The novel opens on an overcast morning in mid-October. It is thundering, predicting, something bad like, rain. Philip Marlowe, a tough, distrustful and suspicious of people, yet honest private detective, is hired by the old, ailing General Sternwood to help him "take care of" Arthur Gwynn Geiger, a homosexual who has been, forcing someone to pay money so a secret isn't revealed, the General with possibly pictures of the General's daughter, Carmen Sternwood. Marlowe agrees to the job. Marlowe's first assignment becomes complicated by and twisted together with a second plot, which also has its roots in the first meeting with Sternwood. General Sternwood talks about, yet completely/in a hinting way, the disappearance of his well- liked, ex-criminal son-in-law, Rusty Regan. Rusty had been married to the General's oldest daughter, Vivian Sternwood. …show more content…
After clearly identifying Geiger, Marlowe follows the man to his house and hides in wait outside. The night is rainy and Marlowe sees that Carmen Sternwood has gone inside Geiger's house. There is suddenly a flash and a scream, which turns out to be the flash of a camera and Carmen's reaction to the flash. When Marlowe approaches Geiger's house to see what is happening, three gunshots ring out inside the house, followed by the fast footsteps of the escaping gunman. Entering Geiger's home, Marlowe sees that Carmen is drugged and naked, sitting on a chair. Geiger, who had been taking pictures of Carmen, is dead at her feet. The plateholder of the camera, which apparently, on the surface, contains the pictures Geiger had taken of Carmen…..is missing. Carmen seems unaffected by what has happened, and is in fact giggly, as she is so high on pain-killing gas as high in the