Character descriptionGallant House switchboard operator.

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Character descriptionEmployee of the Updegraff nurseries.

Reserved notes for this caseEmployeed by W.G. Dill, Arango poinsoned the Updegraff nursery with Kurume Yellow. Forced by Harry Gould to sign confession concerning the poinsoning. The confession was used by Gould to blackmail Dill.

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.

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Character descriptionOne of the good guys.

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Character descriptionActor.

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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.

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Character descriptionWrilter

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Character descriptionOwner of large nursery.

Reserved notes for this casePoisoned the Updegraff nurseries with Kurume Yellows (before the story began). Was being blackmailed by Harry Gould for Dill's poisoning of the Updegraff nurseries. Arranged Harry Gould's death. Falls for Wolfe's trap in the plant rooms and attempts to kill Wolfe, Cramer, Archie, et al by sealing them in the fumigation room and turning on the fumes. Wolfe had reversed the effect of the system, leading to Dill's death.

Character descriptionOrchid fancier.

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Character descriptionCop

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Character descriptionActor

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Character descriptionIndia leader.

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Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.

Reserved notes for this caseAccidentally (indirectly) kills Harry Gould when he pulls a string off the stick of Lewis Hewitt. The string was attached to the trigger of a gun aimed at Harry as he performed in the Dill exhibit. Discovers the death of Harry Gould. Notices Rose Lasher lurking around after the murder of Harry Gould. Archie picks her purse and discovers her identity and address -- he convinces her to come see Wolfe for some questioning after she flees the scene of the crime.

Character descriptionEmployee of Dill Nurseries.

Reserved notes for this caseKilled by booby-trap gunfire while in the Dill exhibit. A blackmailer of Anne Tracy and W. G. Dill.

Character descriptionGrand Central House Staff.

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Character descriptionOrchid grower.

Reserved notes for this caseAccepts Wolfe's proposition to exchange the black orchids for not revealing his cane's involvement in the murder of Harry Gould. Plays a primary role in a ruse engineered by Wolfe to expose Dill as the murderer.

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.

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Character descriptionReserve manpower called in periodically. Looks like a Princeton boy with his face washed. With his satisfied handsomeness, Johnny unquestionably wants Archie's job, Archie believes; but Archie knows Wolfe would never be able to stand him.

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Character descriptionActress.

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Character description

Reserved notes for this caseLoves Harry Gould. Flees the scene after Harry Gould is found dead. Gives police false name. Archie picks her pocket and finds out her identity and address. Archie convinces her to see Wolfe rather than the police to explain her anxiety to leave so quickly.

Character description

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Character descriptionNYC homicide cop.

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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.

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Character descriptionAccomplished orchid grower.

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Character descriptionShowman.

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Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man. Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.

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Character descriptionEmployee of Dill Nurseries -- secretary to Dill.

Reserved notes for this caseAnne is being blackmailed by Harry Gould who threatens to reveal her father's thieving if she does not marry him.

Character descriptionNursery owner.

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Character descriptionNursery man.

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Character descriptionWallis Simpson, the woman for whom Edward VIII abdicated.

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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 casePuts ill thoughts into Hewitt's head concerning public interpretation of his involvement in the murder of Harry Gould. Nero proposes that he find who rigged the trap that killed Gould in exchange for the black orchids. Sets a trap in the plant rooms for Dill to expose himself as the murderer.