- We're in Sam's hardware store. He's writing a letter to Marion, who will never read it because she's really very dead.
- Up front, a woman is trying to buy insect poison, and worrying about whether it will kill painlessly. Hitchcock is having a little fun with you. He likes painful deaths, as he's just demonstrated.
- Lila comes into the store and asks Sam if Marion is there.
- But of course she isn't.
- Lila explains that Marion left home and hasn't been heard from since.
- Lila is really upset; she thinks Sam and Marion may have stolen the money together. But Sam doesn't know what she's talking about.
- Sam sends his assistant away, and then some dude with a hat comes into the store.
- It's a private detective dude with a hat; Mr. Arbogast.
- He wants to talk about Marion too.
- Arbogast and Lila tell Sam that Marion took $40,000. They don't want to prosecute her; they just want the money back.
- Sam assures them Marion isn't there. You know he's telling the truth, because you've seen the movie up till now.
- Anyway, Arbogast says he'll find the money one way or another.
- Arbogast is now our heroic protagonist (though protagonists don't do so well in this film…)