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. You got up at your usual time, six-thirty, saw the open door, went up to his room, found his bed empty and the notes on the table. After going up to the plant rooms to call Theodore, you returned to his room, looked around, and discovered that he had taken nothing with him. Then you and Theodore stared at each other until I arrived. Have you anything to add to that?
“I don't want to work on Long Island, Theodore stated.
Fritz only said, “Find him, Archie.
“He told me not to.
“Yes-but find him! Where will he sleep? What will he eat?
I got up and went to the safe and opened it, and looked in the cash drawer, where we always kept a supply for emergency expenses. There should have been a little over four thousand bucks; there was a little over a thousand. I closed the safe door and twirled the knob, and told Fritz, “He'll sleep and eat. Was my report accurate?
“Not quite. One of his bags is gone, and pyjamas, toothbrush, razor, three shirts, and ten pairs of socks.
“Did he take a walking stick?
“No. The old grey topcoat and the old grey hat.
“Were there any visitors?
“No.
“Any phone calls besides mine?
“I don't know about yours. His extension and mine were both plugged in, but you know I don't answer when you're out unless he tells me to. It rang only once, at eight minutes after twelve.
“Your clock's wrong. That was me. It was five after. I went and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Okay. I hope you like your new job. How's chances for some breakfast?
“But Archie! His breakfast… '
“I could eat that too. I drove forty miles on an empty stomach. I patted him again. “Look, Fritz. Right now I'm sore at him, damn' sore. After some griddle cakes and broiled ham and eight or ten eggs in black butter and a quart of coffee, we'll see. I think I'll be even sorer than I am now, but we'll see. Is there any of his favourite honey left that you haven't been giving me lately?
The thyme honey?
“Yes-some. Four jars.
“Good. I'll finish off with that on a couple of hot cakes. Then we'll see how I feel.
“I would never have thought- Fritz's voice had a quaver, and he stopped and started over again. “I would never have thought this could happen. What is it,
Archie? He was practically wailing. “What is it? His appetite has been good.
“We were going to repot some Miltonias to-day, Theodore said dismally.
