Nero Wolfe was summoned to court as a witness for the prosecution. After listening to the testimony of the other witnesses and looking at the defendant, Nero Wolfe decided that he would not testify until he had sorted out the case himself. Risking ending up behind bars, Nero Wolfe finds out within a few hours who really ought to be in the dock. And Goodwin is convinced that Wolfe ducked out for another reason. He had simply grown tired of sitting on a hard wooden bench and smelling the perfume of his overly perfumed neighbor.