 This is the third of three Nero Wolfe books that involve crime boss Arnold Zeck and his widespread operations (the others are "And Be a Villain" and "The Second Confession").In each book, Zeck – Wolfe's Moriarty – attempts to warn Wolfe off an investigation that Zeck believes will interfere with his criminal machinations.Each time, Wolfe refuses to cooperate, and there are consequences.