- Case
- Bullet for One
- Year Published
- 1949
- Case Introduction
- October 1945. Sigmund Keyes, industrial designer and member of the horsey set was shot and killed during an early morning gallop in Central Park South. A posse of five clients arrived at the brownstone seeking Wolfe's help in assigning blame to Victor Talbott, Keyes ace salesman. Wolfe accepted the case but pointed out that while he could catch fish, he could not necessarily catch one particular fish.
- Notes
- Resolution
-
Victor Talbot did it because Sigmund Keyes caught him selling industrial plans to a competitor. Talbot had a riding outfit made the same as Keyes and met up with Keyes earlier in the park, killed him and pulled his body off the trail, took off his rain coat and rode the horse past the policeman to establish that Keyes was still alive at that time, and then turned the horse loose and got back to his room before his 7:30 a.m. wake-up call.
Characters in the case:
Swithcboard operator at Keyes Industrial Design.
Character descriptionSwitchboard operator
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionFreelance writer, given to exposes. Engaged to Marian Hinckley.
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
Competitor of Sigmund Keyes.
Character description"Elegant."
Reserved notes for this case
Hired by Wolfe to investigate Sigmund Keyes murder.
Character descriptionSecond in line behind Saul Panzer when Nero and Archie need extra manpower.
Reserved notes for this case
Confirmed that the Sigmund Keyes murder case had not yet been solved by police.
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
Headed police investigation of Sigmund Keyes murder.
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
Executor of Sigmund Keyes estate. Hated Dorothy Keyes because she rejected his advances.
Character descriptionLawyer
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned. She was once hidden beneath a pile of osmundine and hosed down with water in the plantrooms by Wolfe.
Character descriptionAge 26, decodes cables and telegrams at the Seaboard Products Corporation. Had considered a career as an adventuress.
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this case
Goodwin hater - supplied information in Sigmund Keyes murder.
Character descriptionMounted policeman
Reserved notes for this case
Wolfe sent Archie out to Hewitt's place on Long Island to collect some orchids during this case.
Character descriptionOrchid grower.
Reserved notes for this case
Broke off engagement to Victor Talbott.
Character descriptionDaughter of Sigmund Keyes, industial designer.
Reserved notes for this case
Murder victim.
Character descriptionMechanical designer.
One time great.
Reserved notes for this case
Hired by Wolfe to investigate Sigmund Keyes murder.
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 case
Financed Sigmund Keyes start as an Industrial Designer.
Character descriptionMechanical designer.
Reserved notes for this case
Secretary to Victor Talbott, fired by Sigmund Keyes, Wayne Saffords girlfriend.
Character descriptionSecretary
Reserved notes for this case
Prepared dinner for Archie Goodwin then went to a show and dancing at the Flamingo.
Character descriptionAttractive blonde. Daughter of millionaire sewer man James Rowan, owns the Bar JR ranch in Montana.
Reserved notes for this case
Police department friend of Archie Goodwin.
Character descriptionPoliceman
Reserved notes for this case
'Stable hand'- 'primitive romantic', Audrey Rooney's boyfriend.
Character descriptionOwner / operator of the Stillwell Riding Academy.
Reserved notes for this case
'Contacted' by Wolfe to supply witness in Sigmund Keyes murder.
Character descriptionDistrict attorney. Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this case
Investigated murder of Sigmund Keyes.
Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man.
Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this case
Sold Sigmund Keyes industrial designs, resides at Hotel Churchill.
Character descriptionMarketing man. Good.
Good looking.
Reserved notes for this caseKilled Sigmund Keyes.
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)