Maigret is visited by Leon Florentin, an old schoolfriend, last seen accompanied by an elegant Parisienne twenty years ago Now, disreputable and shabby, he tells Maigret that the lady of loose morals he was living with was shot while he was in the cupboard of the next room He protests his innocence but, when Josephine's savings are found in Florentin's flat, Maigret must discover if things are as straightforward as they appear