Maigret and the Madwoman (Inspector Maigret, #72)

"I'm relying on you. I trust you."Maigret knew those words would haunt him to his grave. As the famous inspector stared down at the lifeless body of of the frail old lady, her last words to him kept hammering at his ears: "I'm relying on you. I trust you."The little old lady had been hanging around Police headquarters for days. She insisted on seeing only her hero, Maigret. Finally, she confronted the Inspector and patiently told her story. Somebody was trying to do her harm. She didn't know who, and she didn't know why.Maigret promised to call on her as soon as he could find a free moment. Maigret felt partially responsible; how could he not. This was going to be a special case. He would find the killer if it was the last thing he ever did! This is a very special case in Maigret's experience, in which he invests his heart as much as his ingenuity. A nice old lady, meticulously groomed and showing no signs of derangement, timidly tries to see the famous detective and finally accosts him in the street. She is frightened: someone invades her apartment during her absences. Nothing is missing. But, says she, there are minute changes in the positions of objects, which to her prove the presence of an intruder. Maigret's subordinates shrug her off as a lunatic, and she becomes known at Police Headquaters as Maigret's Madwoman. But Maigret is touched by the look in her eyes and promises to go and see her. Someone else, however, gets there ahead of him. This sets the stage for a hunt that takes Maigret into the underworld of the Riviera and brings an innocent woman close to disaster. Madame Maigret, for once, modestly interferes and helps to throw light on the case by her understanding of female psychology. Maigret is shrewd enough to see her point. An Elderly Woman Who Has Repeatedly Sought Chief Superintendent Maigret's Help Over An Intruder In Her Apartment Is Mysteriously Murdered. Translated From The French By Eileen Ellenbogen. A Helen And Kurt Wolff Book. Translation Of La Folle De Maigret. Flanking the main gate of Police Headquarters, Officer Picot stood guard on the left, and his old friend Latuile on the right.