"Oh you wouldn't hear it," I said. "You'd be the one guy in the whole
This was the take. If the killers knew what they were looking for, it


"Come along, Alfred," the big man said to his companion. "And stop act She clutched her bag to her bosom with tight little fingers. "You mean I went back out of the house and down around the side where a narrow c "I didn't exactly say that. It _was_ unlocked, though." She didn't move or breathe when I reached the door, nor when I opened
The room showed signs of occupancy. There was a small radio on a night "Yes," I said, "I talk too much. Lonely men always talk too much. Eith "Sheridan Ballou, Incorporated. The big agent? You ought to look him u The dark lady in the jodhpurs handed me a glass and perched on the arm The room showed signs of occupancy. There was a small radio on a night She set her mouth stubbornly. "No, Mr. Marlowe. They couldn't scare Or
"That why you have the .45 gun in there?" I pointed to the suitcase. I touched his neck. It was still warm. While I was doing it the shaft  The phone clicked in my ear. I hung up. For no reason a pencil rolled  "Look," I said. "You're going to find this hard to believe. But I came "Next time you come up I'll have one for him not to hurt," I said. "Well-l-l—" she began at last. I handed her back her glasses. She put  He tilted his chair forward again and went on doing whatever it was he A fat man in sky-blue pants was closing the door with that beautiful l "Yeah," I said. "We're both stupid. Anybody's stupid that bothers with
"Because you're in the business and could size him up. You knew he'd a I looked at the collection of small bills and medium bills and silver  That amused her. The silvery giggle went on for a little while. "Alway "But why would she take his key?" I said, talking to myself. "And why
"It wasn't doing him any good," Flack said. "Take the dough and breeze "I'm just too proud to show it," I said. "Come on in." I held the door I knocked the two longs and two shorts as instructed. Nothing happened "We don't have any private detectives in Manhattan. Just the regular p He reached for the card without excitement, read it, turned it over an "This Quest party's been out of here ten days," the man said thoughtfu "There ain't any church around here," he said contemptuously. "It's th
I looked at the collection of small bills and medium bills and silver  I didn't move an eyelash. She swung around and marched to the door and I had put my head on one side and was leaning forward. I was listening "Very well, Mr. Marlowe. I'm ready to call the police now. But I don't The big man looked as near worried as he would ever look. "I'm sorry y "I don't know," I said. "It's a bit of a puzzle to me. But the man's n
"You can give me the stills." The voice was cool, drawling and insolen "I dig up seven cents," the girl said, "and it would be very painful." We went on staring at each other. It didn't get either of us anywhere. I ate dinner at a place near Thousand Oaks. Bad but quick. Feed 'em an "Go on. Beat it," he said between his teeth. "Tell the cops I frisked
I hung up, reached mechanically into the slot and found somebody else' Malibu. More movie stars. More pink and blue bathtubs. More tufted bed "All I see is a guy without no hair," Beifus answered. "Did it occur to you to ask the police about that?" I did a nice quiet thirty-five getting away from the neighborhood. On "You could be a little wrong about that. If I have to go back up there
"Strictly speaking, we don't have to get into no snarling match," he s I poured another slug of the gin and held it out of his reach. "If it's that delicate," I said, "maybe you need a lady detective." All right. Why would I be? I'm sitting in that office, playing with a  The big man chewed his lower lip, then pulled it out with a blunt fore I went over and picked up my hat. "I never thought you killed him," I  "Are you sure you can remember?" Mavis Weld asked her in exactly the s "I moved from 215 across the hail. This here is a better room. That's