His wish is granted when Madam Nathalie Sabin-Levesque, an elegant but highly nervous lady insists that he personally investigates the disappearance of her husband Gérard, a highly successful and rich Parisian lawyer.

With the assistance of various other detectives, but principally Lapointe, Maigret soon discovers that Madam Sabin-Levesque is virtually an alcoholic and has lived an effectively separate life from her husband, who regularly vanishes for days or weeks to take up with various girls.

She hoped for a life of comfort and security with her new husband, who owned a villa in Cannes and inherited money, but they soon grew to ignore and despise each other.

Maigret somewhat reluctantly arrests Nathalie, knowing that she is in poor health and will spend time in the prison hospital.

The first English version appeared in 1973, translated by Marianne Alexandre Sinclair as Maigret and Monsieur Charles.