OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
282 MAINLY MAIGRET All hand-embroidered. Have you any news? You smell of scent...." A little of Adele's strong perfume must have clung to him. A perfume as common as the blue wine you get at a bistro. For months it had mingled on the trawler with the rank smell of cod, whilst three men prowled round and round a cabin, obstinate and surly as dogs. " Sleep well!" he said as he drew the cover up to her chin. And he imprinted a deep solemn kiss on his sleeping wife's forehead. 6. Three Who Were Innocent THE scene was simple, the usual setting for such meetings, in this case the little prison office. Superintendent Girard of Le Havre, who was in charge of the case, occupied the only chair. Maigret leaned against the black marble mantelpiece. On the walls were diagrams, official announcements, and a portrait of the President of the Republic. Standing in the glare of the light was Gaston Buzier with his yellow shoes on. " Bring in the radio operator! " The door opened. Pierre Le Clinche, who had been told nothing, came forward frowning like a man who is suffering and awaits fresh trials. He saw Buzier, but he did not take any notice of him. He looked round, wondering" where he should turn to. Adele's lover, however, scrutinized him from head to foot, his lip curling. Le Clinche looked rumpled, and his face was grey. He neither tried to carry off nor to conceal his dejection. He was as miserable as a sick beast. " Do you recognize the man in front of you? " He looked at Buzier and seemed to search his memory. "No! Who is he?" " Look him over carefully." Le Clinche obeyed, and as soon as he came to his feet he raised his head.
THE SAILORS' RENDEZVOUS 283 " Well? " " Yes " " What do you mean by ' yes'? " " I see what you mean.... The yellow shoes...." "Exactly!" exploded Gaston Buzier, who had hitherto stood silent with a cantankerous expression on his face. " Repeat that it was me who bumped off your captain. Well? " All eyes were fixed on the operator, whose head drooped while he made a weary gesture with his hand. " Speak." " Perhaps it wasn't those shoes. . . ." " Ha! ha!" Buzier was already exultant. " So you're climbing down?" " You don't identify Fallut's murderer? " " I don't know. . . . No. . . ." " You are aware that you are in the presence of the lover of a certain Adele whom you know. He has himself confessed that he was in the neighbourhood of the trawler at the time of the crime. And he was wearing yellow shoes." All this time Buzier was challenging him with a look, trembling with rage and impatience. "Yes, let him talk! But let him try to tell the truth, or I swear ..." " You be quiet! Well, Le Clinche? " He passed his hand across his forehead, and literally grimaced with pain. " I don't know! He can go and hang himself! " " Did you see a man with yellow shoes attack Fallut? " " I've forgotten. ..." " That's what you asserted the first time you were interrogated. And that's not so long ago. Do you stick to this statement? " " Well, no, I don't! I saw a man with yellow shoes—that's all. I don't know whether he was the murderer. . . ." As the interrogation proceeded, Gaston Buzier, also slightly the worse for wear after a night at the police station, recovered his selfassurance. He rocked from one foot to another, one hand in his trouser-pocket. " You see, he's piping down! He doesn't dare repeat the lies he told you. . .." "Answer me, Le Clinche. Up to now, we are certain that there were two people present near the trawler at the time of the
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THE SAILORS' RENDEZV<strong>OU</strong>S 283<br />
" Well? "<br />
" Yes "<br />
" What do you mean by ' yes'? "<br />
" I see what you mean.... The yellow shoes...."<br />
"Exactly!" exploded Gaston Buzier, who had hitherto stood<br />
silent with a cantankerous expression on his face. " Repeat that it<br />
was me who bumped off your captain. Well? "<br />
All eyes were fixed on the operator, whose head drooped while<br />
he made a weary gesture with his hand.<br />
" Speak."<br />
" Perhaps it wasn't those shoes. . . ."<br />
" Ha! ha!" Buzier was already exultant. " So you're climbing<br />
down?"<br />
" You don't identify Fallut's murderer? "<br />
" I don't know. . . . No. . . ."<br />
" You are aware that you are in the presence of the lover of a<br />
certain Adele whom you know. He has himself confessed that he<br />
was in the neighbourhood of the trawler at the time of the crime.<br />
And he was wearing yellow shoes."<br />
All this time Buzier was challenging him with a look, trembling<br />
with rage and impatience.<br />
"Yes, let him talk! But let him try to tell the truth, or I<br />
swear ..."<br />
" You be quiet! Well, Le Clinche? "<br />
He passed his hand across his forehead, and literally grimaced<br />
with pain.<br />
" I don't know! He can go and hang himself! "<br />
" Did you see a man with yellow shoes attack Fallut? "<br />
" I've forgotten. ..."<br />
" That's what you asserted the first time you were interrogated.<br />
And that's not so long ago. Do you stick to this statement? "<br />
" Well, no, I don't! I saw a man with yellow shoes—that's all.<br />
I don't know whether he was the murderer. . . ."<br />
As the interrogation proceeded, Gaston Buzier, also slightly the<br />
worse for wear after a night at the police station, recovered his selfassurance.<br />
He rocked from one foot to another, one hand in his<br />
trouser-pocket.<br />
" You see, he's piping down! He doesn't dare repeat the lies he<br />
told you. . .."<br />
"Answer me, Le Clinche. Up to now, we are certain that<br />
there were two people present near the trawler at the time of the