Murder, My Sweet

Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a violent and seemingly slow-witted ex-con, Joe "Moose" Malloy, to seek out his former girlfriend Velma Valento. Malloy spent eight years in prison and lost contact with her. Marlowe goes to the night-club where Velma worked but the owner died years ago; then he visits the widow that tells that she does not know Velma. However Marlowe finds a photo of Velma and the woman says that she is dead. The following morning, Marlowe is visited in his office by Lindsay Marriott, who offers Marlowe $100 to work as his bodyguard in an isolated area where he will pay an amount to retrieve the stolen jewels. However, as they so often will, things go wrong and Marriott is killed. Marlowe is knocked out. After reviving, he goes to the police station to report the murder; the detectives ask if he knows a man called Jules Amthor and advise him to stay away from the man. Marlowe meets Ann Grayle in his office asking about the murder while she poses as a reporter. She brings him home and introduces him to her wealthy older father, Leuwen Grayle, and his young wife, her detested stepmother, Helen. Marlowe learns that a rare and expensive jade necklace was reportedly stolen from Helen Grayle when she was dancing with Marriott. Leuwen hires him to retrieve the jewels. While Marlowe is leaving the house, he stumbles upon Amthor. Malloy then forces Marlowe to go to Amthor's house. Marlowe is drugged but escapes and starts to think about different angles of this convoluted mystery. Who might have stolen the jade necklace? What happened to Velma Valento?