e？ Certainly the two others he had had in mind were Saul Panzer and Marko Vukcic； and I didn't even dare to phone Saul and ask a couple of discreet questions； and besides； if he had let Saul in and left me out； to hell with him。 And what was I supposed to say to people…for instance； people like the District Attorney of Westchester County？
That particular question got answered； partly at least； from an unexpected quarter。 When I had finished with the griddle cakes； ham； eggs； thyme honey； and coffee； I went back to the office to see if I was ready to quit feeling and settle down to thinking； and was working at it when I became aware that I was sitting in Wolfe's chair behind his desk。 That brought me up with a jerk。 No one else； including me； ever sat in that chair； but there I was。 I didn't approve of it。 It seemed to imply that Wolfe was through with that chair for good； and that was a hell of an attitude to take； no matter how sore I was。 I opened a drawer of his desk to check its contents； pretending that was what 1 had sat there for； and was starting a careful survey when the doorbell rang。
Going to answer it； I took my time because I had done no thinking yet and therefore didn't know my lines。 Seeing through the one…way glass panel in the front door that the man on the stoop was a civilian stranger； my first impulse was to let him ring until he got tired； but curiosity chased it away and I opened the door。 He was just a citizen with big ears and an old topcoat； and he asked to see Mr。 Nero Wolfe。 I told him Mr。 Wolfe wasn't available on Sundays； and I was his confidential assistant； and could I help。
He thought maybe I could； took an envelope from a pocket； extracted a sheet of paper； and unfolded it。
〃I'm from the Gazette；〃 he stated。 〃This copy for an ad we got in the mail this morning…we want to be sure it's authentic。〃
I took the paper and gave it a look。 It was one of our large…sized letterheads； and the writing and printing on it were Wolfe's。 At the top was written：
Display advertisement for Monday's Gazette； first section； two columns wide； depth as required。 In thin type； not blatant。 Send bill to above address。
Below the copy was printed by hand：
MR。 NERO WOLFB ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE DETECTIVE BUSINESS TODAY； APRIL 10； 1950
Mr。 Wolfe will not hereafter be available。 Inquiries from clients on unfinished matters may be made of Mr。 Archie Goodwin。 Inquiries from others than clients will not receive attention。
Beneath that was Wolfe's signature。 It was authentic all right。
Having learned it by heart； I handed it back。 〃Yeah； thats okay。 Sure。
Give it a good spot。〃
〃It's authentic？〃
〃Absolutely。〃
〃Listen； I want to see him。 Give me a break！ Good spot hell； it's page one if I can get a story on it！〃
〃Don't you believe your own ads？ It says that Mr。 Wolfe will not hereafter be available。〃 I had the door swung to a narrow gap。 〃I never saw you before； but Lon Cohen is an old friend of mine。 He gets to work at noon； doesn't he？〃 〃Yes； but…〃
〃Tell him not to bother to phone about this。 Mr。 Wolfe is not available； and I'm reserved for clients； as the ad says。 Watch your foot； here es the door。〃
I shut it and put the chain bolt on。 As I went back down the hall Fritz emerged from the kitchen and demanded； 〃Who was that？〃
I eyed him。 〃You know damn well；〃 I said； 〃that when Mr。 Wolfe was here you would never have dreamed of asking who was that； either of him or of me。 Don't dream of it now； anyway not when I'm in the humor I'm in at present。〃
〃I only wanted…〃
〃Skip it。 I advise you to steer clear of me until I've had a chance to think。〃
I went to the office and this dme took my own chair。 At least I had got some instructions from Wolfe； though his method of sending them was certainly roundabout。 The ad meant； of course； that I wasn't to try to cover his absence； on the contrary。 More important； it told me to lay off of the Rackham thing。 I was to handle inquiries from clients on unfinished matters； but only from clients； and since Mrs。 Rackham； being dead； couldn't inquire； that settled that。 Another thing…apparently I still had my job； unlike Fritz and Theodore。 But I couldn't sign checks； I couldn't…suddenly I remembered something。
The fact that I hadn't thought of it before indicates the state I was in。 I have told； in my account of another case of Wolfe's how； in anticipation of the possibility that some day a collision with Arnold Zeck would drive him into a foxhole； he had instructed me to put fifty thousand dollars in cash in a safe deposit box over in Jersey； and how I obeyed instructions。 The idea was to have a source of supply for the foxhole； but anyway； there it was； fifty grand； in the box rented by me under the name I had selected for the purpose。 I was sitting thinking how upset I must have been not to have thought of that before when the phone rang and I reached for it。
〃Nero Wolfe's office； Archie Goodwin speaking。〃
I thought it proper to use that； the familiar routine； since according to Wolfe's ad he wouldn't retire until the next day。
〃Archie？〃 A voice I knew sounded surprised。 〃Is that you； Archie？〃
〃Right。 Hello； Marko。 So early on Sunday？〃
〃But I thought you were away！ I was going to give Fritz a message for you。
From Nero。〃
Marko Vukcic； owner and operator of Rusterman's Restaurant； the only place where Wolfe really liked to eat except at home； was the only man in New York who called Wolfe by his first name。 I told him I would be glad to take a message for myself。
〃Not from Nero actually；〃 he said。 〃From me。 I must see you as soon as possible。 Could you e here？〃
I said I could。 There was no need to ask where； since the only place he could ever be found was the restaurant premises； either on one of the two floors for the public； in the kitchen； or up in his private quarters。
I told Fritz I was going out and would be back when he saw me。
As I drove crosstown and up to 54th Street； I was around eighty per cent sure that within a few minutes I would be talking with Wolfe。 For him it would be hard to beat that for a foxhole…the place that cooked and served the best food in America； with the living quarters of his best and oldest friend above it。 Even after I had entered at the side door； as arranged； ascended the two flights of stairs； seen the look on Marko's face as he weled me； felt the tight clasp of his fingers as he took my hands in his； and heard his murmured 〃My friend； my poor young friend！〃…even then I thought he was only preparing dramatically to lead me to Wolfe in an inner room。
But he wasn't。 All he led me to was a chair by a window。 He took another one； facing me； and sat with his palms on his knees； his head cocked a little to one side as usual。
〃My friend Archie；〃 he said sympathetically。 〃It is my part to tell you exactly certain things。 But before I do that I wish to tell you a thing of my own。 I wish to remind you that I have known Nero a much longer time than you have。 We knew each other as boys in another country…much younger than you were that day many years ago when you first saw him and went to work for him。 He is my old and dear friend； and I am his。 So it was natural that he should e to me last night。〃
〃Sure；〃 I agreed。 〃Why not？〃
〃You must feel no pique。 No courroux。〃
〃Okay。 I'll fight it down。 What time did he e？〃
〃At two o'clock in the night。 He was here an hour； and then left。 That I am to tell you； and these things。 Do you want to write them down？〃
〃I can remember them if you can。 Shoot。〃
Marko nodded。 〃I know of your great memory。 Nero has often spoken of it。〃 He shut his eyes and in a moment opened them again。 〃There are these five things。 First； the plants。 He telephoned Mr。 Hewitt last night； and tomorrow Mr。 Hewitt will arrange for the plants to be moved to his place； and also for Theodore to go there to work。 Second…〃
〃Am I to list the plants？ Do the records go too？〃
〃I don't know。 I can say only what I was told to say。 That's all about the plants。 Perhaps Mr。 Hewitt can tell you。 Second； that is Fritz。 He will work here； and I will pay hi