Chapter 8 Summary

Marlowe arrives at the Sternwoods' and tells the butler to fetch Carmen's maid. Of course, when the butler sees Carmen passed out in the Packard, he understands the reasons. When the butler asks if he can call a cab for Marlowe, Marlowe tells him not to do that because he does not want anyone to know that he is at the Sternwoods.'

Marlowe returns to Geiger's house but, upon entering, he notices that Geiger's body is gone. Shocked at this development, Marlowe examines the house and discovers tracks in the carpet, not unlike the marks that the heels of a body that was being dragged would make. Following the tracks, Marlowe sees that they may be headed toward the front door, but the trail is lost in the tile of the front room. It seems that somebody wants Geiger to be missing...