| Maigret is in Tucson, Arizona, on a study-tour of America, guided by his FBI friend Harry Cole, who leaves him one day to watch a coroner's inquest. Five young Air Force men, Sergeant Ward, Sergeant Dan Mullins, Corporal Jimmy Van Fleet, Sergeant Ted O'Neil, and Corporal Wo Lee had gone out drinking and driving one night with a young girl, Bessie Mitchell, whose body had been found the next morning on the tracks, run over by a train. Maigret becomes engrossed in the hearing for the next few days, and successfully predicts the guilty party. The men's stories are often conflicting, as are those of the deputy sheriffs who went to the scene.
The six had driven towards Mexico, but had stopped along the way, and Bessie had gotten out, but didn't return with them. Three of them, Van Fleet, O'Neil and Lee returned by taxi, presumably to search for her, but reported they hadn't found her. In fact, as Van Fleet finally admitted, two of them, Van Fleet and O'Neil had, but when Bessie had figured out O'Neil's plan to share her with Van Fleet she'd gotten angry and run onto the tracks where she'd fallen. O'Neil claimed he left her there in anger and returned with the others when Lee had gotten them a ride. Maigret leaves by plane for Los Angeles without discovering the final results. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - Dry-cynical How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - nearly 100% Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Unusual characteristics: Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting United States Yes The US: - Midwest Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Unusual forms of death - run over Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |
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