Crime legend was recently featured in a Guardian story on literary digressions. His "Flitwick Parable" from The Maltese Falcon was held up as a nearly perfect example.
In a scant three pages, Sam Spade tells the story of real estate agent Flitwick who leaves his office for lunch, and never returns. When Flitwick is found, he is living under an assumed name, and leading a new life, much like his old, but with a new wife, house and responsibilities. The tale has nothing to do with the plot of The Maltese Falcon, but for the remainder of the novel the reader is left with the sense that anything can happen.
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