OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University

A CRIME IN HOLLAND I91
" At ten o'clock this morning I was told that someone wanted
to see me. Who do you think it was? ..."
" Cornelius Barens.... Go on."
It was too bad! Pijpekamp was thoroughly crestfallen to see his
trump producing so little effect upon his guest. And after all the
trouble he had taken!
" How did you know? ... I suppose someone told you? "
" Nothing of the sort! . .. What did he want? "
" You know him, don't you? ... A shy boy. Secretive, I should
think. He couldn't look me in the face, and he seemed all the time
on the verge of tears.... He confessed that when he left the
Popingas' house he did not return at once on board the trainingship."
Pijpekamp was regaining confidence with the sound of his own
voice. He looked knowingly at Maigret, and in a more confidential
tone went on :
" Do you see? .. . He's in love with Beetje. And he was jealous,,
because Beetje had been dancing that evening with Popinga. And
he was annoyed with her for drinking a glass of cognac....
" He watched them leave together. He even followed them a bit,
though of course, as he was on foot, they soon outdistanced him*
Then he hung about waiting for Popinga to return. • . ."
Maigret was merciless. He knew perfectly well that the Dutchman
would give anything in the world for some sign of astonishment
or admiration. But his face betrayed neither.
" Cornelius took a little coaxing, as he was afraid, but finally he
told me everything. And here it is. . . . Immediately after the shot
was fired, he saw a man running towards the stacks of timber,
behind which he took cover. ..."
" I suppose he described the man minutely? "
" Yes."
Pijpekamp's recovery had been short-lived. He looked dejectedly
at Maigret, having lost all hope of seeing him taken aback. His
well-prepared surprise was nothing but a damp squib.
" A sailor. A foreigner.... A tall, thin, clean-shaven man*. . ."
" And there was a boat, no doubt, that left next morning? "
" Three have left since then," said Pijpekamp, struggling on
as bravely as he could. " It really clears the case up, as far as
we are concerned. There's no longer any point in looking for the
murderer at Delfzijl. . . . Some foreigner killed him. Probably a
sailor who had known Popinga when he was at sea, perhaps