# XVII explained — Continental Op Stories > Chapter companion for Continental Op Stories by Dashiell Hammett. ## What happens The narrator listens as a woman recounts her story: after fleeing the Turk Street house, she dyed her hair and changed her appearance, taking the name Jeanne Delano. She read poetry by Burke Pangburn, wrote to him, and they began a relationship. She promised to marry him but hid her criminal past. Fag Kilcourse recognized her and blackmailed her for $20,000. Burke forged his brother-in-law's signature to get the money. When she learned of the forgery, she confessed her past to Burke, who insisted on paying Kilcourse. She then laid a false trail to Baltimore and hid at Joplin's. Burke later found her, and she brought him to Joplin's to hide. Fag Kilcourse became jealous and dangerous. Porky Grout was spotted lurking, and she manipulated him. Fag shot Burke despite her protests. She and the others set up a false story for the police, but the narrator recognized her. ## Themes in this chapter ### Deception and Identity Billie changes her appearance and name to evade detection, and hides her criminal past from Burke. ### Loyalty and Betrayal Burke forges a check out of loyalty to Billie, while Fag Kilcourse betrays her trust by blackmailing and later killing Burke. ### Crime and Detection The forgery, blackmail, and murder are central to the plot, with the narrator investigating the events. ## Character check-ins ### The Continental Op Listens to the woman's confession and story. ### Burke Pangburn Poet who forged his brother-in-law's signature to get $20,000 for the woman; later shot by Fag Kilcourse. ### Billie The woman telling her story; she changed her appearance and hid under the name Jeanne Delano. ### Mr. Kilcourse Fag Kilcourse, who blackmailed Billie for $20,000 and later shot Burke. ### Porky Grout A rat who tipped off the police about Burke and Billie's location at the White Shack. ### Joplin Owner of the place where Billie and Burke hid; helped hold the narrator during the escape. ## Key lines > when the forgery was discovered I would be caught with him and considered equally guilty. She feared being implicated in the forgery if it were discovered. _Billie explains her fear of being caught as an accomplice._ > I told him the whole story. He didn't bat an eye. She confessed everything to Burke, and he remained calm. _Burke's reaction to Billie's criminal past._ > Burke was confident that his brother-in-law wouldn't send him over for forgery, but, to be on the safe side, he insisted that I move and change my name again and lay low until we knew how Axford was going to take it. Burke believed his brother-in-law would not prosecute him, but still urged Billie to hide. _Burke's plan for Billie's safety after the forgery._ > I did like Burke⁠—I liked him too much to let him be the goat without trying to save him, and I didn't have a great deal of faith in Axford's kindness. She cared for Burke and wanted to protect him, doubting Axford's mercy. _Billie's motivation to help Burke._ > Then Burke saw me on the street one Sunday night. I was careless, and drove into the city in Joplin's roadster⁠—the one back there. And, as luck would have it, Burke saw me. Burke spotted her driving Joplin's car in the city, leading to their reunion. _The accidental meeting that led to Burke discovering her hiding place._ > I told him the truth, the whole truth. And he told me that he had just hired a private detective to find me. She confessed everything, and Burke revealed he had hired a detective to locate her. _Burke's search for Billie._ > When I told Burke that he went to pieces. All his faith in his brother-in-law's forgiveness went. Burke panicked when he learned the forgery might be discovered. _Burke's reaction to the impending discovery._ > I had a hard time keeping him off Burke, though, because he had begun to think he had some sort of right to me, and jealousy made him wicked. Fag Kilcourse became jealous and dangerous, making it difficult to protect Burke. _Fag's jealousy and threat to Burke._ > Tonight one of Tin-Star's men came up and told us that a man named Porky Grout, who had been hanging around the place for a couple of nights, had made a couple of cracks that might mean he was interested in us. A tip from Tin-Star's man alerted them to Porky Grout's suspicious behavior. _The warning about Porky Grout._ > He was plain rat⁠—as I guess you know⁠—and in less than five minutes I had him at my table, and half an hour later I knew that he had tipped you off that Burke and I were in the White Shack. She quickly deduced that Grout had informed the police of their location. _Billie's manipulation of Porky Grout._ > I went up and told the others. Fag was for killing both Grout and Burke right away. But I talked him out of it. She convinced Fag not to kill Grout and Burke immediately. _Billie's attempt to prevent violence._ > I stopped to get a cloak and gloves, and Burke went on out to the car alone⁠—and Fag shot him. I didn't know he was going to! I wouldn't have let him! While she was getting her things, Fag shot Burke without her knowledge or consent. _The murder of Burke by Fag._ > After that it was a case of stick with the others whether I liked it or not, and I stuck. She felt compelled to stay with the group after the murder. _Billie's forced loyalty after Burke's death._ > We ribbed Grout to tell you that all three of us were on the back porch when Burke was killed, and we had any number of others primed with the same story. They coached Grout and others to provide a false alibi. _The cover-up plan._ > Then you came up and recognized me. Just my luck that it had to be you⁠—the only detective in San Francisco who knew me! She lamented that the narrator was the one detective who could identify her. _The narrator's recognition of Billie._ > You know the rest: how Porky Grout came up behind you and turned off the lights, and Joplin held you while we ran for the car; and then, when you closed in on us, Grout offered to stand you off while we got clear, and now. She recounted the escape and Grout's sacrifice to allow their getaway. _The final escape sequence._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/continental_op_stories_se/chapters/xvii - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/continental_op_stories_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/continental_op_stories_se/chapters