The Third Man

Martins meets with Kurtz—and instantly dislikes the man’s deliberate, performative facial expressions and “phony” toupee (18). As Calloway recounts, at that point Martins interrupts his own tale, distracted by the sight of a woman from the window. He insists that he’s no longer pursuing relationships but that he’s distracted because the girl resembles Anna Schmidt, Harry Lime’s girlfriend.

Feigning enthusiasm for Martins’s westerns, Kurtz carries a copy of his book The Lone Rider from Santa Fe. Kurtz calls himself a close friend of Lime’s—though he’s careful to insist that Martins was dearest of all to Lime. He describes the accident, saying that Lime crossed the street without looking while waving to an American friend named Cooler. Kurtz insists that Lime told him to see that Martins was “looked after” and had a return ticket. This further contradicts the account of Lime’s neighbor Herr Koch, who said that Lime died instantly. Kurtz assures Martins that everyone in Vienna is engaged in dubiously legal activities, so the police suspecting Lime of criminal activity isn’t alarming. He tries to dissuade Martins from any further investigation to exonerate Lime. Like Calloway, Kurtz urges Martins to leave, adding that Lime insisted that he have funds but that any investigation to avenge his friend’s death would be fruitless.