"My name's Marlowe." "General Sternwood wanted to see me." "Yes, Mr. Marlowe." "Will you come in, please, sir?" " I'll tell the General that you're here." " Thank you." "Morning." "You're not very tall, are you?" "Well, I tried to be." "Not bad-looking, though you probably know it." "Thank you." " What's your name?" " Reilly." "Doghouse Reilly." "That's a funny kind of name." " You think so?" " Uh-huh." "What are you?" "A prizefighter?" " No, I'm a shamus." " What's a shamus?" " A private detective." " You're making fun of me." "Uh-huh." "You're cute." "The General will see you now, sir." " Who's that?" " Miss Carmen Sternwood, sir." " You ought to wean her." "She's old enough." " Yes, sir." " This is Mr. Marlowe, General." " How do you do, sir?" " Sit down, sir." " Thank you." "Brandy, Norris." "How do you like your brandy, sir?" "In a glass." "I used to like mine with champagne." "Champagne cold as Valley Forge and with about three ponies of brandy under it." "Come, come, man." "Pour a decent one." "I like to see people drink." "That'll do, Norris." "You may take off your coat, sir." "Thank you." "Too hot in here for any man who has any blood in his veins." "You may smoke, too." "I can still enjoy the smell of it." "Nice state of affairs when a man has to indulge his vices by proxy." "You're looking, sir, at a very dull survival of a very gaudy life." "Crippled, paralyzed in both legs." "Very little I can eat, and my sleep is so near waking that it's hardly worth the name." "I seem to exist largely on heat, like a newborn spider." "Yeah." "The orchids are an excuse for the heat." " Do you like orchids?" " Not particularly." "Nasty things." "Their flesh is too much like the flesh of men." "Their perfume has the rotten sweetness of corruption." "Tell me about yourself, Mr. Marlowe." "There isn't much to tell." "I'm 38." "I went to college." "I can still speak English when my business demands it." "I used to work for the district attorney's office." "It was Bernie Ohls, his Chief Inspector, sent word you wanted to see me." "You didn't like working for the district attorney, eh?" "I was fired for insubordination." "I seem to rate pretty high on that." "Yeah." "I always did, myself." "What do you know about my family, Mr. Marlowe?" "Well, you're a widower, a millionaire." "You have two young daughters." "One unmarried and one married a couple of years ago to a man named Rutledge, but it didn't take." " Both living with you and both..." " Go on, sir." "Both pretty, and both pretty wild." "What'd you want to see me about?" "I'm being blackmailed again." "Again?" "About a year ago, I paid a man named Joe Brody $5,000" " to let my younger daughter alone." " Hm." "What does that mean?" "It means, "Hm!"" "It didn't go through the district attorney's office or I would've heard about it." " Who handled it for you?" " Shawn Regan." "Shawn Regan?" "There must be some reason why he isn't handling it this time." " What is it?" " Shawn has left me." "I thought I hadn't seen him around lately." "About a month ago, without a word." "I had no claim on him." "I was only his employer." "But I had hoped that he'd come to regard me as something more than that." "And that at least he'd have said goodbye." "That was what hurt." "You knew him too?" "Yes, in the old days when he used to run rum out of Mexico and I was on the other side." "We used to swap shots between drinks or drinks between shots, whichever you like." "My respects to you, sir." "Few men ever swapped more than one shot with Shawn Regan." "He commanded a brigade in the Irish Republican Army." " But then you knew that." " No, I didn't." "Oh, help yourself, sir." "I know he was a good man at whatever he did." "No one was more pleased than I when I heard you'd taken him on here as your..." "Whatever he was." "My friend." "My son, almost." "Many an hour he sat here with me, sweating like a pig, drinking the brandy I could no longer drink and telling stories of the Irish Revolution." "Well, enough of that." "Here." "Read the other side." " These her signatures?" " Yes." " Who's Arthur Gwynn Geiger?" " I haven't the faintest idea." " Did you ask her?" " No, and I don't intend to." "If I did, she'd just suck her thumb and look coy." "Yeah, I met her in the hall." "She did that to me." "Then she tried to sit on my lap while I was standing up." "Well?" "Your other daughter, Mrs. Rutledge." "She mixed up in this?" " No." " They alike?" "They run around together?" "They're alike only in having the same corrupt blood." "Vivian is spoiled, exacting, smart and ruthless." "Carmen is still a little child who likes to pull the wings off flies." "I assume they have all the usual vices, besides those they've invented for themselves." "If I seem a bit sinister as a parent, Mr. Marlowe, it's because my hold on life is too slight to include any Victorian hypocrisy." "I need hardly add that any man who has lived as I have and who indulges, for the first time, in parenthood, at my age, deserves all he gets." "Well?" "Pay him." " Why?" " She signed these notes, didn't she?" "Yes." "Who's this Joe Brody you paid the $5,000 to?" "I can't recall." "My butler, Norris, would know." "I think he called himself a gambler." "Geiger says these are gambling debts." "They may be." "Think they are?" "No." "I guess you want me to take this Geiger off your back," " is that right?" " Yes." "Want to know anything or just get rid of him?" "I just want to get rid of him." "It may cost you a little." "Thanks for the drink, General." "I enjoyed your drink as much as you did, sir." " You'll hear from me." " Good luck." "Mr. Marlowe, Mrs. Rutledge would like to see you before you leave, sir." "And about the money, the General has instructed me to give you a check for whatever you require." "Instructed you how?" "Oh, I see, sir." "I forget that you're a detective." " By the way he rang his bell, sir." " Ah." " You write his checks?" " I have that privilege." "Good for you." "I don't need any money now, but when I do, I get $25 a day and expenses." "Yes, sir." " How did Mrs. Rutledge know I was here?" " She saw you through the window, sir." "And I was obliged to tell her who you were." "I don't know as I like that." "Are you attempting to tell me my duties, sir?" "No, just having fun trying to guess what they are." "This way, sir." " Go right in and say you're expected." " Thanks." "You wanted to see me?" "So you're a private detective?" "I didn't know they existed, except in books." "Or else they were greasy little men snooping around hotel corridors." "My, you're a mess, aren't you?" "I'm not very tall either." "Next time I'll come on stilts, wear a white tie and carry a tennis racket." "I doubt if even that would help." "Now, this business of Dad's, think you can handle it for him?" " It shouldn't be too tough." " Really?" "I would've thought a case like that took a little effort." "Not too much." "What will your first step be?" " The usual one." " I didn't know there was a usual one." "Sure there is." "It comes complete with diagrams, on page 47 of" "How to be a Detective in 10 Easy Lessons, correspondence school text-book." "And your father offered me a drink." "You must've read another one on how to be a comedian." "Hear what I said about the drink?" "I'm quite serious, Mr. Marlowe." "My father's not a..." " I said your father..." " Help yourself." "Now, look, Mr. Marlowe, my father's not well and I want this case handled with the least possible worry to him." "That's just the way I was going to handle it." " I see." "No professional secrets?" " No." " I thought you wanted a drink." " I changed my mind." "Then, what..." " How'd you like Dad?" " I liked him." "He liked Shawn." "Shawn Regan." " I suppose you know who he is." " Uh-huh." "You don't have to play poker with me, Mr. Marlowe." " Dad wants to find him, doesn't he?" " Do you?" "Of course I do." "It wasn't right for him to go off like that." "Broke Dad's heart, although he won't say much about it." " Or did he?" " Why don't you ask him?" "You know, I don't see what there is to be cagey about, Mr. Marlowe." "And I don't like your manners!" "I'm not crazy about yours." "I didn't ask to see you." "I don't mind if you don't like my manners." "I don't like 'em myself." "They're pretty bad." "I grieve over them long winter evenings, and I don't mind your ritzing me, or drinking your lunch out of a bottle." "But don't waste your time trying to cross-examine me." " People don't talk to me like that!" " Oh!" "Do you always think you can handle people" " like trained seals?" " Uh-huh." "I usually get away with it too." "How nice for you." "Just what is it you're afraid of?" "Dad didn't want to see you about Shawn at all, did he?" "Didn't he?" "Could you find him if Dad wanted you to?" "Maybe." "When did he go?" "About a month back." "Just drove off one afternoon without saying a word." "They found his car parked in some private garage." "They?" "Who's they?" "Dad didn't tell you, then." "Yes, he told me about Regan, but that's not what he wants to see me about." "That's what you've been trying to get me to say, isn't it?" "I'm sure I don't care what you say, Mr. Marlowe." "I'm wasting your time." "Goodbye, Mrs. Rutledge." "Oh, Norris." "You made a mistake." "Mrs. Rutledge didn't want to see me." "I'm sorry, sir." "I make many mistakes." " Did you find what you wanted?" " Yes, thanks." "You know, you don't look like a man who'd be interested in first editions." "I collect blondes in bottles, too." "Um..." " Can I be of any assistance?" " Yes." " Would you happen to have a Ben Hur 1860?" " A what?" "I said would you happen to have a Ben Hur 1860?" "Oh!" "A first edition?" "No, no, no, the third, the third." "The one with the erratum on page 116." "I'm afraid not." "How about a Chevalier Audubon 1840, full set, of course?" " Not at the moment." " You do sell books, hmm?" "What do those look like?" "Grapefruit?" "Well, from here they look like books." "Maybe I'd better see Mr. Geiger." "He's not in just now." "That's a pity because..." "I said Mr. Geiger is not in!" "I heard you." "You needn't yell at me." "I'm already late for my lecture on Argentine cera-micks, so I guess I won't wait." "The word is "ceramics."" "And they ain't Argentine, they're Egyptian." "You did sell a book once, didn't you?" "Well, I guess I'll run along to the public library." "Or I could go to that bookstore across the street, couldn't I, hmm?" " Do so." " Thank you." "Is there something I can do for you?" " Would you do me a very small favor?" " I don't know." "It depends on the favor." "You know Geiger's bookstore across the street?" " I think I may have passed it." " You know Geiger by sight?" " Well, I..." " What's he look like?" "Wouldn't it be easy enough to go across the street and ask to see him?" " I've already done that." " Oh." "Know anything about rare books?" "You could try me." "Would you happen to have a Ben Hur 1860, third edition with a duplicated line on page 116?" "Or a Chevalier Audubon, 1840?" "Nobody would." "There isn't one." "The girl in Geiger's bookstore didn't know that." "Oh, I..." "I see." "You begin to interest me, vaguely." "Yeah, I'm a private dick on a case." "Perhaps I'm asking too much, although it doesn't seem too much to me somehow." "Well, Geiger's in his early 40s, medium height, fattish," "soft all over, Charlie Chan mustache, well-dressed, wears a black hat," "affects a knowledge of antiques and hasn't any, and..." "Oh, yes, I think his left eye is glass." "You'd make a good cop." "Thanks." " Gonna wait for him to come out?" " Yeah." "They don't close for another hour or so." "And it's raining pretty hard." "I got my car..." "Yeah, that's right." "It is, isn't it?" "You know, it just happens I got a bottle of pretty good rye in my pocket." "I'd a lot rather get wet in here." "Well." "Looks like we're closed for the rest of the afternoon." "Tell me more about this business." "There isn't much to tell." "What's the matter?" "I'm just wondering if you have to..." "Oh." "Not necessarily." "Little things like that make an..." " Hello." " Hello." "I hate to tell you, but that's Geiger's car driving up." "Who's the man getting out?" "Geiger's shadow." "His name's Carol Lundgren." "Well, thanks." " If you ever want to buy a book..." " A Ben Hur 1860?" "With duplications." "So long." "So long, pal." "You're cute." "And you're higher than a kite." "Come on, wake up." "I know you." "Doghouse Reilly." " You're cute." " What do you know about this?" " What?" " Mr. Geiger, here on the floor." "He's cute, too." "Look, you got a dead man lying right at your feet." " How did it happen?" " You talk a lot, Reilly." "Yuk, yuk, yuk." "Come on!" "Lie down there and be quiet." "All right, Reilly." "Come on, we're going." " Good evening, sir." " Evening, Norris." " I'd like to see General Sternwood." " He's asleep, sir." " Well, what about Mrs. Rutledge, is she?" " Yes..." " Good evening, Mrs. Rutledge." " Hello." "I've got your sister outside." "She's all right, but she's not walking very well." "I'll need some help." " Are you sure that she's..." " Yeah, she'll be all right in the morning." " Did you do this?" " That?" "Yes, that's a little special service I always provide all my clients." "Including being insolent." " Where did you find her?" " I didn't find her." " Well, then how..." " I haven't been here." "You haven't seen me and she hasn't been out of this house all evening." " That bad?" " Mmm-hmm." "Just what did happen, Mr. Marlowe?" "You're pretty fond of your sister, aren't you?" " Yes, I am." " You'd do anything for her, wouldn't you?" " Anything." " Then drop this whole thing." " But I still think I should know what..." " Uh-uh." "Don't even ask her." "She never remembers, anyway." "Just what did she forget about Shawn Regan?" "What did she tell you?" "Not half as much as you just did." "Take it easy." "I don't slap so good around this time of the evening." "You go too far, Marlowe." "Ooh." "Those are harsh words to throw at a man." "Especially when he's walking out of your bedroom." "Good night, Mrs. Rutledge." "Thanks, Norris." " I've put her car away, sir." " That's fine." "If anybody asks, she's been in all evening, and forget about my being here." "I understand, sir." "May I call a cab for you, sir?" "No, it'd be better if you didn't." "I'll be all right." " Good night, sir." " Good night." " Hello, Bernie." "Come on in." " Hello, Phil." "Don't you ever go to bed?" "What you been doing?" "Just sitting around." " All evening?" " Yeah." " What is it?" " Does it have to be something?" "You're a friend of mine, but when a man from the Homicide Squad just drops in at 2:00 in the morning," " I kind of..." " Working on a cipher, huh?" "Just fooling around." "You're also working for the Sternwoods, aren't you?" "Yeah, thanks to you." "Done anything for them yet?" "I just started this afternoon, then the rain came." "All right." "They seem to be a family that things happen to." "There's a big Packard belonging to one of them," " washing around in the surf off Lido Pier." " Hmm." "And I almost forgot there's a guy in it." " Couldn't be Regan, could it?" " Who?" "Shawn Regan." "You mean that Irish ex-legger old Sternwood hired" " to do his drinking for him?" " Yeah." "What would he be doing down there?" "What would anybody be doing down there?" "That's what I'm going to Lido to find out." "You want to come along?" "Yeah, I do." " How's the weather?" " Clearing up." " What time did that call come in?" " About 15 minutes ago." " What kind of a car did you say that was?" " Packard." " Hello, Bernie." " Hi, Ed." "I see you got him out." "Who is he?" "His name's Owen Taylor." "General Sternwood's chauffeur, according to his driver's license." " What's the story?" " You can see most of it from here." "There's where he went through the railing." "Must've hit it pretty hard." "The rain stopped down here about 9:00 p.m." "The broken ends of the rails are dry inside." "That would put it about 9:30." "All right, put her down." "All right, Doc, let's have it." "His neck was broken and something hit him hard across the left temple." " What made the bruise?" "Steering wheel?" " Mm-mm." "Whatever it was, it was covered." "Because the wound had already bled under the skin while he was still alive." " Blackjack?" " Could be." "Hey, Bernie, funny thing." "The hand throttle on the car is set halfway down." "Thanks, Jim." "So long, Doc." " All right, boys." "Take him away." " Yes, sir." " Could be drunk or a suicide." " Yeah, but it isn't." "You know anything about this Owen Taylor?" "Only that two or three of the Sternwood chauffeurs lost their jobs on account of the younger daughter, Carmen." "You better tell me what you're working on, Phil." "They told me blackmail." " Who were they after?" "Carmen?" " Yeah." "This doesn't look like the way you'd handle it." "You know, I got a feeling that..." "Me?" "I didn't do this." "What were you going to say, Phil?" "Give me another day, Bernie." "I may have something for you." "Okay." "Let's go home." " Good morning." " So you do get up." "I was beginning to think perhaps you worked in bed like Marcel Proust." " Who's he?" " You wouldn't know him." "A French writer." "Come into my boudoir." "You don't put on much of a front, do you?" "There isn't much money in this business if you're honest." " Are you honest?" " Are we gonna start that again?" "I'm sorry." "Also about yesterday." "Perhaps I was rude." "We were both rude." "You want to see me about Taylor?" "So you know about that?" "Poor Owen." "Yeah." "The DA's man took me down to Lido last night." "Turned out he knew more about it than I did." "For instance, he knew that Owen Taylor wanted to marry your sister once." "Perhaps it wouldn't have been such a bad idea." "You see, he was in love with her." "But I didn't come here about Owen." "I..." "Do you still feel you can't tell me what my father wants you to do?" "Not without his permission." "You can't even tell me if it was about Carmen?" "No." "You better look at this." "A messenger brought it this morning." " 8:35." " That's right." "She takes a nice picture." "They want $5,000 for the negative and the rest of the prints." "The demand came how?" "A woman telephoned me shortly after this thing was delivered." " What else was there?" " Does there have to be something else?" "Well, this thing isn't worth $5,000 to anybody." " Well, they think it is." " Why?" "The woman said if they didn't get the money today," "I'd be talking to my sister through a wire screen." "She said there was a police jam connected with it." "What kind of a jam?" "I don't know." "You know where this picture was taken?" "I haven't the slightest idea." " Or when?" " No." " Talked to Carmen about it?" " She was asleep when I left." "Figure out a story?" " Norris fixed that." " How?" "She was in all evening." "Police already checked that when they called about Owen." "Go ahead and scratch." "What was Owen doing with your car last night?" "Nobody knows." "He took it without permission." "Why?" "Do you think that..." "That he knew about this picture?" "I don't rule him out." "Then outside of what the woman said, you don't know any reason why they want $5,000 for it?" "That's why I came to you." "There's usually five fingers on any glove." "Why didn't you go to the police?" " Because I thought..." " 'Cause you were afraid they might turn up something that I couldn't sit on." "Then where would the Sternwoods be?" "Isn't that right?" "May I use your phone, Mr. Marlowe?" "Hello." "Police headquarters, please." "Hello, this is Mrs..." "Hello." "What do you want, please?" "I don't want a thing." " What?" "I called you?" "Say, who is this?" " You called me." "Sergeant Reilly at headquarters." "Sergeant Reilly?" "Well, there isn't any Sergeant Reilly here." "I know that, but look, brother..." "Now, wait a minute, you better talk to my mother." "I don't wanna talk to your mother." "Why should I wanna talk to your mother?" "She didn't..." "Hello." "Who's this?" "The police?" "Well, this isn't a police station." "Well, if you know it, then why did you..." "Look, this is not a police station." "What was that you said?" "My father should hear this." "No, I don't want to talk to your father or to his mother." " Hello." "Who is this?" " This is the police talking." " Yeah, but she just told you that..." " I'm the police." "Oh, you're the police." "Oh, he's the police." "That's different." "What can I do for you?" "I can do what?" "Where?" "Oh, no, I wouldn't like that and neither would my daughter." "I hope the sergeant never traces that call." " You like to play games, don't you?" " Mmm-hmm." "Why did you stop me phoning?" "'Cause I'm working for your father." "Or, because I think I'm beginning to like another one of the Sternwoods." "I prefer the second reason." "Well, let's get back to business." " Have you got $5,000 in cash?" " No." " Can you get it?" " I think so." " Where from?" "Your father?" " I'd rather not." "Where would you get it?" " Well, from Eddie Mars." " The gambler?" "Well, that explains why you haven't got $5,000 in cash." " I like gambling." " So do I." "How do you know he'll give it to you?" "Oh, I can get the money." "I've been a good customer of Eddie Mars." "Another reason, there's a bond between Mr. Mars and the Sternwoods." "You see, Shawn Regan ran off with Eddie's wife." "That doesn't interest you?" "Might make it easier for me to find him." "That is if I were looking for him." " Is Regan mixed up in this?" " No." "No, Shawn's not in any cheap blackmailing scheme." "I'm glad you said that." "Do you want to tell me now?" " Tell you what?" " What it is you're trying to find out." "You know, it's a funny thing." "You're trying to find out what your father hired me to find out." "And I'm trying to find out why you want to find out." "You could go on forever, couldn't you?" "Anyway, it'll give us something to talk about next time we meet." "Among other things." "Oh, Mrs. Rutledge, you wanted me to do something about this, didn't you?" "Mmm-hmm." "That woman who called." "How'd you leave it?" "She's to call me back at 6:00 this evening with instructions." "All right, you phone me as soon as you've heard from her." " All right." " Oh, and Mrs. Rutledge, as long as you're gonna pay five grand for the rest of these, you better take this one with you." "Goodbye, Mr. Marlowe." "Well, it wasn't intentional." "Try it sometime." " Well, I'm back again." "Remember me?" " I'm afraid I..." "Do you remember me now?" "Hmm?" " Now, see here!" "What's the big idea?" " Take it easy, sister." "That was only a stall about those first editions." " What are you..." " I got something to sell." "Something Geiger's wanted for a long time." "Is Geiger in?" "No." "No, he isn't." "You might come back tomorrow..." "Drop the veil, sister." "I'm in the business myself." "I haven't got all day." "Is he sick?" "I could go to his house." "No, that wouldn't do." "Perhaps if you'd come back tomorrow..." "Say, Agnes, you..." "Come on, Carol." "Hurry up, will you?" " Perhaps you could..." " His name's Lundgren, isn't it?" " Just what do you want?" " Who's the other guy?" "You'd better come around tomorrow." " In the morning?" "Early?" " Yes, early." "Because it looks like you're moving today." " All right, driver." "Let's go." " Okay." "Around the corner, then take it easy." " Where are we going?" " Follow a car." "A tail job." "I'm your girl, bud." "It wouldn't be bad." "That station wagon coming out of the alley." "That's the one." "Here you are, sugar." "Buy yourself a cigar." "If you can use me again sometime, call this number." "Day and night?" "Uh, night's better." "I work during the day." " What're you..." " Remember me?" "I'm Doghouse Reilly, the man that didn't grow very tall." "What's the matter?" "Couldn't you get in the house?" "Come on." "I've got a key." " Where'd you leave your car?" " 'Round in back." " You looking for something?" " I just..." "How much do you remember about last night?" "Remember what?" "I was sick last night." "I was home." "I mean before you went home." "In that chair there." " I..." " Uh-huh." "You remember, all right." "Quit your stalling and stop biting your thumb." " Were you the one who was here last night?" " How much do you remember?" " Well, are you the police?" " No, I'm a friend of your father's." "Who killed Geiger?" "I..." "Who else knows about it?" "What, that he's dead?" "I don't know." "Certainly not the cops or they'd be camping here." "Was it Joe Brody?" "Joe Brody?" "Who's he?" "Now, look, sister." "I don't know how much trouble you're used to, but I hope you've had plenty of practice dodging it." " Did Brody kill him?" " Kill who?" "Ahh." "Yes." "Yes, Joe did it." "He did?" "Why?" "I don't know." "But you're ready to tell the police he did it, huh?" "That is, if we can get the photograph he's got." " You mean..." " Oh, yes, it's gone." "I looked for it last night." "Brody took it with him." " I've got to go home now." " Uh-uh." "All right, but I wouldn't say anything to the police about Brody just yet." "As a matter of fact, I wouldn't say anything about anything, that you were ever here last night or today." "Not even to your sister." "Just leave it to Reilly." "Your name isn't Reilly." "Excuse the casual entrance." "The bell didn't answer." "Mr. Geiger around?" "No, we don't know just where he is." "We found the door open and we just stepped in." "Friends of his?" "Business." "We dropped in for a book, but we missed him." "Any message if he comes back?" "No, I don't think so." "We won't bother you." "Just a minute." "The girl can go." "I'd like to talk to you..." "Suppose I don't want to talk to you?" "I've got two boys outside in the car." "Oh!" "Oh, it's like that, eh?" "Mmm-hmm." "Run along, angel." "Your story didn't sound quite right." "Well, that's too bad." "You got a better one?" "Maybe I can find one." "Blood." "Quite a lot of blood." "Is that so?" " Do you mind?" " No, I'm used to it." "I think we'll let the police in on this." " We'll have some law..." " Yeah, why not?" "Who are you, soldier?" "Marlowe's my name." "I'm a private detective." " Who's the girl?" " Client of mine." "Geiger tried to throw a loop on her, so we came up here to talk things over." "Convenient, the door being open when you didn't have a key." "Yeah, wasn't it?" "By the way, how'd you happen to have one?" " Is that any of your business?" " I could make it my business." "I could make your business mine." "You wouldn't like it." "The pay's too small." "All right, I own this house." "Geiger's my tenant." " Now, what do you think of it?" " You know some nice people." "I take 'em as they come." " You got any good ideas, soldier?" " One or two." "Somebody gunned Geiger, or somebody got gunned by Geiger who ran away." "Or he had meat for dinner and likes to do his butchering in the parlor." "No, I don't like it, either." "Now you better call your friends downtown." "I don't get it." "I don't get your game here." "Don't you, Mr. Mars?" "I wondered why you didn't ask me who I was." "You seem to be telling me Geiger was in a racket of some kind." "Mmm-hmm." " What racket?" " I wouldn't know." "I'm not his landlord." "But I'll tell you something you missed." "Somebody cleaned out the back of Geiger's store today." "You know, you talk too much." "You really got those boys outside?" "Open the door." "Open it yourself." "I've already got a client." "It's all right, boys." "I'm just proving' somethin'." "While you're here, look him over." " Pardon me." " Who is he?" "Philip Marlowe, Hobart Arms, Franklin Street." "Special license, deputy badge and all." "All right, outside." " A shamus." " The man said outside." "He said that." "That's what the man said." "He said that." "He kills me." " Hey, is he any good?" " Who?" "Sidney?" "He's company for Pete." "All right, Marlowe, talk." "Not to you, I told you I already got a client." "Who was it cleaned out the back of Geiger's store?" "It's lots of weather we're having." "Did it rain over at Los Olindas?" "I might even make it worth your while to talk to me." "I might even make it worth yours." "What do you care who cleaned out the back of Geiger's store?" " I could make you talk." " It's been tried." "And?" "Why don't you call the cops like you said you would?" "I think you better get out of here." "Oh, uh, by the way, how's Mrs. Mars these days?" "You take chances, Marlowe." "I get paid to." "Yeah?" "Oh, hello, Mrs. Rutledge." "I've been waiting to hear from you." " I'm sorry." "I have nothing to tell you." " Oh." " She didn't call, eh?" " No, she didn't." "Yeah, well, um, did you get the money in case she does?" "Yes, I have the money and I'll get in touch with you just as soon as she calls." "Mmm-hmm." "All right, I'll stay right here until you call." "Geiger?" "You said what?" "Geiger?" "Arthur Gwynn Geiger." "The fellow with the blackmail racket." "I don't know anybody by that name." " You're Joe Brody?" " So what?" "Well, so you're Joe Brody and you don't know anybody named Geiger." "That's very funny." "So you've got a funny sense of humor, maybe." "Take it away and play on it somewhere else." "Joe, you got Geiger's stuff." "I got his sucker list." "Don't you think we ought to talk things over?" "Now!" "All right, if you think you got something." "You alone, Joe?" " Yeah." "Except for this." " Except..." "My, my, my!" "Such a lot of guns around town and so few brains." "You know, you're the second guy I met today that seems to think a gat in the hand means the world by the tail." "Put it down, Joe." "The other guy's name was Eddie Mars." " You ever hear of him?" " No." "If he ever gets wise to where you were last night in the rain, you'll hear of him." "What would I be to Eddie Mars?" "I don't know if you don't." "Look, don't get me wrong." "I'm not a tough guy." "Just careful." "Yeah, but you're not careful enough, Joe." "That play with Geiger's stuff was terrible." "I saw that, you know." "Don't kid yourself I won't use this if I have to." "What's your story?" "Why don't you ask your friend with the pointed toes to come out of there?" "She must be getting awful tired of holding her breath." "Come on out, Agnes." "Hello, sugar." "I knew you were trouble." "I told Joe to watch his step..." "Ask Mrs. Rutledge to come out, too." "What did you come up here for?" " Why'd you lie to me on the telephone?" " I don't need you, Marlowe." " Just what is this?" " Keep out of this!" "I don't know how you got here, but I don't want you." "Will you get out?" "But the man with the gun won't let me." "Look at him." "He's all curious and bothered and wondering about stuff." "You bet I'm wondering about stuff and I'm going to find out about it." " All right, sit down, both of you." " Stop waving that gun around." "I didn't have anything to do with his coming up here." "Can't you talk without pointing that gun?" "Don't argue with the man." "Do as he says." "Sit down." "Marlowe, you're ruining everything." " I'm not ruining anything." "If you'd..." " Yes, you are." "Say, look!" "What are you up here for?" "To keep her from paying you off, and to take the cops off your neck." " Now, I'm not ruining..." " What cops?" "The cops that want to find out where all that lead in Geiger's body came from." "Look, Joe, you shot Geiger." " I didn't know that..." " The cops don't yet." "The trouble is he wasn't alone when you shot him." "Either you didn't notice that and I think you did or you got scared and ran away." "But you had nerve enough to take the film out of the camera and you had nerve enough to come back later and hide the body." " You're crazy." "Joe didn't..." " Shut up." "So that you could clean out Geiger's store before the law knew there was a murder to investigate." "You take chances, mister." "It's lucky for you I didn't shoot Geiger." "Yeah, but you can step off for it just the same, Joe." "You were made to order for the rap." "You think you've got me framed?" " Positive." " How come?" "Because somebody'll tell it that way." "I told you there was a witness." "Now don't go simple on me, Joe." "You mean Carmen." "She would." "She'd say anything." "So you have got that picture." "I guess you think I'm dumb." "Just average, for a grafter." "You see, Joe, either you were there last night or you got the picture from somebody who was there." "You knew Carmen was there because you had your girlfriend here threaten Mrs. Rutledge with the police." "Now, the only way you could have known enough to do that was by being there and seeing what happened or having the picture and knowing when and where it was taken." "That makes sense, doesn't it?" "Who are you?" "And what do you get out of this?" "Just a guy who gets paid to do other people's laundry." "And all I'll get out of it is that picture." "How about a little dough?" "I'm down to nickels." " Not from my client." " But..." "Get the picture, Joe." "Stay right there." "Here." "Watch him." " Take it easy, Carmen." " I want my picture, Joe." " Now, listen..." " I want my picture." " You shot Geiger." "I..." " Joe!" "Hold it." "Get up, angel." "You look like a Pekinese." "And now since I'm collecting guns..." "Sit down, sugar." "Now let's see, where were we?" "Oh, yes, you were just about to get something." "There'd better not be any more prints." "There won't be." " Can I have my picture now?" " No." "Can I have my gun back?" "Later." "You're cute." "I like you." "Yeah?" "What you see's nothing." "I got a Balinese dancing girl tattooed across my chest." "You'd better take her home." "I suppose I should thank you." "No, just don't lie to me next time." "Come on, Carmen." "Hold it, Joe." " You got off easy, Joe." " Hmm." "What's the matter, sugar?" " He gives me a pain in my..." " That goes for me, too." "Well, you got your pictures." "Get out." " Where does he give you a pain?" " Right in my..." "Get out!" "Not yet." "We got a few things to straighten out." "I told you to get out." "Go on, Joe." "What difference does it make now?" "Why'd you put the bee on Mrs. Rutledge?" "Well, I tapped the old man once, six or seven months ago." "I figured it might not work twice." "Well, what made you think Mrs. Rutledge wouldn't tell him about it?" " How well do you know her?" " We'll pass that." "Well, she gets around." "I figured she might have a thing or two she wouldn't want the old man to know." "That's a little weak, but we'll pass that, too." "Say, Joe, how'd you get that picture?" "Look, you got what you came for, and you got it cheap." "I don't know anything about a picture." "Do I, Agnes?" "Yeah, but Joe, you just gave me the picture." "You're a half-smart guy." "That's what I always draw." "Never once a man who's smart all the way around the course." "Never once." "Did I hurt you much, sugar?" "You and every other man I've ever met." "Say, Joe, where'd you get that picture?" "It fell out of somebody's pocket." "You got an alibi for last night?" "I was right here with Agnes." "Huh." "That's a great witness." "Okay, Joe, you can only die once, even for a couple of murders." "Wait a minute, what do you mean, a couple of murders?" "I mean two murders." "Where were you about 7:30 last night?" " Why, I..." " Where were you?" "All right, I was watching Geiger's place." "Why?" " To get something on him." " Try looking at me while you're talking." "Well, it was raining hard and I was sitting in my car." "There was a car parked out front and another part way down the hill." "I was in back." " Who else was back there?" " Nobody." "There was a big Packard near where I was." "So I took a look at it and it was registered to the Sternwoods." "And then?" "Well, then, nothing happened, so I got tired of waiting and went home." " You know where that Packard is now?" " How should I?" "It's in the sheriff's garage." "It was fished out of 12 feet of water off Lido Pier early this morning." "There was a dead man in it." "He'd been sapped." "The car was pointed toward the end of the pier and the hand throttle pulled out." "Why, you can't pin that on me." "I can make an awful good try at it." " Why, I..." " Sit down, Joe." "You see, the dead man was Owen Taylor, Sternwood's chauffer." "He went up to Geiger's place because he was sweet on Carmen." "He didn't like the kind of games Geiger was playing." "He let himself in the back way with a jimmy, and he had a gun." "And the gun went off, as guns will, and Geiger fell down dead." "So Owen ran away taking the film with him." "You went after him and got it." "How else would you get it?" "All right, you're right." "I heard the shots and saw him run down the back steps and enter the Packard and away." " Yeah." " I followed him." "He turned west on Sunset." "And beyond Beverly, he, uh, skidded off the road and, uh, came to a stop." "So I came up and played copper." "He had a gun and he was rattled, so I sapped him down." "I figured the film might be worth something, so I took it." "That's the last I saw of him." "So you left an unconscious man in a car way out near Beverly someplace." "And you want me to believe that somebody conveniently came along, ran that car all the way down to the ocean, pushed it off the pier and then came back and hid Geiger's body?" " Well, I didn't." " Somebody did." "And you wanted time to take over." "You can't prove I did it." "I don't particularly want to." "All I want to do is find out what Geiger had on the Sternwoods." "Well, maybe you and I can make a little deal." "Go ahead." "Uh-uh." "Maybe she's back." "If she is, she hasn't got her gun." "You got a match, bud?" "What'll it be, kid?" "Me or the cops?" "What do you want?" "Sit in that car, back of the wheel." "You drive." "As soon as this police car goes by, we're going to Geiger's house." "By the way, Carol, you shot the wrong guy." "Brody didn't kill Geiger." "All right, let's go." " You got a key." "Let's go in." " Who said I got a key?" "All right, come on!" "Maybe you need this." " Hello." " Hello, Bernie?" "Yeah, is this who I think it is?" "Yeah, it's Marlowe." "How are you fixed for red points?" "I haven't got any." "Who has?" "The reason I asked was, I got some cold meat set out, might interest you." "What are you talking about?" "Did you boys find a gun on Owen Taylor when they fished him out of the drink last night?" "That would come under the heading of police business." "Yeah, I know it would come under the heading of police business." "But if they did, it had three empty shells in it." "You come up to 7244 Laverne Terrace, off Laurel Canyon Road, and I'll show you where the slugs went." " I'll be right out." " I'll be waiting for you." "What did you hide Geiger's body for?" " Do you admit shooting Brody?" "Do you?" " Take a jump, Jack." "He doesn't have to admit it." "Here's his gun." "Come on." "Hello." " Well." " I'm late." "I'm sorry." " How are you today?" " Better than last night." "I can agree on that." " Hello, Max." " Good afternoon, Mrs. Rutledge." " Got a table for us?" " Certainly, madam." "This way, please." " I'll have a scotch, messy, please." " Yes, ma'am." " Scotch and plain water." " Yes, sir." "Well, how did you happen to pick out this place?" "Maybe I wanted to hold your hand." "Oh, that can be arranged." "What did you want to see me about?" "Well, one thing, my father was very pleased when he saw the morning papers." "So was I." "Yes, we were lucky." "I managed to keep the Sternwoods out of it." "He hopes you didn't involve yourself too deeply." "Did you tell him it was no fault of yours?" "No." "He asked me to give you a check." "I don't need any money yet." "He considers the case closed." "Oh?" "It is, isn't it?" "Well, as far as Geiger is concerned, yes." "Then it's completely closed." "I hope this is satisfactory." "$500?" "Well, that's a lot more than I expected, but welcome just the same." "We're very grateful to you, Mr. Marlowe." "And I'm very glad it's all over." "Tell me, what do you usually do when you're not working?" "Play the horses, fool around." "No women?" "I'm generally working on something most of the time." "Could that be stretched to include me?" "I like you." "I've told you that before." " I like hearing you say it." " Hmm." " But you didn't do much about it." " Well, neither did you." "Well, speaking of horses, I like to play them myself." "But I like to see them work out a little first, see if they're front runners or come from behind." "Find out what their hole-card is." "What makes them run." " Find out mine?" " I think so." "Go ahead." "I'd say you don't like to be rated." "You like to get out in front, open up a lead, take a little breather in the back stretch, and then come home free." "You don't like to be rated yourself." "I haven't met anyone yet that could do it." "Any suggestions?" "Well, I can't tell till I've seen you over a distance of ground." "You got a touch of class, but I don't know how far you can go." "A lot depends on who's in the saddle." "Go ahead, Marlowe, I like the way you work." "In case you don't know it, you're doing all right." "There's one thing I can't figure out." " What makes me run?" " Uh-huh." "I'll give you a little hint." "Sugar won't work." "It's been tried." "Then what'd you try it on me for?" "Who told you to sugar me off this case?" "Was it Eddie Mars?" "All right, don't answer me." "But somebody put you up to it and it wasn't your father." "He didn't tell you to pay me off, did he?" "No, he's not well." "I used my own judgment." "Are you sure?" "Of course, I know it hasn't worked so well up till now." "What's Eddie Mars got to do with this case?" "Nothing." "He runs a gambling house." "I play horses, I play the wheel." "You're playing something else, too." " What makes you think..." " Never mind talking, let me do it." "Did you knew it was Eddie Mars' blonde wife Shawn Regan was supposed to have run off with?" "Who doesn't?" "Did you know he owned the house Geiger operated in?" "And that he was mixed up in that racket, too?" "No." "I don't believe it." "Then why does it bother you so much?" "What's Eddie Mars got on you?" "Oh, come now, angel, stop shaking." "I don't wanna hurt you." "I'm tryin' to help you." "Well, you'd better run along." "You made a deal and you're gonna stick to it, right or wrong." "We'll take up the question of you and I when the race is over." " The only trouble is, we could've..." " Pardon me." "Yes, the only trouble is, we could have had a lot of fun, if you weren't a detective." "We still can." "So long, Marlowe." " Oh!" "Waiter." " Sir?" " Have you got a phone around here?" " Yes, sir." "Right over there." " Thanks." " You're welcome." "Deposit 55 cents, sir." " How much is that?" " Fifty-five cents." "Thank you." "Here's your party, sir." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello, may I speak with Mr. Mars, please?" "This is Mars talking." "Hello, Eddie." "I didn't recognize your voice." "This is Marlowe." "I called you up because I wanna see you." "Sure." "When?" "I'd like to drive up this evening." "Okay." "Come ahead." " Good evening." " Good evening." "Mr. Mars around?" "My name's Marlowe." "He's expecting me." "Just wait here and I'll find out." " Hello, boys." " Oh, stop it." "He's waitin' to see you." "Thanks." " Hello, Eddie." " Hello, Marlowe." "Glad you came." "You've never been here before, have you?" "No, it's the first time." "I wouldn't be here now if you hadn't told me over the phone" "I could come up here if I needed help." "Sure." " Drink?" " Yeah." "I like the way you've handled this whole thing." "It made me sore at first, but I see now you knew what you were doin'." "You and I could get along." "I like to pay my bills as I go." " How much do I owe you?" " For what?" "Still careful, huh?" "All right, then, I want some information about Shawn Regan." "I heard you got that already from the Bureau of Missing Persons." " You get around, huh." " My boys do." " Where is he?" " I haven't any idea." "You didn't bump him off, did you?" "No." "Do you think I did?" "Well, that's what I came up here to ask you." "You're kiddin'." "All right, I'm kiddin'." "You didn't do it yourself, and none of your boys are good enough to do it." "I used to know Regan." "I thought you told me you weren't looking for Regan?" "I wasn't then." "Maybe I just got curious." "You see, I finally got it through my thick skull that half the General's worries were that Regan might be mixed up in this blackmail business." "Well, Sternwood can turn over now and go back to sleep." "It was Geiger's own racket." "I did some inquiring myself today." "When Geiger and Brody got gunned, that washed the whole thing up." "That, I'm sure of." "It's finished then." "The General thinks like you do." "He paid me off today." "I'm sorry to hear that." "I wish he'd hire you on a straight salary to keep that daughter of his home." " She's out there now." " Yeah, I know." "I heard her." "She's not very popular around here." "When she loses, she doubles and I wind up with a fistful of paper." "If she wins, she takes my money home with her." "Well, you get it back next time, don't you?" "She's spent it somewhere else by then." " I see." "She goes on the cuff, huh?" " Yeah." "I'd keep her out of here, then." "Well, it looks like I took the long trip for nothing." "Sorry I can't help you." "You mind if I look the place over before I go back?" "No, go ahead." "Take that door." "It comes out behind the tables." "No, thanks." "I'll go out here with the rest of the suckers." "Maybe someday I can do you a real favor." "Maybe." "You know, there's one thing that puzzles me." "You don't seem in much of a hurry to find that wife of yours." "From what I hear, she's not the kind of a wife a guy wants to lose." "Could it be that you know where she is?" "Maybe Regan, too?" "Better stop being curious, soldier." "What's between me and my wife is between us." "Sorry." "Oh, Eddie, you don't have anybody watching me, do you?" "Tailing me in a gray Plymouth coupe, maybe?" "No." "Why should I?" "I can't imagine, unless you're worried about where I am all the time." "I don't like you that well." "So long, Eddie." " Oh, Mr. Marlowe." " Yeah?" " Mr. Marlowe." " Yeah?" " Mrs..." " Mrs..." " Mrs..." " Mrs..." "You better take it." "Well, Mrs. Rutledge asked if you would look her up before you went." "She's in at the center table." "Thank you both." "Oh, Mr. Marlowe, Mrs..." "Yeah, Mrs. Rutledge wants to see me." " How did you know?" " He told me." "She sure is picking 'em tonight." " He didn't say..." " Just won eight bets in a row." " I didn't hear him tell you anything." " He didn't." "What kind of a game is this?" "Go on, spin the wheel." "I want another play." "I'm sorry." "You have more than $14,000 there, and the table cannot cover your bet." "It's your money." "Don't you want it back?" "I have sent for Mr. Mars." " Look, lady, you..." "Why, no, I..." " Do you want to cover it?" " Hello, Marlowe." " Hello." "The lady." "Something the matter, Mrs. Rutledge?" "Yes, I'd like one more play, Eddie." "All this on the red." "Cover her bet in even thousands, if no one objects to this turn of the wheel being for the lady alone." "Wish me luck, Marlowe." "You wanted to see me." "Yes." "The people I came with want to stay, so I thought maybe you'd like to drive me home." "Sure." " Are you ready, lady?" " Yeah, I'm ready." "So am I." "Number five, red." "Well, you did all right." "I'll get my car while you're collecting." "Meet you outside." " Cash these in." " Ten, eleven..." " Good night." " Good night." "This is a gun, lady." "I want that money." "Yell, and I'll cut you in half." "Give me that bag." "Hello, pal." "Easy." "Somebody is always giving me guns." "You can turn around now." "I don't like people who play games." "Tell your boss when you wake up." "Well, I'm glad I asked you to take me home." "So am I." "Shall we go now?" "Uh-huh." "What are you trembling for?" "Don't tell me you were scared because I won't believe that." "I'm not used to being hijacked." "Give me a little time." "Hijacked?" "Is that what it was?" "What else?" "You're still shaking." "What's the matter?" "You weren't worried about me, were you?" "Afraid I'd get hurt?" "When did you first begin to feel that way about me?" "Why are we stopping?" "To settle something." "All right." "Let's begin with what Eddie Mars has on you." "If he had anything, would it be any of your business?" "You've already been paid, haven't you?" "Yeah, by you." "Are you after more money?" "I guess you've got a right to ask that." "No, I'm not after more money." "I've already been well paid." "I got another reason." "You like my father, don't you?" "Well, why don't you stop?" "Remember I told you I was beginning to like another one of the Sternwoods?" "I wish you'd show it." "That should be awful easy." "I liked that." "I'd like more." "That's even better." "All right." "Now that's settled, what's Eddie Mars got on you?" " So that's the way it is?" " That's the way it is." "Kissing you is all right." "It's nice." "I'd like to do more of it." "But first, I want to find out what Eddie Mars has on you." "If you say that again, I'll..." "I'll keep on saying it until I find out." "Look, angel, I called Eddie Mars and told him I was coming up to see him." "When I arrived, you were there." "The two of you staged an act." "He let you win a lot of money and then sent a man around to take it away from you." "Just to prove there was nothing between you." "You're shaking again." "Take me home." "Sure, I will." "But first open that bag." "If there's 28 grand in it, I'll eat every word I've said." "Come on, open it and make a sap out of me, or else stop playing me for one." "Take me home." "All right, I'm afraid that's as far as I'm gonna carry you." "From now on, you can take care of yourself." "Well, what does the hat-check girl get for a tip?" "I'm trying to think of something appropriate." "How'd you get in here?" "Bet you can't guess." "I'll bet I can." "You came in through the keyhole like Peter Pan." "Who's he?" "A guy I used to know around a pool room." "You're cute." "I'm getting cuter every minute." "How did you get in?" "I showed the manager your card." "I stole it from Vivian." "I told him you said to come up here and wait for you." "I want..." "See, I remembered." "What do you remember about Shawn Regan?" "I didn't like him." "Yeah?" "Why?" "He didn't pay any more attention to me than you do." "Treated me like a baby all the time." "How does Eddie Mars treat you?" " I don't know him." " You sure?" "You know who he is, don't you?" "He's always calling Vivian up." "Why?" "Is he cute?" "You know, I think you're telling the truth, for a change." "Is he as cute as you are?" "Nobody is." "All right, kid, I've had a long day." "You'd better be going." "Mm-mm." " Come on, Carmen." "Come on." " I don't want..." "I..." " You can't..." " Shut up." "Yeah?" "Hello, Phil." "Hello, Bernie." "What's up?" "I want to see you down here right away." "I just woke up." "I haven't had breakfast." " It's 2:00." " 2:00?" "Yeah." "If you're not in my office in 30 minutes, you'll be eating on the county." "I'd rather buy my own." "I know that food the county puts out." " All right, I'll be there." " Okay." "Don't you know any better than to wake a man up at 2:00 in the afternoon?" " What's up?" " I got some orders for you." "You are to lay off the Sternwood case." " Huh?" "Who says so?" " The DA." "The DA, huh?" "He must've changed his mind." " Who changed it for him?" " General Sternwood." "Personally?" "All right." "Between you and me, he didn't talk to the General." "He talked to the daughter, Mrs. Rutledge." "Oh!" " Any reason given?" " Not that I know of." "Well, there's no law says a man can't work on a case without a client." "You know, just to keep his hand in." "Now, look, Phil, I'm just supposed to tell you to lay off..." "I know." "You just work here." "Bernie, put yourself in my shoes for a minute." "A nice old guy has two daughters." "One of them is, well, wonderful." "And the other one is not so wonderful." "As a result, somebody gets something on her." "The father hires me to pay off." "Before I can get to the guy, the family chauffeur kills him." "But that didn't stop things." "It just starts them." "And two murders later," "I find out somebody's got something on Wonderful." "Who's somebody?" " I think it's Eddie Mars." " Why?" "For one thing, he owns the house Geiger was killed in." "He did." "The day after the murder, he transfers the deed to a dummy." "What have you got that hooks Mars up with Mrs. Rutledge?" "Well, last night the two of 'em..." "Well, I don't want to bore you with the whole story, but they went to the moon to prove to me there was nothing between 'em, but I think there is, and I think it's got something to do with Shawn Regan." "Who's missing and supposed to have run off with Eddie Mars' wife." "Uh-huh." "What does the General think about all this?" "I don't know." "Wonderful won't let me get to him." "You still want me to lay off?" "Well, the DA does, but you generally do all right following your own hunches." "Thanks, Bernie." "Well, I'm going out and getting some breakfast." "You want a cup of coffee?" "Mm-mm." "I can't afford to be seen with you." "Well, so long, Bernie." "Sternwood residence." "Hello, Norris." "This is Marlowe." "Yes, Mr. Marlowe." "I..." "Norris, I'd like to come out and see General Sternwood." "I don't think it would be possible, sir, tonight." "Yeah?" "Why not?" "I've been trying to call you, Mr. Marlowe." "Mrs. Rutledge is very anxious to talk to you." "If you'll wait just a minute, I'll put her on." "Uh-huh." "Say, sugar, you got a match?" "Sure thing." "Hello, Marlowe." "Hello?" "Thanks." "Hello?" "Hello, Mrs. Rutledge." "Hello, Marlowe." "I wanted to tell you, you can stop worrying and call off your bloodhounds." "We've found Shawn." "What's that?" "You've found Shawn?" "Yes, he's been in Mexico." "He hasn't been very well." "Yeah?" "What happened?" "An accident of some kind." "We didn't get all the details." "I'm leaving at once to meet him." "Oh, I see." "I suppose the General's quite pleased." "We haven't told him yet." "We thought it best to wait." "Well, thanks for telling me." "Have a nice trip." "I will." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Say, mister, would you please..." "This is just our way of sayin' lay off!" "You the guy that's been tailing me?" "Yeah." "My name's Jones." "Harry Jones." "I want to see you." "That's swell." "Did you want to see those guys jump me?" "I didn't care one way or the other." "You could've yelled for help." "A guy's playin' a hand, I let him play it." "I'm no kibitzer." "You got brains." "Get my hat, will you?" "Help me up to my office." "That working over they gave you was about the best I've ever seen, and I've been around, too." "Yeah." "Used to run a little liquor." "Rode the scout car with a Tommy gun in my lap." " A tough racket." " Terrible." "Sit down." "You make me nervous." "Maybe you don't believe me." "What do you want?" "That's better." "I've got something to sell, cheap, for a couple of C's." "Don't let me stop you." "Don't you even want to know who I am?" "I already know." "You're not a cop." "You don't belong to Eddie Mars, because I asked him." "So you must be one of Brody's friends." "So Agnes is loose again, huh?" "How'd you know that?" "She's a nice girl." "We're talking about getting married." "She's too big for you." "That's a dirty crack, brother." "Yeah, I suppose you're right." "Maybe I've been running around with the wrong people." "Let's cut the babble." "What do you want?" "You're looking for something." "Will you pay for It?" " If it does what?" " Helps you find Regan." "This is getting funny." "I'm supposed to pay you two C's for telling me I'm looking for Regan." "People have been telling me that for days." "I don't even pass out cigars anymore." "Do you want to know what I've got, or don't you?" "I don't know." "$200 buys a lot of information in my circle." "Would you pay it to know where Eddie Mars' wife is?" "Would you pay 200 bucks for that, shamus?" "I think I might." "Where?" "Agnes found her." "She'll tell you." "When she has the dough in her hand." "You might tell the cops for nothing." "I ain't so brittle." "Agnes must have something I didn't notice." "I ain't tried to pull anything." "I came here with a straight proposition." "Take it or leave it." "One right guy to another." "You start waving' cops at me." "You ought to be ashamed of yourself." "I am." "Okay. $200 it is." "Have you got the money?" "Where's Agnes?" "You know Puss Walgreen's office, Fulwider Building, 428, in the back?" "No, but I can find it." "Will you be in shape to meet me there in an hour?" "Yeah, I guess so." "You bring the dough, and I'll take you to Agnes." " Okay." " Okay." "Who are you?" "What do you want?" "What did you follow me in here for?" "I wanted to see you." "Who are you?" "I work for Eddie Mars." "My name is Canino." "Canino?" "Yeah, I've heard about you." "Sure." "I thought you would remember." "What do you want?" "I want to know why you been following that Detective Marlowe." " Who says I've been?" " I do." "That was a mistake, your mistake." " Eddie Mars don't like it." " I don't see what business..." "Sit down and quit stalling'." "Why are you tailing Marlowe?" "All right, there's no harm telling'." "It was for Joe Brody's girl." "She's got to get out of town." "That takes dough." "She figured she could get it through Marlowe." "Why would he pay?" "You know about the night the kid bumped Brody." "Well, the young Sternwood girl was there." "Only, Marlowe didn't tell the cops that." "So Agnes figured it was railroad fare as soon as she could get hold of him." " You get it?" " Sure, I get it." " Where's this Agnes?" " What do you care?" "What do you want with her?" "What's she got..." "What's the matter, Jones?" "Ain't you ever seen a gun before?" "Where's the girl?" " Listen..." " You want me to count three or somethin', like a movie?" " Where's Agnes?" " All right." "You win." "She's in an apartment at 28 Court Street." "Apartment 301." "I guess I'm yellow, all right." "You just got good sense." "I ain't gonna hurt her." "Not if everything's like you say." "You're nervous, ain't you?" " Maybe you need a drink." " Never mind." "Thanks..." " I think you need one." " I don't think so..." "You got a glass?" "Yeah." "There at the water cooler." "There you are, pal." "Drink her down." "Well, drink it." "What do you think it is, poison?" "I'll bet that Agnes of yours wouldn't turn it down." "No, I'll bet she wouldn't." "What's funny?" "Nothing's funny." "So long, Jonesy." " Information." " Hello, Information." "Give me the telephone number of apartment 301, 28 Court Street." "Thank you." "One moment, please." "Courtview Apartments." "Office, this is Police Identification Bureau, Wallace speaking." "You got a girl living there named Agnes Lozier?" "Nobody by that name here." "Well, have you got a brunette with green eyes, kinda slanted, either alone or with a little guy, weighs about 115 pounds, wears a gray hat and gray suit?" " Sorry, nothing like that." " Oh." "Somebody just gave out the wrong address." "Thanks." "Well, you did all right, Jonesy." "But you left me high and dry." " Yeah?" " Who is this?" " What did you say?" " I said, who is this?" "Oh, hello, Agnes." "This is Marlowe." " What?" " Marlowe, the man you want to see." "Oh." "Is Harry there?" "Yeah." "Yeah, he's here." "Put him on, will you?" " He can't talk to you." " Why?" "'Cause he's dead." "Your little man died to keep you out of trouble." "And I got your money for you." "Do you want It?" " Yeah." "Yeah, I want it." " Have you got a car?" " Yeah." " Where can I meet you?" "Rampart and Oakwood." "I'll be there in half an hour." "What happened to Harry?" "There's no use going into that." "You don't really care, anyway." "Just put it down, "Your little man deserved something better."" "Here you are." "Here's your $200." "Well, Joe and I were out ridin' on Foothill Boulevard a couple of weeks ago." "We passed a brown coupe, and I saw the girl who was drivin'." "She was Eddie Mars' wife." "There was a fellow with her, Canino." "Yeah, I know him." "Yeah, there're some people you don't forget even if you've only seen them once." "So we got curious and Joe tailed them." " Do you know where Realito is?" " Uh-huh." "Well, about 10 miles east, there's a side road." "Just off the highway, there's a two-bit garage and paint shop run by a guy named Art Huck." "Hot car drop likely." "And a frame house right behind it." "That's where Eddie Mars' wife is holed up." " You're sure of that?" " Why should I lie?" "Art Huck's 10 miles east of Realito?" "Is that right?" "Yeah." "Well, so long, copper." "Wish me luck." "I got a raw deal." "Your kind always does." "What do you want?" "Open up." "I got a flat back here on the highway." "Sorry, mister." "We're closed for the night." "Better try Realito." "All right." "Come on in." "You could scare off a lot of trade with that." "You can get yourself hurt, kicking on doors." "Cut it out, Art." "The guy's right." "You run a garage, don't you?" "Go ahead." "Give him a hand." "Thanks, mister." "I suppose you can fix flats." "Good as you can make 'em, bud." "But right now, I'm busy workin' on a spray job." "It's too damp for a good spray job, Art." "You got time to fix his tires." " Yeah." "But I don't..." " Get movin'." "Sure." "Here." "Here's the key to the back." "Put the spare on." "That'll make it easier." "Yeah, I took a skid up at the corner." "A front tire went." "Lucky to find some help." "Yeah." "You live around here?" "No." "Just drove in from Reno and Carson City." "Came the long way around, huh?" " Business trip?" " Partly." "Havin' your car painted?" "Just a spray job." "Art's pretty slow." "He should've been finished by now." "All right, Art." "Take him in the house." "Ah." "You'd be Mrs. Eddie Mars, the blonde Regan was supposed to have run off with." " That's right." " Uh-huh." "Where is Shawn Regan?" "I'd like to know that myself." "Oh, hello, angel." "I thought I'd find you here." "Yeah." "But you don't seem to be running in front today." "Remove that light, will you, or move me?" "I suppose we're in the house back of the garage." "That's right." "The boys don't take any chances, do they?" "Where are they, out digging' a grave?" "You had to go on with this, didn't you?" "Where are they?" "They've gone down the road to telephone." "To call up Eddie Mars, huh?" "To find out what to do with me." "Well, I could've told 'em that." "Why did you have to go on?" "Too many people tellin' me to stop." "Light me a cigarette, will you, angel?" "Why did you have to make trouble?" "Eddie never did you any harm." "Besides, I was never in love with Shawn." "We were just good friends." "If I hadn't hidden out here when Shawn disappeared, the police would have been certain he killed him." "Well, maybe he did kill him." "Eddie's not that kind." "You mean Eddie Mars never kills anybody?" "No." " You really believe that, don't you?" " Yes, I do." "How do you suppose I found out you were here?" "I don't know." "How did you?" "Well, a little man named Harry Jones told me." "A funny little guy, harmless." "I liked him." "He came to sell me the information because he found out I was working for General Sternwood." "How he found out's a long story." "Anyway, Canino, your husband's hired man, got to him first while I stood around like a sap." "I was in the next room." "Now that little man is dead." " But Eddie Mars didn't do that." " You're lying." "No." "Eddie Mars never kills anybody." "He just hires it done." "I don't believe you." "You think he's just a gambler, don't you?" "Well, I think he's a blackmailer..." " You'd better stop talking!" " ...a hot car broker, a killer by remote control." "He's anything that looks good to him." "Anything with money pinned to it." "Anything rotten." "He'd..." "Ask him when you see him." "Well, I got rid of her." "She's okay." "I like her." "You like too many people." "Never mind, angel." "The water feels good." "I wonder if you'd do what she did for a man." "I was wondering that myself." "Huh." "Well, there's nothing to do but wait for Canino to come back." "He doesn't know I was in the other room." "You know what he'll do when he finds out, don't you?" "He'll beat my teeth out and then kick me in the stomach for mumbling." "Well, that'll be just a start." "It won't be pretty to watch..." "Please don't talk like that." " You should have gone to Mexico." " Stop, please." "Then you couldn't have gone, could you?" "The border patrol would have checked you through alone." "Too many people would have seen you without Regan." "It was much safer to come here with her." "Much safer, especially for Eddie Mars." "Will you get out of this and stay out if I let you go?" "No." "Take this thing out of my mouth, will you?" "Ah, that's better." "Get a knife and cut these ropes." "Watch your fingers." "Don't cut towards your hand." "Who's got the key to these handcuffs?" "Canino." "I don't suppose there's a gun around here?" "None that I know of." "Well, the boys made a fast trip." "What can you do?" "Look, angel." "I'm gonna leave you in a tough spot." " That's all right with me." " How do I get out of here?" "That door leads onto a side porch." "All right, as soon as I've gone, you count to 20 slowly" " and then scream your head off." " I will." "All right, start counting." " Get goin', Art." " Now, look, I..." "You heard what I said." "There!" "There!" "Behind the wheel!" "Over here, Canino." "Here." "That looks like the key." "We'll have to take his car." "How far is it from back there to the nearest telephone?" "About eight or 10 miles to Realito." "Why?" "When Eddie Mars' wife gets my car fixed and he finds out what happened, there'll be plenty of trouble." "You'll be in it just as much as I will." "I don't mind, as long as you're around." "I didn't have a chance to thank you for what you did back there." "You looked good, awful good." "I didn't know they made 'em like that anymore." "I guess I'm in love with you." "Will you go to the police with me?" " I can't." " Why not?" "What if I told you I killed Shawn Regan?" "Will you tell the police that?" "I will if you take me there." "I'm not going to." "Look, angel, I'm tired." "My jaw hurts and my ribs ache." "I killed a man back there, and I had to stand by while a harmless little guy was killed." "Do you think I could tell 'em all that happened because Geiger tried to throw a loop over Carmen?" "If I tell them that, they'll swarm over your house so fast that every closet you or your family have been in for the last six years will look like a police convention." "They'll all ask the same question." ""Where's Shawn Regan?"" ""Why did Eddie Mars hide his wife out to make it look like she ran off with Regan?"" ""Why did you hide out there?"" "You're playing with dynamite." " If I could tell you..." " Don't ask any more questions." "I'm not even gonna ask you how you got into this mess." "I'm goin' to ask Eddie Mars if I can get there quick enough." "Why are you doing that?" "I guess I'm in love with you." "Shh." "Hello?" " Hello, let me talk to Mr. Mars." " This is Mars." "Oh, hello, Eddie." " This is Marlowe." " Marlowe?" "Yeah, Marlowe, or what's left of him." "That Canino's a pretty good boy." "You'll have trouble getting another as good." " What's the matter, Eddie, can't you talk?" " Where are you talking from?" "I'm in Realito, maybe the same place Canino called from." "Only now, it's me that's calling." "I want to see you." "Why don't you go to the police?" "Why don't you go to the police?" "I just killed your best boy." " Now, do you want to see me or don't you?" " Yeah." "All right." "Where?" "How about going to Los Olindas?" "Oh, Los Olindas' too far." "Not your apartment, either." "How about that house of mine?" "Your house?" "You mean the one that Geiger lived in?" "Yeah." " All right." "When?" " That's up to you." " How long will it take me to get there?" " About 40 minutes." "I'll be there just as quick as I can." " That worked." " You're taking an awful chance." "He'll be here in 10 minutes." "Go through there and make sure that back door is locked, then close all these curtains, I'll get rid of the car." "You're the one who's shaking now." "I'm scared, angel." "I'm sore, too." "Mars has been ahead of me all the way." "Way ahead." "If I don't get the jump on him this time, we're cooked." "Here they are." "Well, watch the back." "If you see anybody coming, yell like you did before." " Angel..." " What is it?" "Curtain." "Stop it swinging." "I got here first, Eddie." "Put those scissors down." "Put 'em down." "Turn around." "Over there." "Sit down." "Phil..." "Phil, there's two men out in back behind some trees." " Watch 'em." " Hello, Mr. Mars." " You double-cross..." " I told you to sit down." "And leave her out of it." "She's all right, Eddie." "She made a deal with you and she kept it." "She didn't tell me a thing except that she killed Regan." "But I didn't believe that." "Regan's dead, all right, but she didn't do it." "It was Carmen, wasn't it?" "How'd it happen, Eddie?" " You mean she didn't..." " I asked you how it happened." " Well, Carmen liked Regan, but..." " He liked your wife." "And he said no to Carmen." "She gets mad when anybody says that." "I've seen her that way." " Go on." " She was pretty high." "By the time it was over, she couldn't remember much about it." "Yeah, I've seen her that way, too." "Then you hid the body and started..." "You can't prove that..." "It'll be just as bad for you if I prove it to myself." "Then you started to blackmail Mrs. Rutledge by telling her what Carmen had done." "How did you prove to her that Carmen had done it?" "Go ahead, prove it to me." "You've seen Carmen when she's that way." "Sure I have." "Have you?" " Well, how do you suppose..." " Why didn't you know when you walked in here that day?" "Tell me that." "You're pretty smart, Eddie, but I've been waiting for this one." " What are you going to do about it?" " I told you you were smart!" "You walked in here without a gun." "You were going to sit there and agree to everything just like you're doing now." "When I went out that door, things were going to be different." "That's what those boys are doing out there." "Everything's changed now, Eddie, because I got here first." "All right, angel, get down on the floor." "Don't get excited, Marlowe." "If anything happens in here, if there's any shooting, you're just..." "What do you think's going to happen now?" "Now what're your boys gonna think?" "What'll they do to the first one that goes out that door?" "Who is it gonna be, Eddie, you or me?" " Now look, Marlowe..." " You look at this." "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a gun before?" "What do you want me to do, count three like they do in the movies?" " That's what Canino said to little Jonesy." " Now don't go crazy..." "And Jonesy took it better than you're taking it." " That's one, Eddie." " Don't, Marlowe, don't." "Don't!" "That's two, Eddie." "Don't shoot, it's me, Mars..." "Yeah?" "Bernie, this is Marlowe." " I've got some more red points for you." " Who is it this time?" "Eddie Mars." "His boys got him." "There's more to it than that." "He killed Regan." " I'll tell you about it when I see you." " Where are you?" "The same place, Laverne Terrace." "You'd better come up and get me out of here." "And watch yourself." "They may still be outside." "Right away." "It won't take him long." " What are you going to..." " Wait, let me do the talking, angel." "I don't know yet what I'm gonna tell him, but it'll be pretty close to the truth." "You'll have to send Carmen away, from a lot of things." "They have places for that." "Maybe they can cure her." "It's been done before." "And we'll have to tell your father about Regan, I think he can take it." "You've forgotten one thing, me." "What's wrong with you?" "Nothing you can't fix." "From SDH" " Tags removed"