AFTER THE THIN MAN

Dashiell Hammett

September 17, 1935

A train whistle sounds as the Chief arrives slowly in the Santa Fe Station in San Francisco. A stateroom on the train is stacked high with hatboxes, and suitcases, books, flowers, magazines, half-empty baskets of fruit. Although it is afternoon the stateroom is not yet made up. The top berth is down, piled high with bed-covers and sheets. On the lower berth is an array of White Rock bottles, glasses, bowls of ice, and a glass cocktail shaker propped against a pillow, almost full. There is also a half-packed bag open. Nick Charles standing before a mirror in the lavatory trying to shave. He is dressed except for his collar and coat. He has an old-fashioned open razor in his hand. He is swaying with the motion of the car, trying to balance himself on his widespread feet. Suddenly the car lurches, and he is thrown forward against the mirror, just missing by a fraction cutting off an ear. He looks reproachfully at the mirror, and then decides to go out into the stateroom to shave. Precariously he makes his way to the mirror behind the outer door, leading to the corridor. As he has the razor poised at his throat, the door is thrown open from the outside, pushing him back behind it, out of sight. Nora Charles, his wife, bursts in. She is in a negligee and slippers, fresh from her shower, with her toilet things in her hand. She is excited. She looks for Nick in the stateroom as she comes in.

Nora: "Nickie! Nickie! Where are you?"

She shuts the door after her and sees Nick behind the door, jammed up against the wall, his razor still at his throat, his eyes fixed in a glassy stare.

Nick, with the sickly sweet grin of a man who has just escaped death: "Hello, darling."

Nora, amazed at his position: "What are you trying to do?" Nick: "Just having a little fun, darling."

Nora goes quickly to the lower berth, putting her toilet things in an open bag.

Nora: "You'd better hurry. We're getting into San Francisco in five minutes."

She takes a dress down from a hook. There is another hanging underneath it. Then she opens up a big hatbox, starting to pull a hat from it. She looks down, amazed and indignant.

Nora: "Asta!"

He is comfortably curled up in the hatbox on a large hat. He looks up and wiggles with delight.

Nora: "My best Sunday-go-to-meeting hat."

Asta jumps quickly out of the hatbox. Nora pulls out the hat and puts it on her head, making a very ridiculous appearance with her negligee, talking to Nick as she does so. Nick is leaning under the berth, pouring a drink from the cocktail shaker.

Nora: "I thought you were going to pack."

Nick: "I am. I've been putting away this likker."

As he throws his head back to drink the cocktail his skull cracks against the upper berth.

Nora: "You know, if you break that, they can sue you."

She goes quickly into the lavatory.

Nick: "I'm going to miss this little room of ours. It's left some lasting impressions on me."

He feels his head ruefully, then pours himself another drink.

Nora: "Pack these, will you, Nickie?"

Her filmy nightgown and negligee come flying at him from the bathroom. He extricates himself from them.

Nick: "Delighted."

He rolls them casually into a ball and stuffs them into the open bag. He picks up the cocktail shaker, still three-quarters full, and looks at it lovingly.

Nick: "I hate to leave this."

Nora, anxiously, from the lavatory: "Oh, don't leave anything."

Nick puts the top of the cocktail shaker on, and looks around for something to wrap it in. He catches sight of Nora's dress hanging on the wall. He puts his hand out toward it.

Nick: "Going to wear this dress?"

Nora's voice: "No. You can put that in."

Nick: "Fine."

He takes down the dress, wraps the cocktail shaker lovingly in it, and stuffs it into the bag, enthusiastically viewing the result.

The photographers and reporters are standing on the station platform looking into the distance, watching for the train. One of the men, looking off-scene, calls:

"Here she comes!"

In a body they all start to run toward the train.

Porters are hurrying out. Baggage men stand waiting. The train pulls in. The reporters and photographers who ran to meet it are now running back beside the train, trying to catch up with the Pullmans. The train comes to a stop, and a porter jumps off. The reporters rush up to him.

One of the reporters: "Nick Charles on this car?"

Porter: "Two cars back." The reporters and cameramen start to run back.

The porter puts down his little stepping block as Nick and Nora appear at the top of the steps. The reporters and photographers come running up. Asta is straining on the leash in Nick's hand.

1st Photographer: "Hold it there, Mr. Charles."

He snaps his picture and prepares to take another. Meanwhile the reporters are all talking at once, and the other photographers are taking pictures.

Reporters: "Hello, Nick." "How does it feel to be home?"

"How are you, Mrs. Charles? I'm from the Chronicle."

"Going to stay with us for a while?"

"Got a story for the Examiner, Nick?"

Nick, as Asta pulls him in a frenzy of excitement: "Gangway, boys! Gangway!"

Asta pulls Nick down the stairs. Nora follows, clinging to her purse and a little jewel case.

1st Reporter: "Going to keep on with the detective work, Nick?"

Nick: "No. I've retired. Just going to take care of my wife's money so I'll have something in my old age."

2nd Reporter: "You took that Wynant case in New York."

Nick: "I just did that for my wife. She wanted some excitement."

1st Reporter, turning to Nora: "I guess you had some excitement all right."

Nora: "It was wonderful. Two men tried to kill him."

Nick gives Nora a look. A big ex-prizefighter pushes his way through the crowd. He is Harold, the Charleses' chauffeur. He is very correctly dressed in uniform, and chewing gum as fast as his jaws will let him.

Nora: "Oh, Harold!"

Harold, grinning: "How are you, Mrs. Charles?"

Then with a change to a tone of utter familiarity: "Hi'yer, Nick."

He grasps Nick's hand and almost crushes it. Nick pulls it away, shaking it to get the circulation going.

Nick: "A little out of condition."

Harold starts to collect the bags belonging to Nick and Nora. The reporters are still hanging around, hoping for a story.

1st Reporter: "Come on, Nick. Give us a break. What are your plans?"

Nick: "My immediate plans?"

1st Reporter, eagerly: "Yes."

Nick: "Just a hot bath."

He looks at Asta, and speaks reproachfully: "Asta!"

The reporter looks down, and shakes his trouser leg.

Nick: "You'll have to forgive us. We've been cooped up for four days."

As Harold is picking up the bag that we saw Nick pack, Nora is horrified to see a stream of liquid pouring out.

Nora: "Oh, Nick, look! Something's leaked."

Nick sniffs at it, apprehensive, and then turns with relief.

Nick: "Thank...