"Seventy-five, 80, 85, 90, 95, a hundred." "Five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50." "Five hundred and fifty-one pounds, two shillings and sixpence." "In full, back pay, rations and quarters." "Allotments allowable during period of internment as prisoner of war..." "Plus transportation back to point of induction, Montreal, Canada." "You fight an expensive war, flight lieutenant." "Well, good luck." "And don't plop all that down on the first pigeon you meet in Montreal." "I should think from this, you would've had quite enough of France for a while." " This is business." " Yes, I understand." "Of a personal nature." "My wife's estate." "She was a French citizen." "We were married during the German occupation." "Yes or no?" "Well, all passports to the Continent require investigation." "How long would that take?" "A month, perhaps." "It's difficult to say." "Depending upon the circumstances." "You." "Come, come." "Oh!" "You must forgive me." "There is so much to do." "It sometime gets away from me." "Sit down." "Getting dark." "Better." "Ah." "You're getting very careless about what you let in." "As you see, we are disorganized." "It is still very difficult to get suitable assistance." "Well, my boy, how are you?" "Foolish question." "As we see, you are quite well again and able to be traveling." "Isn't it so, Etienne?" "Yes, Etienne, I know." "Your letter came to the hospital." "How did it happen?" "How was Celeste killed?" "As I wrote, there's nothing more." "She couldn't have made a mistake." "I knew her too well." "Who betrayed her?" "If there was any betrayal, I betrayed her by fathering her in a century of violence." "She died well." "Celeste made no mistakes." "Then how?" "Who is responsible?" "Someone was responsible." "Who was it?" " It's no use." " Oh, the fight's gone out of you." "The prefect has his old job back." "Sit there and stew in your own juice if you want to." "Scramble your papers." " You forget too easily." " Forget?" "Ha!" "What do you think these are?" "Recipes for soup?" "Charges and countercharges." "Endless charges." "Of hoarding potatoes and licking Prussian boots." "Less than that defeated my country." "I have a job to do." "No, I have a job to do." "My wife is dead." "Your wife is dead." "Thousands of wives are dead." "Who are you to tell me that your wife is dead?" "Your wife of 20 days who is dead was my daughter of more than 20 years." "Where is the grave?" "I would like to see it." "The grave is the wind." "Let the grave be the way we remember her." "I would like to see it." "Now." "She was too young." "She was meant to have more than a few weeks' happiness." "Some people do not have that much." " How many others were there?" " We don't know." "They were shot against the wall of the cave and buried with dynamite." "We found the bodies of 50." " Why were they shot?" " They were French." "Did I know any of them?" "You knew Corveau, I think." "Perhaps you did not know his name." "It was Corveau who found you." "And Pitoux." "Pitoux hid you at the farm." "He brought you to us." "Henriette." "You remember Henriette." "She was the same age as Celeste." "Father Tournadelle." "Father Tournadelle who married you." "Did you know he also baptized Celeste?" "Celeste." "Fouget." " Celeste." " Deschamps." " Celeste." " Le Brun." " Celeste." "Laurence." "How ordered this?" "Who did it?" "You have fought well." "Now you are tired." "You have just left the hospital, perhaps too quickly." "Celeste is gone, I know it is not easy to accept." "Later." "Later, when you are more rested." " Who did it?" " There is nothing you can do." "There is one thing I can do." "Who ordered it?" "Who killed them?" "Jarnac, Marcel Jarnac." "You did not know him." "He came after you were captured." "French?" " Vichy." " Where is he?" " Where is he?" "Where is Jarnac?" " Officially, he is dead." "Come." "Come, I will show you." "Jarnac, Marcel Jarnac." ""Birthplace, Marseilles, 1901." "State prosecutor, 1941-1943." "Formerly corporation counsel." "Also attaché protocol with Ambassador Petain, Madrid, 1939." "Assassinated by terrorist, Aubagne, July, 1943." "Church record, notarized affidavit of crematorium." "Certificate of widow's payment of estate tax."" "Signed, sealed and delivered to oblivion." "It was supposed to fall into our hands, just as it did." "All these witnesses to Jarnac's death, where are they?" " The priest?" " There are a great many caves in France." " Jarnac's widow?" " Disappeared." "Is Jarnac alive?" "Is he alive or isn't he?" "What do you think?" "I believe he's not dead." "I believe everything about him here is a lie." "Somebody, someplace must know something about him." "Laurence, you are a stubborn fool." "I told you, Jarnac was a name on a piece of paper." "There are no photographs of him." "No one here even saw his face." "Whatever was done, was done for him by his rubber stamp." "Who was the rubber stamp?" " Albert Joppe." " Let's begin with Albert Joppe." "Vanished into thin air." " What was he?" " District commissioner." "Somewhere in Marseilles, he must've left a trace of himself." "Laurence." "Laurence, you are a stubborn fool." "In Marseilles, I suggest you get in touch with Monsieur Trabeau of the police department." "Monsieur Trabeau, I..." "I understand your impatience, Lieutenant Gerard." "Mr. Gerard." "I understand your impatience, Mr. Gerard." "We have also been looking for Joppe for some time." "For a reason I do not need to explain to you." "I'm hopeful." " But that is the most I could say." " But..." "Hello?" "Oui." "It appears we have your friend cornered." " Where?" " Chaumage." "A small village about 20 kilometers." "What happened?" " Monsieur Joppe sensed our approach." "And evidently set about burning his papers." "As you see, he did it quite carelessly." "You let him get away?" "It would appear your search has ended, monsieur." "Well, what about his papers?" "Wasn't there anything?" "Absolutely nothing, monsieur." "Nothing but ashes." "Perhaps I can be of service, monsieur." " What is it you're looking for?" " I don't know." "I'm sorry, monsieur, but the policy in question has been settled." "And I have no information." "Uh, you were a friend of Monsieur Jarnac?" "Madeleine Jarnac." "I spent a couple of summers with them in Germany." "What's the last address you have from Madame Jarnac?" "I'm sorry, but, of course, I could not..." "Uh, the last I heard of her, several summers ago she was living near here with friends." "She no longer lives at this address but a letter would be forwarded." "You will give her my regards?" "Pardon me." "Follow me, please." "Check your passports here, please." "Right?" "Yeah." "Gerard?" " Moreno?" " Welcome to Buenos Aires, senor." "Thanks." "I was beginning to fear I'd missed you." "These airplane people have such a passion for secrecy and organization." "They even refuse to page me at the bar where I could wait for my clients in comfort and dignity." "Ah, but once I have my eye on a man, I am untiring and even talented." "You're wasting your talents, I'm not a tourist." "And I am not a tourist guide in the strictest sense." "You will find me quite helpful in whatever manner you choose to relax from the rigors of electrical engineering." "I have excellent contacts." " Who am I supposed to be?" " I'm the soul of discretion." "Trust me to protect the name of Stephen Gerard." "That's fine, but my name is not Stephen Gerard." "Is it possible that I have made a great mistake?" "It's possible." "You can just put it right there." "Mucha gracias, senor." "When you require the valet or the maid, you depress the suitable button." "Buenos tardes, senor." "Pasco, 4098." "4098, yes." "Madame Jarnac?" "This is Mr. Gerard." "When do you expect her?" "Gerard." "Mr. Gerard of Bernar and Company." "It's concerning Mr. Jarnac's insurance." "Thank you." "Hello?" "Well, tell him I..." "He's on his way up?" "Oh." " Hello." " What took you so long?" "Mr. Gerard, I felt impelled to apologize for my gaucherie at the airport." "To make amends somewhat by introducing you to one aspect of South American culture you might otherwise be denied." "There are still one or two good things left in this sordid world if one knows where to look for them." "I'm afraid, however, that the quality of the liquor is holding up better than the quality of the women." " You an American?" " No." "Good." "I find Americans a little abrupt in their approach to both subjects." "What bus...?" "Oh." "What business did you say you were in, Mr. Gerard?" "I think you said engineering." "In any event, I would like to be what help to you I can." " Why?" " I like to turn each day to some account." "And today would otherwise be a total loss, thanks to my stupidity." "I thought perhaps that if you're telephoning had proved futile you would like to spend the evening with me." "I had in mind a party that should appeal to a man of your blood." " No, thanks." " Charming people." "Wonderful people." " A rare opportunity." " No, thanks." "A rare opportunity to crash a circle of enlightened decadence seldom open to the casual visitor." "A circle without a shred of moral purpose." "Personally, I deplore the present growth of moral purpose." "Especially in women." "It dulls their senses." "They dissipate themselves talking politics." "But, ah, la Senora Camargo there is a woman." "A woman in the grand tradition." "You're sure you won't reconsider?" "I'll think it over." " What does Camargo do to get all this?" " Oh, manufacturing, varied interests." "A very influential man." "May I?" " Pardon, monsieur." " Oh." "All right." "A fine party." "A fine party, I promise you." "Few people have the talent anymore." "My friend Hermann Goering had it, for one." "Before the war, of course." "Oh, those were parties." "Roman festivals to pink the cheeks of Dionysus." " What are you, French or German?" " I'm an epicure." " No, thanks." " A camp follower of culture." "My blood is a mixture of excellent European wines." "My ancestors have always been less interested in a woman's nationality than the quality of her complexion." " Incza, have you seen Madame Jarnac?" "Senor, such haste." "Of all women, a lovely widow should be approached with caution." "Senor Repetto, Mr. Gerard." "Excuse me, please." "Come, let's meet our hostess." "I don't understand your technique, so I don't why you brought me here." "But it wasn't an accident." "And I don't know just what you got in mind." "But whatever it is, whoever you are, it's no good." "If he's here, and I think he is, I'll get him." "Dress it up with wine, women and song, but I'll get him." "But..." " I've got proof he's alive, good proof." "So forget the tricks, tubby." "You might get in trouble." " Senor..." " Let's meet the hostess." "Darling." "May I present Mr. Gerard." "This is our lovely hostess, Senora Camargo." " Oh, yes." " Good evening." "Then this would be the celebrated young Canadian flyer you mentioned on the phone." "Tomas." "My husband." "Mr. Gerard." "How do you do?" "Welcome, Mr. Gerard." "I trust you will enjoy Buenos Aires." "Will you excuse me?" "Well, I see you're in the best of care." "So with your permission, I'm getting behind in my hand-kissing." " How did Melchi ever find you?" " I've been wondering." "He has an instinct for amusing people." "I depend upon him a great deal." "Giving a party here is not as easy as it was in Europe." "These romantic Latins are really a fraud, so placid and normal." "Look, not an ounce of intrigue in their blood." "I thought I noticed a little." "Oh, business and politics, you can't count that." "Not more than three husbands will be compromised here tonight at best." "Who are the other two?" " Senorita Vasquez, Senor Dumon." " Enchanted." "Senor Repetto, Madame Jarnac." "Mr. Gerard." "How do you do?" "How do you do?" "Madame, may I?" " Excuse me." "You see what I mean?" "I invite a lawyer to amuse the intellectuals and he plays chess." "You are ruining my reputation, Dr. Santana." "This is Mr. Gerard." " How do you do, sir?" " How do you do?" "Very dull." "But I have to ask him." "He's my husband's uncle." "Oh, my dear lady." "Oh, I beg your pardon." " Mr. Perchon, Mr. Gerard." "Good evening." "Like all bankers, he takes himself far too seriously." "But I like him." "Mr. Gerard has just come from the Continent." "Oh, do you know my beautiful Belgium, monsieur?" "I saw it from the air." "It looked a little shot up." "Yes." "Madame?" " Do you mind?" " Go ahead." " Senor?" " No, thanks." "You fool." "You fat fool." "Why bring him here?" "Careful." "No, thank you." " You were expecting someone?" " Yes." " You got my message?" " Yes." "This is scarcely the place to talk business." " There seems to be a lot of it going on here." " Ernest." "Monsieur Gerard, I presume you know Monsieur DuBois?" " I'm afraid not." " No?" "I'm surprised." "Monsieur DuBois is also in the insurance business." "He's the representative here of Bernar and Company." "He arranged my husband's estate." "Good evening." "Good night." "Your maid let me in, but she got sleepy." "I promised her I'd wait up for you." "You better get rid of her." "She's French." "She asked me how it was in Paris when Paris was liberated, and she cried." "If she found you're a collaborator she might not work." " What do you want?" " Where's your insurance salesman?" "What do you want?" "Your husband." "Marcel Jarnac." "I'm afraid you're confused." "My husband is dead, Monsieur Gerard." "He was killed in 1943 by terrorists in Aubagne." "Okay, where is he now?" "Don't you think perhaps you have had a little too much to drink?" "A little." "What are you doing here?" " Here?" " Here." "Buenos Aires." "I like it here." "I have a great many friends and..." "Do you mind if I go to bed now?" "How did you and your friends know I was coming?" "Monsieur Gerard, I know nothing at all about you except that you're drunk and mistaken." "For whatever reason you're still fighting the war." "You seem to be some sort of a patriot." " For whatever reason..." " To find your husband." "You're wasting your time." "Monsieur Jarnac is dead." "Monsieur Jarnac is dead, leaving a sad and lovely widow to make it stick." "Leaving a whole army of lovely people to make it stick." "Only it doesn't stick." " Why was I steered to the party tonight?" " Well..." "To find out how dangerous I was?" "Well, I am dangerous because I've got proof." " And I'm stubborn." " Monsieur Gerard..." "You won't like living here much." "You won't have much fun." "I'll be following you and your friends." "If you've got a conscience, it's guilty because you were once French." "And anybody with a guilty conscience will make a mistake sooner or later." "Good night, monsieur." "Even if you haven't got a conscience, you'll make a mistake." "And I'll be there." "Then you and I will have a talk with Jarnac." "Just to be sure he's really dead." "Cerveza." "May I join you?" "Thank you." "I have been looking forward to talk with you since our meeting at the Camargos'." "You remember me, senor?" "Manuel Santana." "Distinguished lawyer, distinguished family." "Including a nephew named Tomas Camargo, spelled fascist who is hiding a collaborator behind a lot of champagne." "May I reciprocate?" "Laurence Gerard, flight lieutenant, Royal Canadian Air Force, volunteer." "Twice shot down over France, assisted by Free French Forces of the Interior." " Married, wounded..." " You shouldn't have gone to all that trouble." "You interested me." "I felt we should understand each other." " Consider that I may not be what I seem..." " I did that." "I considered and you came out the worst kind of fascist." "Respected by your country lots of front, lots of polish to make your nephew look good..." "What is your precise objective here, senor?" "You think I'm a fool?" "I'm coming rapidly to that conclusion." "You are making a great mistake, senor." "Hear me out." "If you continue to follow Madame Jarnac now, the consequences may be serious." "That's what I had in mind." "Senor, I must warn you." "I must command you." "Do not follow Madame Jarnac." "I'll tell you what." "I've thought it over and decided not to pay any attention to you." "Monsieur Gerard." "Follow that car." "Never mind." "Hotel Regent." "Well, I see the lovely young widow has eluded you." "How do I know that?" "Vermouth and soda." "Quite simple." "Otherwise, you wouldn't be here steeping yourself in alcohol." "I've been watching you while you were watching Madame Jarnac." "That's chummy." "Who watches you?" "I only dropped by to clear the air with a small confession that can do no harm." "Since you guessed it anyway." "I was engaged to meet you at the airport." "But you weren't supposed to take me to the party?" "I think that was an interesting idea." "Who hired you, Camargo or Santana?" "Or both?" " You can't be serious?" " I'm always serious." "Mr. Gerard, I'm not sure why I was engaged to meet you, I can tell you that much." "But if I told you who engaged me, why, you could never trust me again." "A man who dishonors one business confidence will dishonor 20." "And I still feel we can do business." "How interested would you be in knowing where Madame Jarnac is at the moment?" "That depends on where she is." "Oh, let's not haggle like a pair of common merchants." "Come on, I'll show you." "I do not pretend to know the meaning of these little visits to the convent." "She has gone to great pains to keep them secret, however." "So I thought you would be intrigued." "I understand your disappointment." "You are thinking a nunnery would be a highly impractical place in which to hide Monsieur Jarnac." "Vesper services for the soul?" " What are you doing here?" " I thought I'd make it easier for you." "You wanted to talk to me on the street a while ago." "Only I turned out to be somebody else." " What's on your mind?" " I'm afraid I must disappoint you." "This will lead you nowhere." "Maybe not." "But it won't be hard to follow it up now that I have the address." "I tell you this is important to me, but it can't concern you or Jarnac." "Doesn't he know what a pious little girl you are?" "Please." "Please, leave this alone." "Believe me." "You haven't said anything yet." "Until you do, I'll have to keep on finding out things for myself." " All right." "I'll tell you whatever I can." " I'm ready." "No." "Not here." "I can't." "You made them suspicious of me." "I'm watched constantly." "You saw the man on the street tonight, I..." "Go to your hotel." "I'll get in touch with you there." "I've got to be careful." "I'd rather have it quick than careful." " Where is Jarnac?" " I'm not sure." "About 10?" "I'll try to find out something for you by then." "All right." " No calls for me yet?" " I thought you'd gone up, senor." "There was a message." "It was sent to your room just now." " Who are you?" " My name is Diego." "I am the valet." "I am new here." " This has been opened." " I believe you're right, senor." "Perhaps the lady had an afterthought." "What are you doing here this late?" "The other valet quit before he finished his work this afternoon." "I was straightening up." "Shall I continue?" "May I take the liberty of suggesting caution, senor?" " What do you mean?" " You are a stranger and this is a large city." "Any large city has women who take advantage of strangers." "Where have I seen you before?" "I remember you quite well from the party at Vischa Camargo." "I'm flattered that you remember a waiter." "This doesn't pay very much, but I make a little extra working at parties." " Who are you and what are you up to?" " My name is Diego, senor." "I'm a valet." "Sometimes I'm a waiter." "Lobby." "Lobby, sir." "There's no one on the other end of the line." "No Joppe." "Joppe is dead, Monsieur Jarnac." " Jarnac?" " You've heard of him." "Yes." "Yes, of course, I've heard of Monsieur Jarnac." " But you're somebody else." " I assure you, I am." "Good." "You assure me." "You're not Marcel Jarnac." "You're now Ernest DuBois." "You sell insurance." "I'm going to kill an innocent insurance salesman." "If I kill enough innocent insurance salesmen, I'll eventually kill Marcel Jarnac." "Sorry to cut short your trip..." "You should not drink quite so much, Mr. Gerard." "It was necessary to assist you forcibly." "Well, Senor Santana." "The birds begin to come out of the bushes." "Thanks for the valet." "How did you get him in the hotel?" " We have friends in the hotel business." " All right." "All right." "Looks like your move." "Let's have it." "This is my house and you are my guest." "It's late." "You've had a strenuous evening." "I can make you comfortable." "I suggest we talk in the morning." "I don't like talk." "I'm in a hurry." "And I can't be bought off or scared out of the country." "Now, you stopped me once, okay." "There's only one way of stopping me, and you got it there in your hand." "You're a very reckless man, Mr. Gerard." "You made a great many mistakes since coming to Buenos Aires." "Now if you will sit down and put this away, we would like to discuss with you our arrangements for the destruction of Marcel Jarnac." "Our objective is much the same as yours, we differ only in method." "I'm hoping that can be adjusted." "May I see the letter, please?" " This is not Madame Jarnac's handwriting." " No, it is not." "You realize you were taking a tremendous chance?" "He was packing a suitcase." "Men who pack suitcases make me nervous." "May I give you some background?" "We've long been certain of Camargo's connection with fascists here and abroad." "When Madame Jarnac arrived obviously, under his sponsorship, we were prepared to suspect her." "Inasmuch as the estate was settled through my office I was in a natural position to cultivate her and I've done fairly well." "I believe she has been on the point of confiding..." "The scheme tonight was evidently for you to eliminate DuBois before that happened." "And, as a murderer, to eliminate yourself." "But that is beside the point." "We've become increasingly sure that Jarnac is alive." "And that we followed his wife here by way of Montevideo." "DuBois was going there tonight to check passports." " We felt..." " Wait a minute." "Wait a minute." "What's this "we"?" "What's the organization?" "There is no organization, Mr. Gerard." "There is only the right side and the wrong side." "All right, fine." "We're on the right side." "And we drink a lot of coffee." "But I haven't heard anything yet." "You're no farther along than I am." "You don't even know which one is Jarnac." "Mr. Gerard, it would be interesting and daring if Jarnac was some jolly apparently harmless fellow under our very noses." "But we don't think so." "Our opponents are not writing a cheap melodrama." "Well, he is here undoubtedly." "We suspect he is someone we do not know and have never seen." "Important thing at the moment is not who Jarnac is." " The important thing is what he's doing." " I don't care." "I know what he did." "He killed my wife." "Which gives you the insane privilege of blowing people to bits?" "Destroying all our work?" "Another few seconds..." "Another few seconds and you would have killed the one man who may be able to break down Madame Jarnac." "Your wife is dead." "I sympathize." " We sympathize." " I don't want sympathy." "I want Jarnac." "So do I. I want to bring him to justice." "But I cannot do that without evidence." "Mr. Gerard, I know what I'm doing." "I've not been spending my time at these endless parties because I'm a masochist." "The whole group is rotten." "Worst is my nephew, Tomas Camargo." "I'm deeply ashamed for him." "My family has an honorable tradition here." "I've got a tradition too." "As far back as I can remember the men in my family got mad when their wives were murdered." "I was trying to make you understand we all have personal feelings we must control." "There's no place in our program for revenge or murderous hate." "Our job is too big for that." "And our enemies are too dangerous." "They are even more than war criminals fleeing a defeated nation." "They do not consider themselves defeated." "We must destroy the individuals, their friends, their very means of existence wherever they start to entrench themselves." "Not only here, but everywhere." "In the United States, in England, in France, in Alaska or East Africa." "You cannot bring them into the open by blustering by bragging that you have evidence against Jarnac." "We must produce the evidence." "We must have facts, senor." "Facts, facts, facts." "They are afraid of facts." "And the facts exist, I'm sure." "There are records." "There must be." "Camargo must have a gun in Jarnac's ribs and vice versa." "We want the gun before Jarnac dies." "We must ask your cooperation, senor." "It is extremely important that you do not see Madame Jarnac at present." " Why?" " We need her." "We do not want her frightened away." "If you choose to help us, we can both achieve our ends." "And if I don't choose?" "That might be very dangerous for you." "Thanks for the coffee." "Madame Jarnac is not here." "You cannot bring him into the open by blustering, by bragging." "You must have evidence against Jarnac." "We must produce the evidence." "We must have facts, senor." "Facts, facts, facts." "Pasco 4041." "Incza?" "Gerard." "Meet me in the restaurant in half an hour." "Good." "Senor, I shall begin by saying that I was not at all surprised by your call." "And I'm at your service." "I take it that whenever information you received from Madame Jarnac at the convent was quite inaccurate and led you on a bootless chase." "I felt it would be." "Senor, I suspect that you were a very fine flyer." "And before that, perhaps a promising shoe salesman." "But you're a gross amateur at intrigue." "You cannot expect to catch a trout by shouting at it from the riverbank." "Proclaiming that you're a great fisherman." "You need a hook with feathers on it." "Have you got a clear picture of what's going on around here?" "Are you Camargo's errand boy?" " I beg your..." " I don't care." "I wouldn't trust you any farther than I can throw you anyway." "But I want you to run an errand for me." "And you might as well know enough to be intelligent about it." "Now, Jarnac did all of his dirty work in France through a man named Joppe." "Joppe arranged for his death and for his escape." "But collaborators don't trust each other any more than we do." "So he had a complete file on Jarnac." "Good description." "Are you interested?" " Joppe is dead." " Um..." "What became of the file on Jarnac?" "Joppe tried to burn it." "I brought most of it with me, the important parts to show Senor Camargo." " He's mentioned in several places." " Ohh." "I thought you might like to talk to him before I make it public." "Oh, that's excellent." "It's a very canny plot." "Senor Camargo will never stand the strain of blackmail." "We'll force him to deliver Jarnac to you and incidentally pay me for my services." "Okay." "Tell him how much trouble I went to to get this." "This is my life insurance." "It's going in the hotel safe." "If anything should happen to me it will be forwarded to Canadian legation, here." "He's shrewd, senor." "He will ask me if I have seen the document." " I will have to say no, of course." " Of course." "If you have any trouble with him show him this." "Now we are getting someplace." "Now we are getting someplace." "Uh, did you know the Camargos took a suite here?" "Yeah?" "Why?" "They've stayed here before, on occasions, to be in town." "Otherwise I might say Senora Camargo wanted to be near you." "Good fishing." "You may expect a call from me later in the evening." "Yes?" "I'd like to talk to you too." "But where?" "Where?" "I'll be alone." " Monsieur Gerard." " Okay, what is this?" "I'm sorry, but..." " I'm sorry..." " Sure, I know, come on." "Please, I must be careful." "The last time, I almost got killed." "I tried to get in touch with you as I promised." "When it was possible to call, there was no answer." "Sure, I know." "Who wrote the letter for you?" " The letter?" " Don't arch your eyebrows, it's too late." "And I've got business tonight." "Whatever you've got to say, say it." "I cannot help you, monsieur." "I've tried, but I cannot help you." "I have no right to ask, but there's no one else." " Will you help me?" " Help you?" "What kind of help?" "I thought perhaps you would give me some money to go away." "Please, monsieur, I cannot stay here." "I'm afraid." "I did try to help you." "I went to see Senor Camargo to try to find out something for you without letting him know why, what I was going to do." "I thought if I could find out who is Jarnac..." "But I was stupid." "And he threw me out." "How could I hope to find out in a few hours what they so carefully hid in two years?" " Find out what?" " Find out who is Jarnac." "Well, who are you?" "What does it matter?" "Oh, you mean, I am Madame Jarnac?" "I have never even seen Jarnac, monsieur." "Oh, maybe I have seen him." "Perhaps he was one of the men who came to see my father." "My father was..." "I suppose you would call it a collaborator." "I'm telling you my family story." "Sounds like a good story." "I didn't like him much." "I didn't see him after he got in trouble." "I didn't know what it meant when Mr. Joppe came to see me and asked me to help him prove that Jarnac had been killed." "I understand only I was to be Madame Jarnac and what I was to say." "Monsieur Jarnac is dead." "Monsieur Jarnac is dead." "You didn't have to do it." "Life in France is not very pleasant for the daughter of a collaborator." "Even if she is innocent." "No, I didn't have to do it." "But it meant I could have some money to leave the country with my sister." "You found out it is my sister who was at the convent?" "If you won't help me, don't hurt me." "She'll never get well or speak again..." "What happened to her?" "There were people on the ground when you were dropping your bombs." " Where is she now?" " The hotel." "It's close." "If you'd..." "Look, I'm sensitive." "I remember things." "I walked into one of your traps." "You must trust me." "I'm completely alone." "If Camargo finds me, I don't know what he will do to me." "I must take my sister away, but I have no money." "I never had any money of my own." " Please help me." " No." " But why?" " Because that's a crazy story." " You may be a child, it may be true." " It's easy to prove." "A sick sister wouldn't prove anything." "You don't believe me." "Why?" "Because you've been around here long enough to know which side people are on." "If that story were true you could have sold it." "To Santana or to your boyfriend, DuBois." "You wouldn't have come to me." "You don't know me that well." "You are sick." "I'm all right." "This just hits me when I get all wound up." "They told me to expect it." "You are sick with fear." "You've been so hurt so deeply, you cannot trust anyone but yourself." "You're even afraid of me." "You're even more alone than I am." "Good evening, madame." "Does she ever have any visitors?" "Madame Laurent?" "No." "How'd you like to let me know if she does or if she checks out?" "Si, senor." "Gerard, 404 Regent Hotel." "Gracias." "Mr. Gerard, I've been trying to reach you for the last three hours." " Where have you been?" " I went for a walk." "I dropped our little bombshell in Senor Camargo's lap." "The effect was splendid." "We have frightened him." " What did he say?" " He asked to see you immediately." "I promised to send you up to his suite this evening, there is still time." " You coming?" " Uh, I think not." "We have to give the impression of organization and confidence." "510." "Room 510." "I beg your pardon." " Have you a match?" " Yes." "Get outside." "The lobby will be quiet soon." "When I return from the bar, you'll go to the desk." "Give me a slight lead." "Hello." "Your husband is expecting me." "Won't you come in?" "My husband's apologies, senor." "He was called out and he suggested you wait, if you will." "May I make you a drink?" "Thank you." "I keep forgetting we are not quite settled here." "The cupboard is bare." "I'll send downstairs." "What would you like?" "I'll have a bottle of beer." "The bar, please." "Hello, bar." "Suite 510." "Thank you." "Senor." " Do you have a single room with bath?" " I believe we have." "Oh." "Uh..." "I wonder if you could put this in your safe for me." " Certainly." " Maybe I'd better put my name on it." "Thank you." "It's one of the large hotel envelopes, with his name on it." "Get out of here." "Police." "Get the police." "Give me the police, please." "Who are you?" "What do you want?" "My name is Diego, I am the valet." "May I have Senor Gerard's envelope?" "You fool." "Get away from that door." "First I must have that envelope." "Oh." "That's nothing." "It's absolutely nothing." "It's a joke." "You see?" "I'm a friend of Senor Gerard's." "It would spoil the joke if you would disclose me." "I must ask you to show me the joke, Senor Incza." "You fool." " The envelope." " Get away from me." "Get away from me." "The envelope." "You're an extraordinary man." "Do you know why you interest me?" "No." "I've been wondering." "What's supposed to happen while I spend the evening with you?" "You might get to like me a little." "Don't you think you're making yourself unnecessarily miserable by clinging to the memory of a girl you knew less than a month?" "Somebody must be passing out copies of my biography." "I've been trying to picture her." "A girl who could do what she has done to you must have been extremely beautiful." "Tell me about her." "Try to make me see." "I'd be wasting my time." "Oh, tell me, was she so much more attractive than I am?" "Her teeth were crooked." "She was too thin." "She was too thin because she was squeezed in between a couple of wars." "I don't think she ever had the kind of food that goes into a good figure." "I'm not sure, I can't even remember exactly what she looked like." "War does something to your memory." "It gets sharper." "You forget the way people looked and remember the important things." "That kind of remembering keeps you warm on cold nights." "Now that you've made your moral point, why don't you relax and get comfortable?" "Would you mind some advice?" "You're wasting your youth here." "How do you fit into all this?" "What's your function?" " Shall I be honest?" " Don't strain yourself." "I have no function." "Except to enjoy myself." "I like the life." "I like the money." "What a use for morals." "I think they're a little overrated." "Wouldn't you like to kiss me?" "Where's your husband?" "He won't be back." "Don't go." "I could make you forget." "I could make you forget." "But not for long and not enough." "For that you'd have to have a heart." "Tell your husband I dropped around, but I couldn't wait." "I got bored." "Senor Gerard?" "Laurence Gerard?" "That's right." "Where have you been during at the last half hour?" " Upstairs." " With whom?" "Senora Tomas Camargo." "Suite 510." "Ask Senora Camargo to come down, please?" "Am I supposed to know what's under there?" "When did you see him last?" "Last night." "Not since last night?" "I was out most of the day." "I went out after dinner for a couple of hours." "And after you returned?" "I told you, I went upstairs." "By elevator?" "It's the fifth floor." "Did you take Senor Gerard up to the fifth floor this evening?" "I took up a lot of people, but I couldn't be sure of the floor." "I think I did, but I'm not sure." "The valet was alone when you met him in the hall?" "He told me 404, this room needed towels." "I had to go the linen closet in the basement." "And when I came back he was like that." "You are friendly with the Camargos, senor?" "No." "I went to see Senor Camargo on business and he wasn't in." "I had a bottle of beer with his wife and left." "Come in, please." "Who is it?" "You know Senor Gerard, of course." "Yes, I have met him." "The floor valet was killed here." "This is Senor Gerard's apartment." "Sometime during the last half hour." "What time did Senor Gerard come to your apartment?" "I beg your pardon." "What time did he come to your apartment this evening?" "Well, I'm afraid you've been misinformed." "I was alone all evening until I was asked to come here." "I met my husband at the elevator." "Okay, I know when I've been fixed." "Let's go." " May we go too?" " Certainly." "Hold him outside." "It's true that the stories last night were conflicting." "A moment." "But until Gerard chooses to cooperate I must hold him on suspicion of murder." "It should have been obvious that Senora Camargo was in a compromising position." "She could not admit that Gerard was in her room without incurring her husband's jealousy." " Nevertheless a murder was committed." "I honor your position as an attorney..." "I'm not asking for honor for myself or special favors for Gerard." "I hold no brief for him." "But the balance of testimony is in his favor." "It would be a grave mistake to bring him to trial on this charge." "Are you suggesting that you intend to defend him?" "I am suggesting on a very friendly basis that it would be simpler to release him because of insufficient evidence." " Yes?" " We have the waiter." "Bring him in." "You delivered drinks to the Camargo suite last night?" "Senor Gerard was there?" "Why did you run away?" "I was threatened, senor. I..." "By whom?" "All right, all right." "Hold him." "And prepare a release on Laurence Gerard." "His passport is not in order." "Advise the immigration authorities." "If it is not cleared within 48 hours, I will recommend deportation." "Is there anything we can do?" "It's okay." "I'll be all right in a minute." "I only wanted you to know why I decided to help you." "Thanks, I know." "You wanted me out of the country." "Send the basket of fruit to the boat." "I'm afraid you have yourself to blame for the deportation, senor." "You're extremely irresponsible." "I debated with myself whether it wouldn't be simpler to leave you in jail, out of the way." "But I found I couldn't ignore your record." "I respect that deeply." "And I couldn't let you suffer for something you had caused only indirectly." "I'm sorry about Diego." "He was a good soldier." "He fought in France, you know." "It's too bad he had to return to his own country to die at the hands of the enemies he helped you defeat." "Do you know who killed him?" "I've got an idea." "I'll call you before I leave." "Be careful." "Well, the fat's in the fire now, my friend." " I should expect that." " I'll break every bone in your neck." "Good, good." "Make sure I cannot help you find Jarnac." "Come on." "Hit me." "Hit me." "Hit me." "Everything else has failed." "You are in trouble with the police." "You have 48 hours to find Jarnac and no chance without me." "What else is there to do but hit me?" "You fool, you." "You animal." "Come on, show me how strong you are." " Talk fast." " Yes, I'll talk fast." "Here." "Confidential file indeed." "A worthless pack of stationery." "What do you take me for?" "I could've saved you the trouble robbing the safe." "Me?" "A childish deduction." "I arranged for you to meet Camargo, yes." "A great many things followed." "You may assume I arranged them too, if you wish." "I don't care." "Someone committed robbery and murder to get these papers, and failed." "I still don't care because I found them an hour ago." "And I know they are worthless." "You know, of course, that had I chosen to go to Camargo with this he would have been free to kill you." " What was stopping you?" "Supposing I had gone to him and said, "Alas, we have been tricked." "This is worthless."" "I would have become worthless also." "And been dismissed with a, "Well done, good and faithful servant."" " But a man cannot retire on praise." " Get to the point." "Camargo controls great wealth." "I want part of it." "I will not be denied." "I've waited patiently to strike and the means are now at hand but there's precious little time." "He called me this afternoon." "He made us a proposition which amounts to this:" "Your envelope in exchange for Marcel Jarnac." "Go on." "He said he has come to regret his bargain with Jarnac." "He's as anxious to destroy him as you are." "He must have these papers which I have convinced him would ruin him completely." "Then he would control the company alone and you would have your man." "How do keep him knowing these papers are a bluff until after I get Jarnac?" "Oh, he's frightened." "Quivering like a bride, he will do whatever I say." "But at the moment, I'm telling you only what he proposes." "He contends Jarnac is away, but is returning tomorrow." "They're meeting in the evening at Jarnac's office." "He proposes to take us there and let us participate in the meeting." " I presume you know what I propose." " I'm afraid not." "You're very naive." "I do not believe Jarnac is away." "I believe Camargo is setting another trap for you." "My thought is that if we could locate the young lady who calls herself Madeleine Jarnac we could arrange a surprise meeting of our own tonight." "Where is she?" "I don't know." "What's she got to do with it?" "I was clinging to that one hope." "I was sure you knew where she is." " What's she got to do with it?" " She knows where Jarnac's office is." "It's in the waterfront area, well-disguised, but I don't know exactly where." "Senor Gerard, I've been dangerously candid with you this evening." "I feel I have the right to ask the same in return." " You know where Madeleine Jarnac is." " I said no." "I'll be in touch with you tomorrow." "Yes." "What is it?" "Madame Laurent?" "Yes?" "Monsieur Gerard." "Anybody been here today?" " Yes." " Who?" "Santana and DuBois." "You were right." "They believe me." "They're helping me to go away." " Where?" " Oh, it doesn't matter." "To wherever they can arrange." "I'm packing to be ready." "They say..." "What about your sister?" " My sister is gone." "She..." " Where?" "I'm sorry." "When was it?" "In her sleep last night." "It's better, I guess." "It's better." "At least she'll never know what I've done." "What I have been..." "I'm sorry, but there's not much time." " Do you know where Jarnac's office is?" " Office?" "A place where he meets Camargo." "Somewhere in the waterfront section." " Where is it?" " There is no office." " There's a place where they meet." " Yes, there used to be." "If you wanted to help, why didn't you tell me?" "I forgot." "I made myself forget." "It was a long time ago." "And it was an accident that I found out." "I was with a man one night." "He took me to hear a singer in a cheap café." "Camargo came in." "He started for the back." "I think for a stairway." "Then he saw me and went out again." "The next night at his house, I teased him about it." "He was furious with me." "I guessed it was where he was meeting Jarnac." "But I'm sure they never went there again." "Why is it important now?" "What's happening?" "I'm not sure." "Incza's double-crossing somebody." " Probably me." " Incza?" "He wants me to go there tomorrow night." "I'm going alone tonight." " Why?" "What can you do?" " I don't know." "Look around." "If I'm early, maybe I'll wait." "Maybe I'll still be there when Jarnac shows up." "Maybe I'll surprise somebody." " Where is it?" " Please, Jarnac is dangerous." " Don't go." "Wait and..." " I can't." "I'm in trouble with the police." "I'll be in worse trouble if I'm still around here tomorrow." "What's the name of the café?" "Fortuna." "The Bar Fortuna." " When are you leaving?" " I hope tomorrow." "Thanks." "Be careful." "You know the Bar Fortuna?" "A joint in the waterfront?" " It'll be closed, senor." "It's too late." " Good." "Let's go." "I see you found your way, senor." "The gun is unnecessary." "This is a friendly meeting." "I just wanna be sure I'm chairman." " Are we going to be alone?" " Quite alone until our mutual friend, Incza, arrives." "I'm afraid I'm a little early." "A little, but I hoped you'd come tonight." "I hoped Incza would be able to arouse your curiosity." "I see he did." "Sit down." "I apologize for the indirection and trickery." "It was necessary to locate Madeleine." "And I wasn't sure you would reveal her location otherwise." "It has nothing to do with our scheme." "But she became a bit too emotional for her job." "I'll have to make some other arrangements." "If you have no objections, of course." " No objection." "Good." "Thank you." "Oh." "So it's Perchon." "The big Belgian banker." "Stand still!" "Stand quite still, Monsieur Gerard." "I'm not ready to kill you yet." "No, it is not Perchon." "No, no, don't." "Don't strain your eyes." "It is unnecessary." "You wouldn't recognize me." "You have never seen me before." "It would be unnecessary for us to meet now." "If my loyal associates knew how to proceed simply." "The situation was extremely complicated." "No real harm has been done." "An exciting little game we are playing, isn't it?" "What happy children we are." "Making our scalps tingle with excitement." "The next time you must indulge your hot Spanish passion for dramatics put on a uniform with polished boots and stomp around your wife's bedchamber." "Do not attempt brilliant decisions." "I'll tell you when I wanna make my job difficult by losing track of Madeleine completely." "But we know where she is now." " Incza has undoubtedly..." "What, what, what?" "Incza?" "Of what authority did you employ that fat sycophant?" "How many times must I tell you that our chief aim for the next five years for the next 20 years, if necessary, is complete and absolute obscurity." "You threaten that obscurity by forcing me to clean up the mess you have created." "I want no mistakes tonight." "None." "Do you understand?" "Monsieur Gerard's death must be covered up completely." "What are we waiting for?" "I understand your bloated drinking companion is bringing the mysterious dossier on me." "We will wait for it." "Unless you have it yourself." "Does it really describe the color of my eyes?" "Is it actually so interesting?" "You're worried." "I'm cautious." "Like some of my friends here, Albert Joppe was too fond of intrigue for its own sake." "He liked to put things down on paper." "We will wait and see." "Sorry to tie you up." "Monsieur you have been a nuisance." "But you are also reassuring." "You should be dangerous, you're a fanatic but you're not dangerous because you're a fanatic without real purpose." "Oh, yes, I understand I was remotely responsible for your wife's death and you would like to kill me but what sort of political program is that?" "No, monsieur." "I'm afraid the Anglo-Saxon is a poor fanatic." "He takes action only when you disturb his visceral emotions." " He thinks with his gall bladder." " We're stinking poor fighters too." "We got lucky, plastered you off the map by accident." "Remember you plastered us off the map once before." "You held the fruits of victory in your hands, but you let them decay." "We caught the soggy rot that dribbled through your fingers and used it." "You did not understand our methods." "You do not understand now." "You continue to attack the wrong things in the wrong way." "You attack the evil in man." "We accept it." "We find it good and fertile." "Wherever you create misery, discontent, in whatever country wherever men cannot earn the money to feed their children there you will find us at work, if you look." "I do not think you will look." "Your political arteries will harden again." "You will forget." "You'll forget that we have..." "I should like you to see how we deal with incompetence." "But for a while you must appear dead." "It worked." "It worked perfectly." "He went straight to the mark." "I have the address." "Ahh." "Behold the avenger." "His bloody plan comes home to plague him..." "He's not dead." " What has happened?" " Oh, I persuaded him to sit down and wait." "Wait?" "Wait for what?" "It should have been done immediately." "And I must demand an explanation." "Sit down and put your hands on the table." "I have upheld my end of the bargain." "Why didn't you kill him?" " I thought it best to wait for the papers." " You thought it best." "I told you I'd bring the papers." "I have them." "How much longer do you think I'll be willing to play the court jester?" "I'm through being patient." "I refuse to continue taking all the risks and getting nothing in return." "You'll get these papers when you're in a position to repay me for my trouble." "In other words, only when Jarnac is dead." "Where is he?" "Don't lie to me." "Where is Jarnac?" "You're covered, tubby." "I'm delighted to meet you, monsieur, after so long." "I believe you will admit that I have labored diligently on your behalf." "And that I can be of noteworthy service to you in the future." "I'll take the papers now." "The papers." "Do you have them or don't you?" "I do not have them, of course, because there are no papers." "For a while, Mr. Gerard defrauded me into believing they existed." "But I have known the truth for some time now." "Ever since the evening when I was forced to kill the valet to keep our little plot secret." "I discovered then that the envelope contained nothing but blank paper." "I decided, and I believe you will admit that I've made a shrewd decision to keep my discovery from Senor Camargo." "I have doubted his integrity on several occasions." "My opinion was confirmed when he suggested betraying you." "Of course, I realize that perhaps you were merely testing my loyalty in a very shrewd manner." "By keeping my wits about me, I've located Madeleine for you." "And I brought you Gerard to do with as you will." "All I ask..." "All I ask is the privilege of serving you whenever the moment calls for a clever man." "You are a clever man." "You're so clever but you talk too much." "That face will be very difficult to recognize now." "Get to a phone, call the police in 10 minutes." "Don't give them your name." "You were just passing, you heard a disturbance here." "The back way through the barber shop." "And don't come back." "There'll be enough of my papers here to prove that this is Marcel Jarnac." "And enough for you to tell the police that Jarnac and Gerard were blackmailing me." "You can't leave me here with..." "It's insane." "How could they possibly kill each other?" " I will leave that to your imagination." " No." "Suppose we both left just the two bodies were found." " Why not do it that way?" " I'm doing it this way." "This time, I want there to be no doubt about my death." "You are a responsible man." "When you say I'm lying dead on the floor, you will not be challenged." " You will wait for the police." " I refuse." "I protest." "You have no protest." "You have no existence, no identity as long as I have this." "I've only to exercise the power of attorney, you'll go to the gutter for something to eat." " You are..." " You'll do as I say, you have no choice." "Stop it, Gerard." "That's a present for you." "I hope you like it." "I could have killed him and I almost did." "But I decided just to quiet him down a little, so he could talk to you." "He likes to talk." "He made a couple of big speeches." "That's when I began to catch on." "You were right about me." "I was offside." "I guess I was a little kill crazy." "Sorry I got in your hair." "But he's all yours now." "Let's wake him up." " He's dead." " Pour some water on him." "I've got a few questions I'd like to ask him." "He's dead, senor." "Are you sure that was Jarnac?" "You've accomplished your mission, senor." "You better leave." " I'm sorry." " I'll make the best of it." "The police will be here." "We called as soon as Madeleine reached us." " Where is she?" " Below." "Waiting in my car." "Let me handle it." "I don't know just what this is, but it had Camargo tied up." "It gave Jarnac some sort of power of attorney over him." "Looks like it has the whole setup." "Maybe what you've been looking for." "Is that any good?" "Yes." "Yes, I think it is." "Is there another way out of here?" "Quickly then, leave this to us." " Who have you got to pin this on?" " Please, you must hurry." "It wouldn't look good on you, would it?" "I better stick around." "They might be confused by all the bodies." "We had a little trouble here." "This guy without a face was a tourist guide." "He talked too much." "At least this guy thought so." "This one had some idea about starting another war." "I had to kill him." "I didn't mean to." "It got rough, though, and I went off my head." "This is my lawyer." "I understand he rates around here." "Anyway, we'll put on a good show." "We'll put on a very good show for you." "Is this the great Dr. Santana rushing to the defense of a hoodlum in a barroom brawl?" "You'll be surprised at what I can make out of a barroom brawl." "A waterfront thug has been killed." "A waterfront thug who represented Nazis and collaborators." "A war criminal who controlled all the industries supposedly owned by my nephew, Tomas Camargo whom you'll find at home hiding under the bed." "You'll have a chance to prove that in court." "I welcome the chance." "This is the proof." "This is what controlled Camargo and the others less harmless." "It is a sharp knife." "We'll turn it against them." "We cannot kill the whole animal at one blow, but we'll make him scream." "We'll make a start." "See what I mean?" "Okay, I'll take the same cell if you haven't rented it." "You're a widow again." " Who is this?" " The name is Laurent." "Madame Laurent." "She was a little confused, but she's all right now." "She's a good girl." " She's French." "Let's go." "Don't worry." "We've got a fine case." "It won't be long." "Take care of yourself."