Dear Fritz:

Marko Vukcic will want your services. He should pay you at least $2000 a month.

My best regards…

Nero Wolfe

I looked at the next one.

Dear Theodore:

Mr Hewitt will take the plants and will need your help with them. He should pay you around $200 weekly.

My regards…

Nero Wolfe

I looked at the third one.

AG:

Do not look for me.

My very best regards and

wishes… NW

I went through them again, watching each word, told Fritz and Theodore, “Come and sit down, went to the office, and sat at my desk. They moved chairs to face me.

“He's gone, Fritz said, trying to convince himself.

“So it seems, I said aggressively.

“You know where he is, Theodore told me accusingly. “It won't be easy to move some of the plants without damage. I don't like working on Long Island, not for two hundred dollars a week. When is he coming back?

“Look, Theodore, I said, “I don't give a good goddam what you like or don't like. Mr Wolfe has always pampered you because you're the best orchid nurse alive. This is as good a time as any to tell you that you remind me of sour milk. I do not know where Mr Wolfe is nor if or when he's coming back. To you he sent his regards. To me he sent his very best regards and wishes. Now shut up.

I shifted to Fritz. “He thinks Marko Vukcic should pay you twice as much as he does. That's like him, huh? You can see I'm sore as hell, his doing it like this, but I'm not surprised. To show you how well I know him, this is what happened: not long after I phoned him last night he simply wrote these notes to us and walked out of the house, leaving the door open-you said you found it open-to show anyone who might be curious that there was no longer anyone or anything of any importance inside.