The Naked City Page #2

Oh, I don't know, sir.

I'm so unstrung.

I know you are,

but I think you'd like to help us.

Oh, I would. I would.

She was such a sweet girl. A little wild

by my standards maybe, but live and let live, I say.

- She always treated me fine.

- The pajamas, Martha.

- Oh, I'm all in pieces.

- Martha.

Well, they could belong

to Mr. Henderson.

What's Mr. Henderson's first name?

Uh, Philip, I think.

He lives in Baltimore.

At least that's what she told me.

I only saw him once.

All I know is he was

an admirer of Miss Dexter's.

- Seems likely.

- Oh, I'm all in little pieces. What a nightmare.

You're being a great help to us, Martha.

How old would you say Mr. Henderson is?

Oh, 50 about.

- What does he look like?

- Well, like I say, I only saw him once.

He was coming in just as I was going home.

He's quite tall.

On the thin side.

Anything else?

Uh, does he wear glasses? Does he -

- Oh, no, no. That's all I can remember.

- Mm-hmm.

- Do you know Henderson?

- Never saw him.

- Shoot a wire on this to Baltimore.

- Lieutenant.

Here's the ring she was wearing.

I'll phone you after the autopsy.

- Have fun.

- Always do.

Sir, that ring -

it's a black star sapphire. Very rare.

She said her brother

sent it to her from India.

- Did she have any other jewelry?

- Oh, a lot.

Valuable.

She kept it in a jewel box - locked.

- Let's go get it.

- No.

Please.

Okay. You can pick up

that bottle under the bed now.

- Check.

- That one there.

- Nick, can we open a drawer on this table?

- Yeah, I've gone over it.

- What are you doing to the furniture?

- Investigating it.

Oh, she had chamois bags

full of bracelets and rings - diamond rings!

- They're gone.

- Can you describe the jewelry?

- Well, most of it, I think.

- Fine. Shaeffer, will you -

Yes, sir.

Pretty little slumber pellets.

Jimmy, I want to go on questioning

those two in there. You start your legwork.

Take the number of that prescription,

see the druggist.

From him, go to the doctor.

Then go to the dress shop she worked at.

Right.

- Lieutenant, the newspapermen are here.

- Okay. I'm comin'.

- Getting any fingerprints, Nick?

- Nothing good so far.

Fragmentary print smudges.

That's all.

Looks to me like a heavy case.

A heavy case.

An investigation for murder is now underway.

It will advance methodically,

by trial and error...

by asking a thousand questions

to get one answer...

by brain work and legwork.

When it comes to legwork,

Detective Jimmy Halloran is an expert.

In the war, he walked

halfway across Europe with a rifle in his hand.

Up until three months ago,

he was pounding a beat in the Bronx.

And now he's playing button, button

in a city of eight million people.

No, the druggist can't remember

Miss Dexter personally.

He'll have to look up the prescription.

Oh, yes. Here it is.

The doctor's name was Lawrence Stoneman,

office in the Chaffee Building.

The Chaffee Building, Halloran.

Eighteen blocks south, four blocks west.

Nick.

How you doin'?

Not too bad.

Found these two hairs in the rug.

Mm-hmm. Getting any fingerprints?

- Nothing good yet.

- Thanks.

Martha, aside from Mr. Henderson,

did Miss Dexter have any other men friends?

None that I know of, sir.

Just this Niles man. Frank Niles.

Oh, lovely man.

- What are you doing?

- Don't mind me.

Just admiring your hair.

Is Dr. Stoneman in?

- Do you have an appointment?

- I'm from the police department.

- It's quite important.

- Follow me, please.

There's your city, Halloran. Take a good look.

Jean Dexter is dead, and the answer

must be somewhere down there.

Yes, sir. What can I do for you?

Have a seat.

Thank you. I want to ask you

about a patient of yours.

- Jean Dexter.

- Dexter?

You wrote a prescription for her

about two weeks ago - sleeping pills.

Yes. A blonde girl.

Very handsome. I remember now.

Dexter.

You from the local precinct, Officer?

- Homicide.

- Oh, don't tell me that girl murdered someone.

- Someone murdered her.

- What?

- When?

- Last night sometime.

What do you want to know?

Well, whatever you can tell me about her.

She needed a good spanking.

Took stimulants by day

and needed sleeping pills at night.

I told her to go slow,

but, no, life was too short for her.

Can you tell me anything

about the way she lived, her friends?

No. Nothing.

I saw her only that one visit.

Well, I guess that's all, Doc.

Thank you.

The dress shop is next, Halloran.

Grace Hewitt's on West 57th Street.

Imagine me in that.

I can't imagine.

In the Waldorf-Astoria,

with Franky singin'.

I can't imagine.

Oh, you! You're so uncooperative

I could slam you.

Somewhere in the back

ofher pretty head...

was the fixed notion that

she couldn't be happy without being rich.

I don't think Jean ever would have married

unless the man had money - real money.

Why did you fire her?

Gentlemen sometimes

come here with their wives.

When Jean Dexter modeled, many of them

left my shop a little too interested in her.

Their wives didn't like it.

- And neither did I.

- I see.

Mmm, can I talk to her friend now -

the model you spoke about?

Ruth Morrison?

Yes, I'll call her.

- It's gettin' late. We better go.

- So what if we're late?

- The boss'll holler.

- Let him holler. Strengthen his lungs.

Miss Morrison, I understand

you modeled with Jean Dexter.

Do you know anybody

who has cause to dislike her?

- No.

- How about Mrs. Henderson?

Who's she?

Well, Mr. Henderson and Miss Dexter

are quite friendly, aren't they?

She never told me

of a man named Henderson.

- Are you sure?

- Really, Mr. Halloran. Jean's my friend.

I don't think I want to answer any more questions

unless you tell me why you're asking them.

She was found dead this morning.

Hey! Look at the whale!

A whale should stay underwater!

Hey!

I'll slayya!

I'll cut your heads off!

- Stop, you cowards!

- Such language!

In front of a police station too.

Ah, you -

No report yet on fingerprints...

and, uh, Constantino's on his way

to Lakewood to see the girl's parents.

Um -

Got Frank Niles, Lieutenant.

Have him in.

Thank you for coming down, Mr. Niles.

I'm Lieutenant Muldoon.

Bring Mr. Niles a chair.

This is Sergeant Miller.

How do you do?

I've, uh, never been in

a police station before.

- Why'd you want to see me, Lieutenant?

-Just a routine check on something.

Did you ever run

across a girl named, uh, Dexter?

Jean Dexter?

Why, yes. We're good friends.

- And how long have you known her?

- A little over a year.

She's a model. She helps me out

in my business occasionally.

- And what business is that?

- Merchandising consultant.

I, uh, help out-of-town buyers get woolens,

dress skirts - anything in the textile line.

And you pay Miss Dexter a salary?

No. Just a bonus from time to time

when she does something.

- Like what?

- Uh, modeling, entertaining somebody for me.

- When did you see her last?

- Yesterday. We had lunch together.

Why?.

- And you haven't seen her since?

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