Maigret and the Spinster Read Online Free PDF Page B

built several houses in Bourg-la-Reine. He died young, he was under fifty, and it was the best thing that could have happened to him, poor man…After his death, she came here to live. That was fifteen years ago. Saving your presence, she was just as bad then as she was when she died, except that she had the use of her legs and was always on my back. She was just as bad with the tenants. God help the owner if she ever caught sight of a dog or a cat on the stairs. And if ever anyone screwed up the courage to ask her to carry out any repairs…You’ll see what I mean when I tell you that this building was the last in the whole of this area to be converted to electricity.”
    They could hear footsteps on the second floor, and a baby crying.
    “That’s Madame Bourniquel,” explained Madame “Saving-Your-Presence.” “Her husband is a commercial traveler. He has a small car. He’s probably away at the moment, covering the southwestern territory. He’s usually away for three months at a time. They have four children already, and are expecting a fifth, in spite of the fuss there’s been over the baby carriage. Madame Boynet, God rest her soul, would never allow them to leave it in the lobby, so it has to be carted up and down-stairs twice a day. There now, that’s their maid taking down the garbage can.”
    The light went on, and a wizened woman in a white apron came into view. The huge galvanized-iron can that she was clasping to her stomach gave her a deformed appearance.
    “What was I saying?…Oh, yes!…You won’t say no to a glass of wine, will you, Chief Superintendent?…But you must! I have one good bottle left…a present from Monsieur Bourniquel. He’s in the wine trade, you see…Well, one fine day, about twelve years ago, Madame Boynet’s sister, who was also a widow, died at Fontenay, and Madame Boynet sent for her three children, two girls and a boy. Everyone in the neighborhood was amazed at this generosity. In those days, she occupied the whole of the fifth floor. The boy, Monsieur Gérard, was the first to get away. He enlisted in the army, to escape from his aunt’s clutches, no doubt. And then he got married…He lives in Paris, somewhere near the Bastille. He hardly ever shows up here…I have the impression he hasn’t done too well for himself.”
    “Have you seen him recently?”
    “Mostly he waits for his sister outside. He doesn’t suffer from false pride. His wife is another one who’s expecting a baby…He was here last week, and went up to the apartment. He needed money, I’d think. He didn’t look very happy when he came down again. The fact is, if you wanted to persuade the old lady to part with her money, saving your presence, you had to be a very early bird…Your very good health!…”
    She turned around sharply and stared at the door. The light had not been switched on. Still, a faint rustling could be heard. Madame “Saving-Your-Presence.” got up and swiftly opened the door. A girlish figure could be seen slinking away.
    “Loitering on the staircase, as usual, Mademoiselle Nouchi! You should be ashamed of yourself.”
    She sat down again.
    “That’s the trouble with having a place this size to look after,” she grumbled. “Those people!…They are the fifth-floor tenants, the old lady’s nearest neighbors…But as I was saying…first, Monsieur Gérard went off to join the army. Then, the younger sister, Berthe, who didn’t get on with her aunt either, walked out. She’s a salesgirl at the Galeries Lafayette. The old woman took the chance and rented half of the apartment space to a Hungarian family, the Siveschis. They have two daughters, Nouchi and Potsi. Potsi is the fat one, and she’s most of the time loafing around half-naked. Mind you, that Nouchi, who is only sixteen, isn’t much better. She goes with men at night, in any dark corner she can find, sometimes even in the entrance hall.”
    The best thing, he felt, was to let the concierge have her say, and