Free Maigret's Holiday by Georges Simenon Page B

upstairs
bedroom. I presume it was you who opened the door to her?’
    â€˜It’s always me who opens the
door,’ he said.
    â€˜So you saw her. Do you know who she
is?’
    â€˜I was wondering the same thing
myself.’
    â€˜You don’t know her?’
    â€˜No. She’s been
to the house twice. The first time was on the 2nd of August, when Madame was so ill
…’
    â€˜One moment, Francis, if you
don’t mind.’
    â€˜Yes, take your time, darling …
Let the inspector speak …’
    â€˜The accident of which Mademoiselle
Godreau was a victim took place on the 3rd of August … Is that right?’
    â€˜That’s correct … The day
of the concert—’
    â€˜And on the 2nd of August, Madame
Bellamy was very ill, you say?’
    â€˜That’s correct … And even
on the 1st of August … On the 1st of August she didn’t get out of bed
…’
    â€˜Is she often ill?’
    â€˜I’ve never known her to stay in
bed all day …’
    â€˜Did they call for a
doctor?’
    â€˜It was Monsieur who attended her
… He’s a doctor …’
    â€˜Of course …’
    Except that a doctor has no hesitation in
calling on a fellow doctor to attend his family, particularly if he is a specialist.
    â€˜You don’t know what was wrong
with her?’
    â€˜No …’
    â€˜Did you go into her room?’
    â€˜Never! … Even when she’s
not there, it’s forbidden … Doctor Bellamy will not allow any man to set
foot in Madame’s bedroom … Once, when there was no one in the house and
Jeanne, the maid, was in the apartment, I went in … I took one or two steps,
because I needed to speak to Jeanne—’
    â€˜And are we meant to believe that all
you did was talk to her?’
    â€˜The doctor arrived
without making a sound … He’s never been so sharp with me … At one
point I thought he was going to hit me.’
    â€˜So,’ repeated Maigret,
‘on the 1st of August, two days before her sister’s death, Odette Bellamy
was ill and didn’t get out of bed … And that was when, you say, the girl
came to see her for the first time?’
    â€˜Not the 1st of August, the
2nd—’
    â€˜You let her in … What time was
it?’
    â€˜Around half past four
…’
    â€˜In other words, the hour when the
doctor plays cards at the Brasserie du Remblai … He can be seen from the pavement
if a person wants to be certain that he’s not at home …’
    â€˜Probably …’
    â€˜What did the girl say to
you?’
    â€˜She asked to see Madame Bellamy
… At first I thought she meant the doctor’s mother …’
    â€˜Where was she at that
moment?’
    â€˜In the laundry … It was the day
the seamstress comes …’
    â€˜Let me explain,’ said the
fishmonger. ‘She all but makes her own clothes, to save money. She’s as
stingy as a miser. She has an old humpbacked seamstress who togs her up any old how, but
she doesn’t care, as long as it doesn’t cost much … I can tell you
some stories … Listen! … When she telephoned me to ask for fish that
wasn’t so fresh for the servants’ meals …’
    â€˜Just a moment, if you don’t
mind?’
    â€˜I’m sorry … Carry
on!’
    â€˜You showed the girl
upstairs?’
    â€˜No! … I told her that Madame
was not at home … She asked me to go and inform her that it was little Lucile and
that she had something very important to tell her …’
    â€˜So you went into the bedroom to
deliver your message …’
    â€˜Excuse me! … I called Jeanne
… I was certain that Madame would refuse to see the girl … But not at all,
she asked for her to be shown up—’
    â€˜Did she stay long?’
    â€˜I don’t know … I went
back to the