The Thin Man

by Dashiell Hammett

“How do you feel?” “Terrible. I must’ve gone to bed sober.”

“To a mugg like him, once a sleuth always a sleuth, and I’d rather lie to him than have him think I’m lying.

It’s a funny thing—I suppose you’ve noticed it—the people who lie the most are nearly always the clumsiest at it, and they’re easier to fool with lies than most people, too. You’d think they’d be on the look-out for lies, but they seem to be the very ones that will believe almost anything at all.

“We didn’t come to New York to stay sober. Want to see a hockey game tonight?”