After the Thin Man Page #8

- No.

Oh, Nick.

Will you convict her if you don't find it?

Maybe I do and maybe I don't.

It's what the D.A. Thinks.

What about the other guns?

Dancer's and Lum Kee's?

They're.38s, like he was killed with.

But the experts say

they're not the guns that did it.

$50 will get you $250 that she didn't do it.

You'd have to say that, you're family.

But that Lichee gang

has got the best out in the world.

They wouldn't have killed him

until they cashed his check.

- His check?

- I forgot, you didn't hear about that.

No.

He gave Polly a check

for $20,000 yesterday.

$20,000?

Robert never had $20,000 in his life.

Yes, he did. I went to the bank

to see about it. Here it is.

His wife put this in his account...

just a few days ago.

It looks all right.

Have you any of his checks?

- I got all of his and they're okay.

- I want the ones he gave to Polly.

Here's the first one for $75.

- $75, that's better.

- Here's the next one for $100.

$100. Going up, huh?

Perfect.

- Forgery.

- Let me have the big check.

Let me see. I've never seen a forged check.

There you are.

- How will you have your eggs?

- Where's your phone?

- It's on the table between the beds.

- I can't see anything!

- Where's the rest of this phone?

- It's in the drawer.

Hey, nice doggie. Will you tell him

I just want to use the phone?

Now behave yourself, will you? Look out.

I don't understand,

the signatures look exactly alike to me.

- That's just it.

- That's just what?

Nobody writes this much the same, twice.

They traced these signatures

from his first check.

Hello. Hello, Joe?

Go down and pick up

that Polly Byrnes for me.

Okay.

Do you want this thing

back in the drawer?

No, that's all right.

Will you call this bloodhound off,

so I can get out?

Asta, come here.

Don't you know Mr. Abrams

is on our side?

What's the matter with you on this case?

You're losing your grip.

Get Dancer yet?

He showed up as soon as it was light.

Had a story about not wanting to

be around when the shooting started.

Him without his gun.

- What about Phil? Found him?

- No.

Somebody threw this

through our window, last night.

- Where's the rest of it?

- Asta ate it.

- Polly said it was a hotel on Turk Street.

- That's right.

Say, do you want to give it a try with me?

Yes, if you'll give me

a few minutes to dress.

Yes, you wait downstairs.

We'll be right down.

Hey, wait a minute.

- Where do you get that "we" stuff?

- I'm coming with you.

Not cured yet, huh?

Certainly not. Don't worry, darling.

I won't be in the way.

Why, of course you won't.

I just want to make sure.

Nick! You dog!

Let me out!

You stay here

in case he tries to make a break.

- Is Phil Byrnes in?

- We ain't got no Phil Byrnes.

- Have you got a Ralph West?

- Yes.

- Is he in?

- I don't know.

Any way of finding out?

Walk upstairs if you want. Room 212.

Get on the back stairs.

Telegram for Mr. West.

After you, my dear Lieutenant.

Dead, all right. Strangled.

And beaten up some

before the strangling set in.

Someone's hair in his hand.

Watch out.

A pair of spectacles.

I'll have the boys phone,

we'll give this room a good casing.

Here's another.38

for your experts to match up.

I guess the heater is his, all right.

He's wearing an empty shoulder holster.

I guess this is the key

to that Byrnes girl's apartment.

It's got her number stamped on it.

Another good guess would be

that Selma Landis didn't do this.

Fair enough.

But he wasn't killed the way Landis was.

Tell me what your laboratory says

about that hair and those cheaters.

- Okay. Anything else on your mind?

- Yes, that key.

- Could I borrow it for about an hour?

- Sure.

How about your skeleton key

just for good measure?

All right. Say, what are you looking for?

I haven't the faintest idea. Just a hunch.

This is straight from the feed bag. They

just found Phil's body strangled to death.

Say, that's tough.

Polly's gonna feel bad. Thanks.

- Polly in yet?

- No. Police here, looking for her.

Stall them. Keep them here.

I'm going up to her place. I'll be back soon.

Get out there.

Wait, brother.

Say, what is this? Bank Night?

Flash news bulletin.

A body believed to be that of the janitor

was found in a hamper...

in the basement of 346 White Street.

Police link this murder with

the Landis killing.

Read all about the big murder!

Sorry to have to ask you to come to

a place like this, but...

Is it Nick? Where is he? Is he hurt?

No, he's all right. He's upstairs.

I called you here because...

we found the janitor's body here.

Been dead about 24 hours.

Shot near the phone, there.

The telephone company tells us that about

7:
30 last night, just before he was shot...

someone here called up information and

asked for Nick Charles' number.

Mr. Charles doesn't remember

this Pedro Dominguez...

- and I thought perhaps you might be...

- Pedro Dominguez?

He was my father's gardener,

about six years ago.

- A small man with a mustache?

- Yeah, that's the one.

Hello? Just a minute.

Call for you, Lieutenant.

Would you mind going down

and taking a look, just to make sure?

Certainly not.

- Would you take Mrs. Charles...

- Right.

Hello.

Those glasses you found in Phil Byrnes'

place are nothing but window pane.

The hair is false and the gun

is not the one that was used on Landis.

You're a great help.

Did you find out about the fingerprints

in his room?

Dancer's, eh?

Well, that helps a little. No others? Okay.

Get to work on this case. And take a look

at the bullet that killed this guy.

Thanks.

Funny you didn't recognize

this Pedro Dominguez.

Why, does Nora know him?

Yeah, he used to be her father's gardener.

Remember him now?

Who ever remembers a gardener

unless he squirts a hose at you?

- Hold this a minute, will you?

- What is it?

You'll see in a minute.

Think Mrs. Landis might know this Pedro?

- She might.

- And that Aunt Katherine?

Possible.

What do you think you're doing?

There it is. Hold that, will you?

Well, what do you know about that?

A ladder.

Sure.

$50 will get you $250 that...

it just reaches down

to Polly's apartment below.

With this left over for good measure

when he got there.

- Let's try it.

- Sure.

All right. This end first.

How about it?

- You're right.

- Yeah.

What did you find out about

the person who was here?

Not a thing, not a fingerprint in the room,

not a stitch of clothes, nothing.

Anything in Pedro's books?

Just that someone named Anderson

took it a week ago, paid cash in advance.

That's all, huh?

There's a record of a new lock on the door.

Bought it yesterday.

Wait a minute,

what does the card on the door say?

That won't help you much.

No, just Anderson. No front name.

No Mr., Mrs., or Miss.

Isn't that just dandy?

- Lf we found out who took this place...

- I took this.

- You took what?

- I took this picture.

I found it in Pedro's apartment.

I wanted to show it to you.

You see, he was our gardener.

These are the servants we had

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