- Case
- Champagne for One
- Year Published
- 1958
- Case Introduction
- March 1958. Archie is invited as a last-minute substitute for one of the chevaliers at the annual Grantham House dinner party for unwed mothers, one of whom dies from a glass of poisoned champagne (cyanide). Another guest at the party hires Wolfe to find the murderer quickly, before the cops unearth a scandal from his past.
- Notes
- Resolution
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The late Albert Grantham had an affair with Elaine Usher many years ago, and supported Faith (possibly her daughter by him, though it wasn't certain). Byne's legacy under Grantham's will was for the discreet maintenance of the Ushers, but he betrayed the secret during a quarrel with Mrs Robilotti. Mrs R killed Faith - Byne says it was jealousy, Mrs R says Byne was trying to blackmail her.
Characters in the case:
Fritz prepared Fresh Figs with Cream and Veal Birds in Casserole 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
Called in sick for the party, and thus asked Archie to stand in, as a favor. Archie thought he was faking it.
Character descriptionPlayboy.
Reserved notes for this caseHe *was* faking it. He drew up the guest list, and (out of malice passing for humor) deliberately invited Edwin Laidlaw (who he knew fathered Faith Usher's child) and Faith Usher (who he knew was the daughter of Mrs. Robilotti's 1st husband). Got cold feet after giving away Faith's identity during a quarrel with Mrs. R.
Invited as last-minute substitute for Austin Byne to the Grantham House annual dinner party. Primary reason that the cops couldn't cross off the resulting death as a suicide.
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned; deceased long before _Champagne for One_ opens.
Character descriptionWealthy philanthropist, now deceased. First husband of Louise Robilotti, founder of Grantham House (home for unwed mothers, his most notable charity).
Reserved notes for this caseFather of Faith Usher; arranged for her upkeep (and that of her mother) via a clandestine arrangement with Austin Byne.
Commits worse than murder at the party: not only adds junk (e.g. sugar) to the champagne, but soda water (adding horror to homicide). Actually served Faith with what appeared to be her final glass of champagne, but appears to have had no opportunity to poison it.
Character descriptionSon of Albert, brother of Celia.
Reserved notes for this caseAnyone familiar with his habits could predict which of the glasses he was carrying would be handed to Faith.
Very good dancer, but also a very good drinker, which got her and Archie thrown out of the Flamingo on their only date.
Character descriptionDaughter of Albert & Louise Grantham; dated Archie once, flirts with him.
Reserved notes for this case
Unfazed by Archie's shift from hired hand (the jewelry hunt) to dinner guest at the annual Grantham House dinner.
Character descriptionButler, Grantham mansion.
Reserved notes for this case
Visiting Wolfe the night of the Grantham House party, to bring a Renanthera and look at a Dendrobium; Archie had previously agreed to be present and take notes.
Character descriptionOrchid grower.
Reserved notes for this case
Hired for the Grantham House annual dinner party. Archie picks him to call the cops.
Character descriptionProfessional bandleader.
Reserved notes for this case
Chevalier at the annual Grantham House dinner party.
Character descriptionErrand boy in the mission to the United Nations.
Reserved notes for this case
Hires Wolfe to solve the murder before the cops root around too much in everyone's personal life.
Character descriptionPublisher, reformed rake. Chevalier at the annual Grantham House dinner party.
Reserved notes for this caseFathered Faith Usher's baby.
Assigned to tail Mrs. Usher.
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 caseMeets up with Archie when their two tailing assignments go to the same cheap restaurant and sit down together. Archie remarks that the question of who has the better eyesight is settled when they greet each other at the same time in a dark ally. When asked who's in charge, he replies "Mr. Wolfe."
Character descriptionWealthy widow of Albert Grantham, now remarried, mother of 2 grown children. Pale grey eyes; whoever designed her preferred angles to curves; nearly 60. Keeps up her late husband's philanthropic activities for the sake of public image. Once hired Wolfe to recover stolen jewelry; he had to sue to get his fee. Dislikes Archie, who made some sharp remarks during the jewelry hunt.
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionSecond, 'trophy' husband of Louise Robilotti, picked up during a trip to Italy. Has plucked eyebrows, a thin mustache, and long, polished nails; Archie finds him distasteful.
Reserved notes for this case
Starts a mild argument with Beverley Kent over the definition of 'protocol'.
Character descriptionPromising young corporation lawyer. Chevalier at the annual Grantham House dinner party.
Reserved notes for this case
Attended reconstruction of the crime (Wolfe's grand finale to the case).
Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man.
Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this caseNoticed the key point in Wolfe's reconstruction of the murder of Faith Usher: that any observant person familiar with Cecil Grantham could have controlled which glass was handed to the victim.
Guest at the annual Grantham House dinner party. Archie objects to her as a dance partner because her basic cheerful attitude is wrong for it, and she talks too much.
Character descriptionBlue-eyed, curvaceous, and unshakably cheerful, despite twice being an unwed mother; fond of oysters.
Reserved notes for this case
Faith hated her and wasn't on speaking terms with her.
Character description'Graduate' of Grantham House (i.e., unwed mother of Faith Usher). Trashy.
Reserved notes for this caseSupported by Austin Byne under the terms of Albert Grantham's will. (As his mistress, she claimed he fathered her daughter, Faith.) Slapped by Mrs. R during the finale in Wolfe's office.
Unwed mother, guest at Grantham House annual dinner, where she was murdered (cyanide poisoning).
Character descriptionFormerly flower-shop clerk at Cardone's, now attending night school.
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionUnwed mother, guest at the annual Grantham House dinner party.
Reserved notes for this case
Nero stands by Archie
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
Character descriptionNineteen-year-old unwed mother, with a face that doesn't appear the same way twice; Archie finds her attractive. Guest at the annual Grantham House dinner party.
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)