Lady in the Lake Page #6

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Just how well I couldn't say, but...|Now wait a minute.

- Just when I was beginning to like you.|- You want the facts, don't you?

When it concerns a woman,|does anybody ever really want the facts?

- Are you working for me or against me?|- All right.

I'm working for you. I'm fired, I'm hired.

Happy Phil Marlowe, the boy detective.

An enchanted Christmas to you,|Mr. Kingsby.

Where are you going?

To a party with the Bay City cops.

Don't you know enough not to handle|a weapon found at the scene of a crime?

No.

Smart guy, aren't you, Marlowe?|Well, this time you're in a jam. A bad jam.

What's your alibi?|Haven't you thought of any yet?

I've already told you,|this Mrs. Fallbrook was here before me.

- It could have been her.|- It could have been pixies, too.

It could have been you.|You said you'd come back and get Lavery.

- Not in those words.|- But in that tone.

Last time I saw you, I told you|not to start trouble in my district...

without letting me in|on what you were after.

- The coroner's on his way down.|- Good.

- Finding a corpse a crime?|- In this town, yes.

I knew a little about this dead guy, Lavery.|He was quite a chaser.

- What of it?|- The whole setup indicates a dame.

You know what these private eyes|work at, divorce stuff.

All right, who are you working for?

And don't give me that baloney|about protecting a client.

My client's name is Derace Kingsby.|Runs a string of magazines.

His wife ran out on him|about a month ago...

from a place he has up in the mountains|called Little Fawn Lake.

Chris Lavery was supposed to be the guy|Kingsby's wife ran off with.

Yeah? You guys go back to work|and call the dispatcher.

I'm gonna have a talk|with a Mr. Kingsby and his missus.

It might be tough talking to Mrs. Kingsby.|She's missing.

- Missing?|- Yeah. The last two months.

Make a note of that.|We'll get a Teletype out on her.

This is getting interesting.

- All right, you guys, go on.|- And keep your hands off things.

I came here day before yesterday|to ask Lavery if he knew where she was.

And for my pains, I landed in the can,|as you may remember.

We remember, peeper.

What was Lavery's story|about Kingsby's wife?

He said there was nothing to it.|So I made a trip up to Little Fawn Lake...

because something peculiar|happened up there.

They found a drowned woman in the lake.

It turned out to be|a dame named Muriel Ches.

I don't want any part of that. Let's|confine ourselves to what went on here.

Nothing went on here. I came to see|Chris Lavery today and he was dead.

Brother, you're a great help.

This Muriel Ches had an anklet that was|given to her by somebody named Chris.

- So what?|- So you figure it out.

She's dead, and the corpse we have here|is named Chris.

I see. Any little thing that'll tie two deaths|up together makes a bigger package.

And on a pretext like that,|you go through the joint...

handle the gun,|collect or steal anything you can...

and finally get around to calling us.|Well, I don't buy it.

What do I care|about a drowned dame in a lake?

I got a body here|and that's enough for me.

That's all that's in my jurisdiction.

What's the play, Marlowe?|You trying to cloud the issue?

- Who are you covering up for?|- Anybody here?

That's Ed. He's coroner this week.|Merry Christmas, Ed.

But it isn't Christmas yet, you know.|Not yet.

What have we got this time?|And where's the customer located?

- Upstairs. I'll take you up.|- Good. Man or woman?

Man.

You stay here. You come with me.

It's going to be a little tough|to find out when he was killed.

He was in the shower.

Some bright mind thought of|leaving the cold water trickling on him.

You looked kind of interested|when I mentioned Little Fawn Lake.

Ever been up there?

We ask the questions, peeper.

And when I mentioned the lady in the lake,|you looked still more interested.

You heard me.

Ever hear of anybody|named Mildred Havelend?

There was a fellow there a few weeks ago|looking for Mildred Havelend.

He acted like a cop, I was told.

A tough cop with bad manners, like you.

What's Mildred Havelend got to do with it?

She and Muriel Ches were the same girl.

She changed her name because she was|hiding out from this tough cop.

Does it add up?

No.

I think it does.|Because Muriel Ches was from Bay City.

And they gave me|a pretty good description of that cop.

I think this female had a shady past,|and you knew something about it.

Now I'm getting somewhere.

You stick your nose into my business,|you'll wake up in an alley with the cats.

What did she do, this female,|bump off somebody down here?

Is that what you had on her?

All right, Marlowe, cut it out.|What's going on here?

He got cute.

Striking an officer, resisting arrest,|and murder.

All on Christmas Eve.

Let's wrap you up real pretty, shall we?

Take you right down to headquarters.|Give me your hands.

I tell you this, the only reason|I'm giving you a chance to talk...

is that the coroner reports|despite appearances...

Lavery was killed last night.|This doesn't let you out, though.

I'll say it doesn't, peeper.|Talk up to us in that big voice of yours.

- I don't talk with these on.|- That's what you think.

- Why you cheap little...|- DeGarmot!

- That's enough. Get out of here.|- Let me work him over a little.

Go on. Take the night off.

Sure.

- There, that fix it?|- Here's the dope, Captain.

- Disappointed?|- Why?

My alibi checks.

It's right there in your hand, isn't it?

I didn't leave Little Fawn Lake|till after midnight.

- Right.|- I stopped at Red's Super Service Station...

halfway down the mountain and got gas.

I stopped in at San Bernadino|at the Dinner Bell Diner.

The waitress with the big eyes|remembered me.

It was 2:
00 a.m. by that time.|I was the only customer.

From what she says,|she'll always remember you.

- What about Mrs. Fallbrook?|- She's out of town in Las Vegas, gambling.

- The telephone company's locating her.|- Telephone company's doing what?

Trying to locate her.|To check his story of having seen her.

This happens to be a case of murder.

I know, Cap,|but it also happens to be Christmas Eve.

Get up to Las Vegas and bring her back.

- Yes, sir.|- You'll love her, she's charming.

Mind if I go now, or do you want me|to do card tricks, too?

There's still the charge|of striking an officer, Marlowe.

That'll keep you around, and I don't think|you'll be doing any card tricks either.

You funny guys kill me. Yes?

Hello, Elaine. How are you, sweetheart?

What?

Yes, little dumpling, darling,|I know it's the night before Christmas.

Yes. I'll be home to help you|fill up your stocking.

I am always.

Indeed I do. All right. What?

You do? By heart?

Yes, go ahead. Say it for me.

No, wait a minute, honey. It goes:

"The stockings were hung|by the chimney with care

"In hopes that St. Nicholas soon"

What?

St. Nicholas?

Why, that's Santa Claus, dear. Yes.

All right, honey.|Daddy'll be home right away. Bye.

Before you rush out, Captain, tell me...

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