Nora tries to convince Nick to rest and recover from his bullet wound, but he insists on attending Mimi’s dinner as planned. While they are reading inflated news reports about Nick being shot, Dorothy arrives. Mimi has beaten her badly. She wants to look after Nick in exchange for a place to stay. She is surprised to see him well, as she believed the newspapers. Nick says she can stay if she answers his questions. She reports that her mother and Chris left together on the day of the murder around the time the crime took place and returned later that evening. She said her mother didn’t seem shocked about finding the body. She tells them that Chris is threatening to leave Mimi if she doesn’t give him money. While they send for room service, Nick gets a telegram from Wynant saying he wants Nick to take charge of the investigation into Julia Wolf’s murder.

They arrive at Mimi’s, who hadn’t expected them for dinner since she believed the newspapers, but she makes a show of being pleased to see them. Nora and Chris chat while Mimi tries to get information out of Nick. Dorothy’s younger brother, Gilbert, asks questions about drug addicts and stab wounds.