Maigret and Lucas drove to the harbour town of Honfleur to arrest a smuggler. After successful job and shortly before their return to Paris, Lucas is informed by old Didine that a corpse is lying in the house of judge Forlacroix. When the two detectives arrive at the mysterious house, the judge is actually busy throwing a dead body into the water. Strangely enough, Forlacroix seems more pleasantly surprised than startled by the visit of the police ... Based on the 21st Maigret novel La maison du juge (1940), which was published in German under the title Maigret im Haus des Richter.