- Case
- The Doorbell Rang
- Year Published
- 1965
- Case Introduction
- 5 - 15 January, 1965. Rachel Bruner, a rich widow being harassed by the FBI, hires Wolfe to make them stop. Wolfe and Archie begin rooting around looking for people who have suffered unfairly at the FBI's hands.
- Notes
- Resolution
-
The FBI agents didn't harm Althaus; they found him already dead, and (stupidly) removed the fatal bullet from the scene. Their boss didn't believe their story and wouldn't admit to the bag job in front of the NYPD, so he made the bullet disappear. Althaus' ex-mistress (a neighbour) killed him, and conveniently reported the presence of the FBI agents to the cops to get them headed away from her.
Characters in the case:
Lily calls Archie this on the phone.
Character descriptionEscamillo is the name of the toreador in the opera "Carmen" by Georges Bizet. aka Archie Goodwin
name given to him in Some Buried Caesar by Lily Rowan. At that time, Escamillo was a famous bull fighter. When Lily first saw Archie, he was distracting Caesar (the bull) from Nero so Nero could leave the pasture, hence the nickname.
Reserved notes for this caseLily's first appearance was in "Some Buried Caesar", observing Nero and Archie extricate themselves from a pasture that the pair are inadvertently sharing with a bull (the above-said Caesar). Lily gives Archie the nick-name "Escamillo" at the end of Chapter 1 -- Escamillo being the bull-fighter in the opera "Carmen".
Character descriptionOriginal name Bootsy; named Nero by Archie to annoy Wolfe; christened Jet by Wolfe.
Reserved notes for this case
Estranged from his son, who wouldn't enter the family business.
Character descriptionPartner in Althaus and Greif, makers of the Peggy Pilgrim line of dresses and suits. Husband of Ivana, father of Morris.
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Refuses to see reporters or anyone but close friends after her son's death.
Character descriptionWife of David; Morris is their only child.
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Murder victim (shot).
Character descriptionFreelance writer, given to exposes. Engaged to Marian Hinckley.
Reserved notes for this caseDumped his mistress for another woman.
Fritz prepared Avocado with Watercress and Black-Walnut Kernels, Baked Bluefish, beef braised in red wine, clam cakes with chili sauce, curried duck, Escargots Bourguinonne, Leiderkranz, sausage, sour-milk buckwheat cakes, Squash with Sour Cream and Dill, Venison Loin Chops, and Yorkshire Buck during this case.
We get a detailed description of his apartment in the brownstone's basement during this story.
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
Fritz keeps a bust of him in his basement apartment.
Character descriptionJean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) was a French lawyer and politician, who, as the author of "The Physiology of Taste" ("Physiologie du Goût"), gained fame as an epicure and gastronome. He served as a deputy to the Estates-General during the French Revolution (1789). His name is mis-spelled Brilliat-Savarin in "The Red Box."
Reserved notes for this case
Buys up and gives away many, many copies of a book unflattering to the FBI. Hires Wolfe to stop the FBI's subsequent harassment.
Character descriptionWealthy widow of Lloyd Bruner. Admires the book _The FBI Nobody Knows_, by Fred Cook.
Reserved notes for this case
Second in line behind Saul Panzer when Nero and Archie need extra manpower. Brown-eyed Rico Suave.
Character descriptionSecond in line behind Saul Panzer when Nero and Archie need extra manpower.
Reserved notes for this case
Archie instructs Mrs. Bruner to go to Coffey if she gets the message 'Pizza is sour.'
Character descriptionAssistant security officer, Churchill Hotel.
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Provides background on Rachel Bruner, says her gift copies of the book are status symbols and that he didn't get one.
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
Investigating the Althaus 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 caseArranges a clandestine meeting with Archie when he's assigned to write a report on whether Wolfe & Archie should lose their licenses at the FBI's request. Wants them to nail the FBI to the barn door for the Althaus murder. Smiles for the first time in Archie's experience when Wolfe tells him the story of the confrontation with the would-be bagmen.
Is apparently being followed (sees the same guy on the bus to work every day).
Character descriptionRachel Brunner's secretary. Formerly stenographer at the Bruner Corporation, then secretary to VP Thompson. Good-looking, hazel eyes.
Reserved notes for this caseAlthaus' ex-mistress; killed him when he became engaged to another woman.
Hired hand used by Nero and Archie when extra manpower is needed. Not the best, but can tail better than anybody but Saul. Bald, burly, 5'10, 190 lbs; moves like a bear, but never clumsy. Married with 4 children.
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
Lost a government contract because of a security check on a senior VP. Intimidated by the FBI.
Character descriptionEvers Electronics, Inc., but eats lunch at his desk. Unmemorable face.
Reserved notes for this case
Accompanied Mrs. Althaus and Miss Hinckley to Wolfe's office.
Character descriptionLawyer. Long-headed and hard-eyed.
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Helps Archie lose a tail after a visit to the client.
Character descriptionCab driver, trusted by Archie.
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Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
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Althaus' fiancee.
Character descriptionResearcher for Tick-Tock (magazine); pretty.
Reserved notes for this caseCute AS!!
Pressured to lift Archie & Wolfe's licenses.
Character descriptionLicensing Services, State Department, State of New York.
Reserved notes for this case
Scuffled with a Daily News journalist who tried to corner Marian Hinckley.
Character descriptionSenior editor, Tick-Tock (magazine).
Reserved notes for this case
Took a phone message from "a man, no name" for Archie to meet him
at "Westside Hotel, Room Two-fourteen, on Twenty-third Street, at eleven-thirty".
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 caseCaller was Inspector Cramer not wanting to alert the FBI.
Reading _The Treasure of Our Tongue_ by Lincoln Barnett (rates gold bookmark). Has read Fred Cook's _The FBI Nobody Knows_. Not intimidated by the FBI at all.
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 descriptionFBI Special Agent in Charge (their top guy in New York City).
Reserved notes for this caseConcealed evidence in the murder of Morris Althaus in the (mistaken) belief that one or more of his men committed the crime.
Althaus' piece about the FBI was Yarmack's project.
Character descriptionSenior editor, Tick-Tock (magazine).
Reserved notes for this case
Meals in the case:
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Orchids in the case:
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Quotations in the case:
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