The Methods of Maigret ( PDFDrive )
Nothing else had happened. Charlot and his dancing girl had gone up to bedrather early, and when Maigret had in turn gone up they were still not asleep.Ginette and Monsieur Émile had chatted in undertones. No one had offereddrinks all round, perhaps on account of the incident.“Come in, Lechat,” the Chief Inspector called out through the door.The Inspector was already fully dressed.“Has Mr. Pyke gone bathing?”“He’s downstairs, busy eating his bacon and eggs. I went down to see theCormorant off.”“Nothing to report?”“Nothing. It seems that on Sundays lots of people come over from Hyères andToulon, people who rush for the beaches and strew them with sardine tins andempty bottles. We’ll be able to see them landing in an hour.”The information from Ostend contained nothing unexpected. MonsieurBebelmans, Anna’s father, was an important figure, who had been mayor of thetown for a long time and had once stood for Parliament. Since his daughter’sdeparture, he had forbidden her name to be mentioned in his presence. His wifewas dead, and Anna hadn’t been told.“It seems that everyone who has come off the rails in one way or another haslanded up here,” Maigret observed as he put on his coat.“It’s the climate that’s responsible!” riposted the Inspector, who was nottroubled by such questions. “I went to see another revolver this morning.”He carried out his job conscientiously. He had taken pains to find out all therevolver owners. He went to see them one after the other, examined theirweapons, without too much hope, simply because that was part of the routine.“What are we doing today?”Maigret, making for the door, avoided replying, and they found Mr. Pykebefore the red-squared tablecloth.“I presume you are a Protestant?” he said to him. “In which case you wouldn’tgo to the High Mass?”“I am a Protestant and I went to the Low Mass.”Perhaps he would have been just the same if there had only been a synagogue,so as to attend a service, whatever it was, because it was Sunday.“I don’t know whether you’ll want to come with me. This morning I have topay a call on a lady you aren’t anxious to meet.”“You’re going aboard the yacht?”
Maigret nodded, and Mr. Pyke pushed his plate away, rose and picked up thestraw hat he had bought the day before at the mayor’s shop, for he was already alittle sunburned and his face was almost as red as the major’s.“Are you coming with me?”“You may need a translator.”“Shall I come too?” asked Lechat.“I’d like you to, yes. Can you row?”“I was born at the seaside.”They walked as far as the harbor once again. It was the local Inspector whoasked a fisherman permission to use a boat without a motor, and the three mentook their places in it. They could see De Greef and Anna breakfasting on thedeck of their little boat.The sea, too, as though in honor of the Sabbath, had put on a mottled satinappearance, and at every stroke of the oar pearls sparkled in the sun. TheCormorant was on the other side of the water, at Giens Point, waiting for thepassengers to alight from the bus.One could see the bottom of the sea, the violet urchins in the hollow of therocks and an occasional brightly colored perch which would flee like an arrow.The bells tolled to announce the High Mass, and all the houses must havesmelled of the scent the women put on their best dresses, in addition to themorning coffee.The North Star seemed much bigger, much higher from alongside, and asnobody was stirring Lechat called out, raising his head:“Hello there, on board!”After a fairly long pause a sailor leaned over the rail, one cheek covered withfrothy soap, an open razor in his hand.“Can we see your mistress?”“Couldn’t you come back in an hour or so?”Mr. Pyke was visibly uncomfortable. Maigret hesitated a moment, thinking ofthe “grandmother.”“We’ll wait on deck if necessary,” he said to the seaman. “Up you go,Lechat.”They climbed the ladder, one behind the other. There were round copperportholes in the sides, and Maigret saw a woman’s face pressed against one foran instant, and then disappear into the semidarkness.A moment later the hatch opened, and Philippe’s head appeared, his hair
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Nothing else had happened. Charlot and his dancing girl had gone up to bed
rather early, and when Maigret had in turn gone up they were still not asleep.
Ginette and Monsieur Émile had chatted in undertones. No one had offered
drinks all round, perhaps on account of the incident.
“Come in, Lechat,” the Chief Inspector called out through the door.
The Inspector was already fully dressed.
“Has Mr. Pyke gone bathing?”
“He’s downstairs, busy eating his bacon and eggs. I went down to see the
Cormorant off.”
“Nothing to report?”
“Nothing. It seems that on Sundays lots of people come over from Hyères and
Toulon, people who rush for the beaches and strew them with sardine tins and
empty bottles. We’ll be able to see them landing in an hour.”
The information from Ostend contained nothing unexpected. Monsieur
Bebelmans, Anna’s father, was an important figure, who had been mayor of the
town for a long time and had once stood for Parliament. Since his daughter’s
departure, he had forbidden her name to be mentioned in his presence. His wife
was dead, and Anna hadn’t been told.
“It seems that everyone who has come off the rails in one way or another has
landed up here,” Maigret observed as he put on his coat.
“It’s the climate that’s responsible!” riposted the Inspector, who was not
troubled by such questions. “I went to see another revolver this morning.”
He carried out his job conscientiously. He had taken pains to find out all the
revolver owners. He went to see them one after the other, examined their
weapons, without too much hope, simply because that was part of the routine.
“What are we doing today?”
Maigret, making for the door, avoided replying, and they found Mr. Pyke
before the red-squared tablecloth.
“I presume you are a Protestant?” he said to him. “In which case you wouldn’t
go to the High Mass?”
“I am a Protestant and I went to the Low Mass.”
Perhaps he would have been just the same if there had only been a synagogue,
so as to attend a service, whatever it was, because it was Sunday.
“I don’t know whether you’ll want to come with me. This morning I have to
pay a call on a lady you aren’t anxious to meet.”
“You’re going aboard the yacht?”
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