All language subtitles for Maigret S04E03 The Lost Life_Track03-eng

(gentle melancholy music)

{baby crying)

(woman sighs)

(car screeching)

{woman screams)

{car rumbling)

(baby screams louder)

(glass breaking)

(dramatic music)

("Maigret Theme" music)

(car rumbles)

- Monsieur Lognen, morning. Morning

- Have you the body”

- I've got 27 bodies

- The body of the girl
that was found in my sector

an hour ago

- Oh, her. Yes.

- By whose order was the corpse removed”?

- Well, I don't know. I just
take what anyone sends me

- Yes, but--

- Of course, it's his district

Blast!

Hello, Lognon, I didn't know
they'd got you out of bed

- There's been a murder in my sector

- Yes.

- My staff have orders on these occasions

to inform me instantly so that
I can views the crime In situ.

- Apologies for interfering.

- No, no, no. It was your
right. No more than your right.

- Well, it gives the district a bad name

to have corpses lying about too long

- Ng, there's no need for
explanations, Chief Inspector

We are accustomed to headquarters

taking over our more complex cases

- No, ne, no, Lognon, nothing like that

We can work on this case together

Now, these are the things?
- Everything, yes

- What can you tell us?

- Aged between 19 and 22.

She was in good health, but
somewhat undernourished.

She had a fractured skull.

- A fall from the car.

- No, I should say she'd
been struck on the head

by something hard

A spanner, hammer, it
might have been anything

She's also been hit two
or three times in the face

by a man's fist.

- Are you sure of that?

- One leans to recognise
these things. Good health

- What sort of a picture do you get here?

- There were some scraps
of cloth under the nails,

from a man's suit, I should say

So, I can see her there,
kneeling before him

pleading with him. He wants
to get away, but he cant,

so he hits her once, twice, and again

But he's desperate, he wants to get away,

but still, she's clinging,
so he grabs a weapon,

hits her really hard and she's dead.

- Perhaps you can give us
her name and who killed her?

- Oh, no. I leave that to you

Or you

- No handbag?

Well, it looks as though
she was dead when they

pushed her out of the car.
- Possibly

- Anything else?

- She wasn't a manual worker.

- Publicly, what they call
a hostess at a cabaret.

- She was a virgin

- Was she?

All the same, it might be
a good idea to get someone

to do a quick round of the
cabarets before they close

See if anyone's missed a
blonde in a blue dress.

- I'l go myself.

- There's a tag here on her dress.

- Her name?

- No, the manufacturer's, I think

Mademoiselle Irene, 35b Rue de Gersaint

- Oh, we'll call on her in the morning.

We'll go up to your flat, nine o'clock

- But I shall be at the station by then

- But don't you want to see her?

- There's no time to waste.

- Well, the photographs won't be ready

You'll have to describe her.

- Blonde in a blue dress.
What more can I say?

I'll make my report in the morning

- Lognon's always so
anxious to solve the crime.

He forgets what it's all about

Death of a girl

We ought to be hardened by now

- [Maigret] Ah, she looks--

- [Lucas] What?

Young

- Lonely, Lucas. That's what she looks

Why should we be hardened?

- Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you,

she must've been three
quarters drunk when she died

- Just what I wanted. Right,
this one for the press

Tell the photographers I love them.

- Right.

- Fine day after all that rain

- Still a cold wind outside.

- Yeah, still

Cold wind.

Well, Lognon,

we were going to pick you
up this morning, weren't ve?

I'm sorry. I overslept.

- I thought perhaps you must have

{Lognon sneezes violently)

- A cold?

- It was raining heavily

between five and and
seven thirty this morning

- Five and seven-- Where were you?

- Inquiring at the cabarets
in the Pigalle area

as instructed.

- Ah, yeah, had anyone missed her?

- Nobody

- Hmm.

Right, we'll have to start again

with these.

- But,

now?

- No. First of all,

I have to investigate
the only clue we have

Mademoiselle Irene in the Rue de Gersaint.

{car engine revs)

- That looks like it, patron

(door rattles with banging)

- We're not open!
{banging continues)

Oh, go away.

(bell chimes)
- YWe're not open yet

- Police
- Oh? Come in.

- Is "Irene" a trade name?

- Yes. My name's Elizabeth Coumin.

- Do you recognise this”?
- Yes

- When did you sell it?

- I didn't.

- It's your label

- I hired it out.
- When?

- Last evening about nine o'clock

-Toagirl?

- No, to a one-legged fireman.

- What does that mean?

- Well, don't ask silly questions

- This is a murder case.

- Has she been murdered?
- Yes, she has

Is that her?

- Yes.

- Mind you, I didn't know her very well

She only came here once before.

- What was her name?
-Um,

I don't remember--
- Come on, Mademoiselle,

don't you keep a list
of clients' names, hm?

- Yes, but I can't
remember where I put them

And her address, too. Em,

eh L

Louise, that's it.
- Mm-hm.

- And there was another "L".

I'll get it in @ moment

Ask me another question

- Did she change here”

- Yes. And she left her clothes.

I don't ask for any deposit
then. I'l get them

(chuckling)
- She's a pretty tough one

- Oh, we've had her inside
- What for?

- Receiving. Most of
these second-hand places

are just the same

- Call up Records if you can.

See if they have anything on her.

- Right.

{floorboard bangs)
- Blast.

Here they are

They don't amount to much.
(bell chimes)

There's a coat off the peg

Made the dress herself, by the look of it.

Shoes worn down.

- Is that her bag”?

- Yes. I gave her an evening one

It was like this, only silver brocade

You wind the chain round your wrist

- This one's empty.

- She transferred all her stuff.

- Did you see what?

- Makeup, handkerchief,

not much money and identity card.

- Key?

- Didn't see it.

- And her second name?

- No, not yet.

I'll ring you, shall 17?

- Yes, you do that

Quai des Orfevres, or
locally, to Inspector Lognon

- I know him.

Are you keeping the evening dress?

- Yes, you shall have it
back when we're finished.

- It's a terrible thing, really

- You don't seem very distressed

- It wasn't me that was murdered.

- No. What did you think of her?

- Think?

- What sort of impression
did she make on you?

- None.

She came here twice,
hired a dress and went.

Now, she's dead

That's all I know about her.

{suspenseful music)

- She'd been drinking rum.
It's a funny thing to do

- Some people like it

- Yes, but,

I don't know.

Now, what have we got?

- Well, her name was Louise "someone",

she hired a dress last
night, an evening dress,

nine o'clock.

She hadn't much money, but
she had had several drinks--

- Of rum.

- Of rum.

She'd been missing for 12 hours

and so far, nobody's missed her.

{knock on door)
- Come in.

- Here's the picture, patron

- Ah,

not bad.

How long's it been out?

- About an hour.

- Perhaps Coumin was lying.
- Why should she?

{door bangs)

- Well, it's our job to find out

- Well, our job will be much better done

if we all go and get some sleep

- I'm perfectly all right, thank you

- Yeah, but you need a rest

I'll give you a lift in the car

- Oh, no, no, no. I can
easily go by the Metro.

- Well, make sure you get some sleep

- Is that what you're going to do”?

- Yes. Yes, and Lucas. We're
all going to take to our beds

I'l call you as soon
as something happens

(Lucas chuckles)

- I don't know what else he
thought we were gonna do

Oh, I have an expenses form
for you to sign. All ight?

- Allright. Bring it in

- There's eh,

someone to see you.

- Oh--
- It's a woman.

- All right, bring her in.

- Will you come this way, madame, please”

- Madame.

- Are you to do with her?

- Yes, Madame, are you?

- Unfortunately.

She was staying in my
flat until yesterday.

It's been a terrible shock.

- Would you sit down, madame?

See if you can catch Lognon

(door clicks shut)

Now, first, madame,

your hame.

- Mathilde Cremieux.

- [Maigret] Mathilde Cremieux

- I'm a widow.

- [Maigret] And the address?

-113B

Rue de Clichy

- Clichy.

And her,

her name?

- Louise Laboine.

- [Maigret] Louise Laboine

- When I saw her face
locking at me from the paper,

I stood quite still. I couldn't move

- Was she a relation?

- Ch, no. Ch no, no, certainly not

No, she just had a room in my flat

- A lodger?

- Oh, more of a guest.

- But she paid you?

- Well, I didn't like to
be all alone at night

- Did she pay you rent?

- 1 didn't think of it as rent.

- You've got nothing
to worry about, madame

This is criminal justice, not taxation.

So, she paid you rent”?

- Yes.

- Uh-huh, and how long had
she been staying with you?

- About two months.

I advertised and she telephoned

She seemed a nice, quiet girl.

Quiet, indeed!

Never a word out of her.

Every day, when she'd come back from work,

I'd be sitting where I could see her

and I tried to talk to her,

but all she'd ever say was "good
evening" or "good morning",

as if I were the concierge.

- Where did she work?

- As if she'd tell me.

Some office.

I did happen to see a letter,

but I can't remember the name.

Anyhow, she got the sack three weeks ago.

That I do know.

- How do you know?
- She had no money

- Over the past three weeks”?

- Well, she'd go out in the morning,

locking for work, I suppose

And come back in the evening

Not that she looked very hard

I used to see her sitting on a bench

in the Place de la Trinite.

- Where did she eat?

- I don't know.

Not with me. That wasn't
part of our agreement

Though it wouldn't surprise me

if she'd cooked in her
room from time to time.

I found an electric iron among her things,

which I'd expressly forbidden

- Are those her things?
- Yes

I thought I'd better bring them.

I didn't want the police poking about

- Well, you were quite correct

(he bangs case)

She didn't have much.

- Pawned it all.

- Do you recognise that”?

- Yes. It's her bag

- What was in it?

- How should I know?

- 'Cause you looked in it.

- What a suggestion!

- What was in it besides pawn tickets?

- Lipstick,

money,

key of the flat--

- Identity card”?

- I never saw it.

There was a photograph

- Of aman?

- Yes.

- Describe him.

- Oh, good looking,

in his forties.

He could have been her father.

I think it was taken in Nice
on the Promenade des Anglais

I remembered it from my honeymoon

- No name on the back.
- Nothing

- Are you sure that you packed
everything she possessed?

- Oh, I didn't pack. She did

- When?

- Well, yesterday before she went away.

- Was she leaving you?

- I told her to.

She was three weeks behind with her rent.

You can't wait forever.

(Maigret sighs)

Can you?

- Did she say where she was going”?

- I don't think she knew.

She just started to cry when I told her

Still, you have to harden your heart

Otherwise you couldn't live at all,

could you?

- No.

Couldn't live at all.

Thank you, Madame

You've given us some
very useful information

- One does one's duty

- No sign of Lognon

- Hm.

The girl's name was Louise Laboine

- Laboine?

- She has a mother living in Nice

I want you to find her and talk to her.

- What, in Nice?

Ah, good. What do you want to know?

- Everything.

When she was born, where she lived,

why she left Nice,

who her father was.

I want her whole life.

{car horn toots)

(slow amorous music)

- Have you traced the mother yet, Lucas?

- [Lucas] Yes, she spends most of the time

over at the casino in Monte Carlo.

I'm going over there now tc see her

- Good. Let me know as soon as you have

Either here or at my home, right?

- [Lucas] Right.
{door opens)

- Inspector Lognon to see you, patron

- Good.

- Good morning

- Good morning, Lognon

- Good morning

I think I've had a most profitable night.

I've traced most of the
movements of the deceased

immediately prior to her death.

- Good. Let's have 'em.

- At 10:30pm on Monday night,

she entered the Cafe de
la Boute, Rue Venters.

Now, here is a statement by the waiter

"She seemed very cold,
as you might expect,

as she was only wearing an evening dress

I suggested a hot grog and she agreed

She asked for a Zertand
and went to the telephone

10 times, she tried to get a call,

and the last time, she got through."

- What did she say?

- [Lognon] The waiter said he
couldn't hear what she said.

"She had three drinks altogether

and stayed about an hour
and then, went away

No, it only made her sadder.

I talked to her and tried to cheer her up

but she always seemed as if

she was going to burst into tea--"

{Logneon coughs)

"Tears, and said nothing."

- Did anyone else talk to her?

- No, the cafe was empty, so then,

I resumed my interrogation
of the taxi drivers

and the doormen in the vicinity,

but without any success,

until four minutes past
three in the morning,

when I interviewed Leon Cirque.

He recognised the
photograph as that of a girl

he'd seen on Monday night

coming out of a cabaret called "Romeo"

in the Rue--

{Logneon coughs)

Rue--

Rue de Caumartin.

- It's a smart place.

- Yes, at approximately midnight,

she came out of the
cabaret and made her way

across the road in the
direction of the boulevards.

- Alone?

- Alone.

- Well, it seems that she might've been

a cabaret hostess after all.

- Oh, no, it doesn't,
because I then found out

that the Romeo was closed
on the night in question

It had been let for a wedding party

- Which she attended”?

- Ah, yes

The wedding was between
a certain Marco Santoni

and a Jeanine Armagneux of Paris

- Have you talked to them?

(Lognon chuckles)

- They're literally on their honeymoon!

Address unknown. I learned
this from Santoni's man servant

in the Rue de Berri
- When?

(Lognon continues to cough)

- About,

3:57

this meming

- Mm.

- He told me that Santoni
was a wealthy playboy,

who, before his marriage,
had kept Jeanine Armagneux

for five months at the Washington Hotel

- Well, did he recognise the
photograph of the dead girl?

- No, he didn't

But he provided me with
this photograph of Santoni

- Good!

- And this one of Jeanine--

(coughing)

Armagneux

- Better.

- Now, may I telephone Interpol

and ask them to trace the Santoni's?

- Yes, about all we can do at the moment

That's fine.

- Do you know what I'm going to do next?

- What?

- Check up on the wedding details

and then, go to the Hotel Washington

and find out the previous
address of Jeanine Armagneux

and then, continue my
inquiries from there.

Unless, of course,

you wish me to hand over the case to you

- No, no, no

All I want is to find
out who killed this girl

Good luck.

- Thank you

Thank you

(lively piano music)

(general chatter)

- Serveur!

- Monsieur?

I'm looking for & Madame Laboine

Do you know her?

- Yes, monsieur, very well

- Is she here tonight?
- Every night

- Can you point her out to me?

- She's the lady facing you in the furs

- Right. Thank you

- Monsieur.

- Madame Laboine?

Madame.

- Go away.

- I'm a police officer from Paris

It's about your daughter, madame.

Madame, she's dead

(ball rattles)

- Numero quinze!

Noir!

Voila, madame

- There. Nowy, I can talk to you

What was it about Louise?

- She's dead, madame

- Oh, yes, yes. So you told me.

I have to concentrate
on the play, you know

You see, I have to win a little every day

Poor Louise.

Was it an accident?

- She was murdered.

- Ch, surely not. No-one
would murder Louise.

- I should like to ask
you one or two questions

May I offer you a drink?

- Certainly, you may.

I haven't seen her for some
time, you know. She ran away

- When?

- About two years ago, was it? Yes.

It was quite a shock.

I went into the kitchen one morning

and found a note from her,

saying she wasn't ever going to come back,

and she never did.

And now, she's dead

Sad.

- Yes, isn't it?

What would you like to drink?

- Oh, Cognac, please. I
never drink anything else.

- Two Cognacs.

Did she write to you?

- Not a word.

But I did have some news, though

A Mademoiselle Pore wrote me from Paris,

saying that I should keep an eye on her

and not leave her alone in Paris.

That must've been two
months after she left.

Not a nice letter.

- Did you teke any action”?

- Of course not. I couldn't leave here.

- Thank you

Mademoiselle Pore. P-O-R-E?

- That's right.

Rue de Chemin Vert.

Number 16.

- 16, Rue de Chemin Vert.

Are you sure of that?

- Oh, yes. I played it that night.

It didn't come up.
(she chuckles)

- Madame.

- You're quite sure it was her?

- I told you, that was the
girl, quite definitely

- You would swear to it?

- I have sworn to it.

- And you really have no
idea where Madame Santoni is?

- Oh, don't keep calling
her that. It muddles me.

- Well, Jeanine Armagneux
who married Santon.

Anyway, where are they?

- Did you tell anyone where you were going

on your honeymoon?
- Yes. My inspector

{doorbell rings)

- Now, who?

- Mademoiselle Pore?

- Yes.

- The Chief Inspector Maigret.

May I speak to you, please,
about Louise Laboine?

- Oh, very well.

But I really don't see
why it needs two of you

to question a woman
about a girl like Louise,

even if she has been murdered.

Lognon? Ahead of me?

- The Hotel Washington
gave me the address

- Oh, Lucas had to go all
the way to Nice for it

(Lognon chuckles)

So, you knew Louise Laboine?

- I have a statement.

- just told him all
about it when you came

You see, Jeanine--

- The girl who married Santon

- Yes, that's right. You
see, Jeanine is my niece

Her father, my
brother-in-law, lives in Lyon,

in silk, you know, but
he's never been the same

since my poor sister died

- Jeanine lived here, too?

May I see the room she had?

- Of course, if you're going
to take a second statement,

I may as well continue
with my investigations.

- Well, keep in touch

- In what?

- Touch.

- Oh, of course, of course.

- Now, may I see the room?

- Are you senior to him?

- Oh, we work together.

- Mere polite, I must say

Well, where was I?

- Your brother-in-lavs in Lyon

- Oh, yes

Well, he asked me to
have Jeanine here to live

and I said yes, two years ago, this was.

She was tired of Lyon and
wanted to see the world.

Of course, what she really wanted

was to marry a millionaire,

silly girl

But she couldn't do that straight away,

so, she got a job as a shop assistant.

Oh, well, anyway, to
out a long story short,

here we were, the two
of us, or so I thought,

but--
- Was there--?

- No, please don't
interrupt. You'll put me off

Months went by, and at first,
I didn't notice anything odd

but then, I did.

Food was disappearing from the larder,

bread, butter, meat, everything.

I tackled Jeanine.

"Where did the rest of
the pork go?" I asked

"I was peckish in the night,
Auntie." Bold as brass.

And like a fool, I believed her.

Until one day, I was in
here tidying up after her,

when I dropped a cotton reel there

I bent down to pick it up

and I saw a face under there.

- Yes,

was this the face?

- That very face

And now, she's got herself murdered.

Well, that just shows the
sort of person she was

You know, all the time
Jeanine had been here,

this girl had shared this
room with her, at my expense

- Where had Jeanine met Louise?

- On the train, coming to Paris

This Louise was coming up from
Nice, but she hadn't enough

to keep herself for more than a few days

And Jeanine invited her to my flat

and smuggled her in
while I was out at work.

Just think of it.

Those drawers are all
quite empty, by the way

- So, what did you do about Louise”

- I showed her the door. What else?

- And Jeanine?

- I told her off good and proper.

But she said she was sorry for
the girl and went with her

However, they didn't stay
long together after that

‘Cause Jeanine went to live
with that dreadful Italian.

- Santoni, yes

So, Louise was left alone?

I believe you wrote to her mother in Nice

- I did. To warn her of what
her daughter had become

- Oh. What had she become?

- Well, nothing more nor
less than a common criminal.

- So,

Jeanine takes up

with Santon,

and Louise is left alone.

But she still knows Jeanine well enough to

ring her up,

go along to her wedding party,

and a few hours later, she's dead

Why?

Why?

Didn't have any friends

How could she have any enemies?

- Someone may have thought
she had some money

(light music)

- Then, after the Folies
Bergere, I travelled

Far and wide, I went

It was a very artistic act.

I'went to Cairo and Alexandria,

Addis Ababa, that's in
Ethiopia. They liked me there

- I'm sure they did, madame

When did you give up dancing”?

- Oh, years ago, dear, when I married

My husband thought I should.

- Tell me about him.

- Oh, he was a lovely man.

It was in Istanbul.

He came three nights
running to see the act

- What was his name?

- Julius Van Kramme. Dutch,
you know. Very cosmopolitan

Spoke a dozen languages

and always stayed in the best hotels.

The other girls were green with envy

Mind you, I didn't say
I would have married him

if I hadn't got caught.
- Caught?

- Louise, you know

After all those years,
me! I was mortified

Still, he did marry me.

- In a church?

- Oh, no, dear. In an office

We swore an oath and signed
some papers and there we were

Two days later, we sailed for Nice

A couple of months after
that, Louise was born

She was a pretty little thing.

How sad.

- And your husband?

- Well, two months after Louise was born,

he went out to get some cigarettes

and never came back. Such a
pity. He was a lovely man

- Haven't you heard from him since”

- Oh, yes. Letters from
all over the world.

Usually with a little money

and asking questions about Louise

I've often wished I collected stamps.

- When did you last hear?

- About a year ago from America

The usual nice little cheque

and the usual questions about Louise.

- Madame.

- Of course, I couldn't answer them

I hadn't got her address.

- What was his?
- Poste Restante, Detroit.

Oh, you won't catch him like that.

He's far too clever.

That's why my name's
Laboine and not Van Kramme.

- Madame?

- Well, when I went to
renew my identity card,

they wanted to see my
marriage certificate

Well, of course, it was all in Turkish

And when they translated it,

they discovered it wasn't a
marriage certificate at all

It was a licence to import a parrot!

(she giggles)

What a surprise!

I mean, I couldn't help
laughing. He was a lovely man!

{both laugh)
- Sante, madame!

(subdued music)

(footsteps click)

- Well done, Lucas. Catch
the next plane back

Yes. It's still raining here

The mimosa is out. Let's
get posted to the south

Lapointe?

[Maigret] Get all that?
- Yes, patron, I've got it

- Good. I want you to send this cable

to Washington DC for me

- [Lapointe] Mm-hm

- Request information, Julius Van Kramme

Possibly un-convicted confidence man

Dutch-born, address, Poste Restante,

Detroit.

- [Lapointe] Right.

- Oh, wait a minute.

Get hold of Prieler in Records.

Blast the hide off him.

‘Cause he promised to send me the address

of Jeanine Armagneux
between leaving her aunt

and going off to live in
sin at the Hotel Washington

Hm? All right, I'l wait

- Will you be in to lunch?

- Yeah.

I don't see why not.

This case isn't going to
be solved by dashing about,

whatever Lognon thinks.

- Good.

- [Lapointe] Patron”?
- Hm?

- Inspector Prieler's compliments,

but he didn't know you still
wanted it, as Inspector Lognon

had consulted the files
personally yesterday

(Maigret curses)

- Yes, patron.

Well, it's 12 Rue de Ponthieu

- When was this other inspector here?

- Yesterday. He did have a terrible cold

Ought to be in bed

- He ought

Well, I'm probably going to
ask you all the same things

that he did.

- About Jeanine and Louise?
- Mm-hm.

- As long as you don't mind my working

- No.

- My Jacques works at Beancort

He doesn't get much time for lunch.

- Did you know them well, the two girls?

- Jeanine, I did

- Mm!

- She was always dropping in for a gossip

about her boyfriends

But Louise, you couldn't get to know

She was shy.

She hadn't a word to say for herself.

- What did she do in the evening”?

- Oh, stayed in mostly.

When she did go out, she didn't go far

She seemed frightened of Paris.

Like a child.

Got on Jeanine's nerves in the end.

- Drove her off to live
at the Hotel Washington

- She didn't need much driving

Though I dare say. it helped

No.

Of course, she's married
to Monsieur Santoni now.

Much better, I think.

- Bid Louise stay on here alone?

- Mm. For three days
until the lease ran out.

Then, she left

Oh, I was sorry for her.

She seemed so alone.

Didn't even know where she was going.

- I know where she went in the end,

Madame Cremieux.

- wish I'd known that
address when the man called.

- What man?

- Oh, funny, little chap

An American, I think.

- Really? What did he want?

- Oh, brought Louise a letter.

He left it here in case
she came back. She didn't.

- Where's the letter now?
- I gave it to Jeanine

- Why?

- Well, Jeanine dropped in
to tell me about the wedding

She said that Louise would be
sure to get in touch with her

when she saw the announcement.

I don't know if she did.

- She did.

- No, monsieur,

signor.

Please don't hang up
Look, this is most vital

Operator, put this call
through to Inspector Maigret

at Grenelle 4570.

Leave me in on this line, will you?

Quick as you can, please. It's from Italy

- Look, lock, look, I don't
want to speak to anybody

Nobody. And you ring me up

and then, there is nobody to speak to me

It's not good enough

Hm?

My wife has nothing to do with it.

No.

So, why should she be pestered
on our honeymoon, huh?

What do you like it? No, you would not.

Neither do I.

Oh, bambina,

amore!

Grrl

Yes, and who are you?

Hm?

Maigret?

Never heard of you

Why don't you ask the inspector
who telephoned just now?

The one with a cold. He
can tell you all about it

- I'm sorry, signor,

but the inspector with
the cold is not available.

And we need this
information very urgently

- I suppose it's about that wretched note

the concierge gave me for Louise

- [Maigret] Yes,

and about how she came to
be at your wedding party

- She came to barrow money.
I lent her 20 francs.

- [Maigret] Did you give her the note”?

- No, of course not. Why
should I take it to my wedding?

I told her what was in it.

- [Maigret] You read it?

- Yes. Marco made me open it.

He thought it was to me from
a lover, didn't you, darling?

[Jeanine] No, no, no, no--

- She's a lively girl. Jeanine

- Can you remember what it said”?

- Uh,

more or less.

It was from a man who said
he had to leave France,

but that he had an urgent message for her.

And that if she was to mention his name,

Jimmy, at the Pickwick Bar
in the Rue de L'Etoile,

she would be given it.

- Thank you very much,
madame. Very much indeed

(moaning and giggling)

I won't trouble you any longer

{phone hangs up)

Lapointe, did you get that?

- [Lapointe] Yes, patron

- Call up Lucas. Tell him I'll pick him up

on the way to the Pickwick Bar

(lively music)

(tense music)

- Whereabouts is this Pickwick Club?

- It's just round the corner
in the Rue de L'Etoile.

You can park here. We won't be long

(lively music)

- One moment.

- What's he called?

- Albert Mercin, Corsican,
sent up for gold smuggling

Kicks around with the Bianchi crowd.

- Bianchi?
- Yeah

- Yeah, worked for the Rue Lebi

- Yes, sir

- Good, we're among professionals here

What will you have, pastis?
- Thank you

- Two pastis.

- Two pastis

- Not very busy.

- We fill up later

- In the evening?

- Yes.

- Albert--

{music switches off)

What time did Inspector Lognon come here?

- Half an hour ago, a bit more.

- Mm-hm.

Do you know her?

- Seen her.

- In here Monday night?

- Why ask, if you know?

- Were there many people in here then”

- Quite a lot.

- What did she do?

- Took a stool.

- Which one?

- That one.

- And then?

- She ordered a gin and vermouth.

- Did she have a handbag?

- Yes. Sort of silver with
a chain to hold it by

- Did she ask for a letter?

- Yes.
- Where was it?

- There.

- Let's have a look at those.

- People want to get
in touch with customers

whose addresses they don't
know, so they write here

- Mm.

- He's doing four years!

- We'll forward it.

Anyhow, you gave Mademoiselle
Laboine her letter.

- When ['ve seen her identity card.

- Why did you ask for that?

- I was told to. The American told me to.

- Jimmy”?
- Yes.

- Jimmy what?
- Never asked

- Did he tell you anything about himself?

- That he'd been inside.

- Nothing about a letter?

- That it was important.

- I see.

So, after you'd given the girl her letter,

what did she do?

- Went downstairs.

- What's down there?
- The telephones

- When she came up again”

- She looked more cheerful
- Good.

- Came back to the bar.

- Same stool?
- Yes.

- And ordered another drink?
- No. She was bought one

- Who by?

- The other American.

- Who the devil's he?

- A man who took to coming in here

Big fellow with a scar on his cheek

- Friend of Jimmy's?

- No, in fact, Jimmy
thought he was tailing him

- Why?

- He thought the FBI were after
him, or that's what he said

- Did you believe him?

- Oh, I believe everyone.

- So, this other American

still came in here after Jimmy had gone

- Every day

- And talked to the girl? The dead girl?

- Offered her a drink.

- Which she accepted. And then?

- They drank up and went out together

- Did they take a taxi?
- No, he had a car

- Mm-hm. Did you tell
this to Inspector Lognon?

- Oh, yes

He asked me if I had any idea
where the American had gone

- Yes?

- I told him he was in on Tuesday evening,

the day after the murder,

and that he asked me the
best road to Brussels,

and whether I knew of a good hotel there.

I told him to go by Compiegne
and stay at The Palace

- So, what did Inspector Lognon do then?

- Phoned the station for
train times to Brussels

and left in a taxi for the Gare du Nord.

- Well, how much do we owe you?

- Eight francs. No service

Thank you

- And your hat and coat?

- What?

- You're coming with us

- Oh, no, you can't pull that one

I've told you what I know

- Are you coming or do
you want to be fetched?

- I can't leave the bar.

- Lock it up

You won't be back.

- Yes, an urgent priority
call to the FBI in Washington.

Inspector Maigret wants to
talk to Inspector Clark

Well, put it through as
quickly as you can, will you?

Thanks.

{traffic rumbles)

- Ah, my cigarette, pulled the end off

- International.

Maigret.

I want you to get through
to Belgian Police for me

A message for Inspector Lognon
and the Brussels station.

Please return at once.

There is no other American,

and there never was.

Was there?

Hm?

Was there?

- No.

- No.

Lapointe, call up the restaurant
and cancel the supper.

We shan't need it.
- Oh?

- He's booked
- So soon?

- Now, let's have the truth

All of it.

From the time that she came into the bar.

She didn't have a drink, did she?

- No.

- She didn't go downstairs, did she?

- No
- No.

But you gave her the letter?
- A letter

- With a blank piece of paper in it?

When did you open it?

- As soon as Jimmy left for the States

We reckoned anyone who'd
go to all that trouble

to find a girl must have
something important to say.

- And what did he have to say?

- It wasn't from Jimmy at all
- No.

It was from her father, wasn't it?

- Yes.

He said by the time she got
the letter, he'd be dead,

and he went on,

"The only thing I can do for you, my girl,

is to see that you're provided for.

As soon as you get this, you
must arrange for a passport

and an American visa.

Go to New York, wait at the address below

You'll find a Polish tailor called

no--"

- If you remember nothing
else, you remember that

- Lucachek.

- Lucachek.

- She was to show him her passport

and she'd receive a sum of money in notes.

That was all that mattered.
The rest was sentimental stuff.

- And the address?

The tailor's address!

-1214

37th street,

Brooklyn.

- And who had you shown the letter to?

- The boss.

- Who had you shown it to”?

- Bianchi.

- Pull a beak. Take a
squad car. Pick him up

{phone rings)
- Aye, sir

- Maigret.

What?

Washington?

That's quick.

Inspector Clark

- Hi, Maigret. How's
crime? And how's Paris?

We got your cable and we've
traced this Van Kramme for you

He died in Sing Sing last month

He was doing eight years for
conning a Texas oil tycoon

They should jail a man for that!

- [Maigret] Had he a partner?

- Yeah. Called Jimmy O'Malley.

He only got three years, came
out a couple of months back

- [Maigret] Yes, and
then, came over to Paris

Was the money recovered?

- Only peanuts

Van Kramme had a hundred
grand stashed away somewhere

- I think you'll find
the rest of the money

at 1214

37th street,

Brooklyn,

in the hands of a Polish tailor,

called Lucachek.

[Maigret] Au revoir!

- [Inspector Clark] Thanks a lot

- $100,000

- We didn't know how much it was.

- You thought you'd
steal her identity card,

use it to get a visa,

and then, send one of your
girls over to the States

to pick up the money

- Yes. You see, we
never meant to kill her.

- Ah, you convince me of that.

- She had her identity
card in this evening bag

she was carrying, and the
chain went round her wrist.

-Goon.

- Well, Bianchi was waiting
outside in a car with Tatu,

but you won't find him, he's skipped

Anyway. the girl went out
and they followed her along

for a bit. Mind you, I wasn't there

This is what Bianchi said.

- And he'll say it again. Go on

- When he saw a good moment, he hopped out

and tried to snatch the bag,

but she had this chain around her wrist.

He couldn't get it away

She went down on her knees
and opened her mouth to yell,

so, he hit her in the face
Then she caught hold of him

and wouldn't let go. He
had a cosh in his pocket

and he hit her with it, just
a bit too hard. She was dead

- And he bundled her into the car,

dropped her well away from The Pickwick.

- That's right.

Mind you, we never meant
to kill her. Never!

You could call it bad luck, really.

- Oh, you could.

Yes, you could

They'll punish you, Albert.
They'll punish you hard!

And not for that really
miserable thing you did,

stealing that letter.

She should have known that

someone cared.

Take him away.

(dramatic music)

- But what put you onto it?

- He did.

- Albert?
- Yes.

- The whole story was
virong from the start

Every single thing rang false,

from the moment he described
her coming into the bar

She was a shy girl, Lucas

- Shy

- Yeah.

Desperately shy

Standing there in her shabby blue dress,

everyone looking at her.

She could never have sat in a
bar stool and ordered a drink

As for taking one from a stranger,

wouldn't even talk to him.

She was afraid of people

My god, she was right to be.

- Old Lognon believed Albert's story

- He was only looking for the murderer

He didn't know the girl

- But neither did you.

- I do now.