"Turningforhome, it's Regina by half a length." "It's Regina and Radio Choice." " Come on, come on, come on!" " Regina and Radio Choice head and head." "And here comes Galvail moving up fast in the middle of the track." "It's a driving finish, and it's going to be close." "It's a photo finish." "Oh, well, I hope my nag takes a good photograph." "The result of the race is official." " Well, Phyllis?" " Nope." "He was camera shy." " Shy $50." " Fifty dollars?" "You should have better sense than to bet that much money on one race." "Don't you realize the percentage is against you?" "It's gonna be with me in the next race." "I've got a sizzling tip on Banjo Boy." "Banjo Boy?" "That's Elliott Thomas's horse." " A 15-to-1 shot." " That's right." "He won't come within two seconds of the worst horse in the race." "You know, Pops, you're my pet handicapper... even if you are on the racing board." "But you can't make money on a favorite." "And baby needs new shoes." "You mean the allowance I gave you yesterday is all gone?" "You're broke?" "You made a magnificent summary of the whole case." "Lady Luck was no lady." "Absolutely not." "Not another nickel." " All right, Pops." " Phyllis, where are you going?" "Places." "Steve, I'm Phyllis Brighton." "Max sent me." "I wanna get 200 down on Banjo Boy." " Want that on the nose?" " That's the place it'll do the most good." "Look, I don't have the 200 with me." "I'm gonna leave this for security." " It's worth 500 in any hock shop." " Okay." " Hey, Steve, that brooch is as phony as a mother-in-law's kiss." " Yeah?" "How dare you!" "My father gave me that for a birthday present." "I ought to run her in." "She's been trying to peddle that plate glass all day." " It's a bad case." " Thanks for tipping me, Mike." " Okay." " Pardon me." "I don't believe I've had the misfortune." "No, I don't think we ever have met formally." "Your tactics don't call for much formality." "Why did you tell that man this wasn't genuine?" "If you pardon my humble opinion, I think you oughta show a deeper regard for sentiment." "I understood you to say that that was a birthday present." "You don't think I'd part with it, do you?" "I'd have bought it back with the money I won." "What money you won?" "When?" "With your nerve, I'd hate to have a tooth pulled." "Listen, your father's a good friend of mine." "I know how he took it on the chin for years... just to be able to give you pretty baubles like that." "I'm sure Pops'll be very grateful." " But if that horse wins—" " There they go!" "It's Banjo Boy and St. Louis." "Now it's Banjo Boy coming away." "And Banjo Boy, the winner!" "Wowee!" " What's got into you?" " I had money on that Banjo horse." " You did?" "How much?" " Two dollars." "I'm gonna collect." " I can't understand that horse winning." " I can." "And between you and your friends, a girl can't make an honest living." " What do you mean?" " I was about to put up my brooch for security... when some smart aleck came along and queered the deal." " He said he was a friend of yours." " Who was it?" "I don't know." "But he almost put my eye out with his key chain." " Oh, Mike Shayne." "Smart boy." " Not so smart." "He did me out of $3,000 I'd have won on Banjo Boy." " You might've lost." " That was a sure thing, Pops." "Yeah?" "Who gave you that tip?" " Harry Grange." " Harry Grange." "Oh, sure thing, eh?" "Now, Dad, remember your high blood pressure." " Freddy?" " Yes, sir?" " I hope you're all right on this." " All I did was give him his head." " He was full of run today." " We'll know when the saliva test comes back." "Yes, sir." " Good work, Freddy." " Thanks, Mr. Thomas." " Hello, Elliott." " Well, hello, Hiram." "That horse certainly showed himself." " I suppose you made a killing." " I sure did." "I cleaned up." "Thirty dollars." "Banjo Boy's been improving steadily in his workout." "But it was quite a surprise that he came through today." "Yes, it was quite a surprise." "You boys are making an awful mistake." "I got a lot of important cases coming up." "I'll pay you every cent." "The Eastside Furniture Company is terribly disappointed in you, Mr. Shayne." "Look out!" "Don't scratch that." "I'm gonna have all that stuff back by next week." "Hey, wait a minute." "Can't you just leave the file?" "All my records are in there." "I'm very sorry, sir, but such a request is out of my jurisdiction." " It'll have to go through the regular channels." " Hey!" "Well, how do you like that?" "Hello, Shayne." "Hello, Kincaid." "Sit down." " Make yourself at home." " Moving?" "Yeah, the place was too small." "You know how it is." " I got a case for you." " What kind of a case?" " Right down your alley." " What do I get paid off in?" "Nice pictures of Washington and Lincoln, with numbers on them." " Big numbers." " Now or when?" "A thousand now and the rest when." "Hold it, boys." "You heard the man." "Suppose you just wait outside until we conclude this deal... and then you can bring the stuff back in, hmm?" " There are two installments due." " Yeah, I know." "Now, you'll get it." "You'll get it." "Go on." "And if you don't mind, uh, close the door." "Moving, eh?" "Lucky I came." "Never mind about that." "What's the angle?" "A prominent citizen who can't afford to get his name in the papers... has just become involved in a little mix-up." " Who is he?" " You can't expect me to divulge the name of my client." " But don't worry about the money." "He's rolling in it." " Go on." "In order not to affect the track odds... my client gave a man $10,000 to spread around on a horse." "The horse paid off, but the man didn't." " Who's the guy?" " You know him." "Harry Grange." "Oh, Grange, yeah." "Sounds like Grange." "Well, what am I supposed to do?" "Benny Gordon is a friend of yours." "Grange is working for him." "I want you to talk to Gordon and make him put the pressure on." " It's a cinch." " Gordon mixed up in this?" " No, no." " Why should I put the pressure on Gordon?" "Because when you collect, there'll be 5,000 in it for you." "While you might think lightly of my profession, it has got its ethics." "Five thousand dollars'll buy a lot of ethics." " Not my kind." " You weren't so particular... when you handled that Kirby case and plenty others." "There's just a slight difference, Mr. Kincaid." "Kirby had nothing to do with the mess he got into." "Well, it wouldn't do you any good if I were to do a little talking." "That's just a reminder to stay out of my business." "Now, put that thing down before someone gets hurt." "Hello." "Hey, you—" "Hello." "Oh, hello, Mr. Brighton." "I've got to make a rush trip to New York." " How'd you like to take a case for me?" " A case?" "What is it?" "Apparently you know how to handle my daughter better than I do." "Of course, I'm only her father." "I want you to look out for her while I'm away." "Well, haven't you a pet wildcat you'd rather have me tame?" "Oh, just keep an eye on her." "You can do it." " Name your own fee." " "Fee"?" "Did you say "fee"?" "That's right." "Well, things are moving awfully fast around the office... but for an old friend like you, I think I can find time." "Fine." "Bye-bye." "All right, boys, move 'em back in." "I got the case." " You got the money?" " No, but it's all settled." "Come on." "Come on." "No, I'll help." "I'll—" "Hey— Hey— Look—" "Say, can't you take a guy's word for it?" " Evening, Mike." " Hi, Steve." "Say, tell Charlie to run a rag over this, will you?" "Shall do." " Thirty-four, red." " Well, there goes Little Phyllis." " All my rabbits have flatfeet." " You can't win all the time." "It's too bad you missed that killing at the track yesterday." "Easy, Harry." "That's my sore spot." "Say, you're doing all right there." "You've got a roll large enough to choke a horse, if you wanted to choke a horse." " I'll buy you another stack." " You have the beautiful faith of a child." "Maybe I ought to encourage it." "Lend me another 500." "I wouldn't if I were you, Grange." "Good evening, Miss Brighton." "Oh, look." "It's the red knight." "And I thought I was having bad luck." "Say, that gives me a hunch." "I'll go back and play red." "Maybe it would change your luck if we stayed out a while." "I don't believe Mr. Shayne approves of gambling." " No, I don't." " Stop encouraging him." "He'll be forward when he grows up." " Hi, Mike." " Is Benny upstairs?" " Yeah." " Good." "Now, you listen to me." "I've gone to a lot of trouble to bring you up." "I know what's best for you." "I won't have you running around with that Harry Grange." " Is that clear?" " What's wrong with him?" "Plenty." "Foronething, he doesn't care anything about you... or he wouldn't be chasing after that Brighton girl." "You probably told him to keep away from me." "I didn't." "But it's not a bad idea." "Am I interrupting anything?" "Hello, Marsha." "How are you, Benny?" "Hello, Mike." "I didn't hear you knock." "No, as a matter of fact, I didn't." "Say, Benny, how long has Harry Grange been shilling for you?" " That's a lie." "You and this two-bit dick—" " Shut up." "I won't shut up." "You're running Harry down because you know how I feel about him." " I said shut up!" " You don't care the snap of your fingers about me!" " Marsha!" " All you care about is—" " Now get out." " Uh, doesn't that belong to you, Marsha?" "It's a funny thing about girls." "You try to help them, that's the thanks you get." "Yeah, well, that's the younger generation." "Say, Benny, Harry Grange is at the roulette wheel with a friend of mine." "He's feeding her C-notes on credit." "She's much too young for that diet." "What am I supposed to do about it?" "Ask all my customers to bring their birth certificates with 'em?" "You got plenty of business here without sending talent scouts to the kindergartens." " Since when have you turned missionary?" " I said she was a friend of mine." " Then she ought to know the ropes." " Listen." "I want you to give her back the money she's lost, and I don't wanna get it the hard way." "This isn't charity day." "Look, I know everybody in this place." "I know you got a bunch of mechanics working for you downstairs." "I know you're operating a needle wheel." "Sure, Mike, I know how to run a place." "I'm in with the right people." "Now, don't tell me you're kicking back to the Lone Ranger." "Oh, stop clowning." "Grange isn't telling her to bet." "He may be lending her the money." "But why should I give it back?" "Because I asked you to." " Who's the girl?" " Phyllis Brighton." "Send Grange and that Brighton girl up here." " Thanks very much, Benny." " I'm doing this for you... because we've always been such good friends." " Sure." " I'm running a nice place." "I don't want any trouble." " Oh, have a cigar." " Thanks." "It's a good cigar." "Hasn't got that awful smell of tobacco, you know?" " Oh, hello, Mr. Gordon." " Good evening, Miss Brighton." "I'm sorry you've had such a bad streak of luck." "We like our customers to enjoy themselves." "Tell me, how much have you lost?" "Why, uh, practically nothing." " How much was it, Grange?" " Oh, about 2,000." "I'm returning your money to you, Miss Brighton." " The fun is on us." " That's ridiculous." "After all, if I'd won, I'd have taken it." "That's a very magnanimous gesture on the part of Mr. Gordon." "You'd better take it." "He may not feel in the mood again." "No, thank you, Mr. Gordon." "I prefer to get it back the hard way— by winning it." "Well, if that's the way you feel about it." "Wait a minute, Benny." "I'll take it for her." " So that's it!" " May I see you home, Miss Brighton?" "I wouldn't let you see me across the room!" " Good night, folks." " Let me go!" "What are you trying to get away with?" "That oughta be a lesson to you, Miss Brighton." "Never play the other fella's game." "Sorry, Benny." "You oughta know better than to mix with Shayne." "He's getting too big for that hat of his." "You're not helping any by giving in to him." "Don't worry about me." "Anytime I get pushed into handing out, I get it back, double." " Has my father left yet, Ponsby?" " No, miss." "He's in the study." "Quite a little nest you have here, Ponsby." "Yes, sir." "We think it rather cozy." "Cozy, huh?" "I bet if you walk in your sleep, you need a bicycle." "Pops, is it true you've engaged this Mr. Shayne to haunt me?" "You mean that he got you to come home at this hour?" "Don't you think you're carrying this a little too far?" "After all, I'm of age, and no nincompoop." "That's a matter of viewpoint." "All crazy people think they're sane." " Crazy?" " On one subject, yes." "Don't be a nincompoop!" "I won't have it!" "I won't be followed around by that— that—" "Yeah, that nincompoop." "So far, he's done very well." " That's what you think." " Hello, Michael." " Hello, Mr. Brighton." " Mighty quick work." "Don't let her out of your sight." "Where do you live?" "1472 Mulberry." "Why?" "You're gonna move right in here." "Ponsby'll get your things." " Are you sure you got room?" " I think so." "We'll put you in the west wing, opposite Phyllis." "Why, Hiram, haven't you left yet?" "Oh, yes, yes." "I've left." " Olivia, this is Detective Shayne." " Hello." " Mr. Shayne, this is Aunt Olivia." " A detective?" " Mike, I'll see you when I get back." " Yeah." " Bye, Olivia." " Bye." "Bye, baby." " Oh, Mr. Shayne, I've always wanted to meet a real detective." "I'm sort of a detective myself." "Just an amateur, of course." "But I've solved most of the Ellery Queen mysteries... and I did the baffle book without missing a single baffle." "Oh, no, I did miss one." "Now, let me see." "If you don't mind, I'm going to bed." " Not at all." "Let's go." " Oh, yes!" "It—" "Oh." "Oh, I remember now." "It was the great piano mystery." "The body was found under the piano." "His throat was strangled with piano wires... the soft pedal was found embedded in his neck... and somebody had completely severed the head from the body." " He was dead." " Oh, suicide, hmm?" " No, it was murder." " Tsk, tsk." "Really?" "Everythingpointed to a very suspicious butler... who had a passion for playing "Chopsticks."" "But, of course, I thought the murderer was a pet gorilla that belonged to the gardener." " And who do you think killed him?" " I don't know." " His sweet little innocent wife." " Oh, yeah?" " How'd you find that out?" " I looked in the back of the book." "This is your room, Mr. Shayne." " I'll have Ponsby bring you some things." " Oh, thanks very much." "Here's the key, if you wish to lock me in." "I wasn't going to, but since you insist." " Good night." " Good night, warden." " Anything else, sir?" " No, that'll be all, Ponsby." " Good night, sir." " Good night." "Oh." "Oh, Mr. Shayne, I forgot." "I must tell you about another very interesting story." "It's on the radio, and I wanted to get your opinion." "It seems there was a man married to his wife, and she killed him." " No one knew the motive." " Maybe he didn't have enough privacy." " Oh, no, you're not even warm." " Uh-uh." "When he was killed, they found a lock of his wife's hair in the back of his watch." "At least everyone thought it was his wife's hair." "But when they compared it, they found it was just ordinary cat's hair." " You know, like they use on cats?" " Mm-hmm." "Oh, go right ahead, young man." " I used to be an art student." " Uh-huh." "Now, uh, when they found the man... his wife's scarf was right beside the body." "It was a white scarf like the one Phyllis had on when she left." " And then—" " Phyllis?" "Left when?" "Well, just now when I passed her in the hall." "Just now?" "Oh, hello, Harry." "Say, I want to apologize for that watchdog Father unleashed on me." "You mean to say your father hired that keyhole dick?" " I'm afraid so." " Hello, Phyllis." "Hello, Mr. Thomas." "You know Mr. Grange." " Yes." "Good evening." " Good evening." " I haven't seen you around for quite a while." " Well, I—" " Would you pardon me?" "I'll be back in a few minutes." " Certainly." "Congratulations on Banjo Boy, Mr. Thomas." "Thanks." "Your father seemed a little skeptical about his ability to win." "You know Father." "He's of the old school." "It always annoys him when a long shot comes in." "Let's try the wheel, shall we?" "My palms are itching." " You go ahead." "My weakness is baccarat." " Oh." " Harry." " Oh, hello, Marsha." " I wanna speak to you." " A little later." " Don't give me that brush-off." " I'm busy." "Yes, I know." "You've been busy with that Phyllis Brighton." "If you think you can get rid of me that easily, you're crazy!" " Don't talk like that." " I'll talk, and you'll listen." "You've been pushing me around long enough." "I'm not taking it!" "Don't fly off the handle for nothing." "Be sensible about it." "We're washed up." "That's all." " What'll you have, Mr. Grange?" " Scotch and soda." "Oh, thanks." "Give me a scotch and soda, Jimmy." "How are you this evening, Mike?" "You've raised the question which will take quite some time to decide." " Hiya, Grange." " Shayne, I've had enough of you for tonight." "I'm not here on business this time." "I'm just slumming." "I'm really sorry that I had to cut in on you... but it was just part of my job." " Yeah, I know." "And now you're a nursemaid." " No." "I was." "She framed me." "When I took her home, she told her old man some lie... about me trying to make a play for her, and he fired me." " She's no fool." " No, sir." "Say, uh, who is that guy at the corner table there?" "You see?" " The guy with the blonde?" " I don't know." "I've never seen him before." "I've seen his face someplace." "You know, I found out one thing when I was on the carpet with old man Brighton." "It might interest you." "Well, I'll tell you outside." " Mmm." "Wait a minute." " What's the matter?" "I don't know what's wrong." "I feel kind of dizzy." "Maybe it's the fresh air." "You're not used to it." "Come on." "Sit in the car." "Say, Pete, have my car sent around, will you?" "I'm going right out." "Sure, Mike." "Hello." "Could I speak to Captain Painter, please?" " Hello?" " Hello!" "A- police, a-listen." "I'm a-campin' on Clark's Road, a- just half a mile a-past West Coast Club." "I'm a-lookin' for firewood and find the body of dead man in car!" "Yeah." "A-just off the road, yeah." "It's maybe murder." "Nineteen, red." "I thought there was some reason for my luck changing." " You know why I'm here, Miss Brighton." " All right." "I'll go quietly." "If you don't mind, warden, I'd like to make a small deposit on my debt to Harry Grange." "Grange?" "He isn't here." "I just saw him drive off in your car." " In my car?" " Yeah." "I can't understand why Harry took my car." "I'm sure I don't know." "Pardon me." "Say, isn't that your car?" "Well, it certainly is my car." "Harry." "Harry!" "He's been murdered!" " Well!" "And in your car." " Well, what'll we do?" "You wouldn't listen to me when I said you were running around with the wrong people." "If the police find out about this, you're gonna be in an awful fix." "You've got to help me." "You've got to—" "I'm very sorry, my dear." "There's nothing that I can do." "If you'd have listened to me... if you'd have stayed in your room back there when I locked you in... see, this wouldn't have happened." "Catsup." "Of all the cheap, phony gags." "So you thought you could scare me." "Wake up, Harry." "I'll take you home and sober you up." "Mike— Mike, look!" "He is dead." "He's been shot." "Say, you're right." "Well, that gag sure backfired." "I only pulled the old catsup routine to scare some sense into you." "But while I was gone, somebody put the real trimmings on." "Look, there's a gun." "Yeah." " It's not a gun." "It's my gun." " Your gun?" "Come on." "Let's get outta here before the police come." "The police?" "What do you mean?" " To do it up brown, I called 'em." " You did?" "Go on." "Get in the car." "Look, you go home, and you keep your mouth shut." "Go on." "Step on it." "I'll follow you right away." "Shayne, what are you doing here?" "Ask me later." "I haven't thought of an answer yet." "Still cracking wise, huh?" "Whoever called up was right, Chief." "The guy is dead." "He's been murdered." " Who is it?" " It's Harry Grange." "Grange, huh?" " You knew him quite well, didn't you?" " No better than you did." " Shake him down, Al." " All right." "What is this, Painter?" " Am I under arrest?" " What do you think?" "I think you're crazy, but don't let that influence you." "He's clean, Chief." " Is that your car?" " Yes." "Take it down to headquarters." "Look, Painter, let's stop kidding ourselves." "You know I got nothing to do with this case." "Shut up!" "Keep everyone away until the coroner gets here." "All right, Shayne." "When are you gonna start talking, Shayne?" "Not until my attorney gets out of law school." "Now, listen, you might just as well unload, because you're on a spot." "I know as much about this case as you do, which is absolutely nothing." "Listen!" "You've dummied up on me before... but this time I'm gonna have you on my hands until you start talking." "Then we oughta get to know each other pretty well." " Those tactics aren't gonna get you anywhere, Shayne!" " Hey." "Yeah?" "What?" "Who?" "Oh, hello, Gordon." "I've just heard a news flash that Harry Grange has been murdered." "I think you oughta know that he and Mike Shayne... had an argument in my office tonight." "Thanks." "Thanks a lot." "That's all I wanted to know." " All right, boys, come and get it." " And how!" " We've been waiting so long." " And make yourselves comfortable." " All right, Cap, let's have it." " Well, here's your story." "I'm holding Michael Shayne on suspicion of murder." " What?" " Michael Shayne?" "About an hour ago, I received an anonymous call telling me of the murder." "When I arrived on the scene, Shayne was there, and the body was still warm." "Well?" "And now Shayne refuses to explain why he was there!" " What's the motive, Cap?" " We have plenty of motive." "I just learned that Shayne and the dead man had an argument tonight." " How about it?" " You're in a spot." "Give us the lowdown, Mike." "Well, boys, looks like I'll have to do a little talking." " Say something." " You see, Painter wasn't the only one... that got an anonymous telephone call of the scene of the crime... because I got one too, but I know who called me." " Yeah?" " Who was it?" "At first, I didn't recognize the voice." "But it's just now come to me, because I've been listening to the same voice... right here in this room." "It was our captain of the Homicide Squad, Peter Painter." "Me?" "Why, you!" "He'll deny it, of course." "I expected that." "But it's logical, isn't it?" "You boys know how Painter's been out to get me." " And how." " Sure." "I get it." "You know I didn't make that call, Shayne." "You're just bluffing, hoping that I'll back down." "I don't care whether you back down or not." "Without a shred of material evidence, you were ready to try me in the papers." " Well, it works both ways." " And how." "Is that the way it's going to lie, Painter?" "Lie is right." "I don't want you boys to get off on only half-baked ideas." "You certainly don't believe that I called Shayne?" "Or, for that matter, if anyone called him." "We're not printing opinions." "We're stating facts." "I'll take my oath that you did." "If you want anyone to believe you're in the clear, pick up the man who did call." "While Shayne languishes in your bastille, working up a swell case of false arrest." "He's got you coming and going, Cap." "Well, how about it?" "Does that suspicion of murder charge still stand?" "No, not officially." "Now, look, fellas." "If I release Shayne... what occurred in this room tonight— off the record?" " Right?" " What do you want us to do, Mike?" "Just play the whole thing down." "It might help us catch the murderer." " Anything you say, Mike." " Hey!" "Here." " Sorry." " Use the phone outside." "Well, Shayne, you got me this time." " But I've just started with you." " Ah-ah-ah." "That kind of talk'll only get you in more trouble, Painter." "If you don't mind, I'm gonna clear out of this gas chamber." "How about the keys to my car?" "We're holding that for further investigation." "I can tell you now." "The trouble's in the carburetor." "Say, uh, what's the number on Mr. Kincaid's apartment?" "205." "But he's not in." " You got any idea when he'll be back?" " No." "He didn't say." "Uh-huh." "Okay, thanks." " Michael, what happened to you?" " Oh!" "Well, I-I tore my pants." "And your head." "What'd you do to it?" " It was open by mistake." " I'll get something for it." "No." "Forget it, forget it." "Hey!" "Doesn't anybody ever knock in this house?" "Sit down and be quiet." "I'm gonna ask the questions." "Where have you been all night, and what happened?" "Oh, practically nothing." "After you left... my car stalled, the cops picked me up." "Well, you didn't kill Harry Grange." "Well, you've got more sense than the captain." " He tried to pin it on me, but the pin wouldn't stick." " No." "It wasn't sharp enough." "Ooh!" " That burn?" " Oh, no, not at all." "Then hold still." "Where'd you get this cut?" "At some apartment house." "They had a sale on them." "For heaven's sake, say something sensible." "All right, I will." "Will you please get out of here and let me get dressed?" " Michael!" " What?" "Tell me, why would anyone wanna kill Harry Grange?" "Harry Grange was mixed up with every racket in this town." "Well, this is a fine time to tell me." "Listen, I've given you everything but a lecture with lantern slides." "I'm sorry, Michael." "Well, it's too late now." "Listen, will you please leave so I can get dressed?" "There's work to be done." "Well, I'm in this too, you know." "Why?" "Michael, it really is my fault you got into this scrape." " What is this?" "You going soft?" " Mm-hmm." " Maybe." " Yeah." "All my life, I never worried about anybody but myself." "Last night, I realized what a jam I'd gotten you into... and, well, I started worrying about you." "Don't you think that sort of thing ought to be encouraged?" "Yeah." "Mm-hmm." "All right." "You sit right here and keep on worrying." "I have do go down and get my gun before one of Painter's bloodhounds picks it up." " I'm going with you." " Oh, no, you're not." "Your dad is paying me plenty to keep you out of trouble." "He told you not to let me out of your sight, didn't he?" " Okay, but I'll bet you'll be an awful nuisance." " I'm not taking any more bets." "On the level?" "Okay." "Will you get out of here and let me get dressed?" "And hurry!" " You wait here." " Can't I come along, warden?" " Stay here and watch." " Haven't you got any seats left in the balcony? Oh, pardon me, stranger." "I'm a detective investigating a murder that occurred here last night." " I wonder if you could give me a little help." " A murder?" "Here?" "I don't know anything about it." "This is the first time I've fished here." " Look." "I didn't even catch any fish yet." " All right." "Hold it." "I'm looking for clues, and I want a reputable witness in case I find any." "Well, not me." "I'm supposed to be working today." "If my wife finds out—" "You wouldn't want an innocent man to go to jail now, would you?" "You can't put me in jail." "I didn't do anything." "All I want you to do is verify any clues that I find." " Come on." "We'll look around." " I don't know anything about clues." " I couldn't even find any fish around here." " Uh—" " I don't like this." "If my wife—" " Oh." "Hey, it's a gun." "Is that a clue?" "It's a gun, all right." "What I want you to do... is make a sworn statement as to what you've just witnessed here." "I couldn't do that." "If it got in the newspaper and my wife—" "It won't get in the papers." " You're a resident of Los Ángeles, aren't you?" " Fifteen years." " Here." " I like that." "Am I a resident of Los Ángeles!" " Do you know where Normandie Street is?" " Mm-hmm." "You go down two blocks, turn to your left—" "You gotta be awful careful, because it's all kind of dug up there—" "Look, uh, this is the address of a lawyer friend of mine." "He'll fix up an affidavit for you to sign." "Just say where you found the gun and that it was fired." " How do I know it was fired?" " Here." "Smell it." "No, I got a cold." "If my wife finds out about this—" "Let me assure you, my boy, your wife will not find out." "Here." "Tell your wife to buy a new hat, huh?" "But you get right down to that lawyer's office, will you?" " All right, I'll go." " That's fine." "But if this gets in the papers, I'll hear from your attorney!" " Is everything all right?" " Everything is "de-lovely."" "What's the matter?" "Look." "A pin." "Why, it isn't mine." "I should say it isn't yours." "It belongs to Marsha Gordon." " Marsha Gordon?" " Yeah." "I saw this fall off her dress in her dad's office last night." "Well, what's it doing in my car?" "I don't know, but things are happening very fast around here." " See?" "I am a help to you." " Sure." "Women make wonderful pets." "Come on." "Let's go." "Be back in a minute." "The Gordon residence." "I'm sorry, but Miss Gordon is ill." "Oh, I'm sorry." "Thanks." "Say, Chief, is there a leather goods store around here?" "Yeah, Samson's." "Two blocks down." "Two blocks down." "Thanks." "Good morning." "I'm Dr. Shayne." "I've come to see Miss Gordon." " But Dr. Hayes is already—" " Dr. Hayes." "Oh, yes." "You see, Dr. Hayes asked me to drop in and see her." "He's a little bit anxious about some phases of Miss Gordon's illness." "Well, I'll have to call up Mr. Gordon." "Oh, pardon me." "Does Dr. Hayes treat you too?" " Me?" " Yes." "Those eyes—" "What's the matter with 'em?" "Ah." "Tsk, tsk, tsk." "Well, it's nothing serious." "It's just a little disseminated sclerosis." "But tell me, have you been feeling dizzy recently?" " Uh, dizzy?" "Me?" " Yeah." "Uh-huh." "Well, never mind." "I'll examine you after I've seen Miss Gordon." "Where is, uh, Miss Gordon's room?" " Right this way." " Thank you." "Are you sure it's not serious, Doctor?" "Oh, no, not very serious." "Just keep off your feet and eat plenty of fish." " Any particular kind?" " No, just fresh." "Be careful of the bones, of course." " Have you plenty of fish in the house?" " No, sir." "Oh, well, you go and order some right away." "That's a good girl." "Yes, sir." "Did you find out anything?" "Only that this case gets goofier every minute." " While you were inside, I got an idea." " I can't use it." "I think Harry Grange was murdered for his money." "What money?" "That shill never had any money." "Well, he made a big killing on Banjo Boy that fatal day I met you." " That was the horse you were gonna put yourself in hock on?" " That's right." "Harry told me he had $10,000 on the nose... and at 15-to-1, that's not mince pie." "Ten thousand dollars?" "That's got a very familiar ring." " Meaning what?" " Kincaid wanted me to collect the money... on a 10,000-dollar bet from Harry Grange." "Wait a minute." "Father was suspicious of that race." "He thought the horse was doped." "Yeah, but they make a saliva test of every winner, don't they?" " Yeah." " Could you get the chemist's report on Banjo Boy?" "I don't know." "I could try." "Why?" "Because if Banjo Boy was doped, I think I've got the answer." "What?" "Do you know who owns Banjo Boy?" " Elliott Thomas." " That's right." "Hey, taxi!" "Well, looks like you had a nice take." "What do you want, Shayne?" "Who were you protecting when you called Painter last night?" "Nobody." "It was my civic duty to give Painter that information." "Well, you sound like a very public-spirited man." "How would you like to donate five grand to a very worthy charity?" "Five grand?" "What charity?" "To the Michael Shayne home for Michael Shayne." "Well, it should be worth that to know where Marsha is." "Well, she's home." "Yeah?" "Here, warm that up." "Oh, you're gonna love this." "Hello, Jenny." "Is Marsha in her room?" "Hello." "What?" "She isn't?" "No, no, no." "Don't do that." "You just keep your mouth shut." "Now, Mike, you're in trouble enough as it is." "You can't get away with a snatch." "You shouldn't lock a girl up to keep her quiet." "You can't believe a word she said." "She's out of her head, hysterical." "And had some very interesting information." "Am I to understand that you want five grand to return Marsha?" "Mmm-mm." "For five grand, you retain me to find her and return her." " I'm not interested." " You're not?" "Hello?" "No, not now." "I'm tied up." "Oh, not before 8:00." "All right." "What's the address?" "Yeah." "Hold the phone." "Hello." "I'll be there." "All right." "I'm sorry we couldn't make a deal." "Oh, wait, Shayne." "I'll tell you what I'll do with you." " I'll split 50-50, 2,500 C.O.D." " Mmm-mm." "Five grand, not C.O.D., in escrow in my bank before it closes today." "Here, I'll, uh— I'll write it out just the way I want it." " Oh, never mind." "I know how you want it." " Okay." "Wait a minute." "How do I know that you know anything about her... that you're not trying to bluff me?" "Oh, I thought you were gonna ask me something like that." "Do you recall the, uh— the tan and brown striped coat and the little tan turban that Marsha owned?" "Yes, I think I do." "Call up Mother Hubbard." "See if it's still in the cupboard." "All right." "The money'll be there." "Thanks, Benny." "And when I build the Michael Shayne Home... you can lay the cornerstone." " Hello, Auntie." " Oh, Mr. Shayne!" "I'm so glad you've come." "Did you know that a friend of Phyllis's had been murdered?" " No." "You're kidding?" " No, really." "Here it is in the paper." "I'm making a file on it." "Here I've been, solving other people's murders all my life... and now that I have one so close to home, why, it's just wonderful." "Ponsby and I have started working on the case." "But we haven't any decent clues, have we, Ponsby?" "Only the fact that Mr. Grange died in a sea of tomato catsup." "Yes, and that doesn't make sense." "The baffle book always gives you one or two things you can get your teeth into." "Well, Auntie, here's one that'll give you lockjaw." "The tax collector just told me that Elliott Thomas... has a beach house on Beach Street at Balboa Beach." "That's wonderful!" "I'll look in my files." " And—" " If I may suggest, madam... we might find something under the heading of"sea breeze."" "Elliott Thomas?" "What's he got to do with it?" "Oh, I don't know." "But it seems funny, doesn't it?" "A man who owns a beach house on Beach Street at Balboa Beach?" "Yes, that is peculiar." "But Mr. Grange wasn't drowned." "He was shot." "And in that case, there should be a murder weapon." "Yes." "Yes, you're quite right, Auntie." "Now, just speaking theoretically... if it was a choice between these two guns... which one would you pick?" "This one." "Because it's been fired, and it's jammed." "That's very good, Auntie, because that is the gun that killed Harry Grange." "Oh." " And it also belongs to me." " You?" "Mm-hmm." "Did you kill Harry Grange?" "No." "No, I found my gun lying beside the body." "A shyster lawyer took it from my office." "Oh, that's too bad." "Then the case is solved." "Oh, no." "Not exactly." "I can't find the lawyer." "Well, that's wonderful." "Then maybe we can pin it onto somebody else." " Hmm?" " Whose gun is this?" "Oh, I found that in Marsha Gordon's room." "She was in love with Grange." "Here's some interesting data on the formation of spray and spume." "Look." "They're identical." " Both.38's and the same make." " Yeah." "Ponsby, what was the name of that case with the two identical guns?" "The case of the broken bedspring, madam." "Yes!" "Don't you remember?" "The criminal switched the barrel of his gun to the police commissioner's gun." "Well, why don't you go out and steal the commissioner's gun?" " You think I could?" " Say, Auntie—" "Say, wait a minute." "You know, Auntie, I think you've got something there." "See, Painter thinks that I did this." "Now, if he starts nosing around the casino long enough... he's gonna pick up some information that won't do me any good." "I'm gonna switch the barrel of my gun with Marsha Gordon's." " Why?" " Here, give me it." "That's it." "Because I've got a hunch that Gordon knows plenty." "This'll put Painter on his trail." " There." " So that's the way they do it." "I couldn't make any sense out of what it said in the book." "Watch this carefully, Ponsby." "We might want to use it sometime." "I will, madam." "Bythetimethe inspector gets all this unraveled... he'll be so mixed up," "They can use him for a recipe for upside-down cake." "There." "See, Auntie?" "They fit perfectly." "Uh-huh." "Now, I'll tell you what I want you to do." "Chief!" "I got it!" "I got the ketchup they found on Grange's shirt!" "That's great, Al!" "Now, watch out." " Look out for those fingerprints on the bottle." " Huh?" "Bill, get me Casey in the fingerprint room." " But, Chief, look, I—" " Quiet!" "Hello, Casey?" "Now, this is important." "I want you to get me the fingerprint classification on a catsup bottle." "I'm gonna bust this Grange case wide open." "But, look, Chief, I— I just bought that bottle at a grocery store." "It's the same kind of catsup, but not the same bottle." " L— I tried—" "Homicide Squad, Captain Painter speaking." "What?" "Oh, yeah?" "Well, that's very interesting." "Okay, we'll be right over." "Come on, Al." "We're finally catching up with Shayne." " We're from headquarters." " I'm over the conscription age." " Police headquarters." " Oh." "The cops, madam." "Oh, I'm so glad you've come." "I've been so nervous." "You see, my brother hired Michael Shayne... but I think he's made a horrible mistake." "He's been acting very suspiciously... and I just saw him hide two guns in the study." " Hmm." " Say, Chief—" "Let's have a look." "Right in that drawer." " Well, there's—" " Two guns, Chief." "This one's been fired." "Cover those serial numbers." "Now, do you happen to remember—" "Well, hello, Captain." "What's givin'out?" "Oh, nothing." "Nothing much." "Don't tell me the arm of the law is paralyzed." "Since when have you been carrying two guns, Shayne?" "Oh, so that's it." "You've got an accomplice now, huh?" "Don't you think you're getting a little over your head in this social swim?" "What about these guns?" "The one with the chip on the handle is mine... and the other is a little trophy I picked up on the hunt today." "CallJoe and check on those numbers." "Very careless of you, Shayne, not to have cleaned and reloaded this gun." "It's been fired recently." "Yes, I know." "I noticed that." "Al calling." "I want you to check a couple of gun numbers for me." "I picked that gun up this morning... about a hundred feet from where they found Grange's body." "The murderer must've thrown it there." "Naturally you would cover up with some such story." "Oh, no." "I have an affidavit from a substantial citizen who witnessed it." "That only proves you threw it away yourself last night... after you killed Grange." "Why, do you mean that Mr. Shayne is implicated in the Grange murder?" "Oh, that's terrible!" "Now, I just finished telling you that the other gun is my gun." "It's registered in my name." "I have a permit to carry it." "That's right, Captain." "This gun belongs to Shayne." "Well, who owns this one?" "Oh." "Captain, is that the gun that killed Harry Grange?" "I'll know more about that after we make the ballistic test." "I'll be very anxious to hear." " Here's your gun, Shayne." " I thank you." "Come on, Al." "Just keep dropping in, Captain." "We may be able to place you." "And if anything turns up, we'll be very happy to notify you." "You've been a big help, lady." "Aren't you gonna take him along?" "If anything happens, just phone me." "Why, Auntie, you were swell!" "Do you know that you're a grand little actress?" "Oh, don't be foolish." "But when I was young— I mean, a little younger— in New York I played Madame Butterfly." " You did?" " Mm-hmm." "What race?" "You know, I'd feel much better if Painter had let us in on what's going on." " Hello, everybody." " Hey, where have you been all afternoon?" "They wouldn't give me a chemist's report on Banjo Boy..." " so I hid in the washroom and stole it." " Good girl." "You're gonna be terribly disappointed." "Banjo Boy wasn't doped." "What?" "Well, that gums up that lead very nicely." " Sounds like Painter's ring." " Oh, maybe they found out I took the report." "Is Michael Shayne still here?" "Yes." "He's in the study." "Shall I tell him that you—" "Well, well, well." "Good evening, Mr. Shayne." "What's the matter?" "Did you forget something?" "Yeah." "Where's your gun?" " Why?" " Never mind why." "Where's your gun?" "Did you make the ballistic test, Inspector?" "Yes, we made it." "So you think you're clever." "I found out how you prowled Gordon's house." "And it's not hard to guess how you got hold of his gun." "Hey, wait a minute." "You mean to say that the gun you tested didn't kill Grange?" "Absolutely not." "Looks like our trick didn't work." "Trick?" "What trick?" "Oh, it's a trick." "I was just teaching her some card tricks." "Yeah?" "Well, this time I'm taking your nice, clean pistol to headquarters." " And you with it." " All right." "All right, I'll go." "I still think you're making a mistake— both of you." "We've been all over this before." " Oh!" " Al!" "Al!" "Get him!" " What'd you say, Chief?" " I said get him!" "Al!" "Here." "Stop!" "Follow that truck." "Come on, step on it!" " I hope he got away." " What's it all about?" "Oh, Mr. Shayne!" "There's been more excitement." "They—You've—" "For heaven's sake, how did you get here?" "Look, there's no time for explanations." "We've got to work fast." "Why was the inspector so upset?" " Because my gun didn't kill Grange." " Then it must've been Marsha's." "Right." "And now Painter's gonna make a test of my gun with Marsha's barrel on it." "Oh, that's terrible." "Then they'll think you're the murderer." "I've got to pull that killer out of the hat before Painter picks me up." "No jury'll ever believe I switched those barrels." " That's right." " Say, Auntie..." "I want you to copy this 10 times as closely as possible." " Ten times." "Why, that's forgery!" " You're telling me?" "You'll be able to write your own baffle book before you get through with this case." "Run along." "Now, Phyllis, upstairs in my room... there's a hat and a coat and a bag belonging to Marsha Gordon." "I want you to call Elliott Thomas." "Make an appointment to meet him at 7:30 in front of the library." " And you wear those clothes." " You've got Auntie committing forgery." " What do you want from me— kidnapping?" " Never mind about that." "Just stall them along." "Tell 'em... anything." "Tell 'em about Banjo Boy." "But be sure he gets a good look at you in those clothes." " And then ditch him." "Now, you got that?" " Yeah." "All right." "I'll borrow your car... and I'll pick you up as soon as he drives away." "That's clear as a mud pack to me." " Hello, Phyllis." " Good evening, Mr. Thomas." "Well, what's so urgent?" "Well, you know how suspicious Father was of Banjo Boy." "I saw this on his desk, and I thought maybe you'd like to see it." "Well, that's awfully nice of you, but I had no fears about Banjo Boy." "Is that all you wanted to see me about?" "Well, yes." "Well, thanks for your interest." "Can I drop you somewhere?" "Well, no, thanks." "I'm waiting for Aunt Olivia." " Oh." "Maybe I'll see you at the track tomorrow." " Yes." " Good night." " Good night." "How did you make out?" "Well, if I had any idea of what I was doing, I might be able to tell you." "Nice work, Phyllis." "Give me those clothes." " You got the notes, Auntie?" " Yeah, here they are." " Did the best I could." " Aw, that's fine—" "Say, these have a professional touch." "You haven't been working with a paperhanging outfit, have you?" "No, Ponsby taught me the science of forgery." "He's very clever at it." " He is?" " Where are you going now?" "Down to Elliott Thomas's house at Balboa Beach." "There's gonna be a meeting of the little mother's club." " We'll drive you down." " Oh, no." "This is gonna be a stag party." "Wait a minute." "Aren't we in on this too?" "Uh-uh." "I'll call you in the morning and let you know what happens." "And if you don't hear from me, I'll be in the county jail." "How do you like that?" "Gives us a buildup for a Rolls-Royce, and then hands us a kiddie car." "Nobody's gonna hand me a kiddie car." "It's the first case I've had where I couldn't look in the back of the book." "We're going to Balboa." "Look." "That door is open." "You stay here and watch." "Whistle if you hear anybody." "I'm going inside and take a look." "Hello, Miss Brighton." "I'm glad you've come." "You thought it was pretty easy for you with all your money... to take Harry Grange away from me." "It was a setup for you." "You're crazy." "Put that gun down." "Well, one more murder won't make any difference." "Can't do any more than hang you." "Did— Did you kill Harry Grange?" "It wouldn't be any—" "Gosh, Auntie, that was close!" "How'd you ever do it?" "Oh, I've seen 'em do it so often in murder mysteries, that was easy." "We'd better lock her in the closet." "Auntie, you don't think she's already gotten to Michael?" "That girl's a maniac." "Let's look upstairs." "Go down the street and keep out of sight." "The pier must be on the other side of the house." " That's where the bay is." " Yes, it looks better out there." "There's the inspector." "What's he doing here?" "I don't know." "Well, Gordon, did you have any trouble finding the place?" " Not at all." " Let's go inside." "Hey, there are some clothes!" " And a coat." " Yeah, and here's a note." " Hmm." " Looks like a suicide note." "Yeah, but the guy who telephoned me said she was thrown off the pier." "And this note is signed "Marsha."" "Who's Marsha?" " I used to know a dame called Marsha once." " Yeah?" "But when she sued me, I found out her real name was Mabel." "Look." "The lights just went on." "There's somebody in the house." "Come on." "Lovely place you have here." " I'm glad you like it." "Smoke?" " Thank you." "How did you make out at the casino last night?" " I broke a little better than even." " Mm-hmm." " Got your keys, Al?" " Yeah." "Hurry up." "Never mind the formalities, boys." "Come on in." " What are you doin' down here?" " Shh." "I got an anonymous telephone call." "I got one too." " Say, what are you trying to do— take me for a sleigh ride?" " Shh!" "Please." " We're right back where we—" " Shh!" " What do you know about these?" " Shh." "Follow me." "Hey, Chief, look out for the pan, will ya?" "I thought you said we were going to be alone." "What are you trying to pull?" "What are you doing here?" "Well, I was ju— Never mind that." "What do you know about these clothes?" "Will you please explain what this is all about?" "The captain's a little gruff, but he's really got a heart of gold." "He merely wants you to help him identify these clothes." "What's that got—Why, those are Phyllis Brighton's!" "What's happened to her?" "Phyllis Brighton's?" "Would somebody please tell me what this is all about?" "At 7:30 I was informed that someone... carried a body out of this house and threw it in the bay." "Are you insinuating that I had anything to do with it?" "I'm not insinuating." "I'm telling you!" "The whole thing's ridiculous." "Gordon was here when I drove up five minutes ago." "What are you trying to do— put me in the spot?" "Well, Thomas could've been here earlier." "Maybe he just took a drive around the block." "I understand what Mr. Shayne is driving at, but I'm sorry to disappoint him." "I don't know how these clothes got out here... but I do know Phyllis Brighton was wearing them when I was with her at 7:30 tonight." "That's the time you received your information, wasn't it?" " Well, yes." " Can you prove that?" "Certainly." "If you call Miss Brighton, I'm sure she'll verify it." "There's a phone right over there." " Shayne!" " Say, what's going on here?" " Phyllis, are you hurt?" " Inside, inside." "What is this— a convention?" "What are you doing here?" " Well, I—" " We were only doing our civic duty, Inspector." "We knew you wanted Mr. Shayne... so when I saw him sneak out the back door of our home... why, we tailed him." "Now we're getting somewhere." "What time did he get here?" " Well—" " About 10 minutes ago." "Oh." "Then he couldn't have done it." "If she's tellin' the truth, how could Thomas have been with Miss Brighton at 7:30?" "That's right." "But, Miss Brighton, when I was with you, you were wearing these clothes." "Well, I don't know what you're talking about." "Those aren't my clothes." "Well, if they're not Miss Brighton's clothes, then whose are they?" "Perhaps Mr. Gordon can enlighten us." "Don't they belong to your daughter, Marsha?" "Marsha?" "Now we're beginning to get to the bottom of this." "Hey, how did you know that?" "'Cause those are the clothes she was wearing when she disappeared." "Remember?" "I described them to you there in the office." "Disappeared?" "How do you know she disappeared?" "Because Mr. Gordon hired me to find her." "He probably didn't want the police department to mess it up." "You know." "Is this your daughter's handwriting?" " That reads like a suicide note." " Shh, shh." "She's in the "oset-clay."" "Quiet!" "This might be Marsha's handwriting." "But she'd never kill herself." "Well, if it wasn't suicide, then it must be murder." "That verifies the report I got." "If that's Marsha's handwriting, it certainly is suicide." "She was in love with Grange." "Maybe she thought life wasn't worth living after he was gone." "You seem awfully anxious to make it look like suicide, Thomas." "What about it, Gordon?" "Is it her handwriting or isn't it?" "I don't know." "It might be some sort of a plant." "With you mixed up in it, it might be anything." " Aw, now, Benny, don't try to tell me—" " Listen, Shayne." "If there are any more questions to be asked, I'll ask 'em." "All right." "I was just trying to help matters." "What was that?" " What's the matter, Auntie?" " I think I've got growing pains." "All right, all right." "Now, let's settle down." "I'll get to the bottom of this if it takes all night." "Let me see." "Where were we?" "Oh, yes." "Why didn't you call the police, Gordon, when your daughter disappeared?" "BecauseI didn'tthink it was any of their business." "Isupposeyoudon 'tthinkit's  their business if your daughter was murdered?" " Hey, Chief." "Something's burning." " What?" "The wastebasket!" "Come on!" "Put it out!" "Turn it over!" "Turn— Can't you even turn a wastebasket over?" "That's it." "Hold it there." "Nice work, Shayne." "First suicide, then murder, now arson." "Well, I'm sorry, Chief." "I didn't know all those papers were in there." " You're sorry." " Well, it could happen to anybody." "Didn't you ever set anything on fire?" " Nothing like that ever happened to me." " Hey, Chief." " Huh?" " Here's a suicide note." " Well, how did that get in there?" " I don't know." "I thought I put that in my pock—" "Say!" "Here's two of'em!" " Yeah, that's right." " Yeah, and here's eight more." " What?" " Let me see those." "You might've got away with it, Thomas, if you'd been more careful." "Those practice notes prove that you forged that note to make it look like suicide." "That's a lie." "The whole thing's a frame-up." "I tell you, I didn't kill Marsha!" " Why, you dirty double-crosser!" " That won't do any good!" "He'll hang for Marsha anyway." "We've got everything now but the motive, and you can supply that." "You bet I can." "Marsha saw him kill Grange." "She came back to my office, scared to death." "I sent her home and told her to—" "To keep quiet about it, huh?" "You thought you had a chance to hang it on me!" "And that you had something to blackmail Thomas with for the rest of his life." "Where did you ditch Larry Kincaid's body, Thomas?" "I didn't kill him." "It was an accident." "I met Kincaid down here one night on business." "He threatened to blackmail me." "We got into an argument." "I lost my temper and went after him." "Kincaid pulled a gun on me." "In the struggle, it went off and killed him." "I threw his body into the bay." "How'd you kill Grange?" "I was frantic." "I didn't know what to do." "I realized Grange was the only one who knew Kincaid was in my house." "The gun hadjammed, so I took it along with my gun to the casino." "When I saw you and Grange leave, I followed." "I shot Grange with my gun... and left what I thought was Kincaid's to make it look as if he did it." "What were you doing in Kincaid's apartment last night?" "I went there to destroy the only bit of evidence which would connect me with Grange." "So, it was you I've got to thank for that clunk in the head I got, huh?" "So that's why our trick didn't work." "Neither one of the guns we had the inspector pick up killed Grange." "I've been framed!" "You know, there's one thing I can't understand, Thomas." "Why would a man in your position become involved with people like Kincaid and Grange?" "I got in a jam." "I needed money fast." "I'd bought a South American horse that had never run in the States." "It had the same markings as Banjo Boy." "To keep myself in the clear, I had Grange substitute the horse for Banjo Boy in that race." " So that horse was a ringer?" " Well, no wonder the chemist's report was negative." "Of course." "Well, Painter, here's your story." "Thomas gave Grange $10,000 to bet." "The ringer won, but Grange wouldn't pay off... so Thomas hired Kincaid to collect." "Kincaid came to me, but I wouldn't have any part of it." "So he contacted Grange himself." "Grange told Kincaid the whole story, and Kincaid used it to blackmail Thomas." "Now, there's your case." "Sorry that I haven't got the silver platter with me." "Well, it may be a case to you, but it's still a lot of goulash to me." "Whose clothes are those?" "Who got thrown off the pier?" "Well, I'm sorry, but that happens to be just a little figment of my imagination." "You mean, you're the man who telephoned me?" "Oh, shucks, you guessed it." "All right, Shayne, where's Marsha?" "Well, I'm sorry." "That's one of the things that I—" "That's what I've been trying to tell you." "She's in the closet." " What?" " In the closet?" "How did you know she was in there?" "Marsha." "Are you all right?" " I'm all right." " What are you doing here?" "I came here to even things up with Elliott Thomas... but Mr. Shayne has saved me the trouble." " I'm taking you home." " Wait a minute, Gordon." "I don't think you'll want to take her where you're going." "Say, that's right." "Suppressing the evidence in a murder case is compounding a felony." "Say, you're under arrest." "And, Gordon, I'll be down at the bank bright and early... to collect that five grand for delivering Marsha." " But you didn't deliver her." " Well, I—" "Well, Auntie and I are in partnership." "Aren't we, Auntie?" "We'll split it." "Come on, Gordon." "Let's go, Thomas." " Oh, Painter?" " Hmm?" "Please, don't mention my name in the papers." "I won't." "Okay." "I'll mention you too." "Thanks so much." "Well, that closes that case." "Oh, no, it doesn't." "You can't unload me that easily." "I'm still your case until Father gets back." "I may get him to put you on a permanent retainer." "You know, I don't think this case was half as hard... as that one in the baffle book about the great piano mystery." "You know, where the body was found under the piano... his throat was strangled with piano wire, and the soft pedal was found embedded—"