Mona Mars’s Concealment

The Big Sleep

Mona Mars’s disappearance is revealed as a staged refuge designed to protect Eddie Mars and confuse the search for Regan.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Two Disappearances Two Disappearances from "The Big Sleep". Two Disappearances A suspicious coincidence Terence Regan disappears, and Mona Mars also vanishes from her usual life.

Two Disappearances from "The Big Sleep". Two Disappearances A suspicious coincidence Terence Regan disappears, and Mona Mars also vanishes from her usual life.

Two Disappearances A suspicious coincidence Terence Regan disappears, and Mona Mars also vanishes from her usual life. The timing creates a persuasive rumor that they have run away together. A useful explanation Because Eddie Mars and Regan have personal connections through Mona, the rumor directs suspicion toward a romantic escape. It also gives the police a simple account to pursue.

A False Trail A False Trail from "The Big Sleep". A False Trail The abandoned vehicle Police find Terence Regan’s car at Casa de Oro while Mona remains missing.

A False Trail from "The Big Sleep". A False Trail The abandoned vehicle Police find Terence Regan’s car at Casa de Oro while Mona remains missing.

A False Trail The abandoned vehicle Police find Terence Regan’s car at Casa de Oro while Mona remains missing. The evidence reinforces the impression that she and Regan left together. Questions left open Captain Gregory cannot establish what happened after Regan’s departure. The car is a clue, but not proof of a shared journey.

A Hidden Woman A Hidden Woman from "The Big Sleep". A Hidden Woman The paid discovery Agnes Lozelle tells Philip Marlowe that Mona Mars is living in a hideout near Realito.

A Hidden Woman from "The Big Sleep". A Hidden Woman The paid discovery Agnes Lozelle tells Philip Marlowe that Mona Mars is living in a hideout near Realito.

A Hidden Woman The paid discovery Agnes Lozelle tells Philip Marlowe that Mona Mars is living in a hideout near Realito. Her account undermines the assumption that she disappeared with Terence Regan. A deliberate concealment Mona is not missing in the ordinary sense; she has been kept out of sight. Her location makes Eddie Mars’s role in the disappearance more difficult to ignore.

The Guarded Hideout The Guarded Hideout from "The Big Sleep". The Guarded Hideout A controlled refuge Philip Marlowe finds Mona Mars at the house beside Art Huck’s garage.

The Guarded Hideout from "The Big Sleep". The Guarded Hideout A controlled refuge Philip Marlowe finds Mona Mars at the house beside Art Huck’s garage.

The Guarded Hideout A controlled refuge Philip Marlowe finds Mona Mars at the house beside Art Huck’s garage. Lash Canino controls access and has recently attacked Marlowe. A willing disguise Mona explains that she changed her appearance and stayed hidden to demonstrate loyalty to Eddie Mars. Her concealment is not simple captivity, though it is shaped by fear and devotion.

The False Runaway Story The False Runaway Story from "The Big Sleep". The False Runaway Story A confession of motive Mona insists that she has not seen Terence Regan in months and that he did not run away with her.

The False Runaway Story from "The Big Sleep". The False Runaway Story A confession of motive Mona insists that she has not seen Terence Regan in months and that he did not run away with her.

The False Runaway Story A confession of motive Mona insists that she has not seen Terence Regan in months and that he did not run away with her. Her hiding has helped make the false story believable. The unresolved truth The confession weakens the police theory but does not reveal Regan’s fate. Marlowe understands that Mona’s concealment serves Eddie’s interests, even as she insists he is innocent.

mid-September, before the novel’s opening

after Regan’s car is found

after Harry Jones’s offer

the rainy night Marlowe reaches Realito

after the Realito confrontation