The Grand Banks Café by Georges Simenon

near the trawler at the time when
     the captain was murdered: you were one, and Buzier the other. You say you
     didn’t kill anybody. Now, after pointing the finger at this man, you seem to
     be withdrawing the accusation. So was there a third person there? If so, then it is
     impossible you could not have seen him. So who was it?’
    Silence. Pierre Le Clinche continued to
     stare at the ground.
    Maigret, still leaning with elbows
     propped up on the fireplace, had taken no part in the interrogation, happy to leave
     it to his colleague and content just to observe the two men.
    â€˜I repeat the question: was there a third person on
     the quay?’
    â€˜I don’t know,’ said
     the prisoner in a crushed voice.
    â€˜Is that a yes?’
    A shrug of the shoulder which meant:
     ‘As you wish.’
    â€˜Who was it?’
    â€˜It was dark.’
    â€˜In that case tell me why you said
     the murderer was wearing tan shoes … Wasn’t it a way of drawing attention away
     from the real murderer who was someone you knew?’
    The young man clutched his head in both
     hands.
    â€˜I can’t take any
     more!’ he groaned.
    â€˜Answer me!’
    â€˜No! You can do what you like
     …’
    â€˜Bring in the next
     witness.’
    The moment the door was open, Adèle
     walked through it with an exaggerated swagger. She swept the room with one glance to
     get a sense of what had been going on. Her eye lingered in particular on the
     wireless operator, whom she seemed shocked to see looking so defeated.
    â€˜I assume, Le Clinche, that you
     recognize this woman, whom Captain Fallut hid in his cabin throughout the entire
     voyage and with whom you were intimate.’
    He looked at her coldly. Yet already
     Adèle’s lips were parting and preparing to frame a captivating smile.
    â€˜That’s her.’
    â€˜To cut a long story short, there
     were three of you on board, who, in plain language, were sniffing around her: the
     captain, the chief mechanic and you. You went to bed
with her at least once. The chief mechanic got nowhere.
     Was the captain aware that you had deceived him?’
    â€˜He never spoke to me about
     it.’
    â€˜He was very jealous, wasn’t
     he? And it was because he was so jealous that he didn’t speak to you for three
     months?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜No? Was there some other
     reason?’
    Now he was red-faced, not knowing which
     way to look, talking too fast:
    â€˜Well it could have been that. I
     don’t know …’
    â€˜What else was there between you
     that might have created hatred or suspicion?’
    â€˜I … There wasn’t anything …
     You’re right, he was jealous.’
    â€˜What feelings did you have that
     led you to become Adèle’s lover?’
    A silence.
    â€˜Were you in love with
     her?’
    â€˜No,’ he sighed in a small
     dry voice.
    But the woman screeched:
    â€˜Thanks a million! Always the
     gentleman, eh? But that didn’t stop you hanging round me until the very last
     day! Isn’t that the truth? And it’s also true that you probably had
     another girl waiting for you on shore!’
    Gaston Buzier pretended to be whistling
     under his breath, with his fingers hooked in the arm-holes of his waistcoat.
    â€˜Tell me again, Le Clinche, if,
     when you went on board after witnessing the death of the captain, Adèle was still
     locked inside her cabin.’
    â€˜Locked in, yes!’
    â€˜So she couldn’t have killed
     anyone.’
    â€˜No! It wasn’t her, I
     swear!’
    Le Clinche was getting ruffled. But
     Chief Inspector Girard went on remorselessly:
    â€˜Buzier states that he
     didn’t kill anybody. But, after accusing him, you withdraw the accusation …
     Another way of looking at it is that the pair of you were in it together.’
    â€˜Oh very nice, I must say!’
     cried Buzier in a burst of brutal