The San Francisco Investigation

The Maltese Falcon

Spade’s independent inquiries connect the city’s hotels, offices, and harbor to the falcon, while official investigators pursue competing explanations.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The St. Mark Clue The St. Mark Clue from "The Maltese Falcon". The St. Mark Clue Reconstructing a night Spade asks the hotel clerk about Brigid’s registration, movements, and visitors, learning that she checked out and…

The St. Mark Clue from "The Maltese Falcon". The St. Mark Clue Reconstructing a night Spade asks the hotel clerk about Brigid’s registration, movements, and visitors, learning that she checked out and…

The St. Mark Clue Reconstructing a night Spade asks the hotel clerk about Brigid’s registration, movements, and visitors, learning that she checked out and left a forwarding address in Los Angeles. A wider trail The inquiry confirms that she has moved quickly and used incomplete identities, giving Spade a route to pursue without making her history trustworthy.

The Tail Identified The Tail Identified from "The Maltese Falcon". The Tail Identified A persistent follower A youth in a grey cap shadows Spade from street to theatre, then returns to watch his apartment building.

The Tail Identified from "The Maltese Falcon". The Tail Identified A persistent follower A youth in a grey cap shadows Spade from street to theatre, then returns to watch his apartment building.

The Tail Identified A persistent follower A youth in a grey cap shadows Spade from street to theatre, then returns to watch his apartment building. A second network Spade recognizes the tail as connected to the larger contest and confronts him at Hotel Belvedere. The boy’s threats make the investigation physically dangerous.

A Search for the Bird A Search for the Bird from "The Maltese Falcon". A Search for the Bird No object found Spade searches Brigid’s apartment thoroughly but finds no falcon, only jewelry and the signs of a recently occupied room.

A Search for the Bird from "The Maltese Falcon". A Search for the Bird No object found Spade searches Brigid’s apartment thoroughly but finds no falcon, only jewelry and the signs of a recently occupied room.

A Search for the Bird No object found Spade searches Brigid’s apartment thoroughly but finds no falcon, only jewelry and the signs of a recently occupied room. A question of concealment His failure to find the bird does not establish that she lacks it. The search instead shows how difficult it is to distinguish an empty room from a deliberate hiding place.

The Harbor Newspaper The Harbor Newspaper from "The Maltese Falcon". The Harbor Newspaper A torn arrival notice Spade finds a torn section of the shipping news in Joel Cairo’s wastebasket and reconstructs the listing for La…

The Harbor Newspaper from "The Maltese Falcon". The Harbor Newspaper A torn arrival notice Spade finds a torn section of the shipping news in Joel Cairo’s wastebasket and reconstructs the listing for La…

The Harbor Newspaper A torn arrival notice Spade finds a torn section of the shipping news in Joel Cairo’s wastebasket and reconstructs the listing for La Paloma from Hong Kong. A practical deduction The ship’s arrival redirects his attention from vague criminal histories to the harbor. A small scrap of paper supplies a lead more reliable than the competing stories.

The Office’s Last Visitor The Office’s Last Visitor from "The Maltese Falcon". The Office’s Last Visitor A dying messenger Captain Jacobi reaches Spade’s office with the parcel and collapses before he can explain its route or the attack…

The Office’s Last Visitor from "The Maltese Falcon". The Office’s Last Visitor A dying messenger Captain Jacobi reaches Spade’s office with the parcel and collapses before he can explain its route or the attack…

The Office’s Last Visitor A dying messenger Captain Jacobi reaches Spade’s office with the parcel and collapses before he can explain its route or the attack against him. The harbor case converges The harbor investigation ends at Spade’s desk, where the falcon’s delivery, a fresh death, and the danger of police discovery meet in one scene.

The morning after Archer’s death

The evening after Cairo’s first visit

The morning after Spade meets Gutman

Saturday morning

After Jacobi’s arrival