The Brasher Doubloon Page #2

everything to me, literally everything.

Why?

Did YOU take the Doubloon?

I can't tell you that.

I mean, I don't know.

I see.

There's just "an ordinary little problem"

to be cleared up here.

You're a perfectly normal girl...

You just don't happen

to remember

whether or not you stole

a $10,000 coin!

But getting it back means

literally everything to you.

You weren't thinking of shooting someone,

were you, Miss Davis?

Look...

The reason I walked out

on Mrs Murdock

was because she wasn't

being frank with me.

You're not cooperating

any more than she did.

I'm sorry...

I want to help.

That wasn't meant as a pass.

Not an out-and-out one anyway.

I know. It's just that I don't like

to have men touch me.

Well... in that case you better do

something about your appearance.

And that perfume you use.

"Night of Bliss"!

You just can't seem to make up

your mind, can you Miss Davis?

I should have said I wasn't used

to being touched.

It's a phobia, I guess.

- Oh.. sure, sure!

- But that doesn't mean

I wouldn't like to get over it.

I think I can help you there.

Come here.

Don't worry... we'll take it

very slowly.

See...

Nothing to it.

About 6 lessons from now,

you ought to be doing fine.

Does that mean you'll

take the case?

Both cases.

Yours and Mrs Murdock's.

Merle!

You dont have to act in here...

She can't see you.

Tell her I'm on the payroll.

And I'll be back

for another lesson.

I had a bad taste

in my mouth

all the way back

to my office in Hollywood.

Part of it was the dust and part of it

the setup in the Murdock house.

The girl was what

bothered me most.

I couldn't figure the switches

she'd pulled.

Rule 1 for private detectives...

Always deposit retainer

before client changes mind.

You want to see ME?

Yeah.

Have a chair.

Thanks.

So this is the kind of dump

a shamus hangs out in.

Are you here on business

or just slumming?

Both.

I got a case for you.

Thanks... I've got one.

You did have one.

Now you've got

a new one.

Who are you?

My name is Eddie Prue.

I represent Vince Blair...

owner of the Lucky Club.

Well you can tell your boss

I'm busy right now.

Vince said I was to tell you...

He'll pay you more than you're getting

out of the "Pasadena job".

You certainly made

nice time out here.

If you'd rather just take

a $200 retainer...

I like the case I'm on.

Must be a lot of

electricity in the air

If a shamus turns down $200.

Maybe I'll be down

to see him later.

I think it might be better

if you come down to see him sooner.

Look... I've been doing my own

thinking for some time now.

And I'm still around.

How about running out

and seeing Mr Blair now?

Why not?

After all I'm not being paid

to gunfight with strangers.

I just hate having guns

pointed at me.

Must you go?

Just lay off the Murdock setup...

if you want to stay in business.

That's a hard habit to break...

Taking a case that happened

to appeal to me.

But it's been very nice

meeting you.

I phoned Morningstar

and went to his office...

It wasn't much of an office.

Run-down, dirty...

in a firetrap building near 'Skid Row'.

Just the kind of place where

a crook might look for a fence.

Come in.

Good afternoon.

I'm Marlowe, I phoned you.

Oh yes, Mr Marlowe.

Something about a gold coin.

That's right. The Brasher Doubloon,

Mr Morningstar.

Oh, yes... the Brasher Doubloon.

An early American coin.

Extremely interesting and valuable.

Why?

Because it's rare!

And because it has a romantic

and violent history.

It has? I hadn't heard.

Spruce, the man who coined it

was murdered and robbed.

Through the treachery of a female!

And since then at least 7 other

owners of the coin

have come to abrupt unhappy ends.

Wouldn't that tend to

drag down the price a little?

Oh, no! On the contrary.

A history of violence attached to

an art object

makes the more frantic type of collector

all the more eager to own it.

Now Mr Morningstar,

tell me about somebody trying

to sell the Brasher Doubloon to YOU.

Oh... did somebody try

to sell it to me?

Yes.

Now why would they do that?

Because they need the money.

And they didn't want

too many questions asked.

Now who brought you the coin,

Mr Morningstar?

Perhaps I'm not at liberty to say,

Mr Marlowe.

If you don't...

I go to the police.

And tell them you're dealing

in stolen property.

Are you threatening me,

Mr Marlowe?

Yes.

I was offered the coin...

ostensibly for sale.

But at the time I thought I was

just expected to appraise it.

Or to certify its genuineness.

I told the person it was genuine

and that I would give $2000 for it.

Mrs Murdock says it's worth 10,000.

I'm not in business

for my health.

Do you know where

to find this person?

Yes.

Alright... who is it?

I'm not at liberty to say

without the person's consent.

Well, get that consent

and call me.

Or tomorrow you can tell the police

without the person's consent.

Hello... Florence Apartments?

Could you call Mr George Anson

to the phone please.

He isn't?

No, no message.

Whoever this Anson was,

I was sure of one thing...

He couldn't know any less about

where the coin was, than I did.

The Florence Apartments was

a rooming house on Bunker Hill

which used to be the choice place

to live in Los Angeles.

Nowadays people live there

because they haven't got any choice.

Looking for somebody, Mac?

I know where to find him, thanks.

Anson!

How I hate to find a stiff!

A private detective has to work

within an area

roughly bounded by the law.

Murder squeezes that area down

to where you either can't operate

or you have to take chances

$25 a day aren't worth.

I got into this thing

on account of a pretty face.

The ancient Trojans were sucked into

a 10-year war for the same reason.

They didn't regret it

any more than I did.

My first notion was to blow.

Then I remembered the manager

had seen me come in.

You the manger?

Yeah?

- Mr Anson...

- 204.

I was up there...

he's not in.

What should I do... lay an egg?!

If you asked me in,

you'd be witty sitting down.

Beat it... I'm busy!

Go on... take the air... scram...

push off!

- Five bucks.

- Why didn't you say so?

What goes on here?

It looks like the place

has been robbed.

Yeah... it sure does!

OK bud... and don't try any funny business!

Just stay right where you are!

Shot in the chest with a very small

caliber gun and a soft-nosed bullet.

Been dead about 2 hours.

Hands and face cold...

the body still warm. No rigor.

Was sapped with something hard,

probably a gun, before being shot.

Well my boys'll have him out of here

in a few minutes.

Very simple case.

Well... you heard what the coroner said...

very simple case.

I'm glad of that, because the hard ones

are a lot of work.

Well now, since it's so simple...

Which one of you did it?

- Not me!

- I haven't even got a gun on me.

He might have had one on him

2 hours ago.

I haven't been in the building

an hour altogether.

He saw me come in.

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