The Shadow Puppet by Georges Simenon; Translated by Ros Schwartz

Author:Georges Simenon; Translated by Ros Schwartz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Published: 2015-03-26T16:00:00+00:00

7. The Three Women

‘The colonel is waiting for you in Monsieur’s bedroom. Please follow me.’

The room where the body had been laid out was closed. There was someone moving around next door, which must have been Madame Couchet’s bedroom. The maid opened a door and Maigret glimpsed the colonel standing by the table, his hand resting lightly on it, his chin high, dignified and calm as if he were posing for a sculptor.

‘Please sit down!’

Maigret ignored his invitation to sit and simply unbuttoned his heavy overcoat, placed his bowler hat on a chair and filled his pipe.

‘Did you find the will yourself?’ he then asked, looking about him with curiosity.

‘Indeed I did, earlier today. My niece doesn’t know about it yet. I have to say that it is so shocking—’

A strange bedroom, typical of Couchet! True, the furniture was period, like the rest of the apartment. There were a few items of value, but mixed in with them were things that revealed the man’s vulgar tastes.

In front of the window was a table that pretty much served as his desk. On it were Turkish cigarettes and also a whole set of cheap, cherry-wood pipes which Couchet must have seasoned lovingly.

A purple dressing gown! The gaudiest he could have found! Then, at the foot of the bed, slippers with holes in their soles.

The table had a drawer.

‘Note that it wasn’t locked!’ said the colonel. ‘I don’t even know if there is a key. This morning, my niece needed cash to pay a supplier and I wanted to save her the trouble of writing a cheque. I searched this room, and this is what I came across.’

An envelope with the Grand-Hôtel crest. Pale blue notepaper with the same letterhead.

Then a few lines that appeared to have been written distractedly, like a rough draft.

This is my last will and testament …

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