The Methods of Maigret ( PDFDrive )

Paul’s a good chap. But there’s another reason. Look in the corner, on the left.
The juke box. It’s mine, and I’ve got about fifty, from Marseilles to St. Raphael.
It’s not very steady. From time to time these gents get naughty and steal one or
two sous from me.”
Poor Mr. Pyke, who had eaten his little birds to the bitter end, in spite of the
softness of his heart! Now he was sniffing the garlic mayonnaise with illconcealed
apprehension.
“You’re wondering why I am talking so much, aren’t you?”
“I haven’t wondered anything yet.”
“It’s not a habit of mine. But I’ll tell you anyway. Here, I mean on the island,
there are two characters who are bound to get blamed for the whole affair.
They’re Émile and me. We’ve both seen trouble. People are very decent with us,
more so as we are openhanded with drinks. They wink at one another. They
whisper:
“ ‘They’re regular crooks!’
“Or: ‘Take a look at him. He’s quite a lad!’
“Just the same, the moment there’s any dirty work it’s us they go for.
“I realized that and that’s why I took it easy. I’ve two pals waiting for me on
the coast and I haven’t even tried to telephone them. Your little Inspector with
the dainty manner, who has been keeping his eye on me and for the last two days
has been itching to put me inside. Well! I’ll tell you straight, to save you making
a blunder: it’d be a big mistake.
“That’s all. After which, at your service.”
Maigret waited for Charlot to go out, a toothpick at his lips, to ask quietly of
his Scotland Yard colleague:
“Does it ever happen over there that you make friends among your clients?”
“Not in quite the same way.”
“How do you mean?”
“We haven’t a lot of people like that. Certain things don’t happen in quite the
same way. Do you follow me?”
Why did Maigret think of Mrs. Wilcox and her young secretary? Indeed
certain things did not happen in quite the same way.
“For example, I had dealings, you might call them cordial, for a long time
with a notorious jewel thief. We have a lot of jewel thieves. It’s something of a
national specialty of ours. They are nearly always educated men who come from
the best schools and belong to the smartest clubs. We have the same difficulty as