However, he didn't need a reminder. After all the others, including the servants, had cleared out, Leeds and I were moving towards the door when Ben

Dykes' voice came. “Goodwin!

Leeds kept going. I turned.

Dykes came to me. “We want to ask you something.

“Shoot.

District Attorney Archer joined us, saying, “In there with Noonan, Ben.

“Him and Noonan bring sparks, Dykes objected. “Remember last year at

Sperling's?

Til do the talking, Archer stated, and led the way to the hall and along to the smaller room where Noonan was still seated at the table, conferring with a colleague-the one who had brought me from Hillside Kennels. The colleague moved to stand against the wall. Noonan arose, but sat down again when Archer and

Dykes and I had pulled chairs up.

Archer, slightly plumper than he had been a year ago, with his round red face saggy and careworn by the stress of an extremely bad night for him, put his forearms on the table and leaned at me.

“Goodwin, he said earnestly but not offensively, “I want to put something up to you.

“Suits me, Mr Archer, I assured him. “I've never been ignored more.

“We've been busy. Lieutenant Noonan has of course reported what you told him.

Frankly, I find it hard to believe. Almost impossible to believe. It is well known that Nero Wolfe refuses dozens of jobs every month, that he confines himself to cases that interest him, and that the easiest and quickest way to interest him is to offer him a large fee. Now I-

“Not the only way, I objected.

“I didn't say it was. I know he has standards-even scruples. Now I can't believe that he found anything interesting in the poisoning of a dog-certainly not interesting enough for him to send you up here over a week-end. And I doubt very much if Calvin Leeds, from what I know of him, is in a position to offer Wolfe a fee that would attract him. His cousin, Mrs Rackham, might have, but she did not have the reputation of throwing money around carelessly-rather the contrary.