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Out on the streets, our hardboiled detective suffers a broken leg bad enough to land him in a hospital bed. While flat on his back, a dame comes to him with trouble involving her gambling brother. It sounds like an easy enough case for Marlowe to handle right from his room… right?
Calling in a few favors and working his street contacts, Marlowe suddenly finds a dead body right in his room! Soon, a revolving door of shady characters—dames, bookies, and thugs of all shapes and sizes—parade through, with a few slipping out the fire escape window.
Is there more going on here than just gambling debts? Who wants to stop Marlowe badly enough to bring murder into the picture? When the killer finally confronts Marlowe in his own room, he has to do some fast bluffing just to stay alive. He is bluffing… right?
My Thoughts:
I purposely kept my summary short today! I love the concept of a detective solving a mystery without ever hitting the pavement, but I have a few notes for the writers on this one:
- First off: where are the nurses? How does nobody notice a dead body in a patient’s room—especially when Marlowe never even calls it in?
- Second: wouldn’t the hospital staff get suspicious watching a non-stop parade of sketchy visitors go into his room, but only half of them walk back out the door?
I get that open windows and fire escapes were standard for older multi-story buildings back then, but the lack of staff presence makes it feel a little over the top. Still, it’s a fun, unique setup for Marlowe!
