The Thin Man

by Dashiell Hammett

“She lived with him?” “Yes. I want a drink, please. That is, it was like that when I knew them.” “Why don’t you have some breakfast first? Was she in love with him or was it just business?” “I don’t know. It’s too early for breakfast.”

This is awesome

The three of us were at breakfast early that afternoon

Heh! Funny.

The doorbell rang.

Nero Wolfe

She looked at me as if she were going to say I love you,

Heh! Good

She said meditatively:

Is this stretching the writing too much?

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

He was fixing it so Macaulay could get hold of his stocks and bonds and other things he owned and turn ’em into money when he wanted it and take care of his banking and everything just like Wynant himself.”

I suspect Wynant is dead and the lawyer sent the telegram

“I’d just as lief ask you.

Glad

Asta was licking her paws in a corner.

Excellent

when Macaulay phoned.”

He lied.

He frowned at my right knee.

Lieutenant Gunnison, who was murdered in 1852.

Murdered by Mormons dressed as Utes. One if Brigham Young's slaves was present.

I’d rather lie to him than have him think I’m lying.

and told him she was liable to go away.

It may not have been the murder victim who answered the telephone

His dark eyes were small and set close together; his mouth was wide, thin, and loose; and his nose was peculiarly limber, a long, drooping nose, apparently boneless.

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.

Trump

I don’t like things that dull my mind. That’s why I don’t very often drink, or even smoke. I want to try cocaine, though, because that’s supposed to sharpen the brain, isn’t it?”

Character is autistic

They had me resisting some more arrest just for good measure before they turned me loose.”

“We didn’t come to New York to stay sober.

but don’t think I’m not sure it was Wynant.”

He is lying

“Gil saw my father yesterday

He lied

nobody hadn’t touched nothing.

Fun!

otherwise he would say nothing to anybody about his condition.

Autism behavior

“But Clyde was here,”

She lied

and hadn’t turned up nothing,

1930's commoner talk

making me number three on the list of Wynant’s victims.

Four

This excitement has put us behind in our drinking.”

Murder doesn’t round out anybody’s life except the murdered’s and sometimes the murderer’s.”