The drug-store up above your place.

[constantinusphilo]

The drug-store up above your place.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
Does it mean that the drug store was on an upper floor from his apartment or that it was somewhere nearby? I think the second.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's not entirely clear but I would think it's very unlikely that a drugstore would be on a floor higher than someone's apartment. Shops are usually at street level. I suspect it's "up the street" from the unspecified place.

 

[PeterCW]

The story is set in San Francisco which is noted for its steep hills. In that context, remembering that the story is supposedly narrated by a local, I would suspect that it means immediately uphill from the apartment.