To bring back to America, while she and Thursby took another boat." "What time does the Paloma dock?" "I phoned the harbor." "She's expected in before midnight." " We better hurry." " Well, he still has got my money." "Wilmer can take care of him." "No." "No." "I know a better way." "My technique is not so abrupt as Wilmer's." "My apologies for the interruption, Mr. Spade." "Had we finished our little deal, or hadn't we?" " We certainly had." " I am delighted to hear you say that, sir." "We shall drink to an affiliation which will prove, I am sure, a pleasure and a benefit to us both." "Okay." "Well, here's to clear understanding." "Yes, sir." "All successful business deals are floated on the wave of good fellowship." " Do you agree with me, Mr. Spade?" " Perfectly." "Yeah." "I thought you would, Mr. Spade." "Hey, what are you doing here this hour of the night?" "Well, you told me to stick around till you came back." " Sam!" " Wait a minute." " He's dead, honey." " Oh, but, Sam," " don't you think we ought to get a doctor?" " Well, a doctor won't do any good." "Quick, lock that door." "Sam, who is he?" ""John Jacobi." ""Captain of the La Paloma." "Arrived San Francisco from Hong Kong."" "Let's have a look at the bag." "Ruth Wonderly." "Unlatch that, honey." "Sam, what is that?" "Honey, it's the black bird they're all after." "I don't know why it's so valuable, but it's worth a fortune." "Sam, whoever shot that captain will do the same to you." "I'm afraid." "Get rid of it." "Oh, stop worrying, honey." "I'll take care of it." " What are you gonna do with it?" " Now, don't ask questions." " Check this." " Yes, sir." " Hello, Tom." " Writing love letters, Sam?" " Yeah." " Don't go too far with that." "It's one of the best ways of getting in trouble." "Are you telling me?" "I'm looking for you all night to tell you something." "From Dundy?" "No, the District Attorney this time." "He wants to see you." "What's he want to see me for?" "It's Iva Archer, Sam." "She's been dishing plenty of dirt." "Spade, who killed Miles Archer?" "I don't know." "You certainly could make an excellent guess." "My guesses might be excellent, but I'm not silly enough to make them in front of a District Attorney." "I don't think I'm convinced yet that the police have the right theory." "Well, I'm glad of that." "They've narrowed the solution down to just two things." "Number one," "Archer was killed by a woman who wanted him out of the way." "Number two, the wife's paramour committed the crime with the object of removing Archer as an obstacle to their illicit relations." "And number three," "Archer died of old age." "You're not serious." "Spade, you're concealing information that will enable us to solve this." "And by withholding that information, you make yourself an accomplice to a murder." "I thought this was gonna be an informal talk." "I am a sworn officer of the law 24 hours a day, and neither formality or informality justifies you in withholding from me evidence of a crime." "Unless, of course, you're afraid of incriminating yourself." "I've got nothing to tell you or the police." "Now, if you have anything more to say to me, why, have me pinched, and I'll come down here with my lawyer." "I've been thinking of doing that." "Well, when you make up your mind, let me know." "And when I do, Spade, you'll know that we have information about you and Miles Archer's wife that will require a lot of explanation." "Well, the only chance I see of saving myself would be to bring in the murderers all tied up in a nice little bouquet." "I'll give you just 24 hours to do that." "Thanks." "I'll make a note of it on my cuff." "And remember this, Spade, if you don't come through by this time tomorrow," "I'll order you arrested for the murder of Miles Archer." "You can always get me at my office or my home, Mr. Bryant." "I aim to give service at all times, night and day." "Goodbye, sweetheart." "Sam!" "Sam, I didn't think you'd ever get here." "I've been waiting hours for you." "Where have you been?" "I've been looking all over for you." "I think there's someone following me." "Take me upstairs, quick." "Okay." "Sam." "Oh, so we have company, huh?" "Well, sir, we're all here." "Shall we sit down and be comfortable while we discuss the matter?" "What matter?" "We know, of course, that you have the falcon." "Oh, have I?" "Well, when can you make the first payment?" "You know we were talking of more money than this." "We were, sir, but we were just talking." "This is actual coin." "Permit me to remind you, Mr. Spade, you may have the falcon, but we most certainly have you." "I'm not gonna let that worry me." "Now listen to me carefully, every one of you." "There's an angle to this deal you've all overlooked." " And what is that, sir?" " We've got to have a fall guy." " A fall guy?" " Certainly." "We've got to feed the police a victim." "Somebody they can stick for those three murders." "You can't expect us to believe that you're afraid of the police and not able to handle them." "I'm not afraid of the police, and I can handle them." "But you've gotta toss them somebody to hang the works on." "You can't be serious, sir." "A fall guy, as you call it, would only lead them to the falcon." "No, we leave well enough alone." "Well, get this through your brain, Gutman." "The police are not asleep, they're laying low and waiting." "And I'm in this mess up to my neck, and they know it." "You're not a man that worries about a little trouble, sir." "You'll manage that." "While you skip to New York or China or someplace, huh?" "Well, I'm in business here, remember that." "This is my town and my racket, and I know what's best for us." "Gutman, we're sunk, unless we hand over a fall guy." "Well, none of us exactly qualifies for the part, sir." "My dear sir, it's too ridiculous." "Why, I feel toward Wilmer exactly as if he were my own son." "Well, you can easily pick another son, but there's only one black bird." " Remember that." " Lf your scheme were practical, which it isn't, what would prevent Wilmer from telling the police about the falcon and all of us?" "Oh, we can have him shot for resisting arrest." "My fondness for Wilmer renders it impossible." "Well, I have another suggestion to make." "Why don't you give them Cairo?" "Why not you or Miss Wonderly?" "I don't care." "Anybody." "All I insist on is a fall guy." "You seem to forget that you are not in a position to insist on anything." "I am in a swell position, and don't you forget it." "Let's settle this." "You've received your money, why can't we have the falcon now?" "I said I want 20,000 bucks, and besides, I couldn't get the bird before daylight." "Daylight?" "Well, in that case, perhaps it will be best for us all if we don't get out of each other's sight until our business has been transacted." "Wilmer, lock that door." "See that nobody leaves or enters." "You have the envelope?" "I have it." "Honey, it's a long wait before daylight." "You better go and fix some eggs, some sandwiches and some coffee." "We must entertain our guests." "Why, of course." "You will all excuse me, won't you?" "Now just a moment, my dear." "Better leave the envelope." "You don't want to get any grease spots on it." "Oh, how stupid of me." "There are only nine bills here now, but when I gave them to you, there were 10." "Wait a minute." "Say, you had the money last, now one of the bills is missing." " Where is it?" " I didn't take it, Sam." " Maybe you didn't, but I have to find out." " You won't take my word for it?" "No, I won't take your word for it." "Take off your clothes." "I will not." " Oh, yes, you will." " Well, I certainly won't." "All right." "I'll have them take them off for you." "Sam." "Very well." " You palmed it, Gutman." " Ridiculous." "I said you palmed it." "Now, if you don't admit it, I'm gonna frisk you." "Yes, sir." "Yes, I did." "I was curious to know what you would do." "That's a trick I'd expect from somebody the skunk's age." "So you're trying to frame Miss Wonderly, huh?" "Frame her?" "You were going to let her be the fall guy." "Well, I'm gonna decide right now who it's going to be." "It's gonna be Wilmer." "What do you think of the idea, Wilmer?" "Funny, hey?" " I'll give him something to laugh at." " Now, now, Wilmer." "You shouldn't attach so much importance to these things." "The gentleman is only joking." "Well, make him lay off me, or I'll fog him." " And nothing'll stop me." " Now, now, Wilmer." "Now, now, sit down." "Come on, sit down." "I'll lay you two to one, they're selling you out, kid." "Spade..." "Well, here's our fall guy." " But..." "But..." " There's no but about it." "You say yes right now, or I'll turn the black bird and the whole gang of you in." "Well," "you can have him, sir." "What about you, Cairo?" "Are you with us or against us?" " I'm with you." " That's swell." "Now we're getting someplace." "Berkeley 007." "Poor Wilmer." " Hello?" " Hello, honey." "I'm sorry to get you out of bed." "Oh, that's all right." "What is it?" "Listen, dear, you know our general delivery box at the post office?" "There's an envelope in my handwriting." "There's a baggage checker for that suitcase we got last night." "I want you to bring it over to my apartment early this morning." " All right." " Atta girl." "Goodbye, honey." " I'll take the envelope now." " With the greatest of pleasure, sir." " All right, Gutman." "Sit down." " Thank you." "Now, let's get the details fixed." "Just why did Wilmer kill Thursby, and how did he kill Captain Jacobi?" "Thursby was a notorious killer, sir, and Miss Wonderly's protector." "We tried to persuade him to join us, but we couldn't." "So Wilmer followed him to his hotel and did what he did." "If Wilmer killed both of them with the same gun then the bullets will match." "Captain Jacobi's death was entirely Miss Wonderly's fault." "Just how do you mean that?" "He would never have been killed if she hadn't entrusted the falcon to him in Hong Kong." "Oh, I see." "Then he was in on the deal with all of you?" "No, sir." "He knew nothing about it." "But after he came under the influence of Miss Wonderly's charm, he agreed to bring the falcon to America" " while she came on a fast boat." " With Thursby?" "The falcon went from Thursby to Jacobi, and from Jacobi, at her instructions, to you." "Then I was next in line after Captain Jacobi." "Miss Wonderly's admirers have been many, sir, and she has used them all to her great advantage." "Say, what's the matter with you?" "Just a fly." " Hello, Sam." " Hello, honey." " Here it is." " Thanks a lot." " Anything else?" " No, I'll see you later at the office." " All right, goodbye." " Goodbye." "Well, here's your black bird." "Clear the table." "It's the falcon, all right." "But we make sure." "Get a knife." "This is a fake." "This is not the real falcon." "Well, that's the only one I know about." "You've had your little joke, why don't you tell them where the real one is?" "Oh, no, Sam." "I swear this is the one I got from Kemidov." "That's it!" "It was the Russian." "Kemidov." "You have bungled the whole thing, you fathead!" "You let him know it was valuable, and he made a duplicate." "And what fools he's made of us." "Chasing each other around the world for a lump of lead." "Yes." "Yes, it's the Russian." "There's no doubt of that." "Well," "I have to admit the fault is mine." "Well, shall we stand here and call each other names, or shall we go back to Constantinople and Kemidov?" " You're going to try for it again?" " Certainly." "Why not?" "I am with you." "Wilmer, you'll go, of course." " Your little boyfriend checked out." " Oh." "Oh, well." "That's too bad." "Yeah." "Yeah, his services would have been invaluable." "And I loved him like a son." "I'll trouble you for that envelope, sir." "Don't be silly, Gutman." "It's your hard luck, not mine." "Oh." "My $10,000, please." "Good day, sir." "I deeply regret that you are left without a fall guy." "I'll do all right." "Union 2000." "Right." " Hello?" " Hello, Tom." " Sam Spade." " Hello, Sam." "Listen, move up fast on three crooks leaving town." "Gutman, Palace Hotel, Room 900." "And Cairo." "Yes, you met the guy over here." "And a kid named Wilmer Cook." "That's right." "Cook shot Thursby and Jacobi." "I've got the gun the kid used." "I've got it right here in my place." " Yeah." "And you better step on it." " Thanks for the tip." "Listen, honey, let me get this straight with you." "What, darling?" "You and Cairo double-crossed Gutman, and then you ditched Cairo in favor of Thursby." "Is that right?" "Something like that, yes." "Just why did you give the black bird to Jacobi?" "I was afraid that Thursby couldn't be trusted." " That Gutman might buy him over." " That's a lie." "You had him hooked, and you knew it." "What was your scheme for disposing of Thursby?" "I thought if he saw that Archer was following him, it might frighten him into leaving town." "I didn't think he'd really shoot Archer." "Well, if you thought that you were right, Thursby never killed Archer." "Oh, I know Archer was dumb, but not dumb enough to let Thursby catch him up a blind alley with his gun stuck away in his hip pocket and his overcoat buttoned." "But he'd have gone up that alley with you, honey." "Sam, don't talk to me like that." "And if you had asked him to go up that alley with you, and he knew no one else were there, he would've gone." "And then you could have stood with your body close up against his, and he would have grinned from ear to ear, and you could've shot a hole right through him." "How did you know he grinned?" "I know Archer, and I want to know why you killed him." "Well, you did kill him, didn't you?" "I didn't mean to at first." "I meant what I said when I told you that I just wanted Thursby frightened." " But when I found out I couldn't, I..." " Oh, stop lying." "I'll tell you why you shot him." "You figured that Thursby would be nailed for the killing, and then you could get the black bird for yourself." "But when you found out Thursby was shot, you needed a protector, and so you came back to me, right?" "I would have come back to you sooner or later." "You know, from the first time I saw you, I knew that sometime I'd come back to you." "You angel." "Well, with a lucky break you ought to be out of San Quentin in 20 years, and then you can come back to me." "I hope they don't hang you, honey." "You know, it'd be a shame to stretch that pretty little neck of yours." "Sam, don't say such things." "Not even in fun." "You can't!" "Not after what we've been to each other." "Don't be silly, sister." "You're gonna take the fall." "You mean you're really gonna send me over?" "I don't mean anything else but." "Then you've been pretending." "You don't care." " You don't love me." " Oh, I think I do." "But what of it?" "I'm not Thursby or Jacobi, and I won't play the sap for you." "You know down in your heart that in spite of everything I've done" " I love you." " Maybe." "You haven't been on the level with me for a half-hour at a stretch." "Why, you double-crossed every man" " that was fool enough to fall for you." " Not you, Sam." "I couldn't." "I'm mad about you." "Oh, it..." "It's easy enough to be nuts about you, too." "What of it?" "That'll all pass." "Oh, I'll have some rotten nights." "They won't mean anything." "I'll get over you in time." "Oh, hello, boys." " Come on in." " Hello." "Hello, Spade." "There you are, Tom." "Exhibit A." "These are the guns the kid used to kill Thursby and Jacobi." "Yeah, well, he used another one since." "The hotel says Gutman is dead." "Shot to death by Wilmer Cook." " The kid got him, eh?" " Yeah, him and Cairo." "We grabbed the kid just as he was leaving the hotel." " Well, I guess that settles everything." " Not quite." "There's another murder to clear up before noon." " What's on your mind?" " Archer." " Got it all figured out how I did it?" " I've done a lot of figuring." "All right." "Gentlemen, you know Miss Wonderly." " Yeah." " Yeah, how do?" "She killed Archer with Thursby's gun." "She's an accomplice of Cairo and the kid." "Have you got enough on her to make a pinch?" "Don't worry, Dundy." "I've got enough evidence to cinch everything that I say." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "All right." "Come on, sister, let's be going." "What a pity the detective agencies haven't more men with your strength of character, Mr. Spade." "Don't worry about me, Miss Wonderly." "There's nothing funny about this." " When will we see you?" " I'll be down later." " She's in number 10, sir." " Thanks." "Say, kid." "Got a cigarette?" "Thanks." " Hello." " Hello." "Hi, boy." "Cigarette, honey?" "How's the food?" "Rotten?" "You just couldn't keep away from me, could you?" "Well, not when I've got good news for you." "Good news?" "They just made me Chief Investigator for the District Attorney's office." "Well, they couldn't find a better man for the job." "Thanks, baby." "I thought you'd like to know." "You helped me get it." "I assure you it was a labor of love." "Love?" "Just that, Sam." "Well, if there's any little thing you need, why, let me know." "Goodbye." " Sarah." " Yes, Sam." "I want you to be very nice to that girl in number 10." "Give her anything she wants." "Good food." "Cigarettes and candy." " You know what I mean." " Very well, Sam." "Just as you say." "But who will I charge it to?" "Send the bill to the District Attorney's office." "I'll okay it." "But would that be all right?" "Yes, sir." "English"