The Two-Penny Bar Read Online Free PDF Page A

them in turn, by the Canal Saint-Martin at night, carrying a corpse ‘like a shop dummy and trying to make it look like it’s your friend walking next to you’.
    â€˜Your good health,’ said Monsieur Feinstein, maintaining his fixed smile for as long as he could.

3. The Two Boats
    Maigret had lunch on his own on the terrace of the Vieux-Garçon. The rest of the group sat at adjoining tables, and the conversation flowed between them.
    He had now established the social background of this crowd: tradesmen, owners of small businesses, an engineer, two doctors. They were people who owned their own cars, but who only had Sundays off for unwinding in the countryside.
    They all owned boats – either motor-boats or small dinghies. They were all keen on fishing.
    They lived here for twenty-four hours every week, dressed in their sailing gear, wandering around barefoot or in sandals. Some of them affected the rolling gait of old sea-dogs.
    More couples than young people. They displayed the rather deep familiarity of people who have been spending every Sunday together for years.
    James was everyone’s favourite, the person who bound them all together. With his casual manner, his ruddy complexion and his dreamy eyes, he only had to make an appearance to put everyone in a good mood.
    â€˜How’s the hangover, James?’
    â€˜I never get hangovers. If I feel queasy, I find a couple of Pernods usually sort it out.’
    They started reliving the night before. They had a laugh about someone who had been sick, and another who had almost fallen into the Seine on the way back. Maigret was part of the group without really belonging. The previous
evening, everyone had talked to him like an old friend; now they eyed him a little more cautiously, occasionally involving him in the conversation out of politeness.
    â€˜Do you like fishing?’
    The Bassos were having lunch at home. The Feinsteins too, and a few others who had their own villas. Thus the group fell into two classes: those who owned villas and those who stayed at the inn.
    Around two o’clock the haberdasher came to fetch Maigret; he seemed to have taken him under his wing.
    â€˜We’re waiting for you to come and play bridge.’
    â€˜At your place?’
    â€˜At the Bassos’! We were supposed to play at my place today, but the maid is sick, so we’ll be better off at the Bassos’ … Are you coming, James?’
    â€˜I’ll come in the boat.’
    The Bassos’ villa was a kilometre upstream. Maigret and Feinstein went on foot, while the rest went by dinghy or canoe.
    â€˜Basso’s a fine fellow, don’t you think?’
    Maigret couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not. He was a strange one. Neither one thing nor the other: neither old nor young, neither good-looking nor ugly; maybe without a single original thought in his head, yet maybe full of
secrets.
    â€˜I expect we’ll be seeing you every Sunday from now on?’
    They came across groups of people picnicking, as well as fishermen every hundred metres or so along the river bank. It was getting hotter. The air was extraordinarily still and oppressive.
    In the Bassos’ garden wasps buzzed around the flowers. There were three cars parked there already. The young boy was playing by the riverbank.
    â€˜You’re joining our game?’ the coal merchant asked Maigret as he greeted him cordially. ‘Excellent! In which case we don’t need to wait for James. He’ll never get any wind in his sail on a day like
today.’
    Everything was brand new. The villa was like a city dweller’s fantasy: a profusion of red-checked curtains, old Norman furniture and rustic pottery.
    The card table was set up in a living room that opened on to the garden through a large bay window. Bottles of Vouvray were chilling in an ice bucket frosted with condensation. Bottles of liqueur were set out on a tray. Madame Basso, dressed in