Chapter 12 Chapter 10 The Couch at the Hotel Belvedere
It was already dawn when Spade got up.The night had turned into a thin layer of smoke.Beside him was Bridget O'Shaughnessy, breathing softly and evenly, soundly asleep.Spade got out of bed quietly, walked out of the bedroom, and closed the door.After freshening up in the bathroom, he checked the sleeping girl's clothes, took a dull brass key from her coat pocket, and went out.
He came to Crown Apartments, went straight into the building, and used the key to enter her apartment room.In the eyes of outsiders, when he went in, he didn't look sneaky at all, but walked in openly.To outsiders' ears it was hardly perceptible that he entered, for he tried to make as little noise as possible.
When he got to the girl's apartment, he turned on all the lights and searched the whole apartment.His eyes and thick fingers showed no haste, no procrastination, no fumbling, no turning back.He explored the whole place inch by inch with a steady and skillful technique, inspecting it carefully.Every drawer, cupboard, cupboard, box, bag, chest--locked or unlocked--was opened, and its contents inspected by hand or eye.Every piece of clothing has been touched by hand; every piece of paper has been crunched with fingers and listened to.He took all the covers off the bed; he turned up the rugs and looked under every piece of furniture;He leaned out of each window to see if there was anything hanging out.He poked through the powder and cream bottles on the dressing table with a fork; he held the sprayer and bottles to the light.Pots, pans and food items are inspected.Spread the newspaper on the ground again, and dump everything in the trash can on it.He also opened the top cover of the toilet tank in the bathroom, let out the water, and looked at the bottom of the tank to see clearly; he also checked the metal screens on the drain pipes of the bathtub, washbasin, sink, and laundry pool one by one.
He hadn't found Blackhawk, nor had he found anything that looked like Blackhawk.The only note he found was a receipt for one month's rent paid by Bridget O'Shaughnessy a week earlier.The only thing that interested him was a large handful of rather fine jewelry in a painted box locked in a dresser drawer.He only delayed the search for a moment when he looked at the jewelry.
After Spade finished searching, he made himself a cup of coffee.Then he opened the bolt of the kitchen window, scratched the edge of the bolt a few times with his own knife, opened the window—there was a fire escape below—and took the coat and hat from the settee in the sitting room, as he did when he came. Go out in a big way.
On the way home he bought oranges, eggs, rolls, butter and cream from a shop run by a puffy-eyed, puffy grocer.
Spade slipped into his apartment, but before he could close the hall door, Bridget O'Shaughnessy called, "Who is it?"
"Breakfast is here at Lower Spade."
"Oh, you scare the hell out of me!"
His bedroom door, which had been closed, was now open.The girl sat shivering on the edge of the bed, her right hand stretched out under the pillow.
Spade put the big and small packages on the kitchen table before going to the bedroom.He sat down next to the girl on the edge of the bed, kissed her bare shoulder and said, "I have to see if that kid is still guarding outside, and I bought something for breakfast."
"Is he still there?"
"It's gone."
She breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against him. "I woke up and saw you weren't here, and heard someone come in, and it scared the hell out of me."
Spade pushed her red hair back from her face with his fingers and said, "I'm sorry, honey, I thought you were going to sleep. Did you keep your gun under your pillow all night?"
"No, you know I didn't. I jumped up and got the gun just now because I was so freaked out."
While she was taking a shower and dressing up, he made breakfast and stuffed the brass key back into her coat pocket by the way.
When she came out of the bathroom, she whistled "Cuba Song". "Shall I make the bed?" she asked.
"That's as good as it gets. The eggs won't be cooked for a few minutes."
When she turned back to the kitchen, breakfast was already on the table.They sat where they had sat the night before, and ate heartily.
"Now tell me about the Black Hawk?" Spade asked while eating.
She put down her fork and looked at him.Frowning and pursing his lips tight and small, he protested, "You shouldn't have asked me to talk about this, especially this morning. I won't and won't talk about it."
"You stubborn, bloody little slut," he said sadly, popping a roll into his mouth.
When Spade and Bridget O'Shaughnessy crossed the street to the taxi waiting there, they didn't see the boy staring at Spade, and no one followed the taxi.When the taxi drove near the Crown Apartment, it still didn't meet the young man, nor did it meet any other idlers.
Bridget O'Shaughnessy wouldn't let Spade go in with her. "It's bad enough to be back at this hour in evening dress and without company. I hope I don't meet anybody."
"Shall we have dinner together tonight?"
"OK."
They kissed.She went into the Crown Apartments.Spade told the driver: "Belvedee Hotel."
When he arrived at the Belvedere, he found the young man who had been staring at him the day before sitting on a sofa in the hall.You can see the elevator from there.The lad pretended to be reading a newspaper.
Spade found out from the service desk that Kylo was not at home.He frowned, twisted his lower lip, and a little yellow light began to flash in his eyes.He said a gentle "thank you" to the staff and walked away.
He strolled down the hall to the couch where he could see the elevator, and sat down next to the young man who seemed absorbed in reading the paper—they were only a foot or so apart.
The young man just read his newspaper without looking up.Taking a closer look, he seemed to be less than twenty years old, with a small head and a small brain, which matched his figure just right.The facial features are upright, the complexion is fair, there are many beard roots on the face, and the blood is surging, it becomes a little red and black.His clothes are not new, and the material is very ordinary.But looking at the clothes and the demeanor he wore, it showed the cleanliness of a tough guy.
"Where is he?" Spade asked casually, pouring the tobacco onto a piece of brown paper.
The kid put down the newspaper and looked around.The movements are deliberately slow, as if to restrain his original agility.His small hazel eyes looked at Spade's chest through long, curly lashes.The tone of voice was as pale, calm, and cold as that tender face. "what?"
"Where is he?" Spade was busy rolling his cigarette.
"Who?"
"That sissy man."
The hazel eyes looked up from Spade's chest to the knot in his maroon tie. "What are you trying to do, man?" asked the kid. "Trying to play tricks on me?"
"If I play tricks on you, I must say hello to you first." Spade licked the cigarette.Smile at this kid. "Are you from New York?"
The kid stared at Spade's tie and said nothing.Spade nodded, as if the boy had already answered in the affirmative, and then asked, "Desperado?"
The boy still stared at Spade's tie for a moment, then picked up the newspaper and continued to read it intently. "Go away," he said through gritted teeth.
Spade lit his cigarette and leaned back comfortably on the couch, looking in a good mood.He said casually: "You'll have to talk to me before you've finished, little man—someone in your party will want to talk to—you can tell me so."
The kid put the newspaper down quickly and faced Spade.His cold hazel eyes were fixed on his tie.He spread his little hands to his stomach and said, "If you keep talking too much, you'll be overwhelmed." His voice was low and crisp, and there was a sense of threat. "I told you, go away! Go away!"
Spade waited for a chunky guy with glasses and a slim-legged blond to pass by until they were out of hearing, then giggled and said, "Come back, that's the way to go. But you're not in Romeville now." , You are in my territory." He took a drag on the cigarette, and then puffed it out, forming a long string of white mist. "Okay, where is he?"
The kid uttered only two words, the first being a rough-sounding verb, and the other being "you."
"Teethless people talk like that," Spade said, his voice still amiable, his face expressionless. "If you want to hang around here, you have to be polite."
The kid said those two words again.
Spade dropped the cigarette into a stilt beside the sofa and raised his hand in greeting to a man standing by the cigarette stand.The man had been standing there for several minutes.He nodded and walked towards them.This is a middle-aged man, of medium build, with a round, yellow complexion.The body is quite strong, and he is dressed in black and neatly dressed.
"Hi, Sam," he said, coming up.
"Hello, Luke."
They shook hands, and Luke said, "Oh, what a pity Miles."
"Well, bad luck," Spade turned his head and pointed to the kid on the sofa beside him. "How do you let these low-level thugs hang around in the hall with guys on them?"
"Really?" Luke looked at the kid with clever brown eyes, and suddenly his face became serious, and he asked, "What are you doing here?"
The kid got up and Spade got up too.Boy, look at these two big men, look at their ties; look at that from this one.Luke's tie is black.He stood before them like a student.
Luke said, "Come on, if you don't have anything to do then go away and don't stay here."
The kid said, "I can't forget you two guys," and went out.
They watch him go out.Spade took off his hat and wiped his sweaty forehead with his handkerchief.
"What's the matter?" asked the hotel detective.
"How do I know," Spade replied. "I recognized him by chance. Do you know Joel Kylo in Room 635?"
"Oh, that man!" the hotel detective cast a sidelong glance at him.
"How long has he been here?"
"Four days, today is the fifth day."
"What's the matter with him?"
"How do I know, Sam, but he's got a really bad look on his face."
"Inquire if he came back last night?"
"I'll ask," the hotel detective agreed and left.Spade sat on the couch and waited for his return.Luke reported, "No, he didn't come back to sleep, what's going on?"
"nothing."
"Tell the truth. You know I'll keep my mouth shut, and I won't go around talking. Besides, if anything goes wrong, we should know, so we don't miss the rent."
"That's not the case," Spade reassured him. "In fact, I'm doing a little thing for him. I'll let you know if something happens to him."
"You'd better tell me. Shall I pay attention to him?"
"Thanks, Luke, that's kind of you. The more you get to know the people who hire you these days, the better."
The clock on the elevator was already pointing to eleven twenty-one, when Joel Kylo came in from the door.He had a bandage on his forehead.His clothes were already wrinkled from wearing them for too long.His face was pale, and the corners of his eyes and mouth drooped.
Spade saw him at the desk. "Good morning," Spade said lightly.
Kai Luo straightened his tired body, and every drooping line on his face was tensed. "Good morning," he replied coldly.
There was a moment of silence.
Spade said, "Shall we talk somewhere?"
Kylo looked up and said, "Forgive me, but I'm not in a hurry to continue our secret conversation now. Forgive me for being blunt, but it's the truth."
"You mean last night?" Spade waved his hands and shook his head impatiently. "What can I do? I think you can see that too. If you fight her, or she fights you, I'll have to protect her. I don't know where the goddam black hawk is, you I don't know. But she does. If I don't deal with her, how can we get Black Hawk?"
Kai Luo hesitated, and said dubiously: "I think you always have a good explanation ready-made."
Spade said sullenly, "What do you want me to do? Stammer? Well, let's talk over there." He led the way to the couch.When they were seated, he asked: "Did Dundee take you to the Bureau?"
"Well."
"How long have they been asking you?"
"It just ended, and it forced me to say it." Kai Luo's face and voice were intertwined with pain and anger. "I must take this matter to the Greek Consul General and get a lawyer."
"You go and see what's in it. What did you get out of the police?"
Kylo's smile showed serious satisfaction. "Nothing, I will stick to what you said in your room first." His smile disappeared. "But I wish you could have made up a more plausible line. I find it ridiculous to say it upside down."
Spade smiled mockingly and said, "True, but it's funny to say the least. You really didn't tell them anything?"
"Don't worry about that, Mr. Spade. I didn't say anything."
Spade tapped his fingers on the leather sofa between them. "Dundee will probably come to you again, and you'll pass without saying anything. Don't care if it's ridiculous. Tell a logical story and we'll all go to jail." He stood up. "If you've been standing in the police station all night, go to sleep and see you later."
Effie Perrine was on the phone saying "Not yet," and Spade walked into his outer office.She looked around him and silently said the word "Eva" on her lips.He shook his head. "Okay, I'll ask him to call you as soon as he comes." She said loudly and hung up the receiver. "This morning, she called for the third time," she said to Spade.
He growled impatiently.
The girl's brown eyes peered toward an inner office. "Your Miss O'Shaughnessy is in there. She came just after nine and was waiting."
Spade nodded, as if he had expected it, and asked, "Is there anything else?"
"Inspector Paulous called. He left no message."
"Call him now for me."
"And Gu XX called."
Spade's eyes lit up.He asked, "Who?"
"He just said Gu XX." It seemed that she was clearly not interested in this topic. "I told him that you were not here, and he said, 'When he comes, please tell him that Gu has received his message, has called, and will call again in the future.'"
Spade pursed his lips, as if tasting something delicious. "Thanks, sweetie," he said, "and see if I can get Tom Polrows through." He pushed open the inner door, went into his private office, and shut the door behind him.
Bridget O'Shaughnessy, in the suit she had been in the office on her previous visit, got up from her chair by his desk and came hastily toward him. "Someone's been in my apartment," she said, "and it's messed up everywhere."
He seemed a little surprised. "Is something missing?"
"Probably not, I can't tell. I was so scared to be there. I changed my clothes as soon as I could and came up here. Oh, you must have been caught by that boy when you came to my place."
Spade shook his head. "No, honey." He took the morning edition of the afternoon paper out of his pocket, opened it, and directed her to a quarter-page column entitled "Screams Scare Off Robbers."
A young woman named Caroline Beale lived alone in a flat on Sutter Street.At four o'clock that morning, when she heard someone moving in the bedroom, she screamed and the intruder fled.Two other women who lived alone in the same apartment also had evidence of robbers visiting their flats later in the morning, but all three women had nothing missing.
"I dropped him right there," Spade explained, "and I went into the apartment and slipped out the back door. Because all three of these women were single. He saw it in the hall register The woman's name will be traced as your alias."
"But when we went to your place, he was obviously watching your residence." She disagreed.
Spade shrugged. "He couldn't have done it alone. Perhaps he went up to Sutter Street thinking you were staying with me last night. There are many possibilities. But I didn't take him to the Crown."
She is still not satisfied. "Either he discovered my place, or someone else discovered it."
"Yes." He frowned and looked at her feet. "I wonder if it's Kylo. He hasn't been back to the hotel all night. He just came back a few minutes ago. He told me he was standing at the police station all night. I thought it was weird." He turned and opened the door, and asked Effie Perrine, "Is Tom connected?"
"He's not here, I'll try again in a few minutes."
"Thank you." Spade closed the door, facing Bridget.
She looked at him darkly. "Did you see Joe this morning?" she asked.
"went."
She hesitated for a moment: "Why?"
"Why?" He smiled at her. "My darling, because if I'm going to sort out this mess I'm going to have to keep in touch with the various characters." He put his arm around her shoulders and led her to the In front of the swivel chair, he kissed the tip of her nose lightly and asked her to sit down.He sat on the table in front of her and said, "Now we have to find you a new home."
She nodded vigorously: "I will never go back there again."
He patted the table next to his lap, his face thoughtful, and then suddenly said: "I have an idea, wait a minute." He went to the outside office and closed the door behind him.
Effie Perine reached for the receiver and said, "I'll try again."
"That's a no-brainer. Do you still think she's a decent lady with your feminine instincts?"
She looked up at him shrewdly. "I still think she's right, no matter how much trouble she's caused, you mean that."
"That's what you mean." He said, "You are so kind to her, can you do her a favor?"
"What kind of help?"
"Can you let her stay with you for a few days?"
"You mean to live in my house?"
"Yeah. Someone broke into her place. It's the second time she's been burglarized in a week. Maybe she'd be better off if she wasn't single. If you'd take her for a few days, you'd be doing her a favor." Very busy."
Effie Perrine leaned forward and asked earnestly, "Is she really in danger, Sam?"
"I suppose so."
She scratched her lips with her fingernails. "That would scare Mam to death. I'll just have to tell Ma that this woman is a witness no one expects, and you've got to cover her till the end."
"You're such a sweet baby," Spade said, "better take her now. I'll ask her for the key and get the things she needs out of the apartment. Let me see, you two should not Let people see that they went out from here together. You go home now. Get a taxi and make sure that you are not being followed. But probably not. But you should be sure. I will see you later After seeing that no one is following her, send her out."
Notes:
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