- Case
- The Gun with Wings
- Year Published
- 1948
- Case Introduction
- Alberto Mion, top tenor at the Met, was found dead with the gun on the floor beside him and a bullet through the roof of his mouth. The police ruled it suicide. Alberto had several reasons to die, whether suicide or murder. His alleged seduction of Clara James provoked her father into hitting Mion in the throat so hard that he needed an operation even to hope to sing again. He'd lost thousands of dollars in recording contracts and tours even in four months out of action. His wife wanted to leave him for Fred Weppler, the Gazette's music critic. Peggy Mion and Fred Weppler know the gun wasn't beside the body when they found it and they want Wolfe to find the murderer so they can stop suspecting each other.
- Notes
- Resolution
-
Dr. Nicholas Lloyd killed Alberto to cover up his surgical error.
Characters in the case:
Visited Alberto on the day of his death, representing Gifford James.
Character descriptionLawyer for Gifford James.
Former city magistrate.
"A little sawed-off squirt with a head so flat you could have kept an ashtray on it."
Reserved notes for this case
Lunched with the Mions, Weppler, and Dr. Lloyd on the day of Alberto's death, in order to work on Fred Weppler.
Character descriptionPublic relations agent for the Metropolitan Opera.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned.
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
Accepts Wolfe's assertion that Alberto Mion was murdered and helps Wolfe by arresting Peggy Mion and Fred Weppler as material witnesses for interrogation.
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
Used by Archie to ensure that Fred and Peggy aren't followed to Wolfe's after being arrested as material witnesses.
Character descriptionField operative.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned by Archie as an example of one of the dozens of clients who has lied to them. This is actually an error in the paperback edition - Helen Frost, not Calida, was the client.
Character descriptionMother of Helen Frost
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this caseFails to convince Clara James to sign the affidavit admitting to moving the gun from the floor to the Caruso bust (but obtains a specimen of her signature on a silly letter of expanation of his failure he composed for that purpose). Wolfe says, "Indeed. Good. Satisfactory."
Archie tells Wolfe, "Her thought operations could easily be carried on inside a hollowed-out pea."
Has a relationship of mutual dislike with Peggy Mion. Archie privately refers to him as Rupert the Fat.
Character descriptionManager of Alberto Mion.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned.
Character descriptionOlder man. Wolfe's orchid nurse. Lives in small cubbyhole on the roof with the plants. First mentioned in ch. 3 of "Fer-de-lance" - Archie sometimes hears him shouting at Wolfe in the mornings.
Reserved notes for this case
Last person known to have called on Alberto Mion on the day of his death. Archie says, "Her thinking was not on the tournament level."
Character descriptionDaughter of baritone Gifford James.
Reserved notes for this caseLied to her father that Alberto Mion had seduced her. Had a key to Alberto Mion's studio where he was murdered.
Moved the gun from the floor to the Caruso bust to incriminate Peg Mion (whom she thinks killed Alberto).
Knocked Aberto Mion down because he thought he had seduced his daughter Clara James. The blow damaged Alberto Mion's larynx.
Character descriptionBaritone, New York Metropolitan Opera.
Reserved notes for this case
Operated on the throat of Alberto Mion. Lunched with the Mions on the day of Alberto's death, to assure Weppler during the interview that the operation on Mion was a success.
Character descriptionDoctor.
Reserved notes for this caseKilled Alberto Mion to cover up his surgical error.
The mystery surrounding his death is Wolfe's focus in the story. Thought to be a womanizer. Refused to grant Peggy a civilized divorce.
Character descriptionOpera star. Specifically, top tenor at the New York Metropolitan Opera.
Reserved notes for this caseHaving an affair with Clara James.
Client (along with Fred Weppler) -- asks Wolfe to investigate the death of Alberto Mion.
In love with Fred Weppler.
Character descriptionWife of Alberto Mion, opera star.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned by Archie as an example of one of the dozens of clients who has lied to them.
Character descriptionOwner of the food chain Pratterias.
Reserved notes for this case
Archie knows Gifford James by sight because "I have occasionally let Lily Rowan share her pair of opera seats with me."
Character descriptionAttractive blonde. Daughter of millionaire sewer man James Rowan, owns the Bar JR ranch in Montana.
Reserved notes for this case
Attends the grand finale in Wolfe's office with Inspector Cramer.
Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man.
Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned by Archie as an example of one of the dozens of clients who has lied to them.
Character descriptionMember of the Rubber Band. Crack shot in his youth.
Reserved notes for this case
Client (along with Peg Mion) -- asks Wolfe to investigate the death of Alberto Mion.
In love with Peggy Mion.
Lunch guest at the Mions on the day of Alberto's death, in order to interview Alberto.
Character descriptionMusic critic with the Gazette.
Reserved notes for this caseMoved the gun from the bust of Caruso to the floor because he feared Peggy Mion killed her husband Alberto. Weppler hoped moving the gun to the floor would suggest suicide.
Suspects Fred Weppler and Peg Mion of witholding informatiion regarding the murder of Alberto Mion. Wolfe asks Cramer to arrest them both and interrogate them to rattle them into giving up the information.
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 caseForges Clara James' signature on an affidavit stating she moved the gun from the floor to the Caruso bust. Archie obtained a specimen of the signature after failing to get her to sign the affidavit.
Meals in the case:
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Orchids in the case:
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Quotations in the case:
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