An interesting point! And one which certainly comes up again soon, speaking of Black Orchids.
Actually, I had totally forgotten-- he does it sooner than that, because he pulls the same trick TWICE in "Some Buried Caesar." Before the murder, he pimps out Archie as a pasture-guard so that he can stay with the Pratts, and then after the murder when things have cooled between him and Pratt, he has that hilarious conversation with Osgood: "Oh, well, I guess I'll be off now-- what? Stay in town and solve the murder? But I'd need some base of operations... convenient to Pratt's place, quiet... hmm, if only I could think of someplace... What's that you say? *Your* house? Well, I don't know... I *guess* so, if you really insist."
And then Archie is like: I stood up with my heels together and saluted him, and he glared at me. Naturally he knew I was on to him. Machiavelli was a simple little shepherd lad by comparison. Not that I disapproved by any means, for the chances were that I would get a fairly good bed myself, but it was one more proof that under no circumstances could you ever really trust him.
I love that. There's something just so cute about Archie being totally unable to restrain himself and for once, mocking Wolfe in public (although silently). And also the cuteness of Archie being like "you can't pull one over on me! see, I totally know when YOU are lying to ME!" when Wolfe was, honestly, being Mr. Obvious of Obviousville; it doesn't exactly take a detective to see through his reverse psychology on Osgood. And to me, Archie just sounds so *admiring* when he says "you could never really trust him." I mean that doesn't really sound like the kind of thing you say affectionately, but-- it is!
Just off the top of my head, I remember a fairly elaborate and pained request he makes of Lily Rowan in Death of a Dude--one which, it seems to me, other people wouldn't feel anywhere near so deeply.
Yeah. It's pretty much exactly the same situation, except like you said, Wolfe has no leverage. I mean, he has *some*-- obviously not as much as in this case, since unlike Osgood Lily isn't out for vengeance because a loved one got killed. But Wolfe *could* have tried to fake Lily out and be like "... I guess I'll have to head home! I can't possibly work from a hotel and I have no other options!" *significant pause* But maybe he respects her too much to try that, I don't know. (Also she's not his client, so maybe that makes a difference?)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-19 08:06 am (UTC)An interesting point! And one which certainly comes up again soon, speaking of Black Orchids.
Actually, I had totally forgotten-- he does it sooner than that, because he pulls the same trick TWICE in "Some Buried Caesar." Before the murder, he pimps out Archie as a pasture-guard so that he can stay with the Pratts, and then after the murder when things have cooled between him and Pratt, he has that hilarious conversation with Osgood: "Oh, well, I guess I'll be off now-- what? Stay in town and solve the murder? But I'd need some base of operations... convenient to Pratt's place, quiet... hmm, if only I could think of someplace... What's that you say? *Your* house? Well, I don't know... I *guess* so, if you really insist."
And then Archie is like: I stood up with my heels together and saluted him, and he glared at me. Naturally he knew I was on to him. Machiavelli was a simple little shepherd lad by comparison. Not that I disapproved by any means, for the chances were that I would get a fairly good bed myself, but it was one more proof that under no circumstances could you ever really trust him.
I love that. There's something just so cute about Archie being totally unable to restrain himself and for once, mocking Wolfe in public (although silently). And also the cuteness of Archie being like "you can't pull one over on me! see, I totally know when YOU are lying to ME!" when Wolfe was, honestly, being Mr. Obvious of Obviousville; it doesn't exactly take a detective to see through his reverse psychology on Osgood. And to me, Archie just sounds so *admiring* when he says "you could never really trust him." I mean that doesn't really sound like the kind of thing you say affectionately, but-- it is!
Just off the top of my head, I remember a fairly elaborate and pained request he makes of Lily Rowan in Death of a Dude--one which, it seems to me, other people wouldn't feel anywhere near so deeply.
Yeah. It's pretty much exactly the same situation, except like you said, Wolfe has no leverage. I mean, he has *some*-- obviously not as much as in this case, since unlike Osgood Lily isn't out for vengeance because a loved one got killed. But Wolfe *could* have tried to fake Lily out and be like "... I guess I'll have to head home! I can't possibly work from a hotel and I have no other options!" *significant pause* But maybe he respects her too much to try that, I don't know. (Also she's not his client, so maybe that makes a difference?)