THE MALTESE FALCON (Spade & Archer) Episode (1)

 

SAMUEL SPADE’s

jaw was long and bony, his chin a jutting v under the more flexible v of his mouth. His nostrils curved back to make another, smaller, v. His yellow-grey eyes were horizontal. The v motif was picked up again by thickish brows rising outward from twin creases above a hooked nose, and his pale brown hair grew down-from high flat temples-in a point on his forehead. He looked rather pleasantly like a blond satan. He said to Effie Perine; “Yes, sweetheart?”

She was a lanky sunburned girl whose tan dress of thin woolen stuff clung to her with an effect of dampness. Her eves were brown and playful in a shiny boyish face. She finished shutting the door behind her,  leaned against if, and said:

“There’s a girl want to see you. Her name’s Wonderly,”

“A customer?”

“I guess so. You’ll want to see anyway: she’s a knockout.”

“Shoo her in, darling,” said Spade. “Shoo her in.”

Eiffe Perine opened the door again , following it back into the outer office , standing with the hand on the knob while saying: “Will you come in, Wonderly?”

to be continue.....