The Lady in the Lake

Marlowe looks around the apartment he has broken into and drinks some of the scotch he finds there. The resident has clothes with the label H.G. Talbot on them, and Marlowe changes into them. Expecting to be found by the police, Marlowe pokes his head out the door and talks to a cop who is in the hall, claiming to be Talbot. The cop says that the police have found a dead girl next door to him, and he calls over his superior, who happens to be Degarmo. Degarmo pushes Marlowe back into Talbot’s apartment and orders the other cop, “Shorty” (177), to point a gun at Marlowe. Shorty finds Marlowe’s gin-soaked clothes. Then, Degarmo orders Shorty to take Marlowe out the back before Webber arrives. Shorty is surprised, believing Degarmo is suspended, but he does as he is told.

Degarmo, Shorty, and Marlowe walk downstairs instead of taking the elevator. Marlowe recovers his car from the garage attendant, and Degarmo drives them a short distance away and stops the car. He asks Shorty if he believes Marlowe is the killer, then Degarmo argues that Marlowe isn’t acting like the killer and has been hit on the head. Shorty tries to convince Degarmo to drive them to the police station, and when he doesn’t, Shorty gets out and walks away.