Chief Inspector Maigret Visits London by Margaret de Rohan Page B

I’d stake my pension that it’s genuine.’
    â€˜That’s even more interesting, Jacques. And what’s the second thing?’
    â€˜With the money was a photograph of a famous London landmark.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜The London Eye, sir, previously known as the Millennium Wheel.’

Chapter Fifteen
    â€˜Well, well, well,’ Clive Scott said the next morning, when Philippe Maigret filled him in on the result of Jacques’ detective work. ‘So he thinks the money’s real. And as for the photograph, well… ’
    â€˜The possible target for the bombers, if that’s what they are.’
    â€˜And the money – what’s your take on that?’
    â€˜My guess is that it’s either payment owing for getting rid of Serge, or payment in advance for the next job.’
    â€˜I agree. Where is it now?’
    â€˜Jacques has it. I told him to wait until he hears from me, then he should take a taxi to Scotland Yard and give it to you for safe-keeping.’
    â€˜No need for a taxi, Chief Inspector Maigret, we’ll send a car for him: it’s the least we can do after all his foot-slogging work on behalf of the Met police. He is, as you said, an excellent police officer.’
    â€˜Thank you, Chief Inspector. But now I must say goodbye, it’s time for me to meet Inspector Martin at St Mary’s. We must not keep the air ambulance waiting. We too, have our budgets.’
    â€˜The cost of the air ambulance will be met from Scotland Yard’s contingency fund,’ Clive Scott said firmly. ‘Has the car I sent to Mrs Lisle’s apartment arrived?’
    â€˜Yes, it’s been here for a while.’
    â€˜Good. Please stay in touch, Chief Inspector Maigret. I have the feeling that your interests, and mine, might be somehow connected.’
    â€˜I will. And I agree that there’s a connection. But how and why – well that’s for us to discover, and the sooner the better.’
    Celia, Max and Timmy, with their parents, were already at St Mary’s hospital when Megan and Philippe arrived. They had been given special permission to miss school that morning, which was a source of considerable satisfaction to them. Timmy was clutching his new cricket bat, the one he had left in Georges Martin’s room at that dark time when he was in a coma. Inspector Martin, although still pale and weak, had returned it to Timmy with a touching little ceremony.
    â€˜Thank you, my young friend,’ he said, kissing Timmy’s forehead and ruffling his hair the way he’d noticed his boss do to Celia, ‘I have no doubt that this wonderful bat played a big part in my recovery.’
    â€˜It did?’ said Timmy, greatly impressed. ‘How, exactly, did it work, Georges?’
    â€˜Every time I looked at it, I was reminded that I
must
get better, so I could prove to you and Max that it might not be impossible for Frenchmen to learn to play cricket.’
    â€˜Next time you’re in London,’ Max said, ‘Timmy and me will take you to practise in the nets, Georges. Then you’ll be able to bowl as well as you bat.’
    â€˜And afterwards we’ll have a barbecue at our house with crème caramel for pudding.’
    â€˜Crème caramel?’
    â€˜It’s a long story, Inspector Martin,’ their mother explained, ‘but one I think you’ll enjoy. Ask Philippe. He knows about it.’
    Then they all piled into a mini-van to drive to RAF Northolt, except for Chief Inspector Maigret, who accompanied Georges Martin in the ambulance with the two paramedics. It didn’t take long to drive to South Ruislip; however, when they arrived at RAF Northolt they were surprised to find that Chief Inspector Scott and Sergeant Andy Gillespie were already there, waiting for them.
    â€˜You didn’t think we’d let a police hero leave the country without a proper send-off, did you?’ Clive Scott