"Hey, fellas, give a look." "How about that good-bye drink, Johnny?" " Why not?" "One bar's just like another." " So long as they got bourbon." "Or a reasonable facsimile." " Yes, sir?" " Bourbon straight with a bourbon chaser." " The same." " Two separate glasses." "Get it?" "Why wouldn't I get it?" "Got to have that monkey music in here?" " Somebody call me a monkey?" " Give that thing a rest, will you?" "Pipe down." "It's his nickel." "Somebody call me a monkey?" "Nobody called nobody nothing." "Just forget it, will you?" " That thing gives me a headache." " Well, ain't that a pity." " I told you I had a headache." " Put that back, but quick." " You put it back." " Why you..." "Quit it, Buzz!" " Steady, Corporal." " Get out of my way!" "I said steady." "You didn't get those stripes from blowing your top." "Hey, cut that out." "Cut it out." "Do you hear?" "You two guys want to fight so bad, why don't you get into a uniform?" "What do you figure I had on when I got this?" "Huh?" "What do you figure?" "There's a plate in there as big as your brains." "Maybe bigger." "Well, I don't want no roughhouse in here." "Go on, get back to your bar before you get a face full of knuckles." "Come on, Buzz." " Hey, who's paying for that broken cord?" " Save it." "If it's long enough, you can hang yourself." " Okay, now you got that out of your system." " Thing was getting my goat." " My mistake, fella." " That's okay." "Skip it." " So long." " So long." "Bye." "Hey, we better get going, too, if we're gonna catch that bus." "Hey, look, dope, we already caught the bus." " Yeah, that's right." "We did, didn't we?" " Yeah." "I must be getting dumb." "Here's to you, Johnny." "Yeah, you lucky stiff, at least you got a wife to come home to." "Boy, if I had a wife and kid to come home to..." "What's the matter?" "I must be getting old." "That stuff kicks me right in the teeth." "When do we get to meet her, Johnny?" "Any time." "The door will always be open." "We won't need no dress suit to get in there, will we?" "That Cavendish Court hotel and bungalow sounds like a lot of dough." " I..." " I, uh..." "I got a lead on an apartment." "If it comes through, we'll give you a ring." "Good." "Well, here's to what was." " Take care of our boy, George." " You bet I will." " See you soon." " Okay." " Johnny?" " Yeah?" "Don't you think you ought to call her before you go home?" "Maybe." " He don't sound very happy, somehow." " No." " Mrs Morrison, please." " What name shall I say?" " Mrs Morrison's my wife." " Oh, yes, sir." "Oh, would you mind if I surprised her?" "No, of course not." "Take Mr Morrison to Bungalow 93." " This way, please." " Thank you." "Surprise is right." " What did you say, honey?" " Nothing to you." "Some fun, huh?" "I'll take it from here." "Thank you, sir." "Hi, beautiful!" "Looking for me?" " I'm afraid not." "I'm looking for my wife." " The place is full of 'em." "You are beautiful." "What's your name, huh?" "Morrison." "Does my wife live here?" "What's so funny?" "Hey, hey!" "Look who's here." "Helen's got a husband!" "Relax." "Hey, Helen, why didn't you tell us you had something like this?" "Johnny!" " Why didn't you let me know?" " I wanted to surprise you." "Well, take off your coat, Johnny." "You're home, you know." " It's been a long time, Helen." " Much too long." " You're not in uniform." " No, they decided I had enough for a while." " So they put me on the inactive list." " Oh?" "Buzz and George are out, too." "Buzz was wounded, and George's eyes went back on him." " Buzz and George?" " My crew." "I used to write you about them." "Don't you remember?" "Oh, sure." "It's great to have you back, Johnny." " Come and meet my friends." " Oh, must I now?" "Well, certainly." "Dick, hold the piano a while." "Hold it." "Please, everybody, come and meet my husband." "This is lieutenant commander John Morrison of the United States Navy." "He's just back from the South Pacific." "Johnny, this is Charlie and Beverly." " How do you do?" " Rick and Carmen..." "Eddie!" "Eddie!" " We were based at Quadulan." " What were you flying, sir?" " Liberators." " Excuse me, Dick." " Johnny, this is Eddie Harwood." " I'm glad to know you." "I've heard a lot about you." "I guess you've had a rough time of it." "I'm afraid my experiences are pretty dull." "I can't believe that." "Hey, wouldn't you like a drink?" "Not right now, thanks." "I'd like to get cleaned up a little." "Oh, take your things in there, Johnny." "Excuse me." " I think I better breeze." " Why?" "Pretty obvious why." "Oh, suppose there is." "So what?" "Pardon me..." "Well, if it ain't my beautiful man!" "You and I are gonna have a little drink together right now." "Hey, where you going?" " You've got the wrong lipstick on, mister." " Stop it!" "You're entirely right." "Sorry." "Forget it." "Ladies and gentlemen, I think you'd better leave." "My husband would like to be alone with me." "He probably wants to beat me up." " Perhaps you want me to apologise." " Apologise, darling?" "But you don't have to." "You're a hero." "A hero can get away with anything." "It seems I've lost my manners." "Or would anyone here know the difference?" "I don't care what she says." "I think you're wonderful." "What are you doing?" "Looking at this photograph of Dickey." "I've never seen it before." " Why didn't you send me one?" " I thought I had." "Let's talk this out, Helen." "Would you mind not drinking any more, just..." "Oh, for heaven's sakes, don't start preaching." "I take all the drinks I like, any time, any place." "I go where I want to with anybody I want." "I just happen to be that kind of a girl." "I'd have thought Dickey's death would have made a little more difference." "We lived in a five-room house, and I did the laundry." "And I never went anywhere 'cause I had a kid to look after." "I don't have a kid to look after anymore." "And the people I go with now don't use a kiss as an excuse to sock each other." "Keep on drinking that and you won't need an excuse." "Really?" "You're not paying for my drinks." "Well, why don't you answer it?" "You want to run everything else around here." "Hello?" "This is Johnny." "Oh, hello, Buzz." "You got the place, huh?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "Where George lived before." "Walked right into it." "Yeah, there was 19 guys ahead of us, but they like George, here." "Oh, that's great, Buzz." "Hey, what's your telephone number?" "Hillside 8-6-6-1." "Okay." "Bye." " The boys found an apartment." " Yes?" " I didn't know these things were ever blue." " They're Eddie Harwood's calling cards." "He owns a night club on the strip called the Blue Dahlia." "Helen." "Let's try just once more." "I'd love to." "I'm a girl that tries and tries." "Well, suppose we begin by your not drinking anymore, huh?" "Suppose we begin by you minding your own business?" " I said you've had enough!" " Take your paws off me!" "Maybe you've learned to like hurting people." "I could tell you something about Dickey that would hurt you plenty!" "What about Dickey?" "What about Dickey?" " Noisy in here, aren't you?" " So what?" "What do you call that, a prayer meeting?" "Okay, Mr Morrison, just doing my job." " Better close up." "It's gonna rain." " Okay." "Maybe you'd better pull the blinds down, too, if you're gonna push your wife around." "A call from the house detective." "Pretty, isn't it?" "Now what about Dickey?" " Forget it, Johnny." "It was nothing..." " What about Dickey?" "It was nothing, I tell you." " Talk, tell me, will you?" " Johnny, please." "It could happen to anybody." "I'd been to a party." "I had to take Dickey with me." "I had a few drinks." "Oh, stop the tears!" "All right, hero." "I was drunk." "I was in a car smash." "Dickey was killed." "I wrote you he died of diphtheria because I was afraid to tell you the truth." "How do you like it?" "Johnny!" "That's what I ought to do." "But you're not worth it." "Line, please." "York 2-3-3-8." "Mr Harwood, please." "Mrs Morrison calling." "Will you ask him to call me, please?" "Yeah?" "Johnny?" "Oh, oh, yeah, Mrs Morrison." "George and me, we're Johnny's pals." "I know." "That's why I'm calling." "We had a quarrel." "He walked out on me." "Walked out on you?" "Well, don't you worry about a thing." "George and me, we'll bring him back if we have to frogmarch him." "Yeah, sure, he'll come over here." "Yeah, I'll call you as soon as he shows up." "That's all right." "Bye." "George." "Hey..." "That's right, he went out." "Quiet in there." "Quiet!" "I got a sick baby!" " George." " We eat eggs." " Johnny's wife just called up." " Yeah?" " That's swell." " No, it ain't swell." "He just walked out on her." " Did you hear from him?" " No, not yet." "He will come over here, though, won't he, George?" "Not if I know him, he won't." "But I just told his wife we'd bring him back." "What are we gonna do?" "Look, Buzz, there isn't anything we can do." "This is one problem Johnny's got to handle by himself." " Yeah, but if he's not going to..." " Forget it." "Whatever's the right thing to do, Johnny'll do it." "We got to do something." "We got to find Johnny." "Yeah, we'll talk about it afterwards." "Let's eat first." "We got real eggs." "Come on, crack 'em up, will you, while I get the rest of these things ready." "Buzz." " Yes, sir?" " Is Mrs Morrison in?" " Who shall I say is calling?" " Just say Buzz." " Buzz." "That's my name." " Oh. 93." "I'm sorry, Mrs Morrison isn't in." " Oh." " Would you care to leave a message?" " Well, you mind if I wait around?" " Not at all." "It's over there." " Huh?" " The bar." "Oh, thank you." " Bourbon." "In a minute." "Didn't we meet at the Blue Dahlia the other night?" "I may have been there." "We certainly didn't meet." "I'm sure we have mutual friends..." " Hey, you, that's my seat." " Go pick yourself an orchid." " Masterful type." " All I want is a drink, and quick." " Hey, how about that?" " Take one of mine." " Thanks." " Mmm." " Umm." "Scotch." " So they tell me." "I'll buy you a drink some rainy night." "It's raining now." "All right, I'll buy you a drink." "And no passes." " Uh-huh." " What's the matter, don't you believe me?" "Uh-huh." " Okay, so I won't buy you a drink." " Uh-huh." " That's the end of that conversation." " Wait a minute." "You can buy me a drink." "Only not in this joint." "I've had enough of it." "Come on." " It's really coming down now." " We haven't far to go." "Look, you don't want to go out in that." "Why don't we go back to the bar?" "Anyway, I came here to see somebody, and I ought to stick around till she gets here." "Well, you can phone from my place and leave word where you are." " You live here?" " Sure." "Come on." "What's the matter?" "Scared?" " You free?" " Sorry, no pickups tonight." " Good evening, Mr Harwood." " Good evening, Melanie." " It's kind of wet out, isn't it?" " It certainly is." "Hello, Eddie." "You're early." " Evening, Leo." "How's everything?" " Took in seven grand last week." "That's fine." " Have a drink?" " No, thanks." "You're alone tonight, huh?" "Good." "I was afraid that Morrison dame was getting to be a habit." "Look, Leo, you run the Blue Dahlia, I'll take care of my private life." "We're hooked up together, Eddie." "You get in a jam, I get in a jam." "You can forget Helen Morrison." "Her husband's back from the South Pacific." "Let him take care of her." "Uh-huh." "If you think my wife left me because of another woman, it was something else entirely, Leo." "Like how you make some of your dough?" "Like your putting in with people like me?" "It's quite possible." "She was in the bar a little while ago." "She just left." "Gave me a message for you." "She's going out of town for a few days." "Save some money on flowers." "She could have told me that herself." "Maybe she figured it would sound worse coming from me." " Any cheques for me to sign?" " Yeah, there's a few." "You, uh..." "You ever know a guy named Quinlan?" " Never heard of him." " Did a stretch somewhere back east." "Not interested, huh?" "Okay." " Don't get cute with me, Leo." " Nothing cute about it." "I heard this Quinlan spoke to you in the parking lot the other night." "When you were with Mrs Morrison." "Called you by some other name." " Did he?" " Not if you say he didn't." "But it doesn't matter now, anyway." "Quinlan was bumped off a few nights ago over on East 5th." "What makes you think I'd be interested?" "Just don't get too complicated, Eddie." "When a man gets too complicated, he's unhappy." "And when he's unhappy, his luck runs out." "Yeah?" "Just a minute." "She's calling you." "The Morrison dame." "Hello, baby." "I was just gonna call you." "Well, it's about time." "I've been calling you all evening." "Hold on a minute." "Hello?" "No, of course he's not here." "No, he hasn't just stepped out." "He's gone." "G-O-N-E." "Gone." "He'll be back all right, baby." "It's all my fault." "I think he's a nice guy." "He was so far away, and I'd never seen him." "I guess I didn't realise how it looked." "Now wait a minute." "I'm not hinting." "I'm saying it straight out." "I think we better call it a day." "Supposing I don't want to call it a day?" "Two walkouts in one evening would be just a little too much for me, Eddie." "Ever think of that?" "And if I don't want to call it a day, I'm quite sure you won't for a very good reason." "I'd better come over and talk to you, huh?" "Say half an hour?" "Right." "I told you she was poison." "They're all poison sooner or later." "Almost all, anyway." "Get in." "Well, you could get wetter if you lay down in the gutter." "I wasn't trying to get wet." "You ought to have more sense than to take chances with strangers like this." "It's funny, but practically all the people I know were strangers when I met them." "I'm going to Malibu." "Is that any use to you?" " What's in Malibu?" " Houses." "People." " I have some friends there." " Any hotels?" "Motel, maybe." "Pick up many people like this at night?" "Not many." "Only one or two at a time." "You're right." " Right?" " That wasn't funny." "I'm sorry, but nothing's very funny to me tonight." "It all blows up in your face sometimes, doesn't it?" "What does?" "Whatever you're doing." "Wherever you're going." " I thought you were going to Malibu?" " I flipped a coin." "Heads, I go to Malibu." "Tails, I go to Laguna." "What happens if the coin rolls under the davenport?" "We go to Long Beach." "Oh, you can smile." "I was beginning to wonder." " Sure you won't have one?" " No, thanks." " My bag in your way?" " No." "I was just wondering what the JM stood for." " You don't have to wonder." "I'll tell you." " Well, that's no fun." "Let me see." "How about Jack Mason?" "That's fine for somebody named Jack Mason." "Well, then, how about Jeremiah McGonigle?" "Nobody was ever named Jeremiah McGonigle." " Why?" " I think I like Jeremiah McGonigle." "Dull." "No sense of humour." "Well, that's two strikes on me." " How about Jimmy Moore?" " Jimmy Moore?" " Is that really your name?" " Don't you like it?" "I once knew a boy by the name of Jimmy." "He had rabbit teeth." "I guess I'll learn to forget him, though." "I was only eight years old then." "Are you sure that coin you flipped came up heads?" "Yes." "Why?" " That was Malibu we just passed." " Was it?" "Where have you been?" " Out." " Out where?" " Guess I got lost." " You guess?" "Don't you know?" "Yeah, I got lost." " Where's Johnny?" " Johnny hasn't been here." "Johnny?" "Buzz, are you all right?" "Certainly I'm all right." "Why wouldn't I be all right?" "What's the idea of running out without telling me?" "You've been gone a couple of hours." "Well, for Pete's sake, you might at least say something." "I'm sleepy, George." "I'd better telephone my friends or they'll think something's happened." "I won't be long." "Jimmy!" "What's the idea?" " It's the end of the line." " Is it?" "It has to be." "It's a long way back to Malibu." " What about you?" " I'll make out." "And if I knew how, this is where I'd say thanks for everything." "I didn't do it for thanks." "I know that." "Well, don't you even say good night?" "It's good-bye." "And it's tough to say good-bye." "Why is it?" "You've never seen me before tonight." "Every guy's seen you before, somewhere." "The trick is to find you." "And now, folks, bright and early on this beautiful sunny day, flowers are fresh from the rain, and there isn't a cloud in the sky." "Bringing you once again your favourite breakfast programme," "Melodies of the Morning." "Well, well, well, unk-dray again." "Couldn't make it to bed, huh?" "Honey, I don't know where you put it." "Come on, now, let's..." "Oh, brother." "Yeah?" "What's that?" "I'll be right over." "And call Mr Hughes." "Over there." "Out." "Keep your mouth shut." "Ever know me not to?" " Looks like there was a brawl here." " Yeah." " Been dead for hours." " Suicide?" " Could be." " Better be." "Uh-uh." "Too much gun." "Now, don't start playing detective, Dad." "We'll have enough of that from the professionals." " What's the number down there?" " Don't you think we ought to" " look around a bit before we call the police?" " Don't be a fool." "The sooner we get started, the sooner we'll get her out of here." " What's the number?" " Michigan 5-2-1-1." " Good morning." " Good morning." "We will now continue with our morning music." "Helena!" "I'll take a number three with orange juice." "Remember me?" " What happened to Malibu?" " I guess it's where we left it." " I stayed here at the inn." " Why?" " Do I have to have a reason?" " No." " It's nice after the rain, isn't it?" " Uh-huh." "I didn't expect to see you again." "Jimmy, why don't you go back and fix it up before it's too late?" "Maybe you'd like it better if I'd mind my own business." "You think you could?" " I could try." " It's my wife." " Had an idea it might be." " And there's nothing to fix up." "And if there was, I wouldn't want to fix it up anyway." "What about you?" "You weren't going to Malibu last night." "You were trying to run out on yourself." "Like me." "Maybe you're right." "Well, where do we go from here?" "We don't go anywhere." "We said good-bye last night." "You catch the bus for up north, and I go back to Malibu." "That's right." "Could we take a walk along the beach first?" "And look for moonstones?" "The tide's out." "We can even go wading, if you like." "If I run upstairs and change my shoes, will you be here when I get back?" " Uh-huh." " Not like last night?" "No." "The discovery occurred early this morning when neighbours..." " Cheque, please." " Yes, sir." "The cause of her death has so far not been definitely established." " Los Ángeles, all aboard." " Sought for questioning is her husband," "Lieutenant Commander John Morrison, recently returned from the South Pacific." "Lieutenant Commander Morrison is described as about 28 years old, weight 160 pounds, light brown hair, light brown or blue eyes." "When last seen he was wearing civilian clothes with a navy raincoat, and was carrying a civilian suitcase." "Her lifeless body was found sprawled on a davenport in her exclusive Wilshire Boulevard hotel bungalow." "Passengers for bus 382 leaving for Los Ángeles." "All aboard." "The discovery occurred early this morning when neighbours complained about the loud playing of the radio." "The cause of her death has so far not been definitely established." " That's mine." " Oh, no it ain't." "Wait a minute, now." " Okay, okay." "Let's measure." " All right." " Anything for us?" " Nope." "Get your junk off this bench." "You fellows wait here." " How do you like being pinched, George?" " We're not pinched." "Relax." "What's the difference?" "They brought us here and we're here." " What's your name, copper?" " Save it." "Maybe they don't have names." "Maybe they just have numbers." "Calm down, can't you?" "How long do we have to wait here, copper?" "Until the captain gets ready for you." "And don't call me copper!" "Get that, George?" "He says don't call him copper." "Pipe down." "Is it all right if we smoke too, copper?" " You want to make trouble?" " Yeah, you want some?" " Here." " Hmm." "George?" "Thanks, copper." "Where's Captain Hendrickson's office, please?" " Right there." " Get this guy." " Who is he?" " Eddie Harwood." "Owns the Blue Dahlia." " Hold it, Mr Harwood." " Nothing doing, fellows." "Skip it." "Captain Hendrickson, please." "I'm Eddie Harwood." " Just have a seat." " Hello, Mr Harwood." "Hello, Dad." " Okay." " And Harwood's here, too." "Good." "Push the buzzer, will you, Cap?" "Captain Hendrickson's office, homicide bureau." "Detective Lieutenant Lloyd speaking." "Call back, please." "Shoot." "Captain Hendrickson's office, homicide bureau." "Detective Lieutenant Lloyd speaking." "Call back, please." "Okay, stand by." "Who do you want first, Cap?" "Oh, let's take Harwood, pity to keep him waiting." "Right." "Come in, Mr Harwood." "I won't take up much of your time, Mr Harwood." "But I always like to meet the people involved in an investigation." " Involved how?" " Sit down." "You knew Mrs Morrison well, didn't you?" "Fairly well." "How long have you known her?" " You've got all that." " So I have." "Slightly less than a year." "Met her through mutual friends." "Correct." "She owned a business in Beverly Hills." "You have any interest in that?" "I loaned her some money when she first bought it." "The money's been repaid." "I see." "Purely a business transaction." "I'd regard a secured loan at 6% as a business transaction." "I suppose you think I'm wasting your time?" "You're married, aren't you, Mr Harwood?" "My wife and I are separated." "You want to know why?" "Not unless it has a bearing on your relations with Mrs Morrison." "It hasn't." " Where is Mrs Harwood at the moment?" " No idea." "Any idea where she was last night?" "No." "Look here, Hendrickson, if you think my wife had anything to do with Helen Morrison's murder..." "So you're taking it for granted that Mrs Morrison was murdered, are you?" " Well, wasn't she?" " We haven't called it murder so far." "Yes, but the newspapers..." "Well, then I just assumed it." "Sure, but you're quite right." "She was murdered." "We have the autopsy report now and nitrate tests of her hands." "Well, thanks for coming in, Mr Harwood." "I guess that's all for now." "Am I under suspicion?" "I don't know." "How do you feel about it?" "Hello, George?" "Isn't George there?" "George Copeland." "No, George isn't here right now." "Who's this calling?" "Who's calling, I said!" "There's just one thing I'd like you gentlemen to bear in mind." "Even if you are close friends of Morrison's, you can't help him to hide out, so don't try." "I'm an attorney, Captain." "I understand perfectly." "I'm glad to hear it." "If he gets in touch with you, make him come in." " It's the only sensible thing for him to do." " Baloney!" "If you think we're gonna help you tie a murder to a guy who's flown us through 112 missions, you're off your nut!" "We haven't accused Morrison of murder so far." "No, what's holding you up?" "Have these men driven back to their apartment." "Bring in that Newell." "Any chance for a room here?" "I'm sorry, sir, we haven't had a vacancy in eight weeks." "Do you know where I can find one?" "That's a pretty difficult thing to say these days." " I'm afraid I can't help you." " All right, thanks." "You!" "Just a minute!" "Got a match?" "Okay." "Use one of my own." " Suitcase gets kind of heavy, don't it?" " Yeah, what's it to you?" "Every hotel in town's loaded." "Thought I might be a little help." "Little place down on Santa Monica boulevard." " What's the racket?" " If you think it's a racket, call a cop." " How far away is this place?" " About six blocks." "Transportation and everything." "Okay?" "Okay." "You saw Harwood go up to this dame's apartment and knock on the door." "No answer." "He went away." "Went away where?" "Well, you see Captain, there's a side gate to the hotel grounds..." "We've seen the joint." "Well, that's where he went out." "What time was this?" " I've told you gentlemen..." " Tell us again." "It was about 7:00." "It was raining." " You like standing in the rain?" " I got to make my rounds." "See if everything's okay." "Nobody cutting up too much." "You got a passkey to the bungalows?" " Surely you don't think I had..." " Why not?" "Plenty of genial old parties like you commit murders." "That isn't a very nice thing to say, Captain." "Mrs Morrison's lights were on." "The radio was going." "Why would I want to get in?" "You tell us?" "She didn't answer when Harwood knocked." " Didn't that interest you?" " Would that be any of my business?" "You boys got a nice technique." "Had me worried for a minute." "No hard feelings, of course." "That's all, Newell, for now." " This is a terrible thing for the hotel." " Kind of tough on the Morrison dame, too." "Go on, beat it!" "You call this dump a hotel?" "That's what the sign said." "Clean sheets every day, they tell me." " How often do they change the fleas?" " Hmm, very funny." "Customer, Corelli." "That'll be 10 bucks." "In advance, Mr Moore." " That'll be 10 for us, too." " What?" "Our commission." "Get it?" " Give me back that money." " You ain't going to get difficult, are you, pal?" "Okay, boys, you win." " Hot, ain't it?" " Yeah." "Hi, Corelli." "Anybody up here belong to that Plymouth down front?" "Why?" "Some crazy woman driver just tore a fender off it." " I didn't hear nothing." " No?" "What's a fender?" "Forget it." " Your car?" " Could be." "Come on down, then." "We got to make a report." "Let's skip it, huh?" "You heard what I said, didn't you?" "Come on down." "That's a hot car!" "Come on, get back here." "Come on get up, you." "Come on, quick." "Turn around." "That's it." "You want to play rough, huh?" "You boys make it easy for us." "All right, get going." "Who are you?" " Jimmy Moore, San Francisco." " That right, Corelli?" " Yeah, he just registered." " Okay." "Get moving." "Thanks, pal." " You still want that room?" " If you're sure nobody's dead in it." "Right back this way." "You live in San Francisco, Mr Moore?" " Yeah, when I'm there." " Nice town." "I like it here better." "Anything you need, just ask for it." " Where's your phone?" " Back down the hall." "Grenada Towers." "Mr Harwood, please." "Good evening, Mr Harwood." "Who let you in?" "Housemen don't have much trouble getting into places." "I come up the fire stairs." "Thought it was a good idea not to be seen." " Drink?" " I don't mind if I do." "Easy on the water." "I told the homicide boys a good straight story." "They're satisfied." "For today, anyway." "But you know how these dicks are." "Tomorrow they might get to figuring I was holding something back." "Nice." "And were you holding something back?" "Well, I hung around a while." "After you knocked on Mrs Morrison's door, I mean." " Pretty wet, wasn't it?" " Weather don't bother me." "Used to be a copper myself." "Fifteen years of it." "Sit down." " How much do they pay you over there?" " Twenty-eight a week and found." " Not very much, is it?" " No, it's not, for a fact." "Well, thanks." "So you thought you'd like to make a little more." "That's why you're here, huh?" "Oh, you got me all wrong, Mr Harwood." "I just thought..." "Yeah, I know, I know." " How old are you, Dad?" " Going on 57." "Well, you've got a lot of life left in you, unless you get careless." "I don't aim to get careless." "The cops don't pay you any money, and I do." "Here." "Gee, this sure is white of you, Mr Harwood." "Yes, isn't it?" "Finished your drink?" "No, I..." "Well, I guess I better be going now, Mr Harwood." "Wait a minute." " You forgot your cigar." " Oh, I..." "I think it's out." "Cigars go out awful easy, don't they, Dad?" "Good night." "Hello, Eddie." "Hello, baby." "Long time no see." "Not so long, is it?" "You even send these blue flowers to yourself, don't you?" " I thought you went out of town." " I came back." "You still have this around." "Sentimentalist, aren't you?" "I only wish I had you with it." "Sure, I know I've got lots of faults, but being in love with you isn't one of them, is it?" "Look, baby..." "It's too late, Eddie." "Why?" "Why is it too late?" "Just is." "Helen Morrison didn't mean anything to me alive." "No?" "And she doesn't mean anything to me dead." "She means something to the police, though." "The police have the whole story." "My part of it, in any case." " How do they like it?" " As well as they ever like anything." "Well, I guess everything's lovely, then." "Who did kill her, Eddie?" "Don't you read the papers?" "I don't have to believe everything I see in them." "Well, if Morrison didn't kill her, he certainly set himself up pretty." " The gun even had his initials on it." " Careless of him." "I met him." "He's the kind of guy who wouldn't care much what he did." " When he walked in on that party..." " He didn't like it." "How would you know?" "I know the kind of party it would be." "Well, so long as I know you're all right, Eddie?" "So I do mean that much to you?" "I guess so." "Take me to the mezzanine, please." "Yes, sir." " Is Mr Harwood in?" " I'll see." " What name, please?" " Moore." "Mr Harwood?" "Give me the desk, please." "Mr Harwood's line is busy at the moment." " What's his apartment number?" " I'm sorry." "You'll have to be announced." "I'll try again in a moment." "Desk." "Who?" "Just a minute." "For you, sir." "Me?" "Hello." "Please don't ask any questions." "Get out of the hotel right away." "Yeah, but why does it take so long?" "Because when a man's in the service, they file his photo in Washington." "They have to get it from there." "What I'm wondering is, who glommed the photo the maid said was in the bedroom?" " If my name was Morrison, it would be me." " Yeah." "The description we got could fit 1,000 guys." "Mr Harwood, please." "Captain Hendrickson calling." "Yes, sir." "Mr Harwood." "Anybody following us?" "I don't think so." "That's too bad." "Do you want to get caught?" "When did you find out that somebody was trying to catch me?" "This morning when I saw you get rid of your coat." "Are you angry at me for trying to help you, Jimmy?" "Maybe you'd better call me by my right name." "None of this would make any sense if you didn't know it." "All right, Johnny." "Johnny's quite a nice name, too." "But Jimmy didn't have the police after him." "It takes a lot of lights to make a city, doesn't it?" "I know you didn't kill your wife, Johnny." " You do?" "How?" " Just from knowing you." " You don't know me that well." " Well enough." "You think you have to find out who did kill her, though, don't you?" "Something like that." "I suppose you wonder why I don't let the police do that job." "Have I acted as if I thought that?" "They're looking for me." "And if they catch me, they're not gonna worry about trying to pin it on somebody else." " I've thought of that, too." " That isn't all." "Even if we weren't happy, Helen was my wife." "And the man who killed her isn't gonna get away with it." "He just thinks he is." " You're talking about Eddie Harwood?" " I didn't mention any names." "Who else could it be?" "I wouldn't know." "Would you?" " It seems you know more about it than I do." " Do I?" "Things like picking me out of the air at a hotel desk." "You get around, don't you?" "And your timing's good." "It was good last night when you picked me up in the rain." "Or was it?" "I don't know." "I don't know anything." "I don't even know your name." "Johnny, you'll have to trust me." "I have something to settle, too." " You'll have to trust me a lot." " Why?" "I haven't got time to play games." "Suppose you keep your secrets, and I'll keep mine, huh?" "Okay, Johnny, if that's the way you feel about it." "Coming?" "Turn that radio down." "Turn it down, I tell you!" "Hey, calm down, can't you?" "Other people have to live." "This headache I got don't calm down." " Why don't Johnny call up or something?" " Maybe he forgot the number." "Maybe he doesn't want to take the chance." "Maybe he's not even in L.A." "That's three maybes." "You're not stuck, are you?" "You know, I used to think of Johnny on the dodge like a cheap criminal." "He ought to go straight to Hendrickson and tell him his story." "Sure, tell it to the cops." "Maybe you like cops." "Well, I don't." "I hate their guts." "And you better hope you never tell it to the cops, either." "What you need's a drink." "Let me see." "I seem to have misplaced your name at the moment." "Where were you keeping it?" "But you're a friend of John Morrison's, aren't you?" "Never heard of him." "Come on in." "Who are you?" "I work over at the Cavendish Court." "Newell's the name." "They call me Dad." " You work at what?" " Well..." "You're the house peeper, ain't you?" "Yeah, some folks call me that." "I don't suppose you gentlemen know where Mr Morrison is, do you?" "Would we be likely to tell you?" "No, I suppose not." "Would information about his movements be worth anything to you?" "Depends on what the information is." "Well, information ain't always so easy to get." " Quit stalling." "Where did you see Johnny?" " I haven't said I did see him so far." " This guy's looking for a piece of change." " You just think of that?" "Well, as a matter of fact, it was a long walk over here." "Why don't you call a couple of those cops you're so fond of?" "He's been cheating on their terms." "Oh, now wait a minute, gentlemen." "You've got me all wrong." "Would that be possible?" "I happened to be going by Mr Harwood's hotel this evening..." " Oh, you put the bite on Harwood, too, huh?" " I resent that." "I saw Morrison go into the hotel and cross over to the desk." " Then what?" " I didn't have time to wait for any more." "He was standing at the desk when I left." "I had to get to work." " The guy really likes his work." " And how." " Where does Harwood live?" " Grenada Towers on Wilshire." " You know everything, don't you?" " Oh, I get around." " That all you've got to tell us?" " So far it is." "Well, thanks." "Nights, Mr Harwood usually goes to his club, the Blue Dahlia, if that's of any interest to you." "Haven't I seen you before?" " Before what?" " Seems to me last night in the rain." "Or, of course, I could be mistaken." "Good night." "Mr Harwood, please." "Mrs Harwood calling." "Eddie?" "Yes, it's me." "I've changed my mind about something." "Do you want to take me out tonight?" "Find what you wanted?" "You look good in a uniform." "Nice kid, too." "Yours?" "Why didn't you tell me you was hot?" "I've taken care of lots of hot boys." "All it takes is a little of that." "What makes you think I'm hot?" "You ain't talking to one of them cheap heist guys, like them mugs that brought you here." "I've been in this business a long time." "Jimmy Moore, huh?" "Seems like I read somewhere, could have been the paper, about a guy named Johnny Morrison, the cops wanted to talk to on account his wife got croaked." "No comment, huh?" "Suit yourself." "Maybe I better keep this while you think things out." "Yes?" "Corelli?" "Who's he?" "Never mind." "Put him on." "You Leo?" "I run a joint over in Santa Monica." "A guy come in here tonight and registered as Jimmy Moore." "Get the initials?" "JM." "He's a navy flier." "That mean anything to you?" "Is he there now?" "Oh, moved out on you?" "You don't seem to have much to sell, do you, Corelli?" "Huh?" "Sure, sure." "Yeah, I'll take care of you." "So long, Corelli." "You're certainly a hard man to catch up with." "Am I?" "Nice to know you, Mr Moore." " That is your name, isn't it?" " You know my name and why I'm here." "I don't, but you can tell me while I finish dressing." "If I were in your shoes, I'd be 500 miles away." "Half the cops in L.A. Are looking for you." "Only half?" "All I have to do is pick up that telephone, you go out of here in handcuffs." "Why don't you?" "I don't happen to be that kind of rat." "What kind of a rat are you?" "I'm not a police informer, anyway." "Neither am I." "So far." "Whatever that means." "You rate yourself a pretty tough boy, don't you?" "Tough enough to find out who killed my wife." "Well, everybody seems to think you killed her." "Not quite everybody." "I think you killed her." "Don't be a dope." "Just because I took Helen out a couple of times, and you put on that injured husband act." "What's a dope in your book?" "A guy without sense enough to get out while he can." "And hole up in some quiet place where people don't know you." " Nobody knows me here." " They soon will." "Easy for you to call." "Me?" "I'd have to call long distance." " I still don't get it." " No?" "How long has it been since you were in New Jersey?" "I don't get that, either." "Just why New Jersey?" "Are you gonna answer the door, or let them break it down?" " Hello, baby." "Get you a drink?" " Oh, not now, thanks." "I'll wait." "I'll just be a minute." "What made you change your mind?" " You still have trouble with your bow tie." " Oh, come..." "I'm sorry." "This is Mr Moore." "Mr Moore, my wife." "How do you do, Mr Moore?" "I'll get my coat." "Oh, uh, fix yourself a drink." "Well, why don't you say it?" "I might just as well have told you." "You would have read it in the papers tomorrow, anyway." "I didn't save myself much, did I?" "You don't owe me an explanation." " I didn't want it this way." " I'll bet you didn't." "Johnny, don't you realise you're in danger here?" "That isn't what worries me." "I came here to do something." "But you fixed that, too." " Johnny!" " So long, baby." " Come on, George, will you hurry up?" " Are you boys going somewhere?" "Well, for crying out loud." "Come in here." "Hey, George!" "Johnny!" " Gee, am I glad to see you." " What a heel you turned out to be." "Where you been keeping yourself?" "Well, I tried to call you, but some strange voice answered the phone." "That was the cops." "They took us down for questioning." "Are you all right?" "Depends on what you mean by all right." "Hey, you got a drink?" " You bet." "You want it in a glass or a funnel." " As usual." "Bourbon straight with a bourbon chaser." "Coming up." "Oh..." "This is for me." " You guys did all right for yourselves." " Here you are." "Pour that into you." "What are you gonna do, Johnny?" "Any ideas?" "It's pretty obvious." "I haven't much choice." "You're not going to give yourself up to the cops?" " Why not?" " Johnny's right." "The longer he hides out, the tougher it'll be." "And he can't hide out forever." " Not if somebody rats on him, he can't." " Meaning me, I suppose?" "Johnny, did that house peeper see you downstairs?" "House peeper?" "The one at the Cavendish Court, he was here just a while ago." " He saw you go into Harwood's hotel." " I wonder what he was doing there." "Maybe there was a buck in it." "George, what do you think my chances are if I give myself up?" "With a record like yours and after what happened, no jury in the world would convict you." "We're not gonna take that chance, Johnny." "You and me are gonna scram out of here." "The cops won't be looking for two guys." "Hey, wait a minute." "You boys think I killed her." "Well, it doesn't make any difference what we think." "Legally, you..." "Legally?" "You can skip the rest of it." " Don't be a fool..." " Come on." "Get out of the way." "Johnny, it don't matter to me what you've done..." "Let go of me." "Johnny, wait a minute." "Well, I hope you're satisfied." "Morrison." "I guess you've been expecting this, haven't you, Mr Morrison?" "How much dough did you give that house peeper?" " Why?" " All you bought yourself was a pinch." "Take a look." "They got him." "Now, maybe we can do something." "Hey, this isn't the way to headquarters." "Let me see that badge again." "This is a courtesy badge." "You got courtesy, didn't you?" " Can you handle him alone?" " Yeah." "Hope I didn't hit him too hard." "We might need him for bait." "Hold it." "Give it to him." "Wise guy, huh?" "Mr Harwood, there are two men asking to see you." " Any idea what they want?" " I'm sorry, they wouldn't tell me." "Suppose they'll tell me?" "These night club monkeys do all right for themselves, don't they, George?" "Looks like there's a living in it." " You wish to see me?" " We're friends of Johnny Morrison's." " Well?" " You've heard of him, haven't you?" "Come into my office." " Have a seat." " We'll stand up." "What's on your mind?" "About half an hour ago, Johnny was picked up outside our apartment by a couple of plainclothesmen." "Well, that's the best thing that could've happened to him, isn't it?" "That's what we thought half an hour ago." "Only they didn't happen to be plainclothesmen." "We checked at headquarters." "And are you surprised?" "Maybe you ought to tell me what you're talking about." "Here's a guy you really got to draw a picture for, George." "Take it easy." "Take it easy." "That's all you do." "Take it easy." "What does it get you?" "What did it get Johnny?" "Maybe you could answer that, funny face." "Before you answer that, get this through your head." "If anything happens to Johnny, you're looking at a couple of guys who'll spend a lot of time taking care of whoever did it." " I'll remember that, if it seems important." " We'll take care of that, too." "Hello?" " Captain Hendrickson?" "Put him on." " These guys are full of nifties, George." "Yeah." "Just a minute." "Yes, Captain?" "We've dug up a little more information." "Something we're rather anxious to talk to you about, if you can spare the time." "I'll be right down, Captain." "I'm leaving now." " Okay?" " We'll wait till you get back." "Make yourselves at home." " Look at that thing." " Yeah, that's really something, ain't it?" " You think you busted it?" " Could be." " The table hit it plenty hard enough." " Here, you can put it in here." " I put some salt in." "It might help." " Ouch, that's hot!" "That does feel good." "Better tie him up, just in case." " Give me another drink, will you?" " Yeah." "How much dough was in the billfold?" " What billfold?" " Pretty good fountain pen, too, huh?" " Huh?" " What else did you get?" " Nothing." " Come on, hand it over." "Okay." "There's ethics in this business the same as any other." "Excuse me." "I thought my husband was in here." "Hmm, give a look." "Harwood's babe." "I bet she cost plenty, huh, George?" "How much would it cost to get you to button your lip just once?" "I'm sorry." "Mr Harwood went out." "You're George and Buzz, aren't you?" " Female detective." " Johnny told me about you." " Why would he tell you anything?" " It just so happens I'm a friend of his, too." "Since when?" "We only hit town yesterday." "How long does it take to become a friend of Johnny Morrison's?" "Oh, excuse me." "Captain Hendrickson's on the phone asking for Mr Harwood." "What shall I tell him?" "Tell him to soak his head." "Get out of here and close that door." "If I got to listen to any more of that monkey music, I'll..." "Mr Harwood's on his way to the Captain's office." " Just tell him he's left, Paul." " Yes, madam." "It's a shell fragment right above the ear." "It kept playing over and over and over again." "Like it was the only record they had." "It was in one of those ritzy bungalows." "Buzz, what are you talking about?" "I don't know." "What are you doing that for?" " Doing what?" " Picking at that flower." "I don't like it." "Say, that's funny." "That's the same monkey music they kept playing in the apartment next door." "All day long, beating in my head." "You've got to pull yourself together, fellow." "It wasn't next door, either." "It was someplace else." "The music was right in the same room with us, and she kept picking at that flower." "Just like you were doing." "Only she wouldn't stop." "She kept right on doing it." "Ow!" "Hello, this is Mr Harwood." "Is Paul there?" "What?" "Give me that again, slow." "Okay, tell him to relax." "I'll be right back." "Still playing the hotshot, huh?" "Don't look so disappointed." "The boys did their best." "Mr Bauer." "Would you mind telling me how you found out?" "Recognise that photograph on the floor?" "Well, read what's on the back of it." "That would be Helen." "She wasn't a girl to throw away this kind of information." "Why didn't you make sure of that before you killed her?" "In a hotel bungalow?" "With a. 45?" "I could've arranged things better than that." "Like you arranged this?" "This could've stood a little more polish, too." "Just a cigarette." "Maybe you're right at that." "I'm not much of a hotshot after all." "Such a nice clean start I had, too." "Helping another wild kid shoot a bank messenger back in Passaic." "And for free." "Didn't have a dime on him." "And I spent the next 15 years trying to kid myself it never happened." "I get to own a war plant, a night club." "I even marry a girl." "A girl who oughtn't to have given me the time of the day." "This is how I end up." "What makes it even worse is the cops aren't interested in either of us anymore." "They've already got their killer." "When?" "They caught up with him at the Blue Dahlia a little while ago." "One of your buddies." "He just confessed." "What are you trying to give me?" "There's the phone." "All right, repeat that." ""Newell:" "Okay, so she did give me a little dough" ""once in a while to keep my mouth shut." "What's so wrong with that?"" " That's the last I got." " Newell, come here." "Are you positive this is the man you saw go into the bungalow with Mrs Morrison?" "I told you I did, didn't I?" "Ain't that enough?" " It's our business to know what's enough." " Take it easy." "Now, let's get back to this shot you heard." "Seeing you finally made your mind up to tell us about it." "Oh, now, wait a minute, Captain Hendrickson." "I ain't trying to hold anything back." "It might have been backfire." "It ain't always so easy to tell." " What time was it?" " Near as I can figure, about 7:50." "And what time did you say this man got home?" "I didn't say." "I didn't even say he went out." "Quit trying to cover up for me, George." "Give them what they want." "What for?" "To back up the evidence of a cheap blackmailer?" " Hey, just a minute." " Shut up and sit down." "Over there!" "Come on, son." "You just about told us you killed her." "Why not give us the rest of it?" "Why do you have to keep pounding at him?" "What more do you want him to say?" "It's got to make sense to us, too, Mrs Harwood." "You didn't go there to kill her." "You'd never even seen her before." "What did she do that got you going?" "The things she said." "What she was." "What she did to Johnny." "She didn't even care." "All she did was pick at that flower." "And the gun lying right there in the chair, asking you to use it." "My head hurts." " I don't remember so good." " Sure you remember." "It's Johnny's wife we're talking about." "You remember Johnny's wife, all right." "Johnny." "Johnny." "George." "George, where's Johnny?" "Why ain't Johnny here?" "He'd know I wouldn't mean to do a thing like that." "No?" "Why wouldn't you?" "All you had to do was grab hold of the gun, jab it against her heart and squeeze the trigger." "That's the way it was, wasn't it?" "Come on, give out!" "Don't try to dummy up on us." "That's the way it was, wasn't it?" " Sounds like you said it all." " Johnny!" "Hello, Mr Morrison." "About time we got together." "Nobody's gonna get hurt with this, except maybe me." "Buzz." "Okay, Buzz, light it." "Johnny, you're crazy." " Let him alone, give him back that gun." " He can't do it anymore." "He can do it with his eyes shut." "On your feet, Buzz." "On your feet, I said." "Now give him back that gun." "All right, fella, light it up." "Okay, skipper." "I did it!" " I did it, didn't I, Johnny?" " Sure you did." "Jab it against her heart, huh?" "Still buying that?" "I have to." "That's how she was killed." " What says he killed her?" " It was his own idea." " Who sold him the idea?" " I did." " It would be me, wouldn't it?" " Would you mind telling me how?" "He got terribly upset when I began to pull the petals from this flower." "This is beginning to make sense." "He must have seen Helen do that, too." "It was my gun." "Helen and I were quarrelling." "We were loud." "You knew that." "You heard us." "Or didn't you tell them about coming through that door?" "Sure I did." "Kind of had to, didn't I, Mr Morrison?" "Well, you got a fall guy standing right in front of you." "What more do you want?" "I just happen to be dumb enough to want to get the right fall guy." "When your wife was killed, you were 50 miles north of here." "Lets you out, doesn't it?" "Lets Mrs Harwood out, too." "Makes things a little tough for us, doesn't it?" "Yeah, you're right out on a limb." "So all you've got left is to pick on him." " We've still got Harwood, if we can find him." " Well, you can count Harwood out." "That's interesting." "If you know where Leo's ranch is, maybe you better go take a look." "Think you can arrange that?" "Any further details?" "Look, Captain, I'm not trying to run your business." "You're doing fine." "I'm not proud." "You were swell in there a minute ago, Buzz." "Still got that old circus shot, ain't I, Johnny, huh?" "Sure you have, but you got to have a lot more." "Come on, tell me the part that counts." " Counts?" "The part..." " Yeah, come on, come on." "That's what they keep saying." "I hit that match just like I used to, didn't I, Johnny, huh?" "He can't remember, Johnny." "He just doesn't know." "Well..." "What's the matter with me, Johnny?" "There's nothing wrong with you, Buzz." "You just got to think." "You got to remember, that's all." "All right now, for me." "For me." "What happened in the bungalow?" "Come on, come on." "That's right." "Yeah, it was a bungalow, Johnny." "Yeah, and she..." "Come on." "She kept picking at that flower, Johnny." "Just..." "Just like that one over there." " Yeah." " She..." "And it was raining, and I..." " Come on, what happened, Buzz?" " Come on." "My head..." "The music was beating, Johnny." "Beating." "Beating, beating, beating, beating, beating!" "Music in my head, Johnny." "Is there a radio here?" "Johnny, you don't think I did it, do you, Johnny?" "Is there a radio here?" " Just the speaker from the dance floor." " Turn it on." "That monkey music again." "That monkey music." "Okay, she did buy me a drink." "What's wrong with that?" "I didn't even know who she was until she started talking about Johnny." "Will you cut that music out?" "Go on with the rest of it, Buzz." "Why did you kill her?" "Who says I killed her?" "You can't hand me that stuff." "Not even you." "I wouldn't dirty my hands on her." "All right, turn it off." "I didn't mean that, Johnny." "I just had to get out of there." "I couldn't take it anymore." "She called me back, but I just kept right on going." "And I don't know where." "I guess I must have gone home." "That's where I went, wasn't it, George?" "He was wet enough to have walked all the way." "He got home three minutes past eight." "Are you satisfied?" "You could have told us that a long time ago." "I guess you know why I didn't." "I wasn't sure enough when that shot was fired." "Are you sure now?" "You've got a witness, haven't you?" "A witness you yourself called a cheap blackmailer." "Now just a minute." "I could be called that once too often." "You be sure to tell us when to duck." "What makes you so top-heavy all of a sudden?" "For all anybody here knows, you could have killed Mrs Morrison yourself." "Except that you fixed the time." "Well, maybe I kind of made a mistake there." "Five or 10 minutes either way." "Be hard to tell." "I was kind of busy keeping the rain off my neck." "I ain't the wristwatch type, you know." "That umbrella of yours must've got pretty wet last night." "That's what I bought it for." "You ought to have left it on the porch, instead of letting it drip all over Mrs Morrison's carpet." " I did leave it on the porch." "That is, I..." " All right." "Might as well wrap it up for tonight." "We don't seem to be getting anyplace." "We'll want signed statements from all of you, but tomorrow will be time enough." "Yeah, I got to get back to the job myself." "Well, good night, all." "No hard feelings, I hope." "Oh, Captain, I wish you'd put in a good word for me with the hotel manager." "He's kind of sore at me." "Surely not for blackmailing the guests." "All right." "You don't really think you're going out that door, do you?" "What're you getting at?" "How much did you up the ante on her when her husband came home?" "What did she threaten to do?" "Get you fired?" "Or was she going to have Harwood's friends give you the treatment?" "Maybe she was going to blow a hole in you herself." "Only she wouldn't know how to handle that kind of a gun." "All you had to do was grab it out of her hand." "I guess even a very cheap blackmailer could do that." "Cheap, huh?" "Sure, a cigar and a drink and a couple of dirty bucks." "That's all it cost to buy me." "That's what she thought." "Found out a little different, didn't she?" "Maybe I could get tired of being pushed around by cops and hotel managers and ritzy dames in bungalows." "Maybe I could cost a little something, just for once." "And if I do end up on a slab..." "Boy, am I sunk." " And that was one of the easy ones." " We must be getting old." "I felt kind of sorry for the old gent at that." " Thanks, Bill." " You're welcome, Mrs Harwood." "Good night." "We seem to be saying good-bye again." "It won't be so difficult this time, I guess." "Last night when I made myself walk out on you, remember?" "I said every guy had seen you before." "Somewhere." " I remember." " But the trick was to find you." "I remember that, too." "Do you think I'd ever forget it?" "Let's go find someplace where we can get a drink, huh?" " We got to wait for Johnny." " We got to wait for Johnny?" "What do you think I am?" "A camel?" "Come on."