Chapter 9 Summary

Archie is back at Rusterman's Restaurant when Wolfe arrives, out of sorts from being away from home. Archie reports what he's discovered, including what he found out from Mrs. Althaus, that she never heard her son mention Sarah Dacos. Then, Archie and Wolfe eat dinner, and afterward, Sarah Dacos comes to the restaurant. Mrs. Bruner has told Sarah why Wolfe and Archie want to see her, and to Archie, she looks less than happy. Wolfe asks how well she knew Morris Althaus, and Sarah says she did not know him well. She says that, when she moved into the building, she realized that she'd met Morris Althaus before at her employer's office. After that, they dated a couple times a month, but not seriously.

Wolfe asks Sarah about the night of the murder. Sarah says that she went out to a lecture on...