hour period, which may be intended to  reflect a black market in ration books. However, since Marlowe still  has a deputy badge, at least in a deleted scene which existed in the  1945 version, he would be entitled to an X sticker (unlimited gas)  as a peace officer. Perhaps the B sticker on the windshield was  camouflage, since an X sticker would make the car extremely  noteworthy. Marlowe also refers to "three red points," and speaks of  a dead body as "cold meat" which refers to the red tokens used to  acquire a familys allotment of meat during WWII.