The Carter of ’La Providence’ by Georges Simenon Page A

police!’
    One of the Flemings was just coming out of the café. He stopped and stared at the inspector, who was extraordinarily agitated.
    â€˜Hello? … Inspector Maigret here, Police Judiciaire … You’ve just had a body brought in … No, not the car accident, this is about the man drowned at Dizy … That’s right … Find
the custody officer … Go through his effects, you’ll find a cufflink … I want you to describe it to me … Yes, I’ll hang on.’
    Three minutes later, he replaced the receiver. He had the information. He was still holding the forage cap and the cufflink.
    â€˜Your lunch is ready.’
    He didn’t bother to answer the girl with red hair, though she had spoken as politely as she could. He went out feeling that perhaps he was now holding one end of the thread but also fearing he would drop it.
    â€˜The cap in the stables … The cufflink in the yard … And the YCF badge near the stone bridge …’
    It was that way he now started walking, very fast. Ideas formed and faded in turns in his mind.
    He had not gone a kilometre when he was astonished by what he saw dead ahead.
    The
Southern Cross
, which had set off in a great haste a good hour before, was now moored on the right-hand side of the bridge, among the reeds. He couldn’t see anyone on board.
    But when the inspector was less than a hundred metres short of it, a car coming from the direction of Épernay pulled up on the opposite bank. It stopped near the yacht. Vladimir, still wearing
sailor’s clothes, was sitting next to the driver. He got out and ran to the boat. Before he reached it, the hatch opened, and the colonel came out on deck, holding his hand out to someone inside.
    Maigret made no attempt to hide. He couldn’t tell whether the colonel had seen him or not.
    Then things happened fast. The inspector could not hear what was said, but the way the people were behaving gave him a clear enough idea of what was happening.
    It was Madame Negretti who was being handed out of the cabin by Sir Walter. Maigret noted that this was the first time he had seen her wearing town clothes. Even from a distance it was obvious that she was very angry.
    Vladimir picked up the two suitcases which stood ready and carried them to the car.
    The colonel held out one hand to help her negotiate the gangplank, but she refused it and stepped forward so suddenly that she almost fell head first into the reeds.
    She walked on without waiting for him. He followed several paces behind, showing no reaction. She jumped into the car still in the same furious temper, thrust her head angrily out of the window and shouted something which must have been either an
insult or a threat.
    However, just as the car was setting off, Sir Walter bowed courteously, watched her drive off and then went back to his boat with Vladimir.
    Maigret had not moved. He had a very strong feeling
that a change had come over the Englishman.
    He did not smile. He remained his usual imperturbable self. But, for example, just as he reached the wheelhouse in the middle of saying something, he put one friendly, even affectionate, hand on Vladimir’s shoulder.
    Their cast-off was brilliantly executed. There were just the two men on board now. The Russian pulled in the gangplank and with one smooth action yanked the mooring ring free.
    The prow of the
Southern Cross
was fast in the reeds. A barge coming up astern hooted.
    Lampson turned round. There was no way now he could not have seen Maigret but he gave no sign of it. With one hand, he let in the clutch. With the other, he gave the brass wheel two full turns, and the yacht reversed just far enough to free
herself, avoided the bow of the barge, stopped just in time and then moved forward, leaving a wake of churning foam.
    It had not gone a hundred metres when it sounded its hooter three times to let the