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Doing a professional courtesy for a doctor friend, Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe take their midnight ride to help him out. Have they just witnessed a murder over the phone? Who is Gloria? Comparing notes with the doctor, they find they’ve had the same phone call, from Gloria Farnsworth, a classmate of the doctor. Nero has long lost interest in the matter by the time the cops come calling.
The cops turn out to be kidnappers who take Archie and the doc to a remote place in the country. The situation could be a set up by a criminal who Nero sent up to the big house in the past. Back home, Archie and the doc review the events with Nero. What’s the next move? Archie does what he does best by doing the footwork, and finding clues. What kind of criminal leaves behind incriminating recordings? Its enough for Archie to believe that Gloria is tied in with the abductors.
Nero knows how to find the crooks, and has the cops alerted. He actually goes with Archie for the confrontation. The sanitarium in the country seems to hold complicated mysteries, but Nero isn’t surprised, and has the whole story ready for the cops when they arrive.