The Lady in the Lake

In Marlowe’s jail cell, another man sleeps in the top bunk. Marlowe smokes while sitting on the bottom bunk, listening to a woman scream far off in the distant women’s section of the jail. While admiring the new jail cell, he thinks about a girl he knew who lived in Bay City. After 9:54, a cop opens the cell and escorts Marlowe to the counter, where Degarmo is waiting. Degarmo says he’s taking Marlowe to Webber, and the desk sergeant gossips about Marlowe hitting Cooney.

In Webber’s office, Marlowe explains that he was trying to drive to a more populated area before pulling over. He notes that the cops were waiting outside of Talley’s house. Marlowe says it was Degarmo’s odd behavior at Almore’s house that caused him to become suspicious and investigate. Degarmo and the other cops targeted him because he was investigating Almore’s case, Marlowe says. Marlowe also explains how he was assaulted and made to drink alcohol. Degarmo admits that he had Cooney and Dobbs following Marlowe. Webber asks Degarmo to step outside so he and Marlowe can talk privately.

When they are alone, Webber asks Marlowe about his theories of the cases. Marlowe thinks that there is a connection between Lavery and Almore. Webber asks if Marlowe wants to press charges against Cooney and Dobbs, but Marlowe declines. He tells Webber about Muriel and Mildred being the same person about and her involvement in Florence’s death. Webber says that he is new to his position and that the police profession attracts corrupt people. He asks Marlowe to say more about the Almore case.

Marlowe explains that he went to ask Talley about Florence’s death. Webber says that Talley blackmailed people and had one of Florence’s slippers. It wasn’t marked up from her walking to the garage, proving that she was carried there. This is evidence that Florence did not die by suicide but was murdered. Marlowe believes that Mildred, aka Muriel, was involved in the murders of Florence and Lavery. This is because Degarmo, claiming to be a Los Angeles cop named De Soto, showed Mildred’s picture around Little Fawn Lake. Furthermore, Marlowe found the anklet with Mildred’s name on it. Webber says Degarmo’s name is Al, which is also on the anklet charm, and was married to Mildred. She divorced him, and Degarmo didn’t take it well. Webber asks Marlowe to keep their conversation private, but Marlowe doesn’t agree to do so.

Marlowe gets his car out of the police impound and drives back to his apartment in Hollywood. His phone is ringing when he arrives. Kingsley tells Marlowe that he has heard from Crystal and is coming over to Marlowe’s place.

Kingsley and Fromsett arrive at Marlowe’s place around midnight. Marlowe mixes them some drinks, and Kingsley asks about Marlowe’s leg. Marlowe says his injury was “[a] present from the Bay City police department” (156). Kingsley gives Marlowe $500 to give to Crystal, saying it isn’t safe for her to use her own account. Marlowe is supposed to meet Crystal at the Peacock Lounge. Fromsett was the one who took Crystal’s phone call while Kingsley listened. Marlowe will wear Kingsley’s scarf so Crystal can identify him, and she will stop into the lounge to look for him once every hour. Marlowe doesn’t want to be an accessory to murder if Crystal is Lavery’s murderer. Kingsley assures him that Crystal is innocent, and Fromsett says Crystal has dyed her hair brown. After Marlowe briefly updates Kingsley about Talley, Kingsley tells Fromsett to come to his place. Marlowe gets Fromsett’s address so he can contact her later, then goes to the garage.

Marlowe gets a drink at the Peacock Lounge and eavesdrops on the other customers. He buys a newspaper and reads it. Crystal comes into the lounge, leaves, and has the newspaper boy lead Marlowe outside of the giftshop. There, she asks for her money, and Marlowe demands answers before he hands over the cash. They go to an apartment a few blocks away to talk.

Crystal says Marlowe isn’t what she expected. She says she broke things off with Lavery in El Paso and stayed in Santa Barbara and Pasadena before coming to Hollywood. Crystal doesn’t want to talk about Little Fawn Lake, and Marlowe says her renting rooms is suspicious. He tells her that Muriel Chess’s body was found in the lake and asks if she had any connection with Muriel. Crystal claims to not be involved in the fights between Mr. and Mrs. Chess. Marlowe asks about Almore and Mildred, and Crystal says she didn’t know Almore’s nurse. Lavery never mentioned that he knew Muriel.

Marlowe gives Crystal the envelope of money and tells her that she is playing her character well, as she also played the character of Fallbrook well. He asks why she came back after killing Lavery, and she says it was to get her money from him. Marlowe confirms that she shot Lavery earlier and says he’s going to the police. She pulls a gun on Marlowe, and he says this is a familiar scene for a murderer and detective. Then, Marlowe notes that the gun’s safety is still on, and when she pauses to turn it off, he hits her wrist so she drops the gun. As he twists her wrist behind her back, a man hits Marlowe from behind, knocking him out.

Marlowe wakes up on the floor smelling like someone soaked him in gin. His head is in severe pain from the assault. Crystal is dead and laid out on the bed in the room, wearing only her stockings. Marlowe gets dressed and finds a window in the bathroom as people are knocking on the door. Using a towel, he breaks a nearby window and escapes into another apartment.