Œuvres complètes de Guy de Maupassant - volume 16

A rural delivery man discovers the naked body of a young girl in an ancient wood, triggering an exhaustive investigation that lasts through the summer but finds no culprit. Suspicions fall on various villagers who later prove their innocence, while mysterious evidence, including a pair of wooden clogs placed before the girl’s home, fuels rumor and unease. The narrative traces official inquiries, neighborhood tensions, and the way unresolved violence disturbs ordinary life, highlighting communal fear, the fragility of social trust, and the persistence of unanswered questions in a small community.