The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Honest Thief Caper (rehearsal)

Summary

Summary of "The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Honest Thief Caper"

Episode Release Date: March 1, 2025
Host: Choice Classic Radio
Title: The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Honest Thief Caper (Rehearsal)

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Introduction

In the thrilling episode of Choice Classic Radio Detectives, listeners are transported back to the Golden Age of Radio with "The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Honest Thief Caper." This episode showcases the quintessential private detective Sam Spade as he unravels a complex case involving wrongful accusations, familial deceit, and suspenseful confrontations.

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Characters

• Sam Spade: The astute and determined private detective at the center of the investigation.
• Louise Miller: A distraught young woman seeking Sam's help to exonerate her boyfriend.
• Ben Kaminsky: Louise's boyfriend, wrongfully accused of armed robbery.
• Mrs. Anastasia Comiskey: Ben's mother, who harbors secrets about her family's dynamics.
• Jim Comiskey: Ben's brother, involved in ulterior motives that complicate the case.
• Claude Bettering (The Iceman): A formidable antagonist with a hidden agenda against Louise.

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Plot Overview

Initial Contact and Suspicion ([00:25] - [05:02])

The episode opens with Sam Spade at his detective agency, juggling mundane tasks until Louise Miller approaches him with an urgent plea. Louise seeks Sam's expertise to clear her boyfriend Ben Kaminsky's name, who has been wrongfully accused of armed robbery. Sam's initial skepticism is evident when he states, "True things are not what they seem." ([01:14])

Investigating Ben Kaminsky ([05:02] - [09:43])

Sam delves into Ben's background, uncovering a seemingly impeccable record juxtaposed with the sudden accusation. Conversations with Sergeant Frank Milgus reveal inconsistencies in the police report, leading Sam to suspect foul play. Mrs. Comiskey, Ben's mother, paints a picture of a well-liked son with no prior criminal history, but her demeanor raises Sam's suspicions about underlying family tensions.

Discovery of Louise's Condition ([09:43] - [13:02])

While investigating, Sam discovers Louise Miller unconscious in her apartment due to a gas leak, which Lt. Kelsey of homicide attributes to a suicide attempt. However, Sam's instincts tell him otherwise, prompting him to further investigate. He uncovers that Louise was likely targeted to silence her, as she hinted she knew the truth behind Ben's predicament before her attempt on life.

Confrontation with The Iceman ([13:02] - [20:36])

Sam's pursuit leads him to "The Iceman," Claude Bettering, a notorious figure linked to Louise's attempted murder. A tense confrontation ensues, revealing Bettering's involvement in orchestrating the situation to protect someone else. Through a gritty altercation, Sam forces Claude to divulge critical information, pointing towards the underlying motives tied to Ben's wrongful accusation.

Unraveling the Familial Web ([20:36] - [22:35])

Further investigation exposes the strained relationship between Ben and his brother, Jim. It becomes apparent that Jim manipulated circumstances to frame Ben for the robbery to hide his own criminal activities. The revelation climaxes in a confrontation where Sam exposes Jim's deceit, culminating in Jim's confession and the vindication of Ben Kaminsky.

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Key Investigations and Insights

• Inconsistencies in Police Reports: Sam identifies discrepancies in Ben's arrest details, questioning the validity of Sergeant Milgus's statements. He remarks, "This is one mystery you're not going to solve by reading the last chapter first." ([02:20])

• Mrs. Comiskey's Secret: The investigation into Ben's family reveals a dichotomy between the two brothers, highlighting themes of loyalty and betrayal. Mrs. Comiskey's statements, "Always one good son, one bad son," ([09:14]) underscore the familial conflict driving the plot.

• The Iceman's Role: Claude Bettering serves as the primary antagonist whose intimidation tactics aim to suppress the truth. His moniker, "The Iceman," and his confrontational demeanor add depth to the suspense, emphasizing the lengths to which certain characters will go to maintain their secrets.

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Climax

The episode reaches its peak with Sam's physical confrontation with Claude Bettering. Through sheer determination and combat prowess, Sam extracts critical information that ties Jim Comiskey to the orchestrated setup against Ben. The intense dialogue, such as Sam declaring, "I think it was a guy named Claude Bettering," ([20:15]) and the subsequent fight scene, heighten the drama and propel the narrative towards resolution.

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Resolution

In the denouement, Sam successfully unveils the truth behind Ben's predicament. Jim Comiskey's motives for framing his brother are laid bare, leading to his downfall. Louise Miller's innocence is affirmed, and the community's perception of Ben Kaminsky is restored. The episode concludes with Sam's reflective remarks on the nature of deceit and integrity, cementing his role as a relentless seeker of truth.

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Conclusion

"The Honest Thief Caper" is a masterful blend of classic detective storytelling and intricate character development. Sam Spade's unwavering pursuit of justice, coupled with the episode's suspenseful plot twists and compelling dialogues, offers listeners an engaging and memorable auditory experience. As Louise Miller aptly states, "This kind of thing could be going on all over the world if it weren't for people like you who step in and take things in hand," ([23:28]) highlighting the timeless relevance of the detective's role in unraveling complex human dramas.

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Notable Quotes:

• Sam Spade on Perception: "True things are not what they seem." ([01:14])
• Louise Miller on Trust: "Honest, Sam, I'm just infuriated." ([23:30])
• Sam Spade on Justice: "Because people live in it." ([22:59])

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This episode exemplifies the enduring allure of old-time radio detectives, blending intricate plots with rich character interactions, ensuring that "The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Honest Thief Caper" remains a standout installment in the genre.

Transcript

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[Sam Spade]

Welcome to Choice Classic Radio, where we bring to you the greatest old time radio shows. Like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube and thank you for [e-mail].

[Louise Miller]

Sam's State Detective Agency.

[Sam Spade]

Me, Sam.

[Louise Miller]

It's you.

[Sam Spade]

I'm the filter. And in the flesh. Any messages, phone calls, letters, telegrams?

[Louise Miller]

Just the usual. A bill to the landlord and a notice from the telephone company.

[Sam Spade]

Well, dispose of them. As usual, you sound awfully chipper.

[Louise Miller]

Have you been on a case? Storm? Did you make some money?

[Sam Spade]

Yes, I've been on a case. No, I did not make any money.

[Louise Miller]

Oh. Your client got murdered before he could pay you.

[Sam Spade]

Wrong again. My client was a woman. She did not get murdered. And she could pay me.

[Louise Miller]

Huh?

[Sam Spade]

And she did.

[Louise Miller]

But you just said she didn't.

[Sam Spade]

True, Effy. True things are not what they seem.

[Louise Miller]

I'm a little confused.

[Narrator]

You just said.

[Sam Spade]

And I meant every word of it. Stop registering bewilderment, how all is paradox. So sharpen your pencils, straighten your seams, get out your notebook and prepare to be confounded by the contradictions. I shall contradictate to you during my report on the honest thief caper. I'm not looking over for the clever wiggler girl. We have many things to do.

[Louise Miller]

You say the strangest things on the phone.

[Sam Spade]

Don't I?

[Louise Miller]

I don't believe I quite understood what it was all about.

[Sam Spade]

A natural misunderstanding. I didn't understand it myself. Date two. Sergeant Frank Milgus, robbery detail, San Francisco Police. You're fast today. Subject Ben Kamisky.

[Louise Miller]

Who?

[Sam Spade]

Ben Kamisky. C O M I S K I. Sam.

[Louise Miller]

I went to Albert High School with a boy named Ben Kaminsky. Is he the same one?

[Sam Spade]

Very likely, yeah.

[Louise Miller]

Oh, Sam, tell me, did he turn out bad? Is he good? Did he get married down Abby? Sam, I knew. Boy, I want to know.

[Sam Spade]

This is one mystery you're not going to solve by reading the last chapter first. Dear Frank, it was one of those days. The sky was black and it looked like rain. But when I put on my trench coat, the sun came out. At breakfast, it looked like I'd ordered fried eggs and I wound up with Pancakes. Also, I discovered I was wearing one blue sock and one black one. After that, I gave a cab driver a 5 instead of a 1 and let him ride off with a change. And there was one other thing, Sam.

[Louise Miller]

Bank just called. You're overdrawn.

[Sam Spade]

I'm not, Seth. I made a deposit two days ago.

[Louise Miller]

I checked, Sam.

[Narrator]

It didn't.

[Sam Spade]

You're nuts, too. I made out the slip myself.

[Louise Miller]

And give me Sam. I'll take it right down.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah, better do that, Angel.

[Louise Miller]

Oh. Oh. Can I help you, miss? Is this Mr. Spade?

[Sam Spade]

Come right in, miss. Sit down. Ms. Perrine, you may go and do that. Instruct them that if such a mistake occurs again, I shall take my account elsewheres.

[Louise Miller]

Yes.

[Sam Spade]

Now, please sit down, miss.

[Louise Miller]

My Name's Louise Mills. Mr. State, I. I want to hire you. How much will it cost?

[Sam Spade]

Well, now, Ms. Miller, let's. Let's talk about it a little first.

[Louise Miller]

I don't have much time at this date. I have to be at the office in a half an hour, and I have to cross town. You see, I. Well, Mama thinks I should forget all about him, but I can't, and I. Well, here. I've got $95. Will you please do something? Just something.

[Sam Spade]

Come on, now. Come on.

[Louise Miller]

I'm sorry.

[Sam Spade]

It's all right. Now, who is he? What's he done? And why does Mama want you to forget him?

[Louise Miller]

Then. Then Kaminsky. We were going to be married pretty soon. We even picked out our furniture.

[Sam Spade]

No, no, no. It's all right now. Go on. What's he done?

[Louise Miller]

They say he held up a store two nights ago, that they picked him up on the street today. He's in jail.

[Sam Spade]

Mm. Well, if he's innocent, I'm sure they'll find that out.

[Louise Miller]

He won't even see me, Mr. Spady. He won't see anyone. Ben's good and kind and sweet, and I love him, and I want to marry him. And I want you to find out why, what it's all about.

[Sam Spade]

Look, Ms. Miller, I. I think you should be in the office of a good lawyer. I'm sure he doesn't want a lawyer.

[Louise Miller]

He won't even see the public defender. He doesn't want anything. Oh, please. Please, Mrs. Peter. I just want to die. If Ben wants a prisoner, I just want to die.

[Sam Spade]

I'm no sentimentalist, but faith is a thing we're a little short on these days. So we came to terms. It was agreed she could pay me after the job was done if there was any job to do. She left for work, and I phoned you, Sergeant Milgis, and found out Ben Comiskey had already been arraigned and was being held in a city jail. When I dropped in 20 minutes later, you walked me back to her cell.

[Narrator]

What's it all about, Sam?

[Sam Spade]

I know. I was just looking into it.

[Narrator]

He won't tell you anything. Kept his trap shut all the time he's been here. As far as we've been able to find out. No previous record, no background.

[Sam Spade]

Well, maybe it isn't so bad for him at that, huh?

[Narrator]

First degree, Sam. Liquor store proprietor. Man named Potter over on Army Street. Identified him in the morning lineup. Just like that. Picked him out of a dozen guys we hauled in.

[Sam Spade]

Then what?

[Narrator]

Can we send a couple of the boys out to Kaminsky's room and find all the dough in the dresser drawer? 900 coins. Now what? Take it easy. Kaminsky. This is Sam Spade. He wants to talk to you.

[Sam Spade]

Ben Kaminsky was tall, dark complexion, about 29 or 30 years old. His hair was black, straight and closely cropped. His features were regular. Not good, not bad. I've seen plenty of hold up men and gun toters in my day and he wouldn't have been cast in the part in my movie. I didn't know what I expected to say to him or what I expected him to say to me. But I didn't expect what I got.

[Narrator]

What are you trying to do, get out of here?

[Sam Spade]

I just got here.

[Narrator]

Well, you can just leave. Hasn't a citizen got any rights even in jail?

[Sam Spade]

Well, they start to lose them when they use a gun to make a living.

[Narrator]

I don't want any lectures.

[Sam Spade]

I haven't got any to hand out. I'm a private detective. A friend of yours hired me. She thinks you're a pretty nice guy.

[Narrator]

Louise, huh?

[Sam Spade]

Why won't you see her?

[Narrator]

She's nuts. She ought to have a head felt. What's she worrying about anyway?

[Sam Spade]

I'd say she was worrying mostly about you. And I'd say it's the sick kind of worry that gets into a girl when she loves somebody she shouldn't.

[Narrator]

She's nuts.

[Sam Spade]

You said that. Did you rob that store?

[Narrator]

The guy who runs it says I did.

[Sam Spade]

I suppose I did. Why? Relax. The complaint says you make 65 bucks a week in an architect's office. You can eat on that.

[Narrator]

Look, Spade, go back and tell her this. I didn't want furniture at $10 a month for the next 80 months. I didn't want a car. The same way I didn't want her working and me working. And getting nothing but wrinkles. Tell her I got caught and to go and find a guy who can pay the way.

[Sam Spade]

Is that all? That's enough. You're charged with armed robbery in the first degree. That means not less than five years. I know it.

[Narrator]

Shut up about it.

[Sam Spade]

Why'd you turn down a lawyer?

[Narrator]

Hadn't you heard, Spade? They're holding up my indictment. I'm a prize pigeon. They think maybe I knocked over 10 or 12 other places in town.

[Sam Spade]

Pigeon? Sure, sure.

[Narrator]

But don't worry about me. And tell Louise not to worry about me. Got a million bucks salted away, and I'm gonna buy my way out through the DA's office.

[Sam Spade]

Okay, have it your way, Ben. But an hour later, I found myself strolling around Ben Comiskey's old neighborhood. A man named Gabrini, who owned a grocery store, remembered him and liked him. A woman in a bakery shop told me how he'd gone into the army as a private and been discharged. The first lieutenant. A phone call to a Mr. Henderson. Allied Architects revealed that Ben Kaminsky was in line for a raise and promotion. All in all, I was getting a composite picture that didn't look quite right. I decided to try his mother's place. It was on Lombard Avenue, a street that starts on the waterfront. According to the penciled note above the doorbell, it was out of order. The slot on the mailbox read Mrs. Anastasia Comiskey.

[Louise Miller]

Yes, what is it, please?

[Sam Spade]

You're Mrs. Comiskey?

[Mrs. Comiskey]

I'm busy now. I fixed lunch for my son. He come back from Cincinnati.

[Narrator]

Please. Oh.

[Sam Spade]

Well, Mrs. Comiskey, I'm here to talk to you about Ben. He's your son too, isn't he?

[Mrs. Comiskey]

Yes, Ben is my son.

[Sam Spade]

Well, I'm trying to help him, Mrs. Kaminsky. Why?

[Mrs. Comiskey]

He has no money. I have no money.

[Sam Spade]

A friend of his, Louise Miller, hired me.

[Mrs. Comiskey]

Oh, Louise. She's a foolish girl. Very foolish. Her heart should not be with Ben.

[Sam Spade]

I think he's a very lucky man to be loved by somebody like that.

[Mrs. Comiskey]

If not for her, Ben would not be in jail, in trouble. Oh, you don't want to help my son? She don't want to help him. She'll leave him alone if she want to help. Ben is bad, not good. Like my son James. James is always good times. He's the way he sends me money.

[Sam Spade]

From what I hear, Ben's always been pretty good, too.

[Mrs. Comiskey]

Always one good son, One bad son.

[Narrator]

What's going on, Ma?

[Sam Spade]

Oh, who's this?

[Mrs. Comiskey]

He's come to ask questions about Ben, huh?

[Narrator]

I'm Jim Comiskey, Ben's brother.

[Sam Spade]

Oh my.

[Narrator]

You run on in, Mom. I'll talk to this gentleman.

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[Narrator]

All right, get out of here.

[Sam Spade]

Look, I'm just trying.

[Narrator]

You got any questions to ask about, then go to the police. They can give you all the answers. And stop bothering my mother. She's been through enough in the last two days. If I catch you around her again, I'll break you in half.

[Sam Spade]

The man who slammed the door in my face had the same angry look and the same angry glare of Ben Comiskey. The angry Comiskey brothers definitely wanted nothing that looked remotely like help, it seemed to this casual observer. I went back to my office to wait for 6:00. That's when I intended to call my client, report my opinions and drop the case. But at 5:30 she called me.

[Louise Miller]

Mr. State? Yeah, this is Louise Miller.

[Sam Spade]

Oh yes, I was just going to call you. I'm afraid I haven't been able to do much.

[Louise Miller]

It looks like I know, Mrs. Fadel. I just telephoned downtown. Ben pleaded. Ben pleaded guilty of the indictment this afternoon. He's going to be sentenced tomorrow.

[Sam Spade]

And that to all appearances, Sergeant Milgus was the crop. But two hours later, and for the second time in one day, I found myself doing what I didn't think I'd be doing. Walking around a dull gray two story apartment house on Adam's place. My ex client's address to be exact. I was wondering what a lonely, distraught girl would be thinking the night before her boyfriend was shipped away to prison. I found out. I got a whiff of it as I walked down the hall. Coming out from under her door, I had to use my shoulder. The room was acrid and stinging with gas fumes and Louise Miller was stretched out on the floor in a six foot kitchen. When I picked her up and carried her out, I wasn't sure whether she was dead or not. Ten seconds after I'd found Louise Miller, I called a police ambulance and in a matter of minutes an intern was working over with a pull motor. Her breathing became regular and her pulse picked up, but she was still unconscious. Lieutenant Kelsey of homicide showed up and said it was obviously a suicide attempt. Which is his kind of ingenious thinking, I thought not if she were going to commit suicide, she wouldn't have called first to pull me off the caver. She'd have let an insignificant Patel like that take care of itself. Now she was too strong to pity herself and too sure of what her intuition told her to believe. Even Ben Comiskey's confession. For that kind of faith, I owed it to her to poke around the ashes while they were still hot. I did and turned up a live cold in a faded blue shirt and wrinkled brown pants. Bert Singleby, by name and by vocation, manager of the Greystone Arms apartments. What kind of a girl was she?

[Narrator]

Oh, nice, clean, sincere. The kind mothers always want their sons to marry. Boy, I wish I'd listened to mine.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah. Did you know her boyfriend, Ben Kaminsky?

[Narrator]

Oh, salt a duf. I can't understand him pulling a hold up like that. But then, you know, the war did strange things to me.

[Sam Spade]

I guess it did.

[Narrator]

I almost stayed in Europe and married myself up to a French doll myself. Yeah, I bet. But Sandra, that's my wife, she'd have hunted me down in Tibet. It was easy to come home, face the music.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah, well, about Louise. You know any reason why she might commit suicide?

[Narrator]

Thankfully, no. I met her in the hallway tonight and she said. Mr. Singleby, she said, ben didn't do that. Hold up, because I'm pretty sure I know who did. Well, I figured she'd just keep it up a front. But if she did really know that Ben didn't do it, she wouldn't turn on the gas, now, would she?

[Sam Spade]

No, she wouldn't. Did she tell you who she thought did it? No.

[Narrator]

That's all she said. She's quiet girl. Not like my wife.

[Sam Spade]

Now, Sam. Yeah? Did you see or hear anything that might have been suspicious or unusual around her apartment tonight?

[Narrator]

Look, I don't want to go around breaking up any homes or spreading dirty gossip around Unless it involves Sandra's relative.

[Sam Spade]

Mr. Singleby, I promise you, sir, that I'll treat any information you give me confidentially as long as I can.

[Narrator]

All right? Now listen, Sandra told me not to say anything because it's. You know, it's a lot easier to rent a suicide apartment than a murder apartment. You know that. Confidentially, I'm a humanitarian, but if you tell anybody I said this, I'll. Well, I'll just lie about it.

[Sam Spade]

I'll Never tell a soul.

[Narrator]

Well, we were out of butter, see, so I had to run down to the store. Well, when I passed the mailboxes outside, a guy is standing there. He asked me which apartment Lewis Mill, Louise Miller was in. And I said 12B.

[Sam Spade]

What do you look like?

[Narrator]

Oh, we'll see now. A 5 10, medium build, pantsuit, dark shirt, sort of a wide brim hat. Kind of flashy. Wore three or four big rings. Diamonds. They look like 54 big diamond rings on each hand.

[Sam Spade]

The Iceman. Why don't you tell all this to the police?

[Louise Miller]

Who are you talking to? Don't you dare say a word about that poor girl.

[Narrator]

That's why. That is why Sandra always says, keep your mouth shut and you keep out of trouble. But me, I don't know. I just love.

[Louise Miller]

Stop talking so much and close that door.

[Narrator]

Yes, Sandra dear. I'm closing it.

[Sam Spade]

The Iceman. I'd heard about him for years, a Chicago import, but I'd never bumped into him before. He'd been headquartering at the Red Spot Cafe, the kind of a place that skid row winos visit when they want a slum. It was dark inside, but I strode manfully to the bar. Yeah, something the Iceland here.

[Narrator]

What do you want him for, huh?

[Sam Spade]

He's a friend of mine. You're a friend of hose.

[Narrator]

What are you giving me? You got bull written all over you from the top of your stupid head to the bottom of your flat feet.

[Sam Spade]

He had the tan suit, the flashy rings, the dark shirt and the wide brimmed hat. He stared at me with eyes that were icy and insolent. He rubbed the knuckles of one hand into the palm of the other as if he just ached for a chance to bruise them, which I was sure he did. Four guys sauntered over to lean on the piano, and as ugly as they were, I knew it wasn't a barbershop quartet. Two more left the bar and stood behind him, and a few others got up from nearby tables and joined the group. I should have brought my team, but I hadn't.

[Narrator]

You're a friend of mine, huh?

[Sam Spade]

Well, if it isn't Claude Bettering, the juvenile delinquent of 1940.

[Narrator]

Is that so? You're a real brain.

[Sam Spade]

Who are you, Brainy Sam Spade.

[Narrator]

Oh, now, ain't that a pretty name. You got something on your mind?

[Sam Spade]

I just wanted to talk with you about what you did to a girl named Louise Miller tonight.

[Narrator]

Never heard of her. Sounds cute, though.

[Sam Spade]

Girls are a lot easier to push around, aren't they? Claude.

[Narrator]

Call me Ice.

[Sam Spade]

Claude.

[Narrator]

Some guys are just as easy as some dames. Where have I been all night tonight, fellas?

[Sam Spade]

Yeah, right.

[Narrator]

You heard that straight. I've been here all night. Any of you guys ever hear of a Louise Miller? No, sorry. Nobody ever heard of us. See?

[Sam Spade]

Well, she has a lot of friends who have. The police, the people down at Mercy Hospital and me. And none of us are going to forget her or what happened to her and who did it.

[Narrator]

Got something you like to do right now? Maybe.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah, but I'll pick my time.

[Narrator]

All right, enough of this cheap chatter. I don't want to be seen talking with you too long. I got my reputation to think about. Now blow before I take one hand out of my pocket and push your stinking face back through that door.

[Sam Spade]

You'll need both hands, Samson.

[Narrator]

Go on yet, creep. Fellas.

[Sam Spade]

As I went rapidly through the door, Claude Bettering was standing, oily smile and all, polishing a couple of his oversized rings on his lapel. It was a picture I said I wouldn't forget and I didn't. I went and rented myself a car, parked it down the block from the Red Spot Cafe and waited almost all night. I knew that Louise Miller was not the kind of a girl who would have anything to do with a guy like Veteran. And if he came to her apartment, this must have been for some unloving purpose. Probably to keep her from telling who actually did the hold up Ben Comiskey had confessed to if she found out the truth. Finally, a bunch of palookas came out, Veteran included, climbed into a car and drove off me after them. One by one, Veteran dropped his men off at their hotels and apartments until he was finally alone. He stopped at a brownstone on Hobart and I caught him just as he opened the door of his apartment.

[Narrator]

Well, the tough guy. You're gonna find out don't think I'm easy.

[Sam Spade]

And he wasn't easy. He was 3 inches shorter and 25 pounds lighter. And wherever he had picked up his reputation for toughness, he earned it. But I never enjoyed a fight in my life any more than that one. I batted him through his knees and into the floor and he still wouldn't give up.

[Narrator]

You thinking creep.

[Sam Spade]

Why did you beat up Louise Miller? I didn't. Why?

[Narrator]

I didn't.

[Sam Spade]

Why?

[Narrator]

I didn't.

[Sam Spade]

Why? The apopping house manager identified you.

[Narrator]

He's a liar.

[Sam Spade]

Who did you do it for?

[Narrator]

Nobody.

[Sam Spade]

Who? Nobody.

[Narrator]

Who, you stinking creep. I'll bless your face. The crew queen.

[Sam Spade]

Push your face. He went out quite A guy, the Iceman. I used his phone to call the police and tell him to pick him up for attempted murder. Then with dawn coming up and my energy going down, I went back to the city jail, got a pass and woke up Ben Kaminsky.

[Narrator]

Why? Just stop messing around on my business, Spade.

[Sam Spade]

Did you ever really love that girl of yours?

[Narrator]

Get out, you sadistic jerk.

[Sam Spade]

Well, she's in Mercy Hospital now. You can send her a card. Write something nasty on it. So long.

[Narrator]

Stay.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

What? What's she in the hospital about?

[Sam Spade]

What do you care?

[Narrator]

Tell me, please.

[Sam Spade]

Somebody turned on the gas in her apartment and tried to kill her. It's nothing, really.

[Narrator]

Please. Who did it? Who did it?

[Sam Spade]

Stay. I think it was a guy named Claude Vetering. They call him the Iceman in certain circles.

[Narrator]

But why?

[Sam Spade]

That's what I'd like to know. Who's Bettering?

[Narrator]

I don't know.

[Sam Spade]

Your girl believed you were innocent, Kaminsky. But you said you weren't. My guess is that somebody figured she knew something and tried to shut her up. I think Bettering was hired by somebody, Spade.

[Narrator]

Look, I. I don't have any do, see?

[Sam Spade]

But I want to get out of.

[Narrator]

Here for one day.

[Sam Spade]

You know anybody to raise the bail?

[Narrator]

I won't skip and I'll pay back anything you want.

[Sam Spade]

Why?

[Narrator]

I gotta see somebody.

[Sam Spade]

I don't think I can. Who do you wanna see?

[Narrator]

My lousy, dirty, low down, no good brother.

[Sam Spade]

He hired Veteran.

[Narrator]

Who else?

[Sam Spade]

He did everything.

[Narrator]

He's always done everything wrong. He held up that liquor store, but he's on parole. A two time felony offender. One more rapper, he'd go up for 20 years. I did this for him. Yeah, look at me. I did it for him. And he tries to kill my girl.

[Sam Spade]

Your mother said he was a good boy. Hard working, lived in Cincinnati. Me again.

[Narrator]

I told her all that. She believed it. I started the whole stupid lie and had to go through with it. I could explain two years, three years to her, but not 20. He promised he'd go straight. He promised.

[Sam Spade]

I see.

[Narrator]

I even sent him money I earned and said it was from him. Oh, you never saw anybody like me before, did you?

[Sam Spade]

No, I haven't.

[Narrator]

Get me out. Get me out.

[Sam Spade]

Salmon.

[Narrator]

I'll drag him in by his back teeth.

[Sam Spade]

Thanks anyway, but I'll do it myself.

[Narrator]

State. Let me do it. Let me do it, please.

[Sam Spade]

I drove over to Mrs. Comiskey's house and knocked on her door. She came out in a housecoat, hair mussed and sleep still in her eyes. Yes, I'm sorry. To bother you at this hour, Mrs. Kaminsky, but is your son home? Jimmy?

[Louise Miller]

Jim? No, he went.

[Mrs. Comiskey]

He went out last night. He didn't come back yet.

[Sam Spade]

I see. When do you expect him?

[Mrs. Comiskey]

Well, he didn't see.

[Sam Spade]

He didn't have to. Because I saw a closet door move and I was in and across the room. In a second. I pulled the door back and Jim Kaminsky came out, gun and all. She hurried across the room, threw herself between Jimmy and me and started wrestling the gun away from one hand, flat on her face and knocked her halfway across the room. I went at him. He shot, but it went into the ceiling. I didn't give him a chance to do it again. You held up a liquor store, didn't you?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Sam Spade]

And hired veteran to kill Louise Miller. Yeah. And you're gonna take your own wrath from now on.

[Narrator]

Yeah. Yeah, I will.

[Sam Spade]

And he did. Period. End of report.

[Louise Miller]

Oh, Sam, that poor old lady.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah, yeah. She lived in a dream world built by a son who had too much heart and not enough common sense.

[Louise Miller]

But Sam, that man on the liquor store identified Dan as a hold up man.

[Sam Spade]

Well, when he saw the both brothers together, he realized he'd made a mistake. At night, with a hat pulled down and a collar up, anybody could have confused the Kaminsky brothers.

[Louise Miller]

Dan, why is the world so cruel?

[Sam Spade]

Because people live in it. Now go on and type it out.

[Louise Miller]

Well, here it is, Sam. And if you don't mind my saying so, it's a lesson to everybody.

[Sam Spade]

If you say so, Anne.

[Louise Miller]

Honest, Sam, I'm just infuriated.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, don't go too far.

[Louise Miller]

This place, love, devotion, it just isn't right.

[Sam Spade]

Hand me the glass.

[Louise Miller]

This kind of thing could be going on all over the world if it weren't for people like you who step in and take things in hand.

[Sam Spade]

Thank glass.

[Louise Miller]

Sure you are, Sam.

[Sam Spade]

Thank you, Ms. Bran.

[Louise Miller]

Honestly, Sam. Well, just. Honestly. Let's go.

[Sam Spade]

Are you punished?

[Louise Miller]

Well, I. Well, I have some sociological feelings too. I'm just not an automatic secretary you turn on and off.

[Sam Spade]

Come here. Come here.

[Louise Miller]

With each new case, I have feelings.

[Sam Spade]

Effie, I just kissed you.

[Narrator]

I know.

[Louise Miller]

What?

[Sam Spade]

I just kissed you.

[Louise Miller]

Oh, Sam.

[Sam Spade]

Delayed reaction. Must be the heat.

[Louise Miller]

Good night, Sam.

[Sam Spade]

Good night, sweetheart.