Chapter 20 Chapter Twenty If They Hang You

Casper Gutman and Joe Kylo are gone.After the outside door closed, Spade stood motionless for five minutes, staring at the handle of the open living room door.His eyebrows were downcast, his eyes were dark, and the crease between his brows was deep and red.He pouted, his soft lips protruding.He retracted his lips again, pursed them into a firm V shape, and walked to the phone.He didn't go to see Bridget O'Shaughnessy.The latter was standing by the table, looking at him worriedly. He picked up the phone, put it back on the shelf, and bent over to check the directory of phone numbers hanging in the corner of the shelf.He flicked through the pages until he found the page he was looking for, sliding his index finger down one of the columns.Then he stood up, took the phone off the shelf again, dialed a number, and said, "Hi, is Sheriff Burrows there? . . . Could you please call him? This is Samuel Spade." ’ He stared at the air for a while and waited, ‘Hello, Tom, I have something to tell you… yes, a lot. Well, Thursby and Jacoby were killed by a kid named Wilmore Cook ’” he described the lad’s appearance in detail, “he worked for a man named Casper Gutman,” he described Gutman again, “that fellow you met at my place, Kylo , with them too...yes, that's it...Guttmann's group lives at the Alexandra Hotel, Suite 12C, or rather they lived there. They've just left and are going out of town, so you Be quick. But I don't think they know the cops are going to get them... There's a girl among them, Gutman's daughter." He described Rhea Gutman, "Watch out when you're fighting that kid Well, he's supposed to be a pretty good shot...yes, Tom, I've got something for you too. I think I've got the gun he used...yes, go ahead, and good luck!"

Slowly Spade put the receiver back on the cradle and put the phone back on the shelf.He licked his lips and looked down at his hands.The palms are wet and full of sweat.He took a deep breath, eyes sparkling under lowered lids, then turned and walked into the living room in three steps and two steps. Bridget O'Shaughnessy was taken aback by his sudden approach, and then smiled relieved. Spade stood face to face with her, and the two were very close.This tall, big-boned, muscular man, with a pair of stern eyes and a resolute chin, said to her with a cold smile at the moment: "When they are caught, the charges will definitely be pushed to the court. We're on top. We're sitting on the dynamite pack now, and we've only got a few minutes to prepare for the police. Tell me everything. Gutman sent you and Kylo to Constantinople?"

She was about to speak, but hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Damn it, say it!" he said. "I'm in a boat with you now. Don't try to fool me. Say it! He sent you to Constantinople?" "Yes, he sent me. I met Joe there, and... then asked him to help me. Then we—" "Wait, you asked Kylo to help you get that eagle from Kemidov?" "right." "Stolen from Gutman?" She hesitated again, wriggling uncomfortably under his cold and angry gaze, swallowed her saliva, and said, "No, it won't be the case then. We want to steal it for ourselves."

"Okay, what happened next?" "Oh, then I got scared that Joe was going to be unfair to me, so...so I got Floyd Thursby to help me." "He helped you. Then?" "Then we got the eagle and went to Hong Kong." "With Kylo? Or did you dump him before then?" "Yes, he stayed in Constantinople—in prison, for a check." "That's what you deliberately arranged to trap him?" She looked at Spade with shame, and whispered, "Yes." "Okay, then you and Thursby took the bird to Hong Kong." "Well. Then—I didn't know him well—I didn't know if I could trust him. I wanted to be on the safe side—anyway, I knew Captain Jacoby and knew his ship was coming here, so I Ask him to deliver a package for me, the bird. I'm not sure if I can trust Thursby, or if Joe or any of Guttman's men will go in the boat with us, it seems the safest plan."

"Okay. Then you and Thursby come on a fast boat. And then?" "Then—I was afraid of Gutman. I knew he had people everywhere, his eyes and ears, and he knew very quickly what we were doing. I was afraid of him learning that we had set off from Hong Kong to San Francisco. He was In New York, there is plenty of time to get to San Francisco when we arrive, or before we arrive. He did. I didn't know it at the time, but I was afraid that it would happen, because I had to wait here for ya Captain Gubby's ship arrives, and Guttman might find me, or find Floyd and buy him off. So I'm going to find you, please keep an eye on him, and come—"

"It's a lie," said Spade. "Thursby's got you hooked, you know it. He's always been fascinated by women, and it's clear from his criminal record—he's always They are all planted in the hands of women. Jiangshan is easy to change, but nature is hard to change. Maybe you don’t know his records, but you know he is safe for you.” She blushed and looked at him timidly. He said, "You're trying to get rid of Jacoby before he arrives with the loot. What's your plan?" "I... I know he left the country with a gambler who was in trouble. I don't know what the trouble was, but I think if it was serious, he'd think that if he saw detectives watching him. It was old troubles that came to me and got scared off. I didn't expect—”

"You told him he was being followed," Spade said confidently. "Miles isn't very clever, but he wasn't so stupid as to be caught on the first night." "I told him, yes. I pretended to spot Mr. Archer stalking us the other night when we were out for a walk, and pointed him out to Floyd," she sobbed, "but believe me Me, Sam, if I knew Floyd was going to kill him, I wouldn't have done it. I thought he'd be scared away, never thought he'd shoot Archer." There was a sly smile on Spade's mouth, but not in his eyes.He said, "You thought he couldn't shoot, and you were right, baby." The girl's upturned face was full of shock."Thursby didn't shoot him," Spade said. The girl's face was filled with shock and suspicion.Spade added: "Miles is not very smart, but God, he has been a detective for so many years, anyway, he will not be caught by the man he is following. The gun is still on the waist Come on, with his coat buttoned up, he just walked into a dead end? Impossible. He's as stupid as most men, but not so stupid. There are only two ways out of the alley, from the tunnel above You can see it all over Bush Street. You said Thursby was not a showman, and he couldn't have tricked Miles into an alley or forced him into it. I'll say it again, Miles is Stupid, but not so stupid." He licked the inside of his lips with his tongue, smiled at the girl affectionately, and said, "But if he's sure there's no one else in there, he'll follow you in, baby. You He's a client, so there's no reason why he shouldn't drop a stalker if you ask. And if you get him hooked and let him in with you, he'll go. He's that stupid. He Must be looking you up and down, licking your lips and grinning badly, and you can walk up to him in the dark, as close as you want, and use the gun you got from Thursby that night Punch a big hole in him."

Bridget O'Shaughnessy backed away from Spade all the way to the table.She looked at him with terrified eyes, and cried, "Don't, don't talk to me like that, Sam! You know I didn't! You know—" "Come on," he said, looking at the watch on his wrist. "The police could come in any minute, and we're sitting on top of the dynamite pack. Tell me the truth!" She pressed the back of one hand to her forehead. "Oh, why are you accusing me of such a horrible—" "Are you still doing this?" he ordered impatiently in a low voice. "This is not schoolgirl imitation time. Listen to me, we are sitting under the gallows!" He grabbed her wrist, Let her stand straight in front of him, "Say it!"

"I...I, how do you know him...he licks his lips and sees—" Spade laughed harshly. "I know Miles. But it doesn't matter. Why did you kill him?" She freed her wrist from Spade's grasp, put her arms around the nape of his neck, and brought his head until their lips met.Her body was pressed against him from chest to knee.He put his arms around her tightly.Her violet eyes were half hidden by thick lashes, and her voice was soft and quivering slightly. "I didn't intend to do that at first, I really didn't. I originally planned to do what I told you, but when I saw that Floyd wasn't intimidated, I—"

Spade slapped her on the shoulder and said, "This is a lie, you asked me and Miles to take care of this personally because you want to make sure you're following someone you know, and you know You, so he'll go with you. You got the gun from Thursby that night, and you've rented a room at the Crown Apartments. You put your suitcase over there, there's nothing in the hotel. I'll check I found a rent receipt at your apartment, dated five or six days earlier than the date you told me." She swallowed hard and said in a low voice, "Yes, that was a lie, Sam. I did intend that if Floyd—I...I couldn't look at you and tell you this, Sam ’” she pulled his head down against his face and whispered in his ear, “I know Floyd isn’t that easily scared. But I think if he knew someone was following him, he would Or—oh, I can't say it, Sam!" She hugged him tightly, sobbing.

Spade said: "You think Floyd is going to fight him, one of them is going to get knocked out. If it's Thursby, you get rid of him; if it's Miles, Flo Ed would get caught, and you could get rid of him, right?" "Bad...almost." "And when you found out Thursby wasn't going to fight him, you borrowed his gun and did it yourself. Right?" "Yes, but not quite." "Almost there. The plan was there from the start. You thought Floyd was going to be arrested for killing people." "I... I thought they'd at least lock him up until Captain Jacoby arrived with the eagle. And—" "And you didn't know that Gutman was here looking for you. You didn't expect this, or you wouldn't have got rid of your own shooter. As soon as you heard Thursby was killed, you knew that Gutman had Here you go. You know you need to find another bodyguard, so you come back to me again. Right?" "Yes, but—oh dear! It's not just for that. I'll come back to you sooner or later, I knew from the first moment I saw you—" Spade said softly, "You little fellow! Well, with luck, you'll be out of San Quentin in another twenty years, and then you'll be back with me." She moved her cheek away from his face, threw her head back, and looked at him incredulously. He paled and said softly, "God bless they don't hang you, baby, let go of your lovely neck." His hand slid around her neck, stroking her throat gently. In the blink of an eye, she broke free from his embrace and curled up against the table with her hands on her throat.She looked anxious, her almond eyes were wide open, her dry lips opened and closed, and she whispered in a hoarse voice: "You won't—" Then she couldn't say a word. Spade's face turned buff.He had a smile on his mouth, smile lines around his eyes, and a soft and gentle voice. "I'll let you go. You still have a chance to survive, which means you'll be out in twenty years. You're an angel, and I'll wait for you." He cleared his throat. "If they hang You, I will always remember you." She let go of her hands, straightened her chest, and her complexion became calm again, only a faint, dubious light flashed in her eyes.She smiled at him tenderly. "Come on, Sam, don't even say that for fun. Oh, you really freaked me out for a moment! I really thought you—you know you're such a wild, unpredictable thing—" she He stopped suddenly, and his face came forward, staring deeply into his eyes.Her cheeks and lips trembled slightly, and fear returned to her eyes again. "What—Sam!" She curled up again with her hands to her throat. Spade laughed, his buff face wet with sweat.Although he was still smiling, his voice was no longer gentle.He said gruffly, "Don't be a fool. You've got to take the blame. After those guys have pushed the blame, one of us has to take the blame. If it was me, they'd hang me. You should have better luck if it becomes you. How about it?" "But—but, Sam, you can't do that! We're all so close already. You can't—" "I can't be blamed." She let out a long, trembling breath. "You've been acting with me? You're just pretending to care about me—so I can be fooled? You don't—don't care? You haven't loved—you don't love me?" "I think I love you," Spade said. "So what?" The muscles on his face bulged and he kept smiling. "I'm not Thursby. I'm not Jacobi. I'm I won't be fooled by you." "It's not fair," she cries, tears welling up in her eyes, "it's not fair. You mean. You know it's not like that. You can't say that." "I can't blame it," Spade said, "you got into my bed to gag me so I wouldn't question you again. You helped Gutman get me out yesterday with that call for help. Yesterday Tonight you came here with them while you were outside waiting to come in with me. When we fell into a trap, you hid in my arms - I couldn't draw a gun, and I couldn't move Empty. If they didn't take you, it's only because Gutman is in his right mind. He doesn't trust you unless he has to; and because he thinks I'll fall for you - as long as I don't want to hurt you , so we can’t do anything to him.” Bridget O'Shaughnessy blinked, tears streaming down her face.She took a step closer to him and stood looking him in the eye proudly. "You said I was a liar," she said, "and now you're lying too. In spite of what I've done, if you can say that deep down you don't know that I still love you, then you're lying." Spade bowed briefly and stiffly.His eyes were red, but otherwise his sweaty yellow face hadn't changed much, still wearing the same smile. "Maybe I'm lying," he said, "so what? Should I trust you? You who set up my ex, Thursby, with a clever trick? To betray Thursby, like a shot dead." You who killed Miles, who had nothing wrong with you, like a fly? You who betrayed Gutman, Kylo, ​​Thursby—one, two, three? Since I knew you , you who have never been honest with me for even half an hour? No, no, honey. I wouldn't do it if I could. Why should I?" Her eyes were always calm under his gaze, and there was no wave in her soft voice when she answered: "Why do you? If you have been playing with me all the time, if you don't love me, there is no answer to this question. If You loved me, you don't need answers." Spade's eyes were bloodshot, and the long-held smile turned into a horrible grin.He cleared his throat hoarsely and said, "It's no use talking now." He put a trembling hand on her shoulder, "I don't care who loves whom. I won't fall for you." , not going the same way as Thursby and God knows who else. You killed Miles, and you're about to pay for it. I could have let the others go, and tried my best to get the cops out of the way. sin, but it's too late now. I can't help you now, and I won't." She reached out to hold his hand on her shoulder. "Then don't help me," she said softly, "but don't hurt me. Now let me go." "No," he said, "if I don't hand you over to the police when they come, I'm screwed. That's the only way I won't get dragged down by other people." "You don't even promise me this?" "I won't fall for your tricks." "Please don't say that." She took his hand from her shoulder and pressed it to her face. "Why did you have to do this to me, Sam? How could Mr. Archer be to you— " "Miles," Spade said in a raspy voice, "is a bastard. I found out the first week we worked together, and I was going to wait until the end of the year to kick him out. You kill him for me. There's no harm." "Then why are you?" Spade withdrew his hand from hers.He was neither smiling nor grimacing, and his sweaty yellow face had grown grim, more deeply lined, and his eyes were burning with anger.He said: "Listen - it's no use doing this, you'll never understand me, but I'll try again and forget it. Listen. A man's partner is killed, he should do Something. It doesn't matter what he thinks of this guy. This guy's your partner, and you've got to do something about it. Second, we're in the business of detectives, so when someone in your agency gets caught Killing, and letting the killer get away would have a very bad effect—on people around, on this institution, on every detective everywhere in the institution. Third, I'm a detective myself, and it's going to take me to catch Criminals let them go again, it's like asking a dog to catch a rabbit and then let the rabbit go. It can be done, no problem, it's happened, but it's not in my nature. I'm going to let you go Go, the only way is to let go of Gutman, Kylo and that kid, then—” "You're kidding," she said, "you don't expect me to think that all the reasons you've said are enough for you to send me to—" "You can talk about it after I finish. Fourth, no matter what I want to do now, if I let you go, I will be dragged to the gallows with everyone else. Besides, there is no reason for me to believe you. If I let you go, and got away with it again, and you have my handle in your hand, and you can use it against me whenever you want. This is five points. The sixth point is, since I have you in my hand I can't be sure if you decide to punch a big hole in me one day. Seventh, I don't even want to think about it-maybe there is a one percent chance that I will fall for you, Played around by you. And the eighth - enough reasons. All these reasons are on the same side. Maybe some are not important, I won't argue with this, but look at the number. What do we have on the other side ?The only thing we have is the fact that maybe you love me and maybe I love you." "Whether you love me or not," she whispered, "you know the answer." "I don't know. It's easy to be crazy about you," he looked greedily from head to toe, and finally returned to her eyes, "but I don't know what that counts. Has anyone ever done that? What if I Crazy about you, so what? Maybe next month I won't be. I've been through this - the passion only lasted a month. What happens when the fever goes down? I'll feel like a fool for a while. If I let you go and get caught, I'll be sure I'm a fool; if I let you get caught, I'll be sad and sleepless all night, but that's all going to pass. Listen," he said with his hands Grab her by the shoulders, put your head over her shoulders and put your head down against her back, leaning against her, "If these words don't make sense to you, forget it. Let's understand it this way: I won't let you go , because I want to let you go—fuck the consequences, I really do; and because you—you bloody bastard—rely on my thoughts to live, like you It's the same as the idea of ​​relying on others." His hands moved away from her shoulders and fell to her sides. She reached out to touch his face, pulling his face closer to hers again. "Look at me," she said, "tell me the truth, if that eagle was real and you got the money, would you do this to me?" "What's the use of saying that now? Don't think I'm as black and white as I seem. That image is for my business—leads to well-paying jobs and makes dealing with enemies easier." She looked at him without speaking. He shrugged and said, "Well, a lot of money should add at least one thing to the other side of the scale." She leaned her face against his, her lips pursed slightly and parted, and whispered, "If you loved me, you wouldn't need anything more on that side." Spade gritted his teeth and said, "I won't fall for your tricks." She put her mouth against his, hugged him slowly, and leaned into his arms.She was snuggling in his arms when the doorbell rang.
Spade put his left arm around Bridget O'Shaughnessy and opened the door.Inspector Dundee, Sergeant Tom Burrows and two other detectives stood outside the door. Spade said, "Hello, Tom, got them?" Burrows said, "Got it." "Excellent. Come in, here's another one for you," Spade pushed the girl forward, "she killed Miles. I've got some more evidence: the lad's gun, a Kyle Luo's gun, a little black sculpture—all this shit is what caused it, and a thousand-dollar bill that was supposed to bribe me." He looked at Dundee, frowned, and leaned closer Came to look at the Inspector's face, and suddenly burst out laughing, "What's the matter with your little fellow, Tom? He looks heartbroken." He smiled again, "God, I bet, He must have been thinking, listening to Guttman's story, he's finally got me." "Stop it, Sam," Tom complained, "we didn't think—" "It's no wonder he didn't think so," said Spade cheerily. "He came up here drooling. I've been lying to Gutman before, though you must have seen." "Stop it," Tom complained again, looking away uncomfortably at his superior. "Anyway, we've heard what Kylo said. Gutman's dead. When we got there the kid just told him Finish the shot." Spade nodded. "He should have expected it," he said.
When Spade came into the office a few minutes after nine on Monday morning, Effie Palin put down the paper and jumped out of his chair. He said, "Good morning, baby." "Is that—what the newspaper says—true?" she asked. "Yes, ma'am." He threw his hat on the desk and sat down.He was pale, but the lines on his face made him look determined and happy.Although there are still some bloodshot eyes, his eyes are still clear.The girl's brown eyes were wide open, and her mouth was pursed in an odd way.She stood beside him, staring down at him.He raised his head, grinned, and teased her: "It's better to use less of your woman's intuition in the future." Her voice was as strange as the expression on her face: "Sam, you did that to her?" He nodded. "Your Sam's a detective." He looked at her sharply and put his arms around her waist. "She killed Miles, baby," he said gently, "without blinking, like this .” He snapped his fingers with the other hand. She wriggled out of his arms like he hurt her. "No, please, don't touch me," she said intermittently. "I know, I know you're right. You're right. But don't touch me now, don't now." Spade's face became as white as his collar. The corridor doorbell rang.Effie Palin turned quickly and walked into the outer office, closing the door behind her.When she came in again, she also closed the door. She whispered in a vague voice, "Eva is here." Spade looked down at his desk and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Okay," he said, and then shivered, "Okay, let her in."