OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University

274 MAINLY MAIGRET
having given the owner the full amount I'd received on a villa. . ,,
You see, they're mere nothings. ..."
One felt that he, anyway, was used to facing the police. He
remained at his ease, with a touch of malice in his expression.
" Your turn! " said Maigret, turning to the woman.
" Adele Noirhomme . .. born at Belleville. .. ."
"Registered?"
" They put me on the register at Strasbourg five years ago,
because a woman had it in for me for vamping her husband. But
since then...."
" You've managed to escape police control. . .. Fine! Will you
tell me in what capacity you sailed on the Ocean? "
" I must first explain! " answered the man. " The fact that we've
come here shows that we've nothing to reproacli ourselves for. At
Yport Adele came and told me you'd got her photograph and were
sure to arrest "us. . .. Our first idea was to get out to avoid any
trouble . . . because we know the police racket. ... At Etretat I
saw gendarmes on the lookout and I knew we were going to be
nabbed. So I preferred to come here of my own accord. . . ."
" Your turn, madame! I asked you what you were doing on the
trawler. . .."
" That's quite simple—I was following my lover! "
" Captain Fallut? "
" Yes, the captain! I've been with him, so to speak, since November.
We met at a cafe at Le Havre. ... He fell in love. ... He came
back two or three times a week. Right from the beginning I thought
he was mad because he never asked for anything—but he was just
struck on me. He took a nicely furnished room for me, and I thought
that, if I set about it the right way, he'd end up by marrying me.
Sailors aren't rolling in money, but they're regular and there's
always the pension. ..."
" You never came to Fecamp with him? "
" No! He forbade me. It was he who came over here He was
jealous. The sort of chap that can't have had much experience
because at fifty he was as timid with women as a schoolboy...
And yet, when he was mad about me . . ."
" Excuse me! You were already the mistress of Gaston Buzier? '
" Of course. But I introduced Gaston to Fallut as my brother.'
" I understand. In short, both of you were living on the captain'
money."
" I was working . . ." Buzier protested.