- Case
- A Window for Death
- Year Published
- 1957
- Case Introduction
- August 1955. Bertram Fyfe and Johnny Arrow discovered a huge uranium strike, and Fyfe reestablished contact with his estranged family. When Fyfe died of pneumonia in New York, the bulk of his estate - his share of the strike - reverted to Arrow. Now Fyfe's family wants Wolfe to investigate.
- Notes
- Resolution
-
Vincent Tuttle killed both Bertram Fyfe and his father 20 years earlier. The empty hot-water bags and the dry ice used to transport the ice cream were the key: the murderer emptied the hot water bags and used them to keep the dry ice from burning Fyfe's skin while it gave him a fatal chill. Tuttle was convicted of the earlier crime since, with the testimony of the landlady, it was a stronger case.
Characters in the case:
Staying with Fyfe at the Churchill Towers, executor of his estate, and inherits his share of the uranium strike outright.
Character descriptionFriend of Bert Fyfe's from Canada, co-discoverer of the Black Elbow uranium lode.
Reserved notes for this case
Fritz prepared Griddle Cakes, Brazilian Lobster Salad, Mayonnaise, Salmon Mousse, Summer Shad and Blueberry Pie 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
Signed Bert Fyfe's death certificate.
Character descriptionPhysician from Mount Kisco.
Reserved notes for this case
Wolfe handles the climactic confrontation by dictating a letter addressed to Cramer in front of the suspects.
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
Landlady in the rooming house that Bert Fyfe and Vincent Tuttle had lived in 20 years earlier when Bert Fyfe's father was murdered. Bert Fyfe visited her, but she won't say why.
Character descriptionLandlady.
Reserved notes for this caseShe new that on the night that the senior Fyfe was murdered it was Tuttle that left the house not Fyfe. She did not speak up because Tuttle had given Fyfe the alibi.
Asked by Archie, says the Churchill staff liked Arrow.
Character descriptionFirst Assistant Security Officer at the Churchill.
Reserved notes for this case
Appeared unannounced in NYC after 20 years of silence. Died of pneumonia after a window was left open.
Character descriptionStruck it rich overnight with a huge uranium strike in Black Elbow, Canada. Middle of 3 brothers.
Reserved notes for this caseRevisited his landlady Mrs. Dobbs and realized that Vincent Tuttle had left the rooming house on the night that his father was murdered. Told Tuttle that he had visited Mrs. Dobbs and planned to visit her again after her got well.
Called at Wolfe's office without an appointment to ask for a confidential investigation of his brother's death.
Character descriptionHead of the English Department at Audubon High School in the Bronx, widower, two high-school age children.
Reserved notes for this case
Bert asked him to look into buying back their childhood home in Mount Kisco. Bert's nurse claims Paul assaulted her, while he claims Arrow assaulted *him* - in different senses of the word.
Character descriptionReal estate broker. Youngest of 3 brothers.
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this case
Quit after Paul attempted to assault her.
Character descriptionRN, lives in Manhattan.
Reserved notes for this caseMarries Johnny Arrow and lives happily ever after.
Mentioned by Saul as a cover story during his part of the investigation.
Character descriptionMrs. Dobbs' son-in-law.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned by Archie while describing to the reader why Wolfe needs a large, steady flow of money to keep up the brownstone.
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
Attends the final confrontation.
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 caseFound Mrs. Dobbs and runs into Victor Tuttle leaving her house as he arrives.
Was caring for her father the night he died. Was also caring for her brother the night he died.
Character descriptionSister of David, Bertram and Paul, married to Vincent Tuttle.
Reserved notes for this caseVincent Tuttle may have drugged her chocolate the night her father died. She saw the brown paper bag in the refrigerator after her brother died.
Supplied Bert's alibi for old man Fyfe's death.
Character descriptionDrugstore owner (bought with Louise Fyfe's inheritance from her father after their marriage). Friend of Bert Fyfe.
Reserved notes for this caseHe murdered Louise's father because he was blocking their marriage. He also murdered Bert Fyfe when he realized that Bert was on to him about his father's murder. Tuttle emptied the hot water bags and used them to keep the dry ice from burning Bert's skin the night that he murdered Bert.
Mentioned.
Character descriptionM.D. Wolfe's consultant where a physician is needed.
Wolfe likes him. Always accepts a beer when he calls in the evenings. He leaves abruptly after business is finished. His house and office is one minute (60 yards)from the brownstone. His brownstone still has a vestibule (Mr Wolfe removed his years ago to make the front hallway bigger). Once signed a medical certificate that Mr Wolfe was batty. Once took 22 stitches in Archie's side when a character "went wide enough but not deep enough".
Short. Spectacled.
Reserved notes for this caseWolfe asked for and got his expert opinion on one way Bert Fyfe could have been killed.
Nero wants to know where the ice cream is.
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 case
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)