Read Online Chief Inspector Maigret Visits London by Margaret de Rohan - Free Book Online Page B

thought. Should I take him to the hospital again? Or maybe the doctor will do an emergency home visit?
    â€˜What I just said!’
    â€˜I’m sorry – what did you say?’
    â€˜I said, what does ‘crème caramel’ mean?’
    â€˜What? It’s a kind of dessert, Timmy, you know that. It’s one of your favourites.’
    Timmy sighed in exasperation. ‘I
know
it’s a dessert, but what does it
mean
?’
    â€˜It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just the name of a pudding.’
    When his father came downstairs five minutes later Timmy tried again. ‘What does ‘crème caramel’ mean, Dad?’ he asked.
    â€˜It’s a dessert. It doesn’t
have
to
mean
anything.’
    â€˜Oh, forget it!’ Timmy said, stomping off huffily towards the study. ‘I’ll ask Granny. At least I know she
willlisten to me, even if she doesn’t know the answer!’
    But Granny did know because, as Timmy’s dad had said many times, Granny had an elephantine memory, and you know how elephants are supposed to have phenomenal memories. And indeed she did have quite a good memory, although she often wished it worked better with French verbs than it did with useless bits of trivia.
    Timmy caught Granny just as she was about to leave for St Mary’s again. When he asked her the question she didn’t say that it was a kind of pudding, instead she asked, ‘Why do you need to know, sweetie?’
    â€˜Because that’s what Max has been yelling all night, and I’m fed up with it!’
    The cogs in Granny’s brain began turning: spinning, sifting, sorting, scrutinising, selecting, through the masses of data stored there. Then, finally, the file she was looking for popped into her consciousness. Gotcha, she thought triumphantly. ‘I see. Could you take the phone to Max now please, Timmy? I need to speak to him. I’ll tell you later what I think it might be about.’
    â€˜Okay.’
    â€˜Hello,’ it was Max’s voice faint and fretful.
    â€˜Max, it’s Granny.’
    â€˜I know. I’m sick, Granny. I’ve never felt like this before. Not in my whole life.’
    â€˜I know, darling. Where does it hurt?’
    â€˜Everywhere. Everywhere hurts – even my eyes, and my teeth – everywhere, but mostly my head. And the inside of my stomach too. I’m not pretending, Granny, I really am sick.’
    â€˜I know you are, darling, and it’s because of Georges, isn’t it?’
    There was a long pause: a very long pause while she waited for Max to answer, but he said nothing. ‘Max, do you remember all of us being in France together a long time ago? You were only a little sprog and Timmy was just a baby, remember?’
    â€˜I think I remember. Granddad was there too, wasn’t he? And did we stay in a big house with a swimming pool, and Celia and I slept in a room together, next to Mum and Dad’s room?’
    â€˜Yes, that’s it! And Nathaniel and Julie were there too. Nat was even younger than you, and he used to do a wobbly walk around the edge of the pool: Granddad always worried that he might fall in. Remember?’
    â€˜I
think
so.’
    â€˜Good. Then can you remember that one day it rained all day long, and everyone was miserable because we couldn’t swim, or even go outside? All we could do was read and look at the rain.’
    â€˜I don’t remember that.’
    â€˜I think you do, Max. Or at least part of your brain remembers.’
    â€˜I’m very tired, Granny. I can’t think about this any more. It makes my headache worse.’
    â€˜Please, darling, just a few minutes more while I tell you a little story: it’s
a true
story. Would that be okay?’
    â€˜I guess so.’
    â€˜That night, the night when it had rained all day, I gave you and Celia a bath, then you both climbed into bed and I read you a story.’
    â€˜What