Everyone's A Suspect: Maltese Falcon Stolen From S.F. Diner

A plaster promotional replica of the eponymous statue from the classic Humphrey Bogart noir The Maltese Falcon has been stolen from a small cabinet where it was proudly on display at John's Grill in San Francisco. And the Gate reporter who is covering the story is clearly eating it up, casting the squint-eyed gaze of a suspicious Sam Spade on everyone from the grill owner to the private dick investigating the theft.

Konstin reckons it was one of his many customers. The second floor is open only for dinner. The thief was probably someone who had dinner in the upstairs dining room and saw the Falcon and the books. He might have hid up there, waiting for the right moment to leap out, bust open the door and snag his booty. Or was it an inside job?

"Don't look at me," said waiter Jimmy Hazard. That's Hazard, he said, as in "trouble."

The caper could have been about jealousy and revenge. And maybe Jack Immendorf, who's been a private dick in this town since giants walked the Earth, wanted it. He threw in with Konstin years ago to buy the real McCoy, and he admits that he loves Spade and Hammett and all that old San Francisco lore.

"Yes, I suppose I could be a suspect," Immendorf said with a laugh. He was clearly startled by the idea. Before that, he went on and on about who might have been the skell who did it.

John's Grill is offering $25,000 as a reward to anyone who will bring the Falcon back, no questions asked.

Maltese Falcon flies the coop [SF Gate]