- [first lines]
- [Emmett listens to his voice on a tape recording]
- Emmett Gates: I mean it darling; I love you, I want you, I need you... You're the most exciting woman...
- [Emmett turns off tape recorder]
- Emmett Gates: Did I actually say anything as banal, as trite as that?
- Harriet Britton: Word for word, Emmett darling.
- [Emmett writes a check for Harriet]
- Emmett Gates: Now I give you this and you give me the tape recording and we can both look back on our friendship with fond memories.
- Harriet Britton: But Emmett honey, this is for two thousand dollars.
- Emmett Gates: Well, think nothing of it.
- Harriet Britton: That's exactly what I do think of it.
- [Harriet tears up the check]
- Harriet Britton: Nothing!
- Emmett Gates: Nothing? What exactly did you have it mind?
- Harriet Britton: Fifteen thousand dollars.
- Emmett Gates: Fifteen!
- Harriet Britton: Well, think how much more that it would cost you if your wife divorced you.
- Mike Hammer: Well, I'd like to help you, Emmett, but getting stray husbands untangled from barbed wire just isn't exactly my line of work.
- Mike Hammer: You think we could have this conversation in English?
- Harriet Britton: In English? What y'all talkin' about?
- Mike Hammer: Honey, that accent of yours is as phony as a four-dollar bill.
- Harriet Britton: All right, you win. The accent is a phony; I wouldn't know a hush puppy from a St. Bernard.
- Mike Hammer: Well, who tried to make it look like suicide?
- Emmett Gates: I did.
- Mike Hammer: Well, what made you think you cold get away with a fool thing like that?
- Emmett Gates: I don't know. I lost my head.
- Mike Hammer: You could lose your head for real if you don't watch out.
- [Mike and Mrs. Keller listen to a tape of Orson and Harriet fighting]
- Orson Keller: What's going on in here?
- Mike Hammer: Eavesdropping on a murder, Keller.
- Orson Keller: Now wait a minute, mister, you've got this all wrong!
- Mike Hammer: Yeah? Maybe the police can get it right.