Maigret's Holiday by Georges Simenon Page B
Authors: Georges Simenon
to console him, âto know what goes on in those big houses â¦
People like us, we say what we think and even more ⦠but othersââ
âLook,â broke in Francis.
âJust take this evening, for instance ⦠Usually, I wait for Monsieur to ring
for his whisky ⦠Every night, at around ten, when he is in his library, he has a
nightcap ⦠Even though I have a room in the house, he knows that I donât
sleep there ⦠I put the tray down on the desk, I put the ice in the glass, and
invariably he says to me: âGood night, Francis ⦠you may go
â¦ââ
âTonight
â¦â
He sensed that Maigret was tense and it made
him awkward, as if he were afraid of letting him down once again.
âItâs only a detail ⦠It
came back to me because La Popine just said that you never know whatâs going on in
big houses ⦠Usually, I prepare the tray in advance and I sometimes sit there for
a quarter of an hour watching the clock ⦠I am alone at that moment ⦠Jeanne
is in her room, smoking cigarettes and reading novels in bed ⦠The cook is married
and sleeps in town. At ten fifteen when I realized that Monsieur hadnât rung for
me, I quietly went upstairs with the tray ⦠There was some light under the door
⦠I waited for a while, then I looked through the keyhole ⦠He wasnât
in his chair ⦠I knocked but I saw no one. I went into every room, except
Madameâs bedroom, of course, but he was nowhere to be found ⦠Not
downstairs, nor in his consulting room in the annexe ⦠I went up to Jeanneâs
room and she told me that he wasnât in Madameâs room either, and that her
door was locked.â
âJust a moment ⦠Is the door
usually locked?â
âNot when Monsieur is out ⦠Mind
you, I didnât think anything of it and, at half past ten I put the tray out for
him and left ⦠Itâs the first time heâs ever gone out without telling
me. Whatâs more, heâd left his light on.â
âAre you sure he had gone
out?â
âHis hat wasnât on the coat
stand.â
âDid he take the car?â
âNo, I looked in the garage
â¦â
Just then, La Popine and Francis both stared
at Maigret,at first surprised, then anxious as he stood up, his face
inscrutable.
âDo you have a telephone?â he
asked.
He had to go into the shop and lean on the
icy marble counter, next to the enamel scales.
âHello! ⦠Is that the Brasserie
du Remblai? ⦠Tell me ⦠Have you seen Doctor Bellamy this
evening?â
They didnât ask who was calling.
âNo, not this afternoon ⦠After
dinner, thatâs right ⦠You havenât seen him? ⦠Just a moment,
please ⦠Is the chief inspector there by any chance? ⦠He never comes in the
evening? ⦠Donât hang up, mademoiselle ⦠Am I talking to the waiter?
⦠The manager? ⦠None of the gentlemen who play bridge are there? â¦
Yes. Monsieur Rouillet, Monsieur Lourceau ⦠Right ⦠Put Monsieur Lourceau
on, would you? â¦â
A languid voice on the other end, that of a
man who is on his fifth or sixth hour of bridge and at least his sixth little
tipple.
âHello! Monsieur Lourceau â¦
Iâm sorry to disturb you ⦠Chief Inspector Maigret ⦠It doesnât
matter ⦠Iâd like a simple piece of information ⦠Do you know where
Iâm likely to find Bellamy at this hour? ⦠No, heâs not at home
⦠Really? ⦠He never goes out at night? ⦠You have no idea? â¦
Thank you very much â¦â
He became increasingly heavy, and there was
a hint of anxiety in his eyes. He flicked through the telephone directory and called the
coroner.
âHello ⦠Inspector Maigret here
⦠No, itâs not about an investigation ⦠I would simply like to know
whetherDoctor
People like us, we say what we think and even more ⦠but othersââ
âLook,â broke in Francis.
âJust take this evening, for instance ⦠Usually, I wait for Monsieur to ring
for his whisky ⦠Every night, at around ten, when he is in his library, he has a
nightcap ⦠Even though I have a room in the house, he knows that I donât
sleep there ⦠I put the tray down on the desk, I put the ice in the glass, and
invariably he says to me: âGood night, Francis ⦠you may go
â¦ââ
âTonight
â¦â
He sensed that Maigret was tense and it made
him awkward, as if he were afraid of letting him down once again.
âItâs only a detail ⦠It
came back to me because La Popine just said that you never know whatâs going on in
big houses ⦠Usually, I prepare the tray in advance and I sometimes sit there for
a quarter of an hour watching the clock ⦠I am alone at that moment ⦠Jeanne
is in her room, smoking cigarettes and reading novels in bed ⦠The cook is married
and sleeps in town. At ten fifteen when I realized that Monsieur hadnât rung for
me, I quietly went upstairs with the tray ⦠There was some light under the door
⦠I waited for a while, then I looked through the keyhole ⦠He wasnât
in his chair ⦠I knocked but I saw no one. I went into every room, except
Madameâs bedroom, of course, but he was nowhere to be found ⦠Not
downstairs, nor in his consulting room in the annexe ⦠I went up to Jeanneâs
room and she told me that he wasnât in Madameâs room either, and that her
door was locked.â
âJust a moment ⦠Is the door
usually locked?â
âNot when Monsieur is out ⦠Mind
you, I didnât think anything of it and, at half past ten I put the tray out for
him and left ⦠Itâs the first time heâs ever gone out without telling
me. Whatâs more, heâd left his light on.â
âAre you sure he had gone
out?â
âHis hat wasnât on the coat
stand.â
âDid he take the car?â
âNo, I looked in the garage
â¦â
Just then, La Popine and Francis both stared
at Maigret,at first surprised, then anxious as he stood up, his face
inscrutable.
âDo you have a telephone?â he
asked.
He had to go into the shop and lean on the
icy marble counter, next to the enamel scales.
âHello! ⦠Is that the Brasserie
du Remblai? ⦠Tell me ⦠Have you seen Doctor Bellamy this
evening?â
They didnât ask who was calling.
âNo, not this afternoon ⦠After
dinner, thatâs right ⦠You havenât seen him? ⦠Just a moment,
please ⦠Is the chief inspector there by any chance? ⦠He never comes in the
evening? ⦠Donât hang up, mademoiselle ⦠Am I talking to the waiter?
⦠The manager? ⦠None of the gentlemen who play bridge are there? â¦
Yes. Monsieur Rouillet, Monsieur Lourceau ⦠Right ⦠Put Monsieur Lourceau
on, would you? â¦â
A languid voice on the other end, that of a
man who is on his fifth or sixth hour of bridge and at least his sixth little
tipple.
âHello! Monsieur Lourceau â¦
Iâm sorry to disturb you ⦠Chief Inspector Maigret ⦠It doesnât
matter ⦠Iâd like a simple piece of information ⦠Do you know where
Iâm likely to find Bellamy at this hour? ⦠No, heâs not at home
⦠Really? ⦠He never goes out at night? ⦠You have no idea? â¦
Thank you very much â¦â
He became increasingly heavy, and there was
a hint of anxiety in his eyes. He flicked through the telephone directory and called the
coroner.
âHello ⦠Inspector Maigret here
⦠No, itâs not about an investigation ⦠I would simply like to know
whetherDoctor