# Wanted explained — Red Harvest

> Chapter companion for Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett.

## What happens

The narrator, now wanted for the murders of Dinah Brand and Charles Proctor Dawn, goes into hiding. He meets with Reno Starkey, who proposes a temporary truce with Whisper Thaler to eliminate Pete the Finn. The narrator reveals that Whisper is already dead, killed by Dan Rolff. They conspire to spread a false rumor that Whisper has been captured by McGraw, hoping to draw out his mob and create a diversion for an attack on Pete the Finn.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Manipulation

The narrator and Reno plot to spread a false rumor about Whisper's capture to manipulate his mob.

### Violence and Moral Decay

Multiple murders, hijacking, and the pervasive threat of violence define the chapter.

### Class and Labor Conflict

The alliance between police and bootleggers reflects the corrupt power structures in Personville.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

Wanted for murder, hiding out, and plotting with Reno.

### Reno Starkey

Proposes a truce with Whisper to attack Pete the Finn, then learns Whisper is dead.

### Max Thaler

Revealed to have been killed by Dan Rolff; his death is kept secret to manipulate his mob.

### Dick Foley

Visits the narrator, suspicious of his guilt, and leaves after a tense exchange.

### Mickey Linehan

Reported to be in police custody, being grilled.

### Elihu Willsson

The narrator plans to blackmail him with love letters stolen from Dawn.

## Key lines

> This is Peak," said a voice that didn't sound anything at all like his. "Who's talking?" I said disgustedly, "This is Lillian Gish," hung up the receiver, and removed myself from the neighborhood.

The narrator calls Peak Murry's pool room, but the voice on the other end is obviously not Peak's. He gives a sarcastic fake name and quickly hangs up, then leaves the area to avoid being traced.

_Shows the narrator's caution and use of deception while on the run._

> If his mob don't know where he is," I suggested, "let's tell them. They blasted him out of the can when Noonan copped him. Think they'd try it again if the news got around that McGraw had picked him up on the quiet?

The narrator proposes spreading a false rumor that Whisper has been secretly arrested by McGraw, hoping his gang will attempt another jailbreak and create a diversion.

_Key plot point: using misinformation to manipulate events._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/red_harvest_se/chapters/xxiv-wanted
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/red_harvest_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/red_harvest_se/chapters