Black Orchids

"Anyone who sends letters like that deserves to be immersed to the chin in a ten percent solution of hydrofluoric acid."

"Why, would that be painful?"

Daniel shuddered. "It would. I stayed here because I thought you might want to ask me something."

"Much obliged. What shall I ask you?"

"That's the trouble." He looked dismal. "There's nothing I can tell you. I wish to God there was. I have no information to offer, even no suspicions. But I would like to offer a comment. Without prejudice. Two comments."

I sat down and looked interested. "Number one?" I said receptively.

"You can pass them on to Nero Wolfe."

"I can and will."

Daniel eyed me, screwing up his lips. "You mentioned five people to my sister just now. Her nephew, Larry- mine too-Miss Nichols and Miss Timms, Dr. Brady, and me. It is worth considering that four of us would be injured by anything that injured my sister. I am her brother and I have a deep and strong affection for her. The young ladies are employed by her and they are well paid. Larry is also well paid. Frankly-I am his uncle-too well. But for his aunt, he might earn four dollars a day as a helper on a coal barge. I know of no other occupation that would not strain his faculties beyond their limit. But the point is, his prosperity depends entirely on hers. So it is conceivable-I offer this merely as a comment-that we four may properly be eliminated from suspicion."

"Okay," I said. "That leaves one."

"One?"

"Sure, Doc Brady. Of the five I mentioned, you rule out four. Pointing straight at him."

"By no means." Daniel looked distressed. "You misunderstand me. I know very little about Dr. Brady, though it so happens that my second comment concerns him. I insist it is merely a comment. You have read the letter received by Mrs. Horrocks? Then you have probably realized that while it purports to be an attack on Dr. Brady, it is so manifestly absurd that it couldn't possibly damage him. Mrs. Horrocks' daughter died of tetanus. There is no such thing as a wrong medicine for tetanus, nor a right one either, once the toxin has reached the nerve centers. The antitoxin will prevent, but never, or very rarely, will it cure. So the attack on Dr. Brady was no attack at all."

"That's interesting," I admitted. "Are you a doctor?"

"No, sir. I'm a research chemist. But any standard medical treatise-"

"Sure. I'll look it up. What reason do you suppose Doc Brady might have for putting your sister on the skids?"

"So far as I know, none. None whatever."