"A woman and her child have been brutally murdered in their flat: the woman's throat slit, and the child smothered by silk cushions. Standing accused is the victim's nephew, a quiet picture-framer from the outskirts of Paris. The violence of the crime stands in stark contrast to his gentle nature, but Meurant was glimpsed fleeing from the scene, and a suit is found bearing traces of human blood. Yet Maigret can't reconcile the violent portrait the Court is painting with the man his investigations have revealed. Is Meurant guilty of this shocking crime, or, as Maigret fears, are the wheels of justice about to destroy an innocent man?"--Publisher description.