Everybody looks expectantly at Polly, who seems dumbfounded. After a long moment she exclaims, “I don’t believe it!”
Nick says, “That’s certainly a swell answer.”
Abrams asks Nora, “What was he doing on the fire escape?”
Nora. “I don’t know. He went away as soon as we saw him, and by the time we could get the window open there was no sign of him. You know how foggy it is. And then this man came” — indicating the detective — “and by the time we could persuade him to do anything, it was too late.”
The detective, apologetically. “I reckon maybe I wasn’t up on my toes like I ought to’ve been, Lieutenant, but it sounded kind of screwy to me at first.” He addresses Nick, “I didn’t know she was your wife then.”
Nick. “You never can tell where you’re going to find one of my wives.”
The sound of music suddenly stops. Out in the restaurant, the customers, complaining about this unaccustomed early closing, are being shooed out.
Polly flares up, saying angrily “What are you picking on Phil for? What’s the matter with Robert’s wife killing him? He told me himself she was batty as a pet cuckoo and would blow up and gum the whole thing if she found out that this guy—” pointing at David “—was paying him to go away. Maybe she did find out about the bonds. What’s the matter with that?”
Abrams looks thoughtfully at David and says, “Hmmm, so that’s where the bonds came from?”
Dancer is watching Polly with hard, suspicious eyes. Nick, surprised, asks David, “Bonds?”
David nods slowly.
Abrams says to Polly, “This is no time to stop talking — go on, tell us more about this bond deal.”
Caspar comes forward importantly, saying to Polly “No, no, I think this is a very good time to stop talking at least until you’ve had some sort of legal advice—”
Polly says, “They know about it. Anyway, he does” (indicating David). “Besides, you’re Dancer’s and Lum’s mouthpiece, not mine. How do I know you won’t leave me holding the bag?”
Abrams looks pleased for the first time since he’s come into the room. He says to Polly, “Now just a minute — that’s fine!” He turns to Caspar and says, “So you aren’t her lawyer? Well, that’ll give us a little rest from your poppin’ off. You and your two clients are going outside and wait until we get through talking to the little lady—”
Caspar starts to protest, but Abrams nods to his detectives and two of them take Caspar, Lum Kee, and Dancer out. At the door, Dancer turns to warn Polly. “Don’t get yourself in any deeper than you have to.”
When the door is closed behind him, Abrams sits down with a sigh of relief and says, “It’s a lot better in here without them — especially that little shyster. Now maybe we can get somewhere!” He turns and sees that Nick, Nora, and David are huddled together whispering in a far corner of the room. David is telling Nick about Selma and the gun. Abrams says gloomily, “There it is again. If people got anything to say, why don’t they say it to me?”
The huddle breaks up, Nick saying “Just a little family gossip.”
Abrams says, “I’d even like to hear that.” He asks Polly, “Did you ever see Mr. Graham before?”
Polly says, “I saw him tonight, when we went to get the bonds.”
Abrams asks, “You and Robert Landis went to get them?”
Polly says, “Yes. He was waiting for us on the corner of ___ Street — and he gave them to Robert.”
Abrams asks, “And then what?”
Polly says, “And then nothing. We left him and Robert went home.”
Abrams asks, “And what did you do?”
Polly, after a moment’s hesitation, says, “I went with him.”
Abrams asks, “He took you home with him?”
Polly says, “Well, not in the house. I waited for him a block away — around the corner.”
Abrams asks, “And then what?”
Polly says, “I waited a long time and then I heard a shot — only I thought it might be an automobile backfire — it was foggy and I was too far away to see anything — and I didn’t know what to do — then after a while a policeman went past the doorway where I was standing — and a police car came — then I honestly didn’t know what had happened, but I thought I’d better get out of the neighborhood if I didn’t want to get in trouble — so I came back here—”
Abrams says, “Phooey!” and looks at Nick.
Nick says, “I think somebody ought to ask her where she was too far away from—”
Polly stammers, “From wherever it was it happened. If I hadn’t been too far away, I’d have known where it was, wouldn’t I?”
Nick says, “I give up.”
Abrams. “All right — we’ll come back to that later. So you were waiting for him? What were you going to do if he hadn’t been killed?”
Polly glances uneasily at the door through which Dancer went, then shrugs and says, “We were going away.”
Abrams. “Where to?”
Polly. “New York first, I suppose — then Europe, he said.”
Abrams (looking at her evening gown). “Dressed like that?”
Polly. “We were going to stop at my place for me to change.”
Abrams. “Dancer know you were going?”
Polly. “No.”
Abrams. “Think he found it out, and knocked Landis off?”
Polly, shaking her head quickly from side to side. “No!”
Abrams. “You’re supposed to be Dancer’s gal, aren’t you?”
Polly. “I work for him.”
Abrams. “That’s not what I asked you.”
Polly. “You’ve got it wrong — honest. He knew I was running around with Robert — ask anybody.”
Abrams. “How long?”
Polly. “A month — three weeks anyhow.”
Abrams. “Get much money out of Landis?”
Polly, hesitantly. “He gave me some.”
Abrams. “How much?”
Polly. “I don’t know exactly. I–I can tell you tomorrow, I guess.”
Abrams. “Did you split it with Dancer?”
Polly. “Why, no!”
Abrams. “Maybe you’re lying. Maybe Dancer found out you were going away where you could keep all the sugar to yourself — and he put a stopper to it.”
Polly. “That’s silly!”
Abrams. “Sure. And hanging up in the air with a hunk of rope around your neck is silly, too.”
After a little pause to let that sink in, he says, “Landis hadn’t been home for a couple of days. Was he with you?”
Polly. “Most of the time.”
Abrams. “Drunk?”
Polly. “Yes.”
Abrams. “In your apartment?”
Polly. “There and here.”
Abrams. “Anybody else with you in your apartment?”
Polly. “No.”
Abrams. “Let’s get back to the money. How much did you get out of him — roughly?”
Polly stares at the floor in silence.
Abrams. “As much as a grand or two? Or more?”
Polly, not looking up. “More.”
Abrams. “More than five grand?” Polly nods. “All right, kick through — about how much?”
Polly shrugs wearily, opens her bag, takes out a check and gives it to Abrams, saying “A couple hundred dollars besides that, I guess.”
Abrams looks at the check, then up at the girl and asks, “What’d he give you this for?”
Polly. “Well, I was chucking up a job and everything to go away with him, and I didn’t want to take chances on being stranded somewhere off in Europe.”
Abrams. “Looks like you didn’t, all right.” He beckons to the others, who come to look over his shoulders at the check. It is to the order of Polly Byrnes for $10,000 and is signed by Robert Landis. They look at one another in amazement.