- Case
- Prisoner's Base
- Year Published
- 1952
- Case Introduction
- 24 - 30 June, 1952. Archie and Wolfe begin with a quarrel ending in Archie tearing up his salary check. Consequently, when Priscilla Eads appears unannounced on their doorstep, asking to rent the South Room for $50 / night until her birthday, Archie lets her as part of a maneuver to get Wolfe to draw up a replacement salary check. After Wolfe inevitably throws her out, Archie feels responsible on learning of her murder later that night. *Archie* becomes Wolfe's client.
- Notes
- Resolution
-
Priscilla's ex-husband actually died in mysterious circumstances months before; he kept the paper only as a souvenir. Siegfried took the paper from his body and assumed his identity; he killed Priscilla and Margaret because only they would know he wasn't the real Hagh. He killed Sarah because he found out that she owned a picture of the real Hagh and had realized that he was a fake.
Characters in the case:
Fritz prepared Walnut Pudding, Bacalhau, Kidneys Mountain Style, Carameled Dumplings and Lon's Steak during 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
Board member, Softdown Inc.
Character descriptionLong, pale face; thin nose.
President of Softdown, Inc.
Reserved notes for this case
Lon dines with Archie and Wolfe at their invitation to discuss the case.
Character descriptionReporter at the Gazette. Dark skin, dark brown eyes. Neat little face, slick black hair. Neatest (card) shuffler Archie knows.
Reserved notes for this case
Reports the death of Priscilla Eads to Archie at the Brownstone.
Cramer lets Archie participate in the interrogation of Perry Helmar.
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
Selected as next president of the corporation by Priscilla Eads.
Character descriptionBoard member, Softdown, Inc., and assistant to the president of Softdown, Inc.
Aggressive.
Reserved notes for this case
Priscilla requests to rent the south room for $50 per day for one week when she will turn twenty-five and inherit a fortune and a controlling interest in Softdown, Inc.
Character descriptionAttractive heiress of the Softdown, Inc. fortune. Noted for completely rearranging her life every 2 years.
Reserved notes for this caseMurdered in her apartment -- hit on the head with a poker then strangled.
Seems less concerned with his wife's death than with getting his hands on anything Margaret might have been entitled to.
Character descriptionWaiter.
Husband of Margaret Fomos.
Reserved notes for this caseOn the other hand, he went for the murderer with his bare hands during the final confrontation in Wolfe's office.
Margaret worked as Priscilla Eads' maid. Found strangled on the night of Priscilla's murder (she carried a set of keys to Priscilla's apartment).
Character descriptionHouse cleaner.
Reserved notes for this caseActually murdered because she knew the real Eric Hagh by sight.
Archie tears up his paycheck because Wolfe criticizes him for leaving Friday morning for a weekend in the country with Lily Rowan -- Wolfe bellows at him and Archie leaves.
Archie is interrogated by Asst. DA Mandelbaum.
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this case
In possession of a document signed by Priscilla during their marriage, stating that he's entitled to half of everything she had then or would have in future.
Character descriptionBlond, blue-eyed, and handsome.
Ex-husband of Priscilla Eads.
Reserved notes for this case
Perry asks Wolfe to find Priscilla Eads (Perry's ward, who had just been installed in the South Room by Archie).
Character descriptionSenior partner of a major New York law firm; trustee of the Eads estate.
Reserved notes for this case
Eric Hagh's lawyer, who offers a barely concealed bribe to Wolfe & Archie if they'll corroborate Hagh's testimony about the document signed by Priscilla Eads. Archie calls him "Dewdrop" Irby because of the way he sweats.
Character descriptionMember of the New York Bar.
Reserved notes for this case
Lifelong friend of Priscilla Eads. Owns (and lives on) 10% of the stock in Softdown, Inc. (Priscilla is scheduled to take control of the other 90%).
Character descriptionWidow (husband was killed in Korea).
Daughter of Arthur Gilliam.
Archie likes her.
Reserved notes for this caseMurdered because she could identify the real Eric Hagh.
Mandelbaum interrogates Archie after Rowcliff hauls him downtown from the Softdown conference room.
He does Archie the favor of finding Cramer when requested.
Character descriptionAssistant district attorney in New York City.
Reserved notes for this case
Acquaintance of Eric Hagh.
Character descriptionProfessional gambler.
Reserved notes for this case
Attends board meetings of Softdown Inc., apparently primarily in her capacity as a bed-warmer for some of the board members.
Character descriptionStylist for Softdown, Inc.
Reserved notes for this case
Saul helps Wolfe and Fritz arrange the office for the re-enactment of the meeting during which the keys were stolen.
Character descriptionTop hired hand Nero and Archie look to for manpower. Hosts regular Thursday night poker game at eight pm at his apartment in Brooklyn. Rust-colored hair, 5'7, 145 lbs, big nose and flat ears.
In the "Rubber Band" (ch. 6) Archie tells us that Panzer has a photographic memory when it comes to faces.
Reserved notes for this caseWolfe sends Saul to Venezuela to check out Eric Hagh's bona fides.
Parker represents Sarah Jaffee at Wolfe's request. (He also asks her out.)
Character descriptionWolfe's lawyer -- the only lawyer Wolfe ever sent orchids to. A bachelor who plays bridge on winter Sundays. (Appears as "Henry" Parker in The Squirt & the Monkey and The Golden Spiders.)
Reserved notes for this case
Attendee at the board meeting which Archie interrupted to interrogate the members.
Character descriptionSecretary and Treasurer of Softdown, Inc.
Accountant type who sees life in terms of profit and loss; resents people who aren't earners (e.g. those living on inherited wealth).
Reserved notes for this case
One of the residuary legatees in the event of Priscilla's untimely death.
Character descriptionVice president of Softdown, Inc.
Reserved notes for this case
Rowcliff arrests Archie for impersonating a police officer in the Softdown boardroom.
He later forces his way past Fritz into the brownstone and up to the plant rooms, then arrests Wolfe as a material witness. Rowcliff actually touched Wolfe, infuriating him. Wolfe berates him in front of his superiors at Police Headquarters (Archie overhears and enjoys it.)
Character descriptionLieutenant in NYPD. Has antagonistic relationship with Archie and Wolfe.
Reserved notes for this caseIf Archie is ever offered a choice between Heaven and Hell, he plans to settle it by asking, "Where's Rowcliff?"
Skinner asks Archie to get Wolfe to handle an interview of the Softdown, Inc. executives -- Archie grants the request and so does Wolfe.
Character descriptionDistrict attorney. Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this case
Purley discusses the case with Archie over a clam dinner. Archie is so touched by his forthright attitude that he picks up the tab.
Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man.
Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this case
Wolfe instructs Archie to evict Priscilla Eads from the south room, where Archie installed her.
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 caseWhen Priscilla ends up murdered and after Archie goes out on his own to find the killer, Wolfe takes him as his client in a great speech to DA Bowen, Cramer, Rowcliff and others at Police Headquarters.
Meals in the case:
(no meals are currently in the NWD for this story)
Orchids in the case:
(no orchids are currently in the NWD for this story)
Quotations in the case:
(no quotations are currently in the NWD for this story)