- Case
- Omit Flowers
- Year Published
- 1948
- Case Introduction
- 6-8 July 1948. Virgil Pompa forfeited all claim to professional respect as a chef when he joined the management of the fast-food chain AMBROSIA, but Marko Vukcic knows him too well to believe him a murderer when he's charged with the murder of Floyd Whitten, husband of AMBROSIA's owner. Marko asks Nero to prove that Pompa is innocent.
- Notes
- Resolution
-
Wolfe realizes that Ms. Alving must have stabbed Mrs. Whitten and that Mrs. Whitten must have killed her husband Floyd.
Characters in the case:
Still emotionally attached to Floyd Whitten.
Character descriptionToy-buyer for Meadow's department store, involved with Floyd Whitten before his marriage.
Reserved notes for this caseContinued to see Floyd Whitten after his marriage. Stabbed Mrs. Whitten, believing her guilty of Floyd's murder.
Suspect.
Character descriptionSuccessful newspaper columnist; married Eve Landy, daughter of H. R. Landy.
Reserved notes for this case
Suspect.
Character descriptionThird child, eldest daughter (age 27 as of "Omit Flowers") of H.R. Landy. Married to Daniel Bahr.
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionMaster chef in Wolfe's kitchen, has a small apartment in the basement. (In "Fer-De-Lance," his apartment is across from the plant room, not in the basement.) Swiss; native French speaker, served in WWI. Uninterested in murder, except whether a client is in the offing; gets anxious about household finance when Wolfe isn't working. Doesn't like to talk while cooking. Changes to his old slippers at 9 pm because of "things left on his feet by the war to remember it by". Implied he was a member of the Swiss Alpine Patrol during WWI.
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionInspector with NYPD, Homicide. Has tolerate / hate relationship with Wolfe. He respects Wolfe, but is greatly irritated by his eccentricities. Habitually chews (but rarely lights) cigars. Notably, Cramer lights a cigar in Wolfe's office during "Instead of Evidence" in which the murder weapon is an exploding cigar! First name is given as Fergus one time, but generally accepted as Lionel. Had a son in the Army Air Corps during WWII. Archie has called Mrs. Cramer on the phone more than once to reach the Inspector at home. Archie's favorite alias for him is "the man about the chair" or "any name with a double "d", e.g., Mr. Judd".
At no time is Inspector Cramer ever referred to in the books as "Lionel T." Cramer; his first name is given as "Fergus" in "Where There's a Will." There is a lone later reference to him as L.T.C. (The Silent Speaker), but never Lionel. Stout's biographer, John McAleer, asked Stout to explain the "Fergus"/"L.T.C" discrepancy; Stout replied: "No significance. Laziness. I didn't bother to check on whether he already had a first name. Of course, all discrepancies in the Nero Wolfe stories are Archie Goodwin's fault." (from "Royal Decree; Conversations with Rex Stout)
He is featured in a book by Stout called Red Threads, first published 1939, tracking down a killer with a young fashion designer. There is no reference to Nero Wolfe.
Reserved notes for this case
Was leaving Ambrosia 1000 late at night as Archie was arriving.
Character descriptionPhysician, office on E. 65th and residence on Park Avenue.
Reserved notes for this caseHe was called to tend to Mrs. Whitten's stab wounds and agreed not to call the poice. Confessed to Archie under duress.
Luckily uses the name of Ms. Alving to gain access to Mrs. Floyd Whitten when Wolfe wants to put questions to her.
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this caseNero considers it "brilliant" that Archie realized that Mrs. Whitten must have lost blood from some trauma that was being covered up. He coerces the family doctor to reveal that someone stabbed Mrs. Whitten.
Now deceased (from overwork, according to Archie). Left everything to his wife. The running of Ambrosia was mostly turned over to Virgil Pompa after his death.
Character descriptionFounder of highly successful restaurant chain AMBROSIA; married, with 2 sons (Jerome, Mortimer) and 2 daughters (Eve, Phoebe).
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionElder son (age 33 as of "Omit Flowers") of H. R. Landy, wealthy founder of Ambrosia restaurant chain. Partner in a New York real estate firm.
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionYounger son (by 2 years) of H. R. Landy, wealthy founder of Ambrosia restaurant chain. Fiddles around with radio packages and show business, financial status unknown.
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionYoungest child (24 as of "Omit Flowers") of H.R. Landy. Vassar graduate, works in the family business (Ambrosia restaurant chain).
Reserved notes for this case
Formerly of Mondor's in Paris. Forfeited professional respect when he went to work for the restaurant chain AMBROSIA. Became the de facto leader of Ambrosia after its founder H. R. Landy died.
Was upset at Floyd Whitten's ascent to power after he married the Landy widow. Accused of murdering Floyd Whitten after one of his knives was found in Whitten's back after an argument.
Character descriptionChef; according to Marko, at 30 he was the best sauce man in France.
Good friend of Marko Vukcic.
Reserved notes for this caseFramed.
Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man.
Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this case
Calls on his friendship with Nero -- asking him to prove a friend, Virgil Pompa, innocent of murder. Once worked under Pompa at Mondor's in Paris.
Character description"He was one of only two men whom Wolfe will call by their first names, apart from employees," Archie relates as he introduces Marko in "Too Many Cooks." A boyhood friend from Montenegro, Marko is welcome to address Wolfe by his first name, and he dines monthly at Wolfe's house. One of the Fifteen Masters, Marko is the great chef of Rusterman's restaurant in New York -- one of the few places Wolfe will dine away from home.
Reserved notes for this case
Found dead with one of Pompa's knives in his back in Ambrosia 1000.
Character descriptionPublic Relations chief at the Ambrosia restaurant chain.
Reserved notes for this caseContinued to see Julie Alving even after his marriage.
Owns AMBROSIA 1000, country house inherited from Landy, where Floyd Whitten was murdered.
Character descriptionInherited Ambrosia restauraunt chain from 1st husband H. R. Landy; widowed. Has 2 sons, 2 daughters by Landy. Remarried, to Floyd Whitten.
Reserved notes for this casePremeditated her husband's murder when she learned of his infidelity a month prior. Appeared to favor him by promoting him. And then stabbed him in the back.
Throws his head back and laughs when the six players in Floyd Whitten's murder show up at his door. Archie points out that Nero laughs like that approximately once per year.
Character descriptionMaster detective. Genius. Estimated weight: 1/7 ton. Carries a large platinum watch in his vest pocket. Sends a check every month to his mother in Budapest ("Fer-de-lance, ch. 13)..
Reserved notes for this caseRealizes that some secret exists between Ms. Alving and Mrs. Floyd Whitten and exploits that connection in an interview.
Meals in the case:
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