The Methods of Maigret ( PDFDrive )

“It’s a telegram which someone sent from here, someone who appears to be
interested in one of the people, at least, about whom you’ve been asking for
information.”
“Have you a copy?”
“I’ll try to find it for you.”
A moment later she was handing a form to the Inspector, who read:
Fred Masson, c/o Angelo, Rue Blanche, Paris.
Like complete information on Philippe de Moricourt address Rue Jacob Paris
stop Please telegraph Porquerolles. Regards.
Signed: Charlot.
Maigret gave it to Mr. Pyke to read, and the latter confined himself to a nod.
“Will you prepare a list of the calls for me, mademoiselle? I’ll wait outside
with my friend.”
So it was that for the first time they went and sat on the bench, in the shade of
the eucalyptus trees around the square, and the wall at their backs was pink and
hot. Somewhere near, there was a fig tree, and they inhaled its sweet smell.
“In a few minutes,” said Mr. Pyke, looking at the church clock, “I shall ask
your permission to leave you for a moment, if you don’t mind.”
Was it from politeness that he pretended to believe that Maigret would mind?
“The major has invited me for a drink at about five o’clock. I should have hurt
his feelings by refusing.”
“That’s perfectly all right.”
“I thought you would probably be busy.”
Hardly time for the Chief Inspector to smoke a pipe, as he watched the two
old men playing bowls, before Aglaé was calling out in her shrill voice, over the
counter:
“Monsieur Maigret! It’s ready!”.
He went and took the piece of paper which she was holding out to him, and
went and sat once more beside the man from the Yard.
She had done her work conscientiously, in the labored writing of a schoolgirl,
with three or four spelling mistakes.
The word butcher recurred several times on the list. Apparently he telephoned
every day to Hyères, to order his meat for the next day. Then there was the Cooperative,
with as frequent but less varied calls.
Maigret made a mark a little more than halfway down the list, thus separating
the calls made before Marcellin’s death from those made afterward.