Champagne for One Rex Stout Series: Nero Wolfe [31] Published: 1995 Tags: Cozy Mystery, Vintage Mystery, Early 20th Century
Cozy Mysteryttt Vintage Mysteryttt Early 20th Centuryttt
SUMMARY: Whoever administered the deadly dose of champagne isn't talking, and neither is the victim, as Nero Wolfe searches for the antidote to the perfect crime. Includes never-before-published memorabilia from the life of Rex Stout.
Rex Stout
Champagne For One
Chapter One
If it hadn’t been raining and blowing that raw Tuesday morning in March I would have been out, walking to the bank to deposit a couple of cheques, when Austin Byne phoned me, and he might have tried somebody else. But more likely not. He would probably have rung again later, so I can’t blame all this on the weather. As it was, I was there in the office, oiling the typewriter and the two Marley.38’s, for which we had permits, from the same can of oil, when the phone rang and I lifted it and spoke.
"Nero Wolfe’s office, Archie Goodwin speaking."
"Hello there. This is Byne. Dinky Byne."
There it is in print for you, but it wasn’t for me, and I didn’t get it. It sounded more like a dying bullfrog than a man.
"Clear your throat," I suggested, "or sneeze or something, and try again."
"That wouldn’t help. My tubes are all clogged. Tubes. Clogged. Understand? Dinky Byne-B-Y-N-E."
"Oh, hallo. I won’t ask how you are, hearing how you sound. My sympathy."
"I need it. I need more than sympathy, too." It was coming through slightly better. "I need help. Will you do me a hell of a favour?"