 The adventurers of Sam's Fade detective Oh, I waited to say it I'll go you've been through a tough time sweet Oh, you didn't make it any easier. You think it was a cake walk for me. You think my nerves are made of rubber You're gonna listen to me You're gonna sit still not talking listening when I finished you can say good night. I good bye First you're gonna listen to me Remember how it started yesterday evening when you told me it's your mother's birthday You were giving a party you said you wanted me to come I Try to beg off being no social butterfly, but mom would be hurt you said and so the next thing I knew There I was at your house surrounded by two dozen strangers ten gallons of lemonade and your mother I've been wanting to have a talk with you, Mr. Spade about Effie. I can't think of a nice subject, Mrs. Yeah Yeah, well, I You want me to spike eliminate Effie it just so happens that I have here in my pocket a problem I have a wonderful idea Your attention, please Won't you join the party What a shame So nice Oh, you brought a gentleman friend, yeah Lois sat down and crossed her legs at me Left me where I would have preferred to see a dimple. I saw a tattoo mark Her gentleman friend Monty was a small stocky guy all teeth of New York tie He sure hands all around and it felt like the fall of a stale Lola's from Kansas City, Mr. Spade I'm glad he's coming home safely Now quiet everybody quiet Dr. Burson The members of our team and then each of you will write something We'll write a quotation or Out what you all Know how Teams were chosen I wound up on this green steam a Slips of paper were handed out to the guests. I wrote down close to the Raven never more So I'd have to make like a Raven Everybody was getting settled This is your charade And with that she lost herself in the crowd Her gentleman friend Marty the little character with the New York tie was out in the center of the floor acting his charade He flapped his arms up and down quack twice roll over on his back. Nobody got it. So we did it again Yes, you will you please get up now. We'll go on to there. He certainly was a Deter duck I'd never seen I've been to him and his lips were turning blue. Somebody has spiked his last drink with a jigger of poison One hour later Dundee and the homicide boys including the medic had taken a sift downtown No one could identify him. Lola branded brought him to the party, but she'd taken a powder You and mom were kind of shaky. So I decided to spend the night on the south in the living room And we used up about three hours of it when I heard the front door open. I Figured it was Lola. I got to my feet crossed the hall And found myself staring into the biggest 45. I ever saw where's the duck who he wants to know who'll pull me look We don't want no trouble. You're protecting this Duke. Okay All we wanted is a try Walt Disney. Oh, I should have known they had no sense of humor But of the gun caught me behind the left ear. That's where it usually catches me I don't know how much more sleep I packed away until I felt you shaking What happened Happy no, no, we can't call the police happy not yet. They want something they want the duck mom has it She's safe for a while, but if we call the police Keep our fingers crossed and play the rest of the caper by ear So you promise that you wouldn't call the police until I gave you the nod I went out to buzz the town. I figured it was an out-of-state law probably New York The gunsles were after the duck That made no sense They thought I was the muscle for the juke joint. I Hustle over to Jenny the juke if she didn't know the score nobody Her place was dark Finally she opened up and led me into the rear And I mentioned the duck she shut down tied up in a clam in December. It's blisters Sam blisters I tell you this ain't only the local law. This is the feds go away Sam my joint ain't duking for the duration Listen Jenny, there's an out-of-state mob. They put the arm and my secretary's mother She don't know the time of day. They pulled the wrong feather. I don't hear a word Just say Sam they're mixed up in the juke joint grip you you know who they are Where's the duck Jenny Sam you're winging in the breeze I'll give me a rundown Jenny or I'll tear your ears off. I want that old woman back safe You can't muscle me Sam. You know why you'll tear my ears off, and that's where you will stuff That's where they begin. Okay Jenny. Okay one thing Can you get word to them? Maybe you try maybe tell them I've got the duck I'll deal for the old woman Go back to your office if I can throw a little weight You'll get a call if I can't you can come back for my ears And when I get back to the office, I had you on my hands. That was no rest cure But I can't just sit here do something. We've got to sit and wait Oh Sam, please call the police. Oh, we got to sweat it out. I can't Who's searching? What's your name? I'm gonna sir look. I'm here to talk about duck. Good enough I'm into my office happy you wait out here wait here. I said sit down. Thank you kindly I'm a lawyer mr. Spade. I'm here to represent my client. What's his name? John Doe Jane Doe's big brother My client has been led to believe that you are prepared to produce the duck that correct more or less What's it worth to your client? My client is willing to trade the old woman for the duck You go back and tell your client. I'm a big boy now. I I don't understand mr. Spade this town is loaded with old women. All I have to do is walk I'm a down market street, but there's only one duck. There must be a misunderstanding and let me put you straight I've got the duck. Well, that'll be cute. Your client wants the duck. Okay, but 50 g $50,000 things are high all over. Yeah, but the old woman is a mrs. Green I change now listen you can do whatever you like about the old woman So you got an old woman get rid of her however you want. That's your service What's important is that you want the duck I want 50 grand Do we play? Effie I thought we had an audience the other side of the door Shut up save it. This is business Easiest money of the season. Well, if you're ready to talk business, we'll go and talk to my client mr. Spade Let's go You've known me a long time Effie, but maybe you don't know me The United States Armed Forces radio service is presenting the weekly adventure of Dashel Hammett's famous private detective Sam Spade The car that drove us down the peninsula was brand new I can tell by the way the upholstery smell in the careful way the driver handled O'Rourke the lawyer sat up front and I sat in the back squeeze between two gunners The gun muzzle stuck into my ribs told me all I needed to know about them The rest of it I had to guess that Time is hard to judge when you're blindfolded, but there's only one main road out of San Francisco by land I know the town some stops along it fairly well About 20 miles out of the city the car turned off the main highway onto a gravel road Five minutes later the blindfold came off Fog was a thick I still couldn't see much The gunners pushed me ahead of him into a shack look like a summer vacation cottage with a sign over the door that said buy it a week Sallow mean looking little man with a heavily scarred face met us at the door He's right on just above the wrist Tattoo the small picture of a mallard duck He glared at me and then it'll rock. How come I told you don't come back without her Heaven be my witness that he I did my utmost, huh? It seems that Mr. Spade is interested in money. What money did you tell him we got the old lady? I did sir I am afraid we've misjudged mr. Spade and short that he mr. Spade is not in the least What does he want? You would better tell him 50,000 now another 50 cheese when I'm a little over the duck 100 cheese is a lot of cash You're gonna afford it But the spring in the old lady This morning Well, it's high time, you know this man. This was a cute trick to keep it. It's gonna cost you the lady spoke to you I told you it's gonna cost you letting her see me here and the longer she stands here staring at me the more It's gonna cost you Get her out of here There they know I really want to go home You ought to be ashamed of yourself spade you've broken that old lady's heart Stop drooling what you're talking to me. I ate any sweet old lady I don't have to use words when I talk to you techie You want to want anything to me because I got something you need okay a hundred cheese take the way you said price has gone up, huh? Kidnapping is a federal wrap. I'm not taking any part of it. He don't know she was Told her we are from the DA's office Getting her a night as a witness. You'll find out different. I don't plan on settling down here Oh, that's fine, but I have to go on living in this town with that old hand alive and clucking won't be easy You mean you want we should knock off that sweet old lady. You're a little slow ducky, but you get there I've met some lousy low down here in my day, but you're the loudest Oh Come on. I could take more of it at these prices. We ain't doing your dirty laundry And it's no dice My price is a hundred grand what if I say no and I turn over the duck to the federal boys in that case I don't care whether your lady stays alive or not because I'll be playing mad game Either you're in or you're out They get over mordant You decide you know where to reach. Yeah We'll know They drove me back to town blindfolded when they let me out of the car all I could see even without the blindfolded the corner of post and Connie Streetcar came along. I tossed the coin whether they get on it or lie down on the tracks and let it run over me Came up head so I tossed it again, and I got on instead This is my pocket for the slug and came up with a folded slip of paper It was the one Lola'd handed me at the Supreme's birthday party when they were passing out the parts of that screwy charades game Unfolded it and glance at it Then I read it over very carefully The writing was hard to make out of what I could read of it said Help me that man Marty has followed me here to kill me. I get out of here alive Maxi's arcade. I have a hundred dollars. I Got off at Columbus and walked up to the international settlement where Maxi's arcade does business But they used to call a penny arcade before inflation set in I dropped a nickel in a fortune-telling machine worried for Plex Know thyself and your problem will vanish a card came up It said you're of a naturally deceitful and secretive character disloyalty brings its own punishment It's never too late to mend. I tore up the card kicked the machine. And that's when I saw it It's a narrow little boot muffled in breaks and the sign over it said Salty Hawkins tattoo artist the card into the curtain showed some typical tattoo designs anchors were made fancy initials But one had a hand-drawn picture pasted over it was a mallard duck The same as the tattoo mark. I've noticed on Ducky Morton's wrist. I pulled the curtain aside and went in What can I do for you mate? Well, you know about the duck or in your jib mate There's no fresh water birds yet about how about the new one you just put up in your car outside Now whereabouts on the arm to three color job. I like whereabouts. Oh, that's me That's right, mate. It was on a knee. Have you removed it for us? Right. Yes that time mate. Oh, why look If I did I wouldn't be telling strangers about the secret. All right, where is she? I haven't got time to take it easy mate. Talk Come on, come on, I was going to tell you She says to me she says if a man comes all right shut up. Where is she right in the back room mate? Spade open up. Hello Lola finally worked out your charade. Come on in quick Will you follow it here? I wouldn't come if I had been how much do you know? They want you a hundred thousand bucks worth You'd tell me why you've seen ducky Mordent. Yeah, didn't he tell you I want to hear it from you Don't believe anything he says morning. Yeah, and I didn't even give me the time of day He says he wants me back that way. He's a liar. How does he want you back with rigid mortise. He wants me back I'm taking an awful chance opening up to you like this Let him catch me. They don't kill me humane You was to let the da people get at me duckies mobbed lay for me then if it took them years and oh Gee, you don't know Sam. They they taught your girls What that mob would do to me if I had to testify against me I take your word for that Who are these da people you're talking about you never heard of ducky Mordent before I heard his name I thought he was knocked over when they had the big racket busting show in New York years ago Yeah, I guess a lot of people thought that it wasn't healthy to mention ducky's name What was the racket juke joints given make use to service men rolling them That's why the feds are helping the da's office They arrested hundreds of girls and held them as material witnesses Only they wanted me most of all I'd work the joints you see and then I was ducky's girlfriend during the duration I'd think you'd be only too happy to tell what you know about him in court. Oh gee I would if I did but you don't know The da's office said I'll give a girl protection, but how can they what are you doing in San Francisco? Running away had my ticket on a boat. I was going to Honolulu. They was watching the boats So then I found this room out in Oakland Mrs. Preen was real nice to me. I never thought they'd find me there and then Marty showed up Honestly, it was just a Mickey. I put in his drink just like we used in the joints. I never knew it and kill him You're a brave kid Lola. Now look ducky offered me a hundred grand to deliver you But you take a chance at me fighting it out with them for half of that for 50 grand brother where we meet in him O'Rourke's car was parked outside my apartment building where I had a hunch it would be The two goners picked us up at the door and loaded my hardware and marched us up the stairs Ducky opened the door on my apartment and waved us inside Sit down you too Lola. Ducky. I swear. I never said a word. I'd never talk ducky Even if they chopped my head off we'll take up your suggestion later I got a conference on with mr. Spade here bring the money. Don't crowd me. There's that other matter the old lady How about the old I keep my word spade you delivered the duck? Okay, the way Jenny gave it out to a rock was the old lady for the duck, but you ain't got no ethics You see you figured me wrong. I don't kill old ladies. You're gonna kill the duck I ain't no lady. No, you ain't and you ain't gonna get any older and neither are you He wasn't kidding He really meant to knock me over and the gun he was gonna do it with got ready to speak its peace I've made my play too strong the way this type of guns the things is simple and I'd guessed it right if you pressure them They go the other way by instinct, but I hadn't figured was that this killer at a heart of lettuce He was gonna cut me down to protect your mother from me. How do you like that? I didn't change my play now. The wheel was already spinning and so was my head Tried to brace myself and waited for the blast This is Parane, what are you doing here? Oh Okay, mother will take care of it bugsy pick it up I'm so glad you got my message Sam Yeah, I mean no To surprise you both together. I hope you don't mind my taking over the kitchen It was so late and the boys were getting hungry. So I Coffee Mr. Mordin put that pistol down for a moment and help me move this table up into the room Oh, we've had such a good time Why don't she hears I suppose if he will come with mr. Bundy Bundy Remember that every Year off and down at his office at police headquarters late night. So I phone there mother Did you say you phone police headquarters? Oh, yeah, that's where mr. Bundy. We're mother What did you tell mr. Bundy? Oh, just that you and the boys were here and that we were about to have some coffee He said he just loved to come up and join us and I said do and he said he would with some of his boys Did I say something? No, no mom not at all I believe that's mr. Bundy now When the smoke cleared away ducky mordant and his hoods were playing dead duck for keeps in my living room rug That rug just came back from the cleaners too Dundee and the boys from homicide took Lola Brent away with it After it was all cleaned up I found your mother out in the kitchen Well, Sam I just made another pot of coffee. Oh, it's okay mom. It's okay. It's all over I've been holding this bag. Oh I've never been so frightened in all my life How does every stand it you played it good mom you played it real good did I? Was I as brave as Effie? Braver not only that you got more brains This is the united states armed forces radio service the voice of information and education