- Marlowe goes to the Missing Persons Bureau to see Captain Gregory about information on Rusty Regan.
- Captain Gregory tells Marlowe that Regan disappeared on September 16th, and that four days later, his car was found in a garage. No fingerprints.
- The Captain also confirms that Regan left with Mars' wife and that he always carried $15,000 cash on his body (because that never got anybody into trouble).
- Marlowe is shown a photo of Regan, who was apparently quite a looker.
- Captain Gregory believes that Mars didn't murder Regan because it would have been too obvious. Gregory suspects that Mars and Mona left in Mona's car, and that the best thing to do is wait until they run out of money.
- Frustrated by Gregory's inaction, Marlowe thinks that he owes it to his client, General Sternwood, to find out all he can about Regan's whereabouts.
- When Marlowe leaves the office, he notices that a gray Plymouth sedan is following him, but he manages to shake his tail.