Oh god yes! How could I have forgotten the paragraph with the ostrich-skin wallet? That is the bestest thing ever, especially since the whole thing is from Archie's POV. And then when Saul tells you about the bits that Archie didn't see ... well, my reaction is pretty much: *sniffle* awwwwwwww.

I think that part of the reason it's one of his best stories is that he hadn't developed a routine yet so he really had to think about characterization. And also he hadn't yet worked out his "stuck in the plot? kill off someone else!" model of mystery writing. I mean, they're still fun, but clients and suspects drop like flies and so you don't really appreciate them as characters rather than plot -- unlike Mr. and Mrs. Chapin and the soup-drinking man with the pink tie. Who are absolutely characters. *g*