Marcel Dolé

An art dealer wants to buy a Modigliani, which is tattooed on the back of an old soldier.

Shopkeeper Victor Garnier has naively invested his family's life savings in an African mine, on his banker's recommendation. When the mine is nationalized, rendering the stock worthless, he considers himself shamelessly robbed by the bank; it seems only fair to him to return the 'favor' and rob the bank, teaming up with the whole family as they were all duped. Even for professionals such an enterprise -he decides to dig a tunnel- is quite demanding, but for simple commoners it's daunting, as they also have their personal downsides; thus Victor's wife has a most unwelcome tendency to blurt out the truth, even to the grumpy local copper: a crazy risk when you need to keep a criminal plan secret.

Wishing to find an old love that resurfaced, Juan, a Chilean diplomat, Dominique asks his friend François to act as an intermediary.

「殺人鬼に罠をかけろ」のジョルジュ・シムノン、ジャン・ドラノワ、ジャン・ギャバン、トリオによるメグレ・シリーズの一篇。フランス中部の片田舎に住む伯爵未亡人に届いた殺人予告の脅迫状。調査の依頼を受けた幼なじみのメグレ警視はさっそく屋敷を訪れる。が、殺人は予告通り遂行され……。