A vast emptiness. The room, in the darkness, seemed big as a cathedral. Warm currents of air still drifted from the radiators. Delfosse struck a match. They paused for a moment to take a breath and get their bearings. And suddenly the match dropped. A piercing shriek came from Delfosse … Chabot saw something too. Maigret observes from a distance as two boys are accused of killing a rich foreigner in Li?ge. Their loyalty, which binds them together through their adventures in the seedier side of the city, is put to the test as seemingly irrelevant social differences threaten their friendship.