And Then . . .

All of a sudden, Pépé left the house. He needed fresh air to think. He was sweating a lot. Even though he was a policeman, he couldn’t call the office. Pépé thought quickly. Thanks to his work, he knew a lot of criminal types. Maybe, with their help . . . no! Pépé did not want to be chased his entire life; in fact, he and his wife had just bought a house the year before and it was brand-new. He wanted to stay there for a long time. But it’s difficult to appreciate a house when one is imprisoned. Pépé continued to think. In spite of the difficulty, he could attach rocks to the pieces and throw them into the river! If someone saw them, he would explain that he was a policeman and that he was doing forensic experiments. But the tailor! If he hadn’t seen the accident, everything would be perfect. After much thought, Pépé returned to the house. Marie asked him to come into the living room. There, he saw the mannequin all put together in the middle of the room! Marie declared that she had already paid for it and that was why she had decided to use it like a statue. She affirmed that she could dress him up like Santa Claus.

Tired, Pépé fell into a chair and asked his wife to bring him a drink.