Archie Goes Home

Chapter 16

On the drive back to Ohio, we continued to discuss the Mulgrew affair and possible killers of the banker. Our conversation was somewhat strained, however, mainly because Katie seemed miffed that I did not buy into her theory that Carrie Yeager had fired the shot sending Logan Mulgrew to eternity.

“What motive would Miss Yeager have for killing Mulgrew?” I asked.

“As I said before, I think she’s more than a little unbalanced.”

“She seemed pretty normal to me, albeit somewhat nervous, as we discussed.”

“Normal? Maybe it really takes a woman to really read another woman, Archie. For instance, I noticed how she had trouble making eye contact.”

“Okay, maybe the lady is a little bit shady, if you’ll pardon my rhyming,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. When that didn’t work, I tried another approach.

“I should think you would be suspicious of Eldon Kiefer, the father of that young woman Mulgrew supposedly impregnated,” I told Katie. “After all, when you called him, didn’t he tell you to go straight to hell, or words to that effect?”

“Not words to that effect,” Katie snapped. “Those were the precise words.”

“Well, what about Kiefer then?”

Katie was behaving in a petulant manner, sitting in the passenger seat of the convertible with arms folded firmly across her chest and looking straight ahead as if transfixed by the winding two-lane highway we were rolling over.

When she didn’t answer, I persisted. “You mentioned earlier that when Kiefer is home from his trucking trips, he hangs out in a local tavern. Which one?”

“Charlie’s Tap, so I hear. I’ve never been in the place. Do you plan to talk to him in the bar, or at home?”

“I thought the bar might be a better spot, although I might have to go there several times to find him.”

“Well, as you know, he can be pretty ornery. And although I’ve never laid eyes on the man, I’ve learned that he’s something of a fitness buff.”

“How old is he?”

“Close to fifty, I think, but he is said to have the build of a much younger man.”

“Sounds like you are trying to discourage me.”

“I just want you to know what you could be up against,” Katie said, arms still folded and face set.

“I appreciate your concern,” I said with a grin. “I will watch my step.” We didn’t do much talking the rest of the way back. It was clear Katie preferred to pout, and I was not one to try talking the woman out of it.

Back at the house after dropping Katie off at her apartment, I gave my mother a quick rundown of the day’s activities. “What surprised you most from your trip?” she asked.

“Katie Padgett’s insistence that Carrie was a prime suspect — actually the prime suspect — in Mulgrew’s murder, if indeed he really was murdered.”

“Do you think it was murder, Archie?”

“I’m... still not sure. I’ve gone back and forth on this, and I can’t make up my mind. One thing that makes me think it was murder is the shot that got fired into Katie’s apartment window. I know I’m no Nero Wolfe by any stretch of the imagination, and it’s being proven right here.”

“I am just a simple, semirural Ohio woman, but as I have come to understand your working relationship with Nero Wolfe, you go out and round up the suspects and deliver them to Mr. Wolfe, who then proceeds to identify the guilty party, right?”

“Simple, semirural Ohio woman, eh? Hah! You taught English in grade school and high school for heaven knows how long while raising a family. And at the same time, you kept the books for the farm so Dad could concentrate on the livestock and the crops.”

“I just did what I had to do.”

“You sure did, Mom, and in spades, as they say. As to your observation about how Wolfe and I work together, that pretty well summarizes it. Maybe, just maybe, I can round up all those I feel might have ended Logan Mulgrew’s life. But then what?”

“One thing at a time. It seems like you’re getting ahead of yourself. Have you talked to everyone you have suspicions about?”

“No, there are those two others I mentioned earlier — Lester Newman and Eldon Kiefer. Both of them had plenty of reason to dislike Mulgrew.”

“Oh yes, of course. I remember now. Newman is the brother of Mr. Mulgrew’s wife, and you said that Eldon Kiefer’s daughter may very well have been assaulted and even impregnated by Logan Mulgrew.”

“Now all I have to figure out is how to approach these two guys. But first, I should phone New York to find out how things are doing in my absence. I’ll call and reverse the charges.”

“You will do no such thing, Archie Goodwin!” my mother said in a scolding tone I recognized from my boyhood. “You are a guest in this house, and you will not be paying for telephone calls from here. Besides, I rarely use long distance. The last time I did was to see how you were doing in your big city. Now you make your call. I’ll go upstairs and give you some privacy.”

“No need for that, Mom. No secrets will be involved here.”

She went upstairs anyway, and I did the long-distance routine with a chirping operator. After two rings, I heard the voice of Saul Panzer, saying “Nero Wolfe’s office.”

“I must say, you have got a fine telephone voice,” I told him.

“But of course I have. How are things down in beautiful Ohio?”

“Just fine. Anything I should know about life on West Thirty-Fifth Street?”

“No new business, if that’s what you’re wondering. What I can report is that your boss, who is of course upstairs with his orchids right now, is one fine gin rummy player.”

“Uh-oh, I forgot to warn you that Wolfe is something of a hustler.”

“But I just taught him the game, and he’s been winning more often than me. And as you know, I’m no slouch at the game.”

“As I long ago learned to my regret. I also learned to my regret never to underestimate Nero Wolfe in games of any kind where cash is on the line.

“Case in point: Years back, we played darts, or ‘javelins’ as Wolfe called them. We tacked playing cards on a corkboard, and the idea was to get a better poker hand than the other guy by sticking darts into specific cards. In a couple of months, Wolfe milked me for eighty-five bucks. And bear in mind that this was someone who hadn’t — at least to my knowledge — ever thrown darts or played poker before and until we played didn’t know the difference between a straight and a full house.”

“Well, I haven’t lost eighty-five yet, but I am definitely behind. You had better come home before he cleans me out. By the way, when are you coming back?”

“I’m not sure, but probably fairly soon. Does Wolfe miss me?”

“If so, he hasn’t mentioned it. I hope you’re not getting into trouble down there.”

“No more than usual. Is my boss keeping you busy?”

“Not overly. I usually only come in mornings, to sort his mail, pay a few bills, that sort of thing. Today I’m working later because Wolfe gave me some dictation and I’m typing up a stack of letters. And for the record, I think Fritz misses you.”

“Speaking of Fritz, I hope you’re taking advantage of his culinary skills.”

“That’s the best part of the job, Archie. I stay for lunch every day before heading off to take care of my own work. But tonight, I’m going to be here for dinner as well. We’re having squabs with sausage and sauerkraut. Eat your heart out thinking about it.”

“Glad to know you still have some clients, Saul,” I said, ignoring his last comment. “You’ll need the cash infusion to cover your gin rummy losses if you persist in going up against Nero Wolfe, that well-known card sharp.”

“Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep that in mind. Tell your mother I said hello. A fine lady.”

“She has asked after you as well. She thinks you’re an all-right guy, which just goes to show how good you are at fooling people.”

“I’d love to stay on the line and keep bantering with you, as pleasant as this has been, but I have work to do for Mr. Wolfe, unless you’ve got something else that you want to say.”

“Nothing that could be printed in a family newspaper,” I told him, and we rang off.