Chapters 3-5 Summary

As Chapter 3 opens, Marlowe has returned to his office, made up of a simply-furnished inner office and a small reception room. He takes out a phone book and looks up the number of Elisha Morningstar, finding the number and address of his office. A tall, well-dressed man comes into Marlowe's office, Leslie Murdock. He has learned that Marlowe is working for his mother and wants to know what she hired him to do. Marlowe is cagey and does not tell him. He determines that Murdock found out about his hiring from Merle Davis.

Murdock guesses that Marlowe is looking for evidence to support a divorce between him and his wife. Marlowe does not give any solid answer to this. Murdock then guesses that it may have to do with someone called "Morny," who he says had promised not to call his...