Spade Under Suspicion

As the police treat Sam Spade as a possible killer, he uses professional discretion and his own investigation to keep suspicion from becoming an arrest.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The First Interrogation

The First Interrogation Police pressure Lieutenant Dundy and Tom Polhaus question Spade about his client and Archer’s assignment. Spade refuses to disclose the client’s identity before consulting her. A hostile partnership He insists that the investigation is his responsibility, antagonizing the detectives while making clear that he will not accept their assumptions as fact.

A Second Murder

A Second Murder Accusation sharpened Dundy points out that Thursby was killed shortly after Spade left the alley where Archer died, making Spade’s movements look suspicious. A strategic refusal Spade denies knowing Thursby and will not supply more than he chooses. His evasiveness protects his client but gives the police reason to keep watching him.

The Public Story

The Public Story A threatened arrest Dundy enters after hearing Cairo call for help and tries to establish a story that will justify taking everyone into custody. A jointly maintained joke Spade persuades the participants to describe the fight as a prank. The account frustrates the police, although Dundy’s suspicions remain intact.

Bryan’s Theory

Bryan’s Theory A broader suspicion District Attorney Bryan links Thursby to missing gambler Dixie Monahan and asks whether Spade’s assignment involved a larger criminal conflict. Legal resistance Spade rejects the proposed theory and refuses to give the prosecutor information about his client. He argues that the police have not earned his confidence and that he must find the killers himself.

Evidence Delivered

Evidence Delivered A decisive call Spade phones Tom Polhaus with the identities of Wilmer Cook, Casper Gutman, and Joel Cairo, along with information about the murder weapons. A suspect becomes a witness He moves from resisting police demands to directing an arrest operation, but only after his own inquiry has established who committed the killings.

Before dawn after Archer’s death

The same night, after Thursby is found

The night Cairo is brought to Spade’s apartment

Saturday afternoon

After the counterfeit is exposed