In the Best Families

Wolfe's name and mine both appeared in the subheads under the three-column spread about the murder. I glanced at the bottom, followed the instructions to turn to page four, and there saw more pictures. The'one of Wolfe was only fair, making him look almost bloated, but the one of me was excellent. There was one of a Doberman pinscher standing at attention. It was captioned Hebe, which I doubted. The play in the text on Wolfe and me was on his sudden retirement from business and absence from the city, and on my presence at the scene of the murder and arrest as a material witness. There was also a report of an interview with Marko Vukcic, a Gazette exclusive, with Lon Cohen's by-line. I would have given at least ten to one that Lon had used my name in getting to Marko.

With the breakfast all down, including the coffee, which was pretty good, I was so interested in my reading that I didn't notice that my mate had finished with sports and proceeded to other current events. What got my attention' was the feeling that I was being scrutinised, and sure enough I was. He was looking at me, and then at his page four, and back at me again.

I grinned at him. “Pretty good likeness, huh? But I don't think that's the right dog. I'm no expert, but Hebe isn't quite as slim as that.

He was regarding me with a new expression, not particularly matey.

“So you're Nero Wolfe's little Archie.

“I was. I gestured. “Read the paper. Apparently I am now my own little Archie.

“So I bought a meal for a shamus.

“Not at all. Didn't I say it was on me when I get my wallet back?

He shook his head. “I wouldn't have believed it. With them clothes? I supposed you had got snagged in the raid on the Covered Porch. It gets worse all the time, the dicks. Look at this, even here in the can I meet a guy with a suit of clothes like that, and he's a dick!

“I am not a dick, strictly speaking. I was hurt. “I am a private eye. I said I liked the way you talk, but you're getting careless. I also noticed you were cultured, and that should have put me on my guard. Cultured people are not often found in the coop. But nowadays dicks are frequently cultured. They tossed me in here because they think I'm holding out on a murder, which I'm not, and the fact that it has been tried before doesn't mean they wouldn't try it again. Putting you in here with me wasn't so dumb, but you overplayed it, buying me a breakfast first pop. That started me wondering.