A Crime in Holland Read Online Free Page A
Author: Georges Simenon
remarkably affable manner, he underlined every sentence with a little nod, which seemed to indicate: âYou get my meaning? We are agreed on this?â
Although in truth Maigret hardly gave him time to start speaking.
âSince youâve been on this case for six days,â he said, âyou must have checked the times.â
âWhat times?â
âIt would be interesting for instance to know exactly how many minutes the victim took to escort Mademoiselle Beetje home, and then return. Wait! Iâd also like to know what time Mademoiselle Beetje actually set foot back in the farm, where her father was waiting up for her, and he ought to be able to tell you that. And lastly, the time that young Cor arrived back at the college boat, where there is no doubt a night watchman.â
The Dutch inspector looked annoyed, stood up suddenly as if struck by inspiration, went towards the back of the room, and returned carrying a very shabby seamanâs cap. Then, enunciating his words with exaggerated slowness, he said:
âWe have found the owner of this item which was discovered in the bath â¦Â He is â¦Â He is a man we call âthe Baesâ. In French youâd say â
le patron
â, the boss.â
Was Maigret even listening?
âWe have not arrested him, because we wish to keep him under observation, and he is popular in the district. You know the mouth of the Ems? When you reach the North Sea, about ten sea miles from here, you come to some sandy islands, which can be more or less completely submerged in the high equinoctial tides. One of these islands is called Workum. This man has settled there with his family and some farmhands, and taken it into his head to raise
livestock. Thatâs âthe Baesâ for you. Heâs been granted a state subsidy, because he has established squatterâs rights. And he has even been appointed mayor of Workum, of which he is the only Dutch citizen. He has a motor launch, and comes and goes between his island and Delfzijl.â
Maigret still did not budge. The Dutchman winked.
âAn odd fellow! Sixty years old, and as solid as a rock. He has three sons, all pirates like himself. Because â¦Â Listen! This is not the sort of thing to shout out loud. You know that Delfzijl is a port for handling timber from Finland and Riga â¦Â The steamboats that bring the logs here have part of the cargo on deck, held down with chains. But in emergencies, the captains have orders to cut the chains and jettison the deck cargo into the sea, to save the boat. You still donât see what I am driving at?â
And certainly Maigret gave no sign of being at all interested in this story.
âThe Baes is a cunning man. He knows all the sea captains who come in here. He has his little arrangements with them. So when they are in sight of the islands, thereâs always a reason to be found for cutting at least one chain. Then several tons of timber go into the sea and the tide throws them up on Workum sands. Wreckersâ rights. Now do you understand? And the Baes shares the proceeds with the captains. And it was
his
cap that they found in the bath. Just one problem. He only smokes a pipe. But he may not have been alone.â
âAnd thatâs it?â
âNo. Ah no! Monsieur Popinga, who has contacts everywhere, or rather who
had
, was appointed Finnish vice-consul in Delfzijl a couple of weeks ago.â
The skinny young man was triumphant now, puffing with satisfaction.
âAnd where was the Baesâs boat on the night of the crime?â
This time it was almost a shout.
âIn Delfzijl. Moored at the quayside. Near the lock! In other words, fifty metres from the Popinga house.â
Maigret tamped more tobacco into his pipe, and paced up and down in the office, looking with a jaundiced eye at the reports, of which he could understand not a damned word.
âAnd you havenât anything else to go
Although in truth Maigret hardly gave him time to start speaking.
âSince youâve been on this case for six days,â he said, âyou must have checked the times.â
âWhat times?â
âIt would be interesting for instance to know exactly how many minutes the victim took to escort Mademoiselle Beetje home, and then return. Wait! Iâd also like to know what time Mademoiselle Beetje actually set foot back in the farm, where her father was waiting up for her, and he ought to be able to tell you that. And lastly, the time that young Cor arrived back at the college boat, where there is no doubt a night watchman.â
The Dutch inspector looked annoyed, stood up suddenly as if struck by inspiration, went towards the back of the room, and returned carrying a very shabby seamanâs cap. Then, enunciating his words with exaggerated slowness, he said:
âWe have found the owner of this item which was discovered in the bath â¦Â He is â¦Â He is a man we call âthe Baesâ. In French youâd say â
le patron
â, the boss.â
Was Maigret even listening?
âWe have not arrested him, because we wish to keep him under observation, and he is popular in the district. You know the mouth of the Ems? When you reach the North Sea, about ten sea miles from here, you come to some sandy islands, which can be more or less completely submerged in the high equinoctial tides. One of these islands is called Workum. This man has settled there with his family and some farmhands, and taken it into his head to raise
livestock. Thatâs âthe Baesâ for you. Heâs been granted a state subsidy, because he has established squatterâs rights. And he has even been appointed mayor of Workum, of which he is the only Dutch citizen. He has a motor launch, and comes and goes between his island and Delfzijl.â
Maigret still did not budge. The Dutchman winked.
âAn odd fellow! Sixty years old, and as solid as a rock. He has three sons, all pirates like himself. Because â¦Â Listen! This is not the sort of thing to shout out loud. You know that Delfzijl is a port for handling timber from Finland and Riga â¦Â The steamboats that bring the logs here have part of the cargo on deck, held down with chains. But in emergencies, the captains have orders to cut the chains and jettison the deck cargo into the sea, to save the boat. You still donât see what I am driving at?â
And certainly Maigret gave no sign of being at all interested in this story.
âThe Baes is a cunning man. He knows all the sea captains who come in here. He has his little arrangements with them. So when they are in sight of the islands, thereâs always a reason to be found for cutting at least one chain. Then several tons of timber go into the sea and the tide throws them up on Workum sands. Wreckersâ rights. Now do you understand? And the Baes shares the proceeds with the captains. And it was
his
cap that they found in the bath. Just one problem. He only smokes a pipe. But he may not have been alone.â
âAnd thatâs it?â
âNo. Ah no! Monsieur Popinga, who has contacts everywhere, or rather who
had
, was appointed Finnish vice-consul in Delfzijl a couple of weeks ago.â
The skinny young man was triumphant now, puffing with satisfaction.
âAnd where was the Baesâs boat on the night of the crime?â
This time it was almost a shout.
âIn Delfzijl. Moored at the quayside. Near the lock! In other words, fifty metres from the Popinga house.â
Maigret tamped more tobacco into his pipe, and paced up and down in the office, looking with a jaundiced eye at the reports, of which he could understand not a damned word.
âAnd you havenât anything else to go