 Marlowe follows Orrin's trail to a hotel, where he meets the desk clerk, Haven Clausen, and a guest named Grant W. Hicks, who both deny any knowledge of Orrin's whereabouts.After Marlowe has checked out Orrin's former hotel room, he finds Clausen murdered with an ice pick and a page torn out of the register book.Soon afterwards, Marlowe receives a call from Hicks, who nervously implores him to hold onto something for a day.