A Thousand Francs Reward; and, Military Sketches

In the bustling Rue du Marais, whispers about a missing merchant quickly become the talk of every shop, and a thousand‑franc reward is offered for any clue. Theodore Jandidier, a stout, respectable jeweler, vanishes after a brief evening walk, leaving his grieving wife and their beautiful daughter, Thérèse, to face bewildering questions. The local police, baffled by the calm façade of the Jandidier household, begin to probe the routine that seemed so ordinary.

Enter M. Magloire, a sharp‑eyed detective known as Retiveau, who is handed a fresh portrait of the missing man and a set of puzzling details—like the exact time of his last sighting. As he pieces together testimonies from a nervous wife, a curious clock‑maker, and a neighborhood full of gossip, the case unfolds into a delicate puzzle of motives and hidden habits. Listeners will be drawn into the early stages of a classic French mystery, where every clue could turn the tide.