- Case
- Death of a Doxy
- Year Published
- 1966
- Case Introduction
- 29 January - 7 February, 1966. Orrie Cather is held as a material witness in the murder of a woman. Archie discovers the body having been sent to do an errand for Orrie. There is a lopsided love triangle between Orrie, the doxy and a banker. Wolfe commits to having him set free.
- Notes
- Resolution
-
Only Orrie and Isabel's sister Stella knew the identity of Ballou, who was being blackmailed. The blackmailer's alias indicated familiarity with the history of mathematics (it was the math teacher, Stella's husband). The actual murder was different; Isabel was pregnant. The ending is somewhat ambiguous, but the implication is that Stella killed Isabel, then framed her husband via a fake suicide note and killed him. Stella gets away with it, but Orrie goes free.
Characters in the case:
Character descriptionPasty-faced bozo, elevator guy at the Flemings' apartment building in the Bronx.
Reserved notes for this case
Was supporting Isabel Kerr as his mistress.
Character descriptionBanker, on the boards of 8 corporations (as best he can remember off the cuff). President of the Federal Holding Corporation.
Reserved notes for this case
Obvious suspect, in Archie's opinion, in the death of her husband's mistress.
Character descriptionCalled 'Minna', born to the steel and railroad Chadwicks. Married Avery Ballou in 1936, with 1 son and 2 daughters; into Arabian horses and Irish wolfhounds. Thin and brown-haired.
Reserved notes for this case
At the beginning of the story, Orrie is on a tailing job, alone, for Bascom.
Character descriptionOperator of Detective Agency in New York City.
Reserved notes for this case
Fritz prepared anchovy fritters, brioches, brown sauce, buckwheat cakes, capon Souvaroff, chestnut whip, creme Genoise, Creole curds and cream, Creole sausage, cucumber mousse, grape thyme jelly, grilled ham, headcheese, Kentucky Burgoo, onion soup, partridge in casserole, poached eggs Burgundian, spiced brandied cherries, and Neptune Bouchees during this case.
Archie has been at Fritz for years to try the jelly with half the sugar and twice the sauterne.
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
Character descriptionStewardess with Pan Am. Maiden name, Jill Hardy; married to Orrie Cather after _Death of a Doxy_.
Reserved notes for this case
Orrie Carther is arrested as a prime suspect for murder or Isabel Kerr.
Character descriptionSecond in line behind Saul Panzer when Nero and Archie need extra manpower.
Reserved notes for this case
Calls Archie for an interview upon Orrie's arrest as a material witness.
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
Character descriptionSecretary to Minna Ballou. Middle-aged, grey-eyed and grey-haired.
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Character descriptionLily Rowan's cook and housekeeper, who travels with her, e.g. to the Bar JR in Montana.
Reserved notes for this case
Uncertain of Orrie's guilt, but gives him the benefit of the doubt. Volunteers his services to Wolfe gratis after Saul does so.
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 caseShot in the leg while protecting Julie Jaquette.
Informs Archie and Orrie that time is up during their interview. Archie remarks 'another William' (see William the elevator guy, encountered earlier in the story).
Character descriptionCop at the City Prison.
Reserved notes for this case
Character descriptionMath teacher, Henry Hudson High School; lives in the Bronx. Husband of Stella.
Reserved notes for this case
Officially discovered Isabel's corpse.
Character descriptionSister of Isabel Kerr, wife of Barry. No more than 5'1", age 31.
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Character descriptionDoctor, with an office on 78th in Manhattan. Plays chess with Barry Fleming.
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err
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
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Mentioned.
Character descriptionWriter, born 1897. Wrote hundreds of stories between 1922 and 1940, using 4 pen names; production dropped drastically after WWII. Member of NAAD since 1931, prompt dues-payer. Married in 1948, had 3 children by 1959. Archie describes him as sixty-two years old, thin and scrawny, hair like
Mark Twain's, has a stutter.
Reserved notes for this case"Back in 1958...a man named Simon Jacobs should not have been stabbed to death and his body dragged behind a bush in Van Cortlandt Park, but he was, and Nero Wolfe and I would never forget it." (Actually 1959.) One reason for the precautions taken in guarding Julie Jaquette.
Wolfe has 'the impression that your opinion of our fellow beings and their qualities is somewhat similar to mine,' and actually stands when she leaves his office.
Character descriptionNight-club singer, sometimes performing at the Ten Little Indians. Friend of Isabel Kerr.
About 5'9.
Reserved notes for this case
Killed by a blow on the head with an ashtray. One of Orrie Cather's lovers.
Character descriptionFormer actress; quit at 25 to become a doxy of some note.
Reserved notes for this case
According to Minna Ballou, the best wolfhound breeder in the world.
Character descriptionNon-commercial Irish wolfhound breeder who lives in England; very particular about who she'll sell to.
Reserved notes for this case
Doesn't believe Orrie would have involved Archie if he were guilty, due to Orrie's respect for Archie's abilities.
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
Engaged by Orrie upon the latter's arrest as a material witness; Orrie sent him to Archie.
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 case
The day after the discovery of Isabel's body, Archie attends a poetry reading / Sunday luncheon at Lily's.
Character descriptionAttractive blonde. Daughter of millionaire sewer man James Rowan, owns the Bar JR ranch in Montana.
Reserved notes for this case
Refers to the visiting room at the City Prison as 'the paddock'.
Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man.
Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this case
According to Mrs. Ballou, the only woman who might interest her husband. Barbara Ward was a real person; see http://www.iied.org/aboutiied/barbaraward.html.
Character descriptionEnglishwoman who writes about finance and the structure of economics. A real person; see http://www.iied.org/aboutiied/barbaraward.html.
Reserved notes for this case
Reading _Invitation to an Inquest_ by Walter and Miriam Schneir. Once spent a week investigating the murder of the princes in the Tower (after which he removed More's _Utopia_ from his library because More had framed Richard III).
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:
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