The Doorbell Rang (The Rex Stout Library)

"Sure. Scientists can do it now even if the number has been filed off. And Cramer will have the number of the one Althaus had a permit for."

"Then there will be no problem. I must see about that sturgeon." He left his chair and headed for the door. Short of it he stopped and turned, said, "Satisfactory," and went. I shook my head and went on shaking it as I replaced the yellow chair. "There will be no problem," for God's sake. I thought if I had an ego that size I'd be the boss of the FBI, and then realized that that wasn't exactly the way to put it. I returned the keys and gloves to the cabinet, went to the kitchen to get a glass of milk, since lunch would be late, and to listen to them discuss sturgeon.

With a couple of hours to go, possibly more, after the milk was down I made the rounds-first two flights up to my room, to see that everything was in order for the guests who would occupy my bed. Fritz isn't supposed to touch my room; it's mine, including the responsibility. It was okay, except that the two pillows I had got from the closet that morning weren't the same size, but that couldn't be helped. Then to the South Room, which is above Wolfe's, where two more guests would sleep on the twin beds. That visit was unnecessary, since Fritz never makes mistakes, but I had time to kill.

It got killed somehow.

I wasn't expecting them until two at the earliest, but I should have known better, since Saul was in charge. Wolfe was in the kitchen and I was in the front room, which adjoins the office, checking that blankets were on the sofa, when the doorbell rang and I glanced at my watch. Twenty to two, so it couldn't be the truck.

But it was. Going to the hall, I saw a big bozo in a leather jacket on the stoop. When I opened the door he boomed at me, "Nero Wolfe? Orchids for you!"

I stepped out. At the curb was a big green truck with red lettering on its side: NORTH SHORE TRUCKING CORPORATION. Another big bozo was at its rear, opening the doors. I said fairly loud that it was pretty damn cold for orchids and I would come and help. By the time I got my coat on and went out they had a box on the edge at the back and were pulling it around. I happened to know its exact size-three feet wide, five feet long, and two feet high-because I had packed boxes exactly like it with orchid plants on their way to dealers or exhibitions. On its side it was marked:

FRAGILE PERISHABLE

TROPICAL PLANTS

KEEP AS WARM AS POSSIBLE