If They Hang You Summary

Spade calls the police as soon as Gutman and Cairo leave and informs them that Gutman's gunman killed both Thursby and Jacobi. Spade also tells them about the whole Maltese Falcon story and where they can find the escaping Gutman and Cairo. Spade then turns his attentions to Brigid and tells her that he knows that she killed Miles. Brigid reacts with astonishment but eventually admits to the crime.

Brigid wanted Thursby eliminated so that she could have the falcon exclusively. That's why she hired Miles, an act which did not succeed in scaring Thursby. Brigid killed Miles, hoping to pin the murder on Thursby and get rid of him that way. Unfortunately, Gutman's gunman killed Thursby before the police could intervene. Thursby's murder alerted Brigid to Gutman's appearance in town, and that is when Brigid returned...