Asklemmy

You could make a pretty good surrealist novel out of this. Have the detective/dreamer switching back and forth, in the noir world you're solving a case that turns out to be a cold case in the waking world and this leads the dreamer to solving the case for real. All the while the noir partner seems to be keenly aware that he's a dream, but does what he can to keep the detective focused so the dream doesn't dissolve. Finally it culminates with the all the clues found and the partner breaks the veil so the dreamer wakes up with the information and realizes the murderer was someone in his own life or something.

Keep it real subtle maybe, like it's two completely different stories jumping back and fourth, but it slowly meshes together as it gets closer to the end. Characters introduced in one side play play roles in the other but are only introduced once. "Dan Smith, a heavy set guy from accounting jokes in the break room" "as you walk into the most recent scene you overhear officer Smith quip, 'it's nights like this that make me wish I'd become an accountant. ' causing the detective to double take before the partner draws him back in.

Fuck I'd read it.