Night At Spades Apartment example essay topic

That night, while Spade was sleeping, he received a phone call. It was the police telling him that Archer was murdered. Spade got up, made and lit a cigarette, and went to the scene of crime. Spade got there and found some facts. Archer was found in an alley, probably shot at close range, with a British-made Webley revolver. Spade observed how Archers gun was in his holster and that his jacket was still buttoned.

Spade phoned his secretary, Effie, and asked her to call Iva, his partners wife, to break the bad news. Then he returned to his apartment. Spade sat awake drinking and smoking and thinking about his partners murder when the police knocked on his door. The cops informed Spade that Thursby had been shot. The cops wanted to milk Spade for information on this job Archer was doing and whom it was for. Spade gave the police no information, and the police left irritated.

The next morning Iva was in the office waiting for Spade. When Spade came in, Iva jumped to him and started kissing him. Spade told her that it was not a good idea for them too to be seen together because it would make them suspects. Iva asked if he killed Archer and Spade replied, with a laugh, no. When Iva left, Spade took a taxi to where Miss Wonderly was staying.

She had left but left a forwarding address. Spade went to the new address and found Miss Wonderly. She confessed that her real name was Brigid O'Shaughnessy. Spade said that he did not believe anything she had told him. He asked for the facts. Brigid would only tell him that she and Thursby were partners in something she could not reveal and that she feared he would portray her.

She also said that Thursby was carrying a British-made Webley that night. This gave some new information to detective and later influenced the investigation. When Spade returned to his office, a gangster, Joel Cairo, was waiting to ask about the connection between the two murders. He confessed his interest was more than just mere curiosity; and it seemed that Cairo was searching for a missing black metallic falcon and that, in some way, Thursby had been connected with the falcons disappearance. Cairo was prepared to pay five thousand dollars for the statuettes return. Spade told him that when there would be a chance to get his hands on the bird, Cairo would be immediately contacted.

That evening, as Spade left his apartment to meet Brigid, he noticed a young punk following him. Spade quickly lost the tail and went to Brigid hotel. Brigid became visibly upset on hearing of Cairo and the money he had offered, she believed that Spade intended to double-cross her, and before she would tell him anything more than what he already knew, she would have to speak with Cairo herself. They decided to meet with the insignificant thug later that night at Spades apartment to discuss the issue. While they were meeting with Cairo, the police called again.

Spade was about to get rid of them when they suddenly heard Cairo yell for help from Spades apartment. When the cops rushed in and found Cairo holding a gun on Brigid, they naturally demanded to know what was going on. Spade offered them a contrived story about this all being a put-on to make them look foolish. The cops reluctantly left, obviously not falling for Spades explanation. Early the next morning, Spade received a visit from a Mr. Gutman.

He explained that he had hired Thursby and Brigid to obtain the Falcon from Constantinople and bring it to him. They got greedy and decided to keep it for themselves. Spade demanded some information on what was so special about this Falcon. Gutman refused to reveal the truth and Spade was left only with one choice to leave. Later, the punk, Wilber, who was employed by Gutman, came to get Spade and bring him back.

Gutman agreed to let him know the information about statuette. After the story was told, Spade passed out form a drug that Gutman had put in his drink and was left with a punch in the face.