The Maltese Falcon itself is a statue of a bird covered in valuable jewels. It's been painted black to hide its true worth. Those who know about the statue will go to criminal lengths - including murder - to track it down.
Early in the novel, Miles Archer gets shot and killed while following Thursby. Thursby also turns up dead. However, everyone seems to care more about finding the Maltese Falcon than uncovering the murderer . Cairo and Gutman each offer Spade large cash rewards for his help. Brigid doesn't have lots of money, so she tries to seduce Spade.
Spade plays Brigid, Cairo, and Gutman against each other by telling each individually that he will help him or her. He takes money from both Gutman and Brigid. He even has sex with Brigid.
Eventually, Captain Jacobi shows up at Spade's office with a bullet wound and dies holding the Maltese Falcon. Spade agrees to give the statue to Gutman as long as they can pin the murders on Wilmer. They make the exchange, and Gutman peels off the black enamel only to discover that the bird is a fake made of lead.
It turns out that Wilmer killed both Thursby and Jacobi while working for Gutman and Cairo. Brigid confesses that she shot Miles Archer in an attempt to frame Thursby. At the end of the novel, Wilmer kills Gutman, and Spade turns Brigid over to the police.
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