Chapter 4 Summary

From the time the insurance policy is set up through the winter and spring, Walter spends many a sleepless night. In his words, "You start on something like this, and if you don't wake up plenty of times in the middle of the night, dreaming they got you for something you forgot, you've got better nerves than I've got." This comment of Walter's is emblematic of a common theme in the roman noir genre - the central character typically is obsessed with the idea of avoiding discovery and capture. Whereas Phyllis appears not to concern herself much about getting caught, most of Walter's efforts are bent upon creating the perfect alibi and anticipating every move of the authorities that will be investigating the crime after it is committed.

Since Nirdlinger drives everywhere by car, an issue that puzzles Walter and Phyllis is how...