- Case
- The Rodeo Murder
- Year Published
- 1960
- Case Introduction
- August 1960. Lily Rowan throws a party on the occasion of the World Series Rodeo, inviting a number of the competitors to her penthouse apartment. Wolfe attends with Archie, lured by the offer of blue grouse.
- Notes
- Resolution
-
Harvey Greve, over the past 2 years, had purchased some 300 horses, 200 steers and bulls, and 150 calves on Dunning's behalf, mostly in cash; Dunning deposited money in his account and he bought the animals, having been asked to keep the prices secret. Dunning murdered Eisler to cover up having ripped him off.
Characters in the case:
Assisted Fritz Brenner at the Rowan rodeo dinner party.
Character descriptionKitchen staff.
Reserved notes for this case
Had a motive to kill the victim, found the body, and his rope was used, so the police suspect him but Wolfe doesn't.
Character descriptionCowboy, contestant in the World Series Rodeo, attendee at Lily Rowan's rodeo party.
Reserved notes for this caseMarries Laura Jay and they live happily ever after in Texas.
His daughter was a friend of Lily Rowan.
Character descriptionDistrict Attorney of New York City.
Reserved notes for this case
Prepared blue grouse at Lily Rowan's rodeo party.
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
Mentioned, when Wolfe corrects Cramer. The emperor was NOT Wolfe's namesake; he's named for Mount Lovchen in Montenegro (the Black Mountain for which the sometime-country is named).
Character descriptionRoman Emperor.
Reserved notes for this case
(Anna) Attended Rowan rodeo party.
Character descriptionCowgirl.
Reserved notes for this case
Telephones Archie for exclusives a few times, but doesn't appear in person.
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
Investigated Eisler murder at Lily Rowan's rodeo party.
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
Attended Rowan rodeo party.
Character descriptionFormer cowgirl, married to Richard Dunning. Rowan rodeo party attendee.
Reserved notes for this casePhoned the police anonymously.
Wolfe asks him to get the suspects to the final showdown at the brownstone, and he obliges.
Character descriptionWorld Series Rodeo promoter, married to Ellen Dunning. Attended Rowan rodeo party.
Reserved notes for this caseSays he told Mel Fox about Nan going to Eisler's place.
Hired by Wolfe to assist in the investigation of the Eisler murder.
Character descriptionHired hand used by Wolfe and Archie when extra manpower is needed. Not the best, but can tail better than anybody but Saul. The favorite "irregular" after Saul - Fritz: "I'm glad it's Orrie instead of Saul or Fred"; Archie: "Such a chore for Saul or Fred of course, but I didn't like doing it for Orrie."; Mr Wolfe: "He doesn't have the dignity of a man who has found his place and occupies it, as you have, Fred."
Bald, burly, 5'10, 190 lbs; moves like a bear. Married with four children. Archie: "You can trust him to hell and back."
Reserved notes for this case
Murder victim - killed with a lasso.
Character descriptionWorld Series Rodeo backer with a caveman approach to seduction. Attended Rowan rodeo party.
Reserved notes for this case
Persuaded Wolfe to attend Lily's party by mentioning the blue grouse that would be served by Felix.
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this caseLily bet him a sawbuck that Wolfe wouldn't stay for coffee.
Acquaintance of Archie. Rowan rodeo party contestant.
Character descriptionCowboy. Eventually works for Lily Rowan, running the Bar JR Ranch in Lame Horse, Montana.
Reserved notes for this case
Cal Barrow's friend. Assaulted by Wade Eisler.
Character descriptionCowgirl, hair the color of thyme honey. Attended Rowan rodeo party.
Reserved notes for this caseLied about the assault to get Cal to propose to her, and because she was embarrassed at having been scraped up in a riding accident. The assault actually happened to Nan. Marries Cal Barrow and they live happily ever after in Texas.
Rowan rodeo party attendee.
Character descriptionCowgirl, attendee at Rowan rodeo party.
Reserved notes for this caseHad a motive to kill Eisler.
Assisted Fritz Brenner at the Rowan rodeo party dinner in preparing the blue grouse that were used to persuade Wolfe to attend.
Character descriptionRusterman Maitre d'hotel.
Reserved notes for this case
Crafted prize saddle for the Rowan rodeo party.
Character descriptionSaddle maker.
Reserved notes for this case
Hired by Wolfe to assist in the investigation of the Eisler 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
Bails Archie 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 caseArchie is insulted that his bail is only $500.
Rodeo party hostess, engages Wolfe to clear up the murder. The perfume-squirting incident that Archie refers to in passing occurred in _In the Best Families_.
Character descriptionAttractive blonde. Daughter of millionaire sewer man James Rowan, owns the Bar JR ranch in Montana.
Reserved notes for this caseBet Archie a sawbuck that Wolfe wouldn't stay for coffee.
Assisted Inspector Cramer investigating the Eisler murder at Lily Rowan's rodeo party.
Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man.
Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this case
Blue grouse consumer. He accepts Lily's retainer (despite having reached the 90% bracket for the year), partly because the murder was a gross affront to Lily's hospitality and they agree about that kind of thing.
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)