The Methods of Maigret ( PDFDrive )
for the open air.<P“Le Petit Var says it’s because he mentioned you that he was killed. Do youbelieve it?”Now and again she cast a curious, anxious glance at Mr. Pyke.“You can talk in front of him. He’s a friend, an English colleague who’s cometo stay a few days with me.”She gave the Scotland Yard man a very ladylike smile and sighed, with aglance at the stout profile of the Chief Inspector:“I’ve changed, haven’t I?”
CHAPTER« ^ »It was strange to see her overcome with a feeling of modesty, and holding herdress tight against her because the stairway was steep and Maigret was comingup behind her.She had come into the Arche as she would into her own house, had said in themost natural way in the world:“Have you a room left for me, Paul?”“You’ll have to put up with the little room beside the bathroom.”Then she had turned to Maigret.“Would you like to come up for a moment, Inspector?”These words would have had a double meaning in the house she ran at Nice,but not here. None the less she showed her scorn for Maigret’s hesitation. Hewas keeping up his game of hiding nothing of the case from Mr. Pyke. For amoment her smile was almost professional.“I’m not dangerous, you know.”For some extraordinary reason the Scotland Yard Inspector spoke English,perhaps out of delicacy. He said only one word to his French colleague:“Please…”On the stairway Jojo went in front with the suitcase. She wore a very shortdress and you could see the pink slip enveloping her little behind. No doubt thatwas what had given Ginette the idea of holding her dress tightly against her.Apart from the bed there was only a straw-bottomed chair to sit on, for it wasthe smallest of the rooms, poorly lighted by one attic window. Ginette took offher hat, sank on to the edge of the bed with a sigh of relief, and immediatelyremoved her extremely high-heeled shoes and, through the silk of her stockings,caressed her aching big toes.“Are you annoyed that I asked you to come upstairs? There’s no place to talkdownstairs, and I hadn’t the energy to walk. Look at my ankles: they’re allswollen. You can smoke your pipe, Inspector.”She was not completely at her ease. It was obvious that she was talking for thesake of talking, to gain time.“Are you very cross with me?”Although he understood, he gained time himself as well, by countering:
- Page 2 and 3: The Methods of Maigretalso publishe
- Page 4 and 5: downpours. It had been raining like
- Page 6 and 7: mistaking the question in the Engli
- Page 8 and 9: “Tell me Langlois… By the way,
- Page 10 and 11: friends who is an expert on consump
- Page 12 and 13: to be seen there. Everyone knows ev
- Page 14 and 15: “I don’t know.”It was true. O
- Page 16 and 17: CHAPTER 2« ^ »And so the first ro
- Page 18 and 19: And off they went. The land was fla
- Page 20 and 21: turn: all this in an odd silence.Th
- Page 22 and 23: “Where?”“To the water. Paul l
- Page 24 and 25: is sixty-five. It appears she had h
- Page 26 and 27: should have kept your letter, don
- Page 28 and 29: Paul’s a good chap. But there’s
- Page 30 and 31: wearing a butcher’s yellowish apr
- Page 32 and 33: stayed, perhaps even wrote home for
- Page 34 and 35: “They prefer not to think about i
- Page 36 and 37: “It’s she who runs the Sirènes
- Page 38 and 39: friendship, I sometimes act as her
- Page 40 and 41: “Of course.”“Were there other
- Page 42 and 43: that it was all futile, that he oug
- Page 46 and 47: “What about?”“I know perfectl
- Page 48 and 49: to her apron strings and that is wh
- Page 50 and 51: “When?”“When Justine dies.”
- Page 52 and 53: “You must do as you wish,” she
- Page 54 and 55: be heard calling in the distance:
- Page 56 and 57: one probably doesn’t come across
- Page 58 and 59: CHAPTER 5« ^ »He had thought abou
- Page 60 and 61: Marcellin ever happen to go up to s
- Page 62 and 63: It is always ridiculous to play the
- Page 64 and 65: could be heard. Only the movement o
- Page 66 and 67: had only had occasion to visit Porq
- Page 68 and 69: again the coughing sound which made
- Page 70 and 71: imagined to be unique.“Won’t yo
- Page 72 and 73: He understood now why Ginette had m
- Page 74 and 75: This did not seem at all surprising
- Page 76 and 77: bare toes and his hands, as nimble
- Page 78 and 79: The page from the Grand Hotel was t
- Page 80 and 81: “Including the big money?”“In
- Page 82 and 83: “I would like you to try to remem
- Page 84 and 85: “She hasn’t left me for a secon
- Page 86 and 87: “Inspector Lucas. If he’s not t
- Page 88 and 89: “Are you taking notes?” Mr. Pyk
- Page 90 and 91: “ ‘Is that you?… it’s me…
- Page 92 and 93: which she waited for several months
CHAPTER
« ^ »
It was strange to see her overcome with a feeling of modesty, and holding her
dress tight against her because the stairway was steep and Maigret was coming
up behind her.
She had come into the Arche as she would into her own house, had said in the
most natural way in the world:
“Have you a room left for me, Paul?”
“You’ll have to put up with the little room beside the bathroom.”
Then she had turned to Maigret.
“Would you like to come up for a moment, Inspector?”
These words would have had a double meaning in the house she ran at Nice,
but not here. None the less she showed her scorn for Maigret’s hesitation. He
was keeping up his game of hiding nothing of the case from Mr. Pyke. For a
moment her smile was almost professional.
“I’m not dangerous, you know.”
For some extraordinary reason the Scotland Yard Inspector spoke English,
perhaps out of delicacy. He said only one word to his French colleague:
“Please…”
On the stairway Jojo went in front with the suitcase. She wore a very short
dress and you could see the pink slip enveloping her little behind. No doubt that
was what had given Ginette the idea of holding her dress tightly against her.
Apart from the bed there was only a straw-bottomed chair to sit on, for it was
the smallest of the rooms, poorly lighted by one attic window. Ginette took off
her hat, sank on to the edge of the bed with a sigh of relief, and immediately
removed her extremely high-heeled shoes and, through the silk of her stockings,
caressed her aching big toes.
“Are you annoyed that I asked you to come upstairs? There’s no place to talk
downstairs, and I hadn’t the energy to walk. Look at my ankles: they’re all
swollen. You can smoke your pipe, Inspector.”
She was not completely at her ease. It was obvious that she was talking for the
sake of talking, to gain time.
“Are you very cross with me?”
Although he understood, he gained time himself as well, by countering:
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