Lynn Bracken understands that she cannot exist as a femme fatale and survive the film, so she gives up the position. The fate of the tradition femme fatale is death; Dinah Brand is not an exception. Although she develops a friendly relationship with the Continental Op, when he awakens to find her dead his first instinct is to remove evidence that he had been there. ‘Then I washed my hands, examined my clothes for blood, made sure I was leaving none of my property behind, and went to the front door. I opened it, wiped the inner knob, closed it behind me, wiped the outer knob, and went away’ ; the Continental Op literally washes his hands of Dinah Brand’s death. Dinah Brand’s independence creates a barrier between her and every other man she