Plot summary Some Buried Caesar

some buried caesar first appeared in abridged form in american magazine (december 1938), watercolor illustrations ronald mcleod (1897–1977)

while on way rural exposition in upstate new york show orchids, nero wolfe , archie goodwin involved in minor car accident. while on way nearby house phone help, threatened large bull, rescued caroline pratt, local golf champion, , acquaintance lily rowan. house , bull belong thomas pratt, caroline s uncle , owner of large chain of successful fast food restaurants, , has purchased bull -- champion guernsey called hickory caesar grindon -- in order barbecue part of publicity stunt.

while wolfe , archie enjoy pratt s hospitality, meet several of pratt s family , neighbours -- jimmy pratt, pratt s indolent son; monte mcmillan, original owner of caesar, sold bull pratt after falling financial difficulties; clyde osgood , sister nancy, children of pratt s neighbour frederick osgood; , new yorker named howard bronson, apparently friend of clyde. there tension between pratt , osgood families due bitter rivalry between thomas pratt , frederick osgood, , when tempers flare clyde makes bet pratt latter not barbecue caesar. pratt paranoid due hostility of local farmers opposed plans cook caesar, wolfe offers archie s services guard caesar in exchange comfortable stay @ pratt s house. during watch night, lily rowan shows keep archie company, , discover clyde s body, gored death in pasture.

the local authorities assume clyde gored caesar during attempt sabotage pratt s plans, wolfe believes clyde murdered; bull s face cleaner have been had fatally attacked clyde. suspicions shared frederick osgood, knows son experienced cattle-man not have made amateurish mistakes have caused death had bull been responsible. elder osgood consequently hires wolfe learn identity of murderer , agrees house him in comfort duration of investigation. archie hired caroline pratt prevent believes lily rowan s attempts seduce brother jimmy.

in meeting waddell, local district attorney, wolfe proposes murder weapon in fact digging pick murderer used fake attack, having first knocked clyde out , dragged him paddock. waddell, has petty rivalry elder osgood, skeptical nevertheless convinced reopen investigation. however, before investigation can proceed far, sudden news comes caesar has died of anthrax. in order prevent spreading, means bull automatically cremated. wolfe dispatches archie either delay cremation or take many photos of bull possible before this, archie arrives late either.

after interviewing nancy osgood, wolfe learns bronson in fact new york loan shark has been shadowing clyde in order ensure receives $10,000 clyde borrowed cover gambling debts. when confronted wolfe , archie, bronson confirms this, vague , unhelpful when questioned regarding clyde s death, leading wolfe suspect bronson knows more saying. out of respect nancy osgood, wolfe has archie recover promissory note bronson holding on clyde force, warns loan shark careful.

the next day, wolfe s orchids win numerous prizes @ exposition, defeating hated rival in process. while following of wolfe s instructions, archie discovers jimmy pratt , nancy osgood in secret rendezvous; 2 lovers, have kept relationship secret feuding parents. chance, during confrontation archie stumbles upon body of howard bronson, gored pitchfork , hidden under straw. manages conceal body , returns wolfe news. when body discovered, archie detained captain barrow, bullying local head of state police, , imprisoned authorities material witness when refuses reveal knows.

the next day, wolfe secures archie s release promise knows murderer , expose him authorities. archie, wolfe admits despite knowing murderer s identity, evidence enable him prove has been efficiently destroyed. nevertheless, wolfe draws sketches of bull , archie encountered , uses them confront monte mcmillan. wolfe has deduced bull thomas pratt purchased , intended barbecue not, in fact, caesar @ all. champion bull killed in anthrax outbreak decimated of mcmillan s herd, , bull passed off caesar in fact hickory buckingham pell, similar inferior twin. facing financial ruin, mcmillan sold buckingham caesar outrageous sum, due experience cattle clyde realised deception , planning expose win bet. mcmillan murdered clyde silence him, , bronson when loan shark realised mcmillan murderer , tried blackmail him.

although wolfe admits mcmillan has covered tracks , unlikely convicted of murder, evidence wolfe has manufactured sufficient convict mcmillan of fraud, ruin him nonetheless. accepting defeat, mcmillan reveals has infected himself anthrax , agrees write confession out wolfe before dying. months later, archie records case, revealing in process jimmy pratt , nancy osgood engaged married , has begun friendship lily rowan, has returned new york.