Maigret's Madwoman

by Georges Simenon

  Maigret felt melancholy. He would have liked to have a son too, even if the son didn’t want to join the police.

  ‘I’d better be going. I don’t want to miss my train.’

  ‘I’ll give you a lift to the station.’

  A few moments later, they were driving away from the villa, leaving Claudine waving goodbye from the steps.

  When the taxi stopped on Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, virtually deserted on a Sunday morning, the sound of the car door slamming was enough to make Madame Maigret hasten to the open window.

  She was waiting for him on the landing.

  ‘I thought you’d be spending the night in Toulon. Why didn’t you phone to say you’d be back?’

  ‘I wanted to give you a surprise.’

  With a scarf round her hair, she was doing the housework.

  ‘Not too tired?’

  ‘Not at all, I slept very well.’

  ‘Would you like me to run you a bath?’

  ‘Yes, please.’

  He had shaved on the train, as he always did, before getting to Paris.

  ‘Did you get the result you were after?’

  ‘More or less. By the way, Marella and Claudine send you their kind regards. They’ve had a little villa built, very nice, just out of town.’

  ‘Is Claudine as cheerful as ever?’

  ‘She hasn’t changed at all. Only the son has, he’s a teenager now with a deep voice.’

  ‘Are you free all day today?’

  ‘Almost. But I’ll have to go out for a while later.’

  While the bath was filling, he called the Police Judiciaire, and once more it was the dependable Lucas on duty.

  ‘Nothing to report your end?’

  ‘Nothing special, chief.’

  ‘Who’ve you got there at the moment?’

  ‘Neveu, Janin, Lourtie …’

  ‘No need to go on, I don’t need that many. I want them to make sure between them that there’s someone day and night to keep an eye on the building where Angèle Louette, the masseuse, lives. Rue Saint-André-des-Arts. No need to hide. But don’t forget she has a car.’

  He stayed a long while under the bubbles of the bath water, while his wife made coffee. At about half past nine, he went downstairs and took a taxi, stopping at one end of Rue Saint-André-des-Arts. Janin was the man on duty and he went over to shake hands.

  ‘I’m going up to see her, and it’s possible that what I say to her might make her want to disappear.’

  ‘Don’t worry, chief, I’ll keep my eyes open. Neveu and I have agreed what to do. Rather than have long stints, we’ll relieve each other every three hours, and tonight Lourtie will come and lend a hand.’

  Maigret went upstairs and rang the bell: the door opened almost immediately.

  Angèle Louette was wearing her dark suit and putting on a hat.

  ‘What, you again!’ she groaned. ‘Can’t you leave me alone for a single day?’

  ‘Were you just going out?’

  ‘Yes, as you can see. I don’t wear a hat to do the housework.’

  ‘I’m just back from Toulon.’

  ‘What’s that got to do with me?’

  ‘You should be very interested, as a matter of fact. Your lover had driven himself down there, and we met up.’

  ‘We won’t be having any more to do with each other.’

  ‘Yes, you will. Since he was the one who was going to handle negotiations with Giovanni.’

  She couldn’t help giving a little jump.

  ‘Negotiations that failed, let me say straight away, so your aunt was killed for nothing. Do you know where the revolver is now? At the bottom of the Mediterranean, dozens or hundreds of metres down. Did Marcel not telephone to tell you?’

  ‘If he’d phoned me to say you were on your way, you wouldn’t have found me in.’

  ‘Where are you going now?’

  ‘To Mass, if you must know. And too bad if that surprises you.’

  ‘I have a message for you. You’re to present yourself at my office at nine tomorrow morning. I advise you not to be late. And I’d also suggest you bring an overnight bag, because it’s possible we’ll be holding you for a while.’

  ‘Do you mean that you’re going to arrest me?’

  ‘That’s one possible outcome. Which doesn’t depend on me, but on the examining magistrate. One more thing, then I’ll let you go. There’s been a police watch on you for the last hour and that will continue until you come to my office tomorrow morning.’

  ‘I hate you.’

  ‘I’d expect nothing less from you.’

  As Maigret went downstairs, he could hear her pacing round her living room, talking vehemently to herself.

  ‘Do you know what she looks like?’ he asked Janin.

  ‘No.’

  ‘I’ll wait here to show you, because she’ll be down shortly.’

  She stayed another ten minutes in her apartment. When she emerged and saw the two men standing opposite she gave a violent start.

  ‘Easy to recognize, as you see. If she was a boxer, she’d be a heavyweight.’

  He returned home on foot in the sunlit peacefulness of Sunday morning. He wondered what they would do that afternoon. They sometimes went out in the car, with Madame Maigret driving, but she was nervous of taking the wheel on Sunday, especially outside the city.

  Well, it didn’t matter what they did. Even if it was just a walk side by side along the streets, they were never bored.

  ‘You missed him by five minutes. Your friend Marella rang up. He wants you to call him back as soon as possible, on his home number. Apparently he gave it to you.’

  She looked hard at her husband.

  ‘Doesn’t it strike you as odd that he’s phoned on a Sunday morning when you only saw him last night?’

  ‘I was rather expecting it.’

  He asked for a line to Toulon and a few minutes later was speaking to Marella.

  ‘How was your journey?’

  ‘After your rosé de Provence, I slept like a baby.’

  ‘I expect you can guess why I’ve called.’

  ‘What happened to him?’

  ‘He was pulled out of the harbour at seven this morning.’

  ‘Stabbed?’

  ‘No. A .38 bullet in the forehead.’

  There was a silence, as both men digested their own thoughts.

  ‘You were doing him a real favour by advising him to come to Paris with you. But he thought he was being clever. That you were lying, and he could still get something out of the deal.’

  ‘I suppose Giovanni is untouchable?’

  ‘He’ll have taken precautions, as you’ve no doubt worked out. In fact, I’m ready to swear the hired gun won’t even know who he was working for. The instructions must have gone through a third party.’

  ‘Any idea who it was?’

  ‘Plenty of choice. There are about twenty characters on the Côte d’Azur who could have taken on the job. Someone was probably brought in from Nice, Cannes or Marseille. And whoever it was won’t be in Toulon by now. He managed not to be seen.’

  Marella paused reflectively.

  ‘Well, we’ll get him sooner or later, but it could be in four or five years, for something quite different.’

  ‘Same here, of course. Thanks for giving me the news. Were you there when they emptied his pockets?’

  ‘Yes, nothing special. Two thousand francs in the wallet, with his driving licence and ID. The motor insurance was in the glove compartment of the car, which was parked all night outside the Hôtel des Cinq Continents. Some small change. A key.’

  ‘I’d like you to send me the key.’

  ‘It’ll go off straight away. I’ll post it from the station. Apart from that, a handkerchief, cigarettes, chewing gum.’

  ‘Did you open his suitcase?’

  ‘Spare suit, black and white checks, underwear. No papers. Just a cheap novel in a jazzy cover.’

  ‘No address book with phone numbers?’ />
  ‘No. But it’s possible I wasn’t the first on the scene. According to the doc, he was killed at about one a.m. That’s just a guess. He’ll be doing the post-mortem this afternoon.’

  ‘Claudine’s not too cross with me, is she?’

  ‘Why would she be?’

  ‘Because of me, your Sunday morning has been spoilt.’

  ‘She’s in the kitchen. Ah, she’s telling me to say hello to you and your wife. Well, the case is off my hands now. I’ll let my deputy carry out the routine investigation.’

  ‘Have you seen Bob again?’

  ‘No. I’m hoping he’s not met the same fate. That would be unfortunate, because he’s been regular, as far as we’re concerned.’

  ‘I think he’s too valuable to Giovanni.’

  ‘You’re thinking what I’m thinking? There must be someone who’s the link between Giovanni and the criminal networks.’

  ‘Bob’s well placed for that, isn’t he?’

  ‘Well, goodbye, then.’

  ‘Goodbye. And thanks very much for all your help.’

  Maigret hung up.

  ‘Bad news?’ asked Madame Maigret, seeing her husband looking preoccupied.

  ‘Well, professionally I ought to say it’s excellent news. A man has been shot dead in Toulon, and his death means we don’t have to drag him to court. An ex-pimp who was living off a woman of fifty-five. If he didn’t commit the murder himself, he must have been an accomplice in it at the very least.’

  ‘The old lady’s murder, you mean?’

  Yes, he thought, the old lady with the white hat and gloves. He could picture her again on Quai des Orfèvres, suddenly appearing alongside him on the pavement, her eyes shining with admiration and hope.

  She was dead. And now Marcel, known as Big Marcel, was dead too, and the object the couple had been searching for, the famous revolver, which had just been lying in a bedside drawer, was lost for good.

  ‘What’s for lunch?’

  ‘Blanquette of veal.’

  They passed the time until half past twelve. Maigret even switched on the radio, but of course the dead man in Toulon was not mentioned.

  ‘Do you want to go to the cinema?’ she asked.

  ‘Don’t you think it’s too fine an afternoon to spend it sitting indoors?’

  ‘What would you like to do, then?’

  ‘Let’s go out and then we’ll see.’

  She took his arm as usual and they walked down towards the river. This meant going past Quai de la Mégisserie, where the bird-seller’s shop was shuttered up.

  ‘Which floor was it on?’

  ‘First.’

  ‘That’ll make someone happy.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Whoever gets to rent that apartment. They’ll have one of the best views in Paris from their windows.’

  They carried on walking and before long arrived at the Tuileries Gardens.

  ‘Shall we sit down for a few minutes?’ he suggested.

  And thus he was able to fulfil a wish he had entertained since the previous evening. He couldn’t remember ever sitting down on a public bench. Indeed, he would not have been far off thinking that benches were of little use, except for tramps to sleep on, or lovers to meet.

  They took quite some time to find one that was free. All the others were occupied, and not only by old people. There were many young mothers with their children. On one bench, a man of about thirty was reading a biology textbook.

  ‘It’s nice here, isn’t it?’

  Toy yachts with white sails were criss-crossing the clear water of the pond.

  ‘Hubert, don’t get wet! If you lean over like that you’ll fall in!’

  Relaxing, wasn’t it? Seen from here, life seemed simple and uncomplicated.

  The old lady had come here every day, weather permitting. Like another old lady sitting opposite them, she probably threw down breadcrumbs for the birds, which were coming closer and closer.

  ‘It’s because of her that you wanted to come here?’

  ‘Yes,’ he admitted. ‘And also I wanted for once in my life to sit down on a bench.’

  He added quickly:

  ‘Especially with you.’

  ‘You’ve got a short memory.’

  ‘Why, have we done this before?’

  ‘When we were engaged, we sat down on a bench in Place des Vosges. Actually, that was the first time you kissed me.’

  ‘You’re right. And I have got a short memory. I’d kiss you again, but there are too many people about.’

  ‘And it’s not quite the proper thing at our age, is it?’

  They did not go home for dinner. Instead they ate at a little restaurant, a favourite of theirs, on Place des Victoires.

  ‘Shall we stay out on the terrace?’

  ‘I wouldn’t advise it,’ the waiter intervened. ‘It gets cold quite quickly in the evening. It’s not a good idea to dine outside just yet.’

  They enjoyed their sweetbreads, which were delicious, followed by some tiny lamb chops and, to finish, a strawberry dessert.

  ‘This doesn’t often happen,’ Madame Maigret murmured.

  ‘What doesn’t?’

  ‘That you have almost all day to spend with me. I’m sure tomorrow you’ll be phoning to say you won’t be back for lunch.’

  ‘That’s possible. Or even probable. I’m going to have to confront the “gendarme”.’

  ‘Is that what you call the poor woman?’

  ‘A poor woman who probably killed her aunt.’

  ‘But it wasn’t premeditated, was it?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘She must have panicked when she was discovered.’

  ‘Are you going to defend her?’

  ‘No, but I’ve thought about her a few times. You said she was very plain.’

  ‘Well, let’s say she’s charmless.’

  ‘And she was like that when she was young too?’

  ‘Yes, certainly.’

  ‘Because men didn’t come courting her, she had to resign herself to taking another approach with them.’

  ‘You’d make a good lawyer.’

  ‘Fifty-five, you said? She probably thought this Marcel was her last chance, and she clung to him with all her might.’

  ‘Well, she’s still clinging, because she doesn’t yet know what’s happened to him.’

  ‘You don’t think she’ll try to run away?’

  ‘I’ve got an inspector stationed outside her door.’

  ‘I wouldn’t like to be in your shoes tomorrow.’

  ‘I’d rather be somewhere else too.’

  It was his job, and Angèle Louette was not the kind of woman who inspires pity.

  Madame Maigret understood her husband’s train of thought when he murmured:

  ‘By the way, Marella’s son is determined not to go into the police.’

  What would he have advised his own son, if he had one?

  They walked back arm in arm to Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, and for a long time neither of them spoke.

  7.

  When, at exactly nine in the morning, old Joseph ushered her into his office, Maigret looked at her differently from the previous times, feeling a little awkward, perhaps because he was remembering his wife’s words from the evening before.

  He even stood up to greet her, and the small suitcase she was holding gave her an almost pathetic air.

  She looked pale, but then she always did. And yes, plain. Would he have been so hard on her if she had been a pretty woman?

  ‘Put down your case, and take a seat.’

  Everything was ready and Lapointe at the other end of the desk was prepared to take shorthand notes of the interrogation.

  ‘It’s nine o’clock now, isn’t it? I’ve already had to cancel an eight o’clock client. And I have another due at nine. You’re taking away my livelihood.’

  The previous day, as he knew from his inspectors, she had gone straight home from Mass, and had not left the building again. The
light had been on in her apartment until quite late into the night.

  No one had visited. She had spent all those hours waiting on her own.

  Was that why she now looked more serious and somehow overwhelmed?

  He picked up the telephone.

  ‘Can you see if Examining Magistrate Libart has arrived?’

  He heard the phone ringing unanswered.

  ‘Not yet, sir. His clerk isn’t there either.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  He lit his pipe and said to Angèle Louette:

  ‘You’re free to smoke if you wish to.’

  ‘How kind of you. The condemned man’s cigarette, I suppose.’

  ‘Mademoiselle, it’s time for us to get to the bottom of this case. I may be asking you questions I’ve put to you before, but it will, I hope, be for the last time.’

  It was as if even the weather had conspired to make this confrontation grey and gloomy in atmosphere. Whereas the previous two weeks had been radiant, today the sky was dark and a fine rain was falling over Paris.

  ‘I presume you agree that your aunt was murdered?’

  ‘I can’t argue with the conclusions of the police pathologist.’

  ‘Do you know of any enemies she might have had?’

  ‘No.’

  She was calm, sullenly calm, like the weather. Her face was expressionless and she was looking steadfastly at Maigret, hiding her emotions, that is, if she felt any.

  It was as though her long lonely wait on Sunday had drained all her combative spirit.

  ‘Friends?’

  ‘I didn’t know of any friends either.’

  ‘Were you the only person to whom she opened the door of her apartment on Quai de la Mégisserie?’

  ‘To my knowledge, yes.’

  ‘You didn’t let her know in advance when you were going to visit?’

  ‘My aunt didn’t have a phone. I wanted her to put one in, but she always refused.’

  ‘Why did you go to see her?’

  ‘I was her only relative.’

  She was still wearing her black suit, which made her look as though she was in mourning.

  ‘And you knew when you might find her at home?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You were familiar with her timetable?’

  ‘It was always the same.’

  ‘In the morning, she went shopping locally, didn’t she?’