Regan and Mona’s Unproven Romance

The Big Sleep

The rumor that Regan fled with Mona shapes the investigation, though Mona’s hidden location and testimony undermine the apparent explanation.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Singer in Regan’s Past A Singer in Regan’s Past from "The Big Sleep". A Singer in Regan’s Past An earlier attachment Harry Jones says Terence Regan had been devoted to a singer named Mona Grant before she became Mona Mars.

A Singer in Regan’s Past from "The Big Sleep". A Singer in Regan’s Past An earlier attachment Harry Jones says Terence Regan had been devoted to a singer named Mona Grant before she became Mona Mars.

A Singer in Regan’s Past An earlier attachment Harry Jones says Terence Regan had been devoted to a singer named Mona Grant before she became Mona Mars. Their connection predates the Sternwood marriage. A possible refuge The old attachment makes a shared disappearance plausible to observers. The rumor gains force because it offers Regan an emotionally understandable reason to leave.

The Marriage and the Rumor The Marriage and the Rumor from "The Big Sleep". The Marriage and the Rumor An uneasy match Terence Regan marries Vivian Regan but appears ill-suited to the wealthy household.

The Marriage and the Rumor from "The Big Sleep". The Marriage and the Rumor An uneasy match Terence Regan marries Vivian Regan but appears ill-suited to the wealthy household.

The Marriage and the Rumor An uneasy match Terence Regan marries Vivian Regan but appears ill-suited to the wealthy household. His prior connection to Mona gives others an alternative explanation for his unhappiness. A story takes shape When both Regan and Mona disappear, people assume they have run away together. The rumor is emotionally persuasive even without direct proof.

A Missing Couple A Missing Couple from "The Big Sleep". A Missing Couple Two absences Terence Regan leaves, and Mona Mars is no longer seen in her usual places.

A Missing Couple from "The Big Sleep". A Missing Couple Two absences Terence Regan leaves, and Mona Mars is no longer seen in her usual places.

A Missing Couple Two absences Terence Regan leaves, and Mona Mars is no longer seen in her usual places. The coincidence gives the runaway theory a simple shape. Affection as evidence Regan’s known feelings for Mona are treated as evidence that they left together. The emotional story substitutes for an established timeline.

The Hidden Wife The Hidden Wife from "The Big Sleep". The Hidden Wife The story rejected Mona Mars tells Philip Marlowe that she has not seen Terence Regan in months. She says Regan did not disappear with her.

The Hidden Wife from "The Big Sleep". The Hidden Wife The story rejected Mona Mars tells Philip Marlowe that she has not seen Terence Regan in months. She says Regan did not disappear with her.

The Hidden Wife The story rejected Mona Mars tells Philip Marlowe that she has not seen Terence Regan in months. She says Regan did not disappear with her. A distorted bond Mona’s loyalty to Eddie Mars has helped sustain the false account. Her feelings do not confirm the rumor; they explain why she agreed to hide.

Love Without Reunion Love Without Reunion from "The Big Sleep". Love Without Reunion No answer from Regan The General wants direct assurance from Terence Regan, but the investigation establishes that he is dead.

Love Without Reunion from "The Big Sleep". Love Without Reunion No answer from Regan The General wants direct assurance from Terence Regan, but the investigation establishes that he is dead.

Love Without Reunion No answer from Regan The General wants direct assurance from Terence Regan, but the investigation establishes that he is dead. The hoped-for reunion cannot occur. A love story unmade The supposed elopement becomes an alibi rather than a romance. Regan and Mona’s connection remains part of the mystery, not its resolution.

before Regan marries Vivian

after Vivian marries Regan

mid-September

after Marlowe reaches Realito

the final pages