"And some hamachi." "Two pieces." "What is a "holiday roll"?" "OK." "Thank you." "I'm late." "I know." "Sorry." "They kept me at work an extra hour." " Are you OK?" " OK." "What's that?" "I fell off my bike." " That thing?" " Yeah." " Looks like you never rode it." " And you see why." "You've carefully avoided saying what this job is." "I told you, it's entry level." "But there's a fast track to promotion." "Kind of manager." "Kind of McDonald's?" "Yeah." "Hmm." "I brought you a present." "Ah!" "It's from Josie, really." "It was all her idea." "You look quite handsome." "We'll go back and take another photo after the birth." "Like a before and after." "Josie's full of ideas for decorating." "She never had her own place till now." "How much do you need for the apartment?" " I didn't ask for money." " No, it was me, hearing voices." "I planned to ask you to provide collateral, not money." "And Josie's boyfriends?" " Any of them moving in, too?" " No, why..." "Shit!" "It was just cleaned." "That girl is clearly dysfunctional." "You know nothing about her." "Except she was raised in a commune by unwashed idiots." "An arts collective." "Why you?" "What's she after?" "What could she be after?" "I have no money." " I have." " What's with you today?" "I'll give you 3 months' rent." "But I look at the place first." "I didn't want to pressure you." "You won." "Quit while you're ahead." "Bye." "Change all the locks, upstairs and down." "OK." "I left the key in the mailbox." "Thanks a lot." "You've seen Vincent's apartment?" "6 months ago, he was dealing weed and getting into fights." " You see him as a family man?" " That bitch Josie is a real menace." "He just doesn't see it." "Let me see that again." "Kwan, we agreed the orgasmic convulsions are way too timid." "As if they're scared of sex." " I upped it 5 times." " You can't tell." "Push it." "Can we discuss the real issues?" "We get one shot at Activision, but our controller is so crappy the demo is almost unplayable." "What's the point coming up with hyper realistic environments for Stix if the player throws the controller through the screen!" "Kurt, you're off track, focusing on known glitches." "The real problem is right there." "The real problem is, your background in publishing and literature is completely inappropriate for evaluating playability." "OK, maybe Anna and I should've founded a different sort of company." "Maybe Kronos was only a hit thanks to your genius ideas." "Maybe we're just two bitches who got lucky." "But the fact is, the boss here is me." "And we're 6 months behind." "Our goal is simple, as you all know." "When the player guts an orc, he needs to feel the blood on his hands." "Thick, warm blood." "If at all possible." "Let's go." "I love you." "Does Kurt hate me or is it just me?" "No, he hates you." "They all hate you, except Kevin." "He really loves you, even if he tries to laugh it off." "And you knew it, right?" "Press here." " She knows I want a full STD panel?" " Yes, of course." "If you're worried about a recent exposure, I can prescribe a PEP." "No, I looked online." "Too many side effects." "I can't miss any work." "I guess we roll the dice." "My evening just cleared up." " I can't." " Make an effort." "I can't." "I have..." "I have my period." "I'm not well." "I'll wear a condom." "I appreciate your sense of sacrifice." "A little blood doesn't turn me off." "No, I can't." "See you." "Scum!" "You and your father." " I love everything you do to me." " Let's do it again." "Next time, ring the bell." "Then you won't be treated to gruesome sights, like your mother having coffee with a friend." "I'd better put some pants on." "How much do you pay them?" "It's pitiful!" "Save your pity." "I'm not ashamed." "It's my life." "My sex life." "You're a little bitch, Michèle." "I'm just saying, with your finances, be careful." " Did you eat?" "I made spaghetti." " I'll take a coffee." " Not taking your coat off?" " I'm cold." "You had more work done?" "Will you stop going on about that?" "Oh!" "I'm sorry." "Just a little Botox." "It's your business." "Mmm!" " Very good." " You seem surprised." "Better like this?" "Ah." "Michèle, some other time, I have to take off." "No, not yet." "My mother told you she's HIV-positive?" "I warned Ralf you'd try that one." "Nice meeting you." "One question." "Think before you answer." "What would you say if I remarried?" "It's simple, I'd kill you." "No need to think." "You always wanted a sanitized version of life." "You asked, I answered." "I'd kill you." "You're so selfish, it's frightening." "I know." "By the way, here's your check." "You never give anything truly of yourself." "Your father, it's such an ordeal?" " Don't." " He's old." " Still breathing." " Some bonds never break." "I walk in and it's one horror after another." " He has a parole hearing." " That's enough." "OK?" "Your stud forgot his hernia belt." " You need a hand?" " No, I've got it." "Is it big enough?" "Any taller and the star will scrape the ceiling." " Michèle!" " Evening." "I'm so glad I caught you." "Here..." "I'm handing these out." "It's about the Board's trash separation policy." "Thank you." "The fines for non-compliance are exorbitant." "We're meeting Wednesday to oppose it." "You're on the Board, aren't you?" "I've tried to point out that minor conflict of interest." "It's an interesting position." "Yes, that's right." "Exactly." " I hope you can make it." " Perhaps." "Goodnight." "I'll just deliver these." "Be right back!" "Good evening." "Last one." "Your new keys are on the table." "Thank you." "Did you notice the back door jams?" "I only do locks." "How come?" "OK." "How'd you get out there?" "Come on in." "You didn't have to claw his eyes out but scratch him at least." "I'm just saying." "Unknown" "Oh." "You were very tight for a woman your age." "That one's 25." "That's the Safety Angel." " The most powerful?" " Serious stuff." "6ml of pepper spray at 180 km/h." "Gives you quite an advantage." "I'll take it." "And this." "Ooh!" "Hey, you!" "You told Vincent you'd pay his rent?" "No, I said I'd help out for a while." "Mr. Casamayou, your table's ready." "Don't expect me to pitch in." "I'm stone broke." "I'm the one who made the promise." "Why?" "Struggling to get by builds character." "Trouble is, he's dating a psycho." "Thank you very much." "The wacko won't tolerate struggling." "Psycho's the word." "Often though, that kind of girl's good in bed." "What does that even mean, "good in bed"?" " I never knew." " You read my proposal?" "Richard, would you say I'm tight for a woman my age?" "Hi there!" "Hi." "What's up, loser?" "How are you, pumpkin?" "Just in time to hear Michèle avoid giving her thoughts on my game idea." "No!" "It was very interesting." "You bet it's interesting." "Tell all." "Bubbly, 4 glasses." "No, a bottle!" "It's set in a time when dogs have been wiped out by a virus." "So people have robotic canines as pets." "The player's the Spartacus of the robot-dog world." "Original." "Interesting." "I have something to tell you all." "I was looking for a way of simply and naturally tossing this out, but I can't find one." "So..." "Here goes." "I was assaulted at home." "I guess I was raped." "Raped?" " Oh, my god." " For real?" "When?" " Thursday, at 3pm." " And you never said?" "I don't know what to say." "What can I say?" "Oh, my god!" " I feel stupid for bringing it up." " Are you insane?" "A Piper-Heidsieck." "Very good." "Wait a few minutes before popping it." "Are you alright?" "Mmm." " You have to see a doctor." " Done that." "What did the cops say?" "You didn't report it?" "Michèle, you have to report it immediately." "What for?" "What for!" "It's over." "It doesn't need talking about anymore." "It's not worth a debate." "How about we order?" "You avoid the police because..." "Of course I avoid the police "because!"" "I won't deal with the police ever again." "See you!" " I'll get you a gun." " A gun!" "You're out of your mind." "Richard." "I should tell you..." "Your proposal, our investors aren't interested." "I don't want to discuss it now." "But I'd like your opinion on it." "It's got nothing to do with the quality of your work." "It's a business that's tied into a particular demographic." " A demographic oblivious to quality?" " Exactly." "Come on, I can take it!" "Be honest." "What did you think of it?" "Richard, go back to your novel." "You're a writer." "Sure." "A penniless writer." "Somebody trashed your fender." "Somebody?" "See you." "Shit!" "Here you go." "I'll be right there, I..." "I'll just grab my jacket." "You got my sundae?" "Thanks." "See you tomorrow." "Here, for you." " For me?" " Yes, made it myself." "That's so sweet." "Mmm!" " Delicious." " Not bad, right?" "Mrs. Leblanc?" "Hello." "I'm Philippe, from the agency." "Vincent, good timing, I need you here." "Hey, Michèle." " What can I do?" " Stand against the wall." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "With your arms..." "The bookcase is 5 feet wide." "I want to visualize it." "Like this, OK?" "Vincent..." "Don't act the bookcase." "Be the bookcase." "OK, hold this." "Vincent is quite the actor." "Oops!" "Are you hurt?" " No." " No, it's fine." "A great actor." "Age 12, he was young Achilles in Kronos." "A video game I produced." "Yeah?" "I bet you were the cutest knight in armor." "Not too shabby." "Nice, huh?" "A little too nice, don't you think?" "There's room for a 120-cm here." "Did you ask her?" "You mentioned a microwave, but we thought a TV makes a better housewarming present." "Don't you need an oven more than a TV?" "We don't need one." "The kitchen comes fully equipped." "Is this the apartment you told me about?" "No, it's a 2-bedroom here." "€250 a month more." "The other one was a dump." "Nowhere to put a crib." "Totally insane." "Dump, I don't think so." "Basic, maybe." "Dump, definitely not." "Basic, sure." "You realize having a child is all about suffering?" "Vincent's birth was sheer hell." "Torture." "Three hours of agony." "If you don't want to help us, don't." "Nobody's forcing you." "How'll you get by if I don't?" "That's our problem." "You can't talk to me like that and take my money." "I don't give a shit about your money." "I never asked for it." "You just stand there, saying nothing, as usual!" "It's bullshit!" "When are you going to get off your ass?" "Whoa!" "Butt out, you!" "You realize that this is impossible?" " What?" " She's a lunatic." "She's not, she's my girlfriend." "You refuse to see I've changed." "What do you feel now?" "Fear or anger?" "Anger." "You've missed your wife." "Anna's in Angoulême today." "Ah." "And you knew it." "You know I went through a traumatic experience recently." "You gave the impression of soldiering on like nothing happened." "If I seem insensitive, I'm sorry." "That's just me, right?" "I see you're staying in character." "A big part of my character is being unpredictable." "I know you're a wilting flower but surely you can touch it." "Hold on." "I like the blouse you're wearing." "The cream color." "My sperm won't leave a stain." "Say, have you experienced any incidents recently?" " Incidents?" " You know what I mean." "A man threw pizza at me from his car." "He missed." "People were staring at me at the market." "But I always feel that." "I wonder if it isn't starting again." " A new cycle." " You don't know?" "The Accused Will Rise about your father aired again last Saturday." " Refreshes people's memories." " I'd no idea." "And you?" "Anything happened?" "No, nothing special." "It's because of his parole hearing." "A media feeding frenzy." "He's up before the judge next week." "You don't miss a beat." "Two coffees, please." "Come with me." "They'll never let him out." "Thank god!" "The parole hearing is a charade." "Like you telling me to come, when you know I'd rather gouge my eyes out." "How long will you hang on to hatred?" "I'll never see him again, in this world or any other." "Anyway, there is no other." "There isn't much time left." "He's ill." "Look..." "Look, just for one moment." "You're afraid to look at your own father?" "Put it away now." "You're not like the mob." "People who only know the monster." "You know the man." "He's just a man." "Who happens to be a monster." "You see a contradiction there?" "Drink up." "I'm done here." "Be careful, won't you?" "Some people won't just toss crap from their cars." "Oh!" "Marty!" "Give me that bird." "Marty!" "We don't treat wild birds." " It's a sparrow?" " Yes." "I wouldn't even know how to intubate your sparrow." "If it is a sparrow." "Thanks very much." "Goodbye." "You're welcome." "Goodbye." "The Accused Will Rise:" "the League Street murders" "...victims of all ages." "Seen today, this quiet street in the suburbs of Nantes bears no trace of the atrocities that took place here 39 years ago." "Few of today's inhabitants know the name, Georges Leblanc." "Or if they do, it's a name associated with a horror story that they can hardly remember." "An urban folktale from another time." "And yet, in 1976, the eyes of France were trained on this street." "A nation held its breath." "In shock." "Time has dulled the terror of that distant day in May." "But for some the horror will never fade away." "Nor will the unanswered questions." "What drove Georges Leblanc, a practicing Catholic, loving husband and father, to commit such monstrous and senseless acts?" "And what role exactly was played by his daughter, Michèle?" "A ten-year-old child at the time." "After years of trials and psychiatric evaluations, over 30 years after Georges Leblanc's incarceration, sentenced to life, the questions remain, as banal yet chilling as ever." "First and foremost..." "Why?" "Murderer!" "I hope that's recyclable." "It's a dead bird." "Richard!" "What were you thinking?" "I was worried about you." "Jesus!" "Don't rub your eyes." "You say you were raped and didn't report it, obviously I'm going to..." "Holy shit, you really did a number on me!" "I'm sorry." "That helps?" "You know what you're doing?" "It's on the pepper spray label." "Could be, I'll go blind." "Of course, you won't go blind!" "There we go." " Glass of wine?" " Yes, please." "I didn't recognize the car." "Whose is it?" "A friend's." "A girl friend's?" "Her name's Hélène." "I borrowed hers." "Mine's in the shop." "Somebody smashed the bumper." "It was barely visible." "She's a friend, Michèle." "Why am I even justifying this?" "You have nothing to justify." " She's a student?" " Grad student." "Surprise me." "She's not my student." "She organizes a De Beauvoir seminar." "She invited me to speak." " And she's read your book." " She's read it." "And told me how deeply it touched her," "I melted inside." "That's all." "You can imagine the rest." "I can imagine just fine, actually." "Your jealousy is insane." "No, I'm just concerned." "I'm concerned because this is what I feared." "The bimbos with big tits never worried me, but a woman who's read The Second Sex will chew you up and spit you out." "The real danger, Michèle, is you." "Did you know about her?" "Yeah, I met her once." "When was that?" "Last week." "We all had dinner at Dad's." "Why didn't you mention it?" "I dunno..." " Josie, put that down." "I'll do it." " When?" "Can I have some focus here, please?" " What?" " What's Hélène like?" "She's cool." "A yoga teacher." "Bikram yoga, I think." "Move your feet, will you?" "Where?" " Why?" " I told Eric he could have it." "Eric?" "Who's this Eric?" "Marais Yoga Center." " Can't it wait?" " Move your feet!" "How about you help me unpack?" "I'll be right there." "Josie!" "Where are you going?" "Vincent, I'll call you back." "Yeah, bye." "Seen it?" "It was sent to the whole office?" "Take a look." "This isn't the first thing he's sent me." "First thing who's sent you?" " The guy who attacked you?" " Of course." "You think that's possible?" "Your attacker?" "I mean, the email seems to come from here." "Looks like it." "Call the police now." "The police, never again." "It's pointless." "This is different." "You're the victim." "I was the victim then!" " Sorry, I..." " I don't want the police involved." "I won't let this cretin stir up all that shit." "I fought too hard to rebuild my life, so police, journalists..." "No way." "God help us." "There's a nutjob out there." "Nutjobs, I can handle." "My specialty." "Not necessarily an inside job." "When our server was hacked in June, somebody ripped the Cthulhu template off our mainframe." "Images like these have floated around since then." "Mmm." "My secret admirer must be highly tech savvy." " A former employee maybe?" " Yeah." "Last question." "You think she's pretty?" "Bend forward, from low in your back." "Stretch your spine all the way to the floor." "Deep breath." "Push the floor with your left hand until seated again." "Thank you all very much." "Have a good day." "Excellent work." "Namaste." "Hélène?" "Hmm?" "I'm Michèle." "Richard's ex." "Oh!" " Nice to meet you." " Hello." "Hope you don't mind me barging in." "I wanted to apologize face to face." "For what?" "Your car window." "I'm sorry." "Please, it's nothing." "Anyway, Richard explained it all." "Really?" "What was his explanation?" "It was an accident." "Yes, that's right." "An accident." " And a good chance to meet you." " Yes, great!" "It's wonderful finally meeting you." " I was thinking..." " Richard won't have to introduce us." "We've dodged an awkward situation." "Why would it be awkward?" "Of course, you're right, it's..." "I guess we could have..." " I mean..." " But it's behind us now." "Exactly!" "We should get together some time, all of us." "Yes." "I'm having a Christmas party." "You really must come." "Come along." "If I must." "I'll give Richard the details." "I should get going." "Lovely to meet you." "Yes, lovely to have met you." "Goodbye." "Hello?" "Port Royal, right now?" "Really?" "She was losing blood." "They did an ultrasound." " She has a..." " A placental abruption." "They say it's OK but they're inducing labor." "Omar, a buddy of mine." "Dad!" " What's the news?" " Nothing yet." "I'm right here." " I'm scared." " It's gonna be OK." "It hurts!" "I'll go get a coffee." "So suddenly you're throwing a Christmas party?" "I thought it'd be good to get to know each other better." "She's lovely, by the way." "Another of your traps?" "I have better things to do than plot diabolical Christmas dinners." "Is there anything she won't eat?" "Any allergies?" "The cat's shedding like crazy." " I made no fuss about your violinist." " That was different!" "He was married with 3 kids." "He checked every box." "She's a young, single woman of child-bearing age." " You've broken all the rules." " First I heard we had an agreement." "It's not my fault if..." "It is your fault." "We should still be together." " It's your fault." " You left me." "You hit me." "If there's one thing in my life I regret, it's that." " All done!" " All done?" "We're going to need a DNA test." " Are they bringing him in?" " Right now." "I'll be a good mother to him." "Silly!" "You'll be awesome!" "Should we go?" "No." "It's fine." "Lots of people here." "Hey, everybody!" "Who's a proud Daddy!" "A little marvel!" "Isn't he handsome!" "Look at that!" "This is where I had my son." "In this maternity unit." "That's funny." "Not really." "The amazing thing is, my friend Anna..." "You saw her up there, you met her." "She gave birth here that same night." "This is where we met." "Her child was stillborn." "She asked to breastfeed mine." "Oh my!" "I said to her, fine." "Since then, I've often wondered." "They've always been very close." "Anna and my son." "I wonder if there wasn't some kind of imprinting, like with ducks." "With me, on the other hand..." " You know..." " Sorry, they're paging me." "Sometimes I look at Vincent, the big lout with nothing special about him that came out of my belly, and I have to admit I don't know him." " Evening, Michèle." " Evening, Rebecca." "Patrick will walk you inside." "There's a prowler." " There is?" " Patrick fought with him." " A prowler?" " Yes." "They're sending 3 cars after the creep." "You fought with him?" "I caught him crouched in the bushes, watching your house." "When I approached, he took off." "You saw his face?" "No, he was wearing a mask, like a ski mask." "Like a stalker on a TV show." "He got away." " Pat, go in with her." " No, don't bother." " Do it anyway." " OK, be right back." "It's really not necessary, honestly." "I have pepper spray in the house." "Good to know." "Light switch on your left there." "Everything seems to be OK." "Thanks, anyway." "I appreciate it." "No problem, I didn't do much." "I nearly caught him, but he took off so fast." "In high school, I ran the 1,000 meters in 2'42"." "Perhaps his speed shows how scared he was of you." "Thank you for salvaging my pride." "You're welcome." "Well..." "See anything or hear anything, just shout." "OK." "I'm a grandmother." " Congratulations." " Thank you." "God knows why I said that." "Morning, Michèle." "I like your sweater." "Do you ski?" "Sure." "I'll take you anytime." "Kevin?" "You shoot, right?" "I mean, real shooting." "That's right, I do." "You own guns?" "A couple." "Could you teach me?" "I could show you, sure." "In real life, that'd do the job." "In real life, he'd run faster." "True." "Try the .44 now." "Kevin, I also wanted to talk to you because I've got an unofficial assignment for you." "A black op?" "I want to know who created that animation." "You know the one I mean?" "Hack into the home computers of the whole office." "All the guys, at least." "Michèle, I want to help, but that's a major violation." "I'm offering €10,000 cash in hand." "Between you and me." "Our secret." "When you snoop on people, you turn up some weird shit." "I know." "I won't judge." " Where does this one go?" " Put it right there." "I untangled that one." "Try it." " This one?" " On the right." "I'll do the other next." "Wow!" "Beautiful!" "Evening." "The Nativity gets me every time." "Where it all began." "Very true." "I know it's rude to invite you last minute, but I'm having a Christmas get-together tomorrow." "Patrick, did you hear that?" "Yeah." " With pleasure." " Yes, with pleasure, absolutely." "Well then..." "See you tomorrow." "See you then." "Thank you." "In theory, we could put a toothpick inside one for Richard's ladylove." "Or just poison her." "She'd see it coming." "She has me pegged as a Medea, consumed by jealousy." "She was a classics major, too?" " Josie." " Robert." "Merry Christmas!" " Okay, Dad?" " Great." "Hi, kiddo." "Jeez, he stinks." "Here!" "How you doing?" "You trying to deafen us all with your shit?" "Careful." "Hello, all!" "Merry Christmas!" "If I ever show up like that, kill me." "Evening!" "Sorry we're late." "I was digging out a great..." "Excuse me." "Cabernet." "Scrabble party!" "Ah!" "Thank you." "Any more alerts?" "No, the bogeyman's deserted us." "Anyway, we're safe tonight." "Robert's a black belt." "I got my red belt in March." "I did Taekwondo for years before switching to Shotokan." "I've never done karate." "She was making fun of me." "Okay." "You can't avoid me all night." "Want a bet?" " I'm glad you made it." " We don't get out much." "Unfortunately for Rebecca, who's a very social person." "Unlike me." "I'm glad she dragged you over here tonight." "It was no hardship." "Good evening!" "So sorry I'm late." "I couldn't get off work." "We just sat down." "Hi, Hélène." "Evening, everybody." "Irène, this is Hélène." "Good evening." "Evening." "I'm Ralf." " Well, enjoy your meal!" " Thanks." "I'm sorry..." "I'd like to say grace, if nobody objects." "Of course not." "Please do." "Thank you." "Bless us, Lord, and bless this meal." "And provide bread to the needy." "Amen." " Amen." " Amen." " Wine, Michèle?" " With pleasure." "So, Patrick, what do you do?" "I work in banking." "I'm a broker." "And I plead guilty." "How come?" "Just joking." "It's not a popular profession right now." "It never was." "I guess not." "To Christmas!" "And to us!" "Especially the newcomers to our table..." "Hélène." "Patrick." "Rebecca." "Uh..." " Ralf." " Ralf." "Merry Christmas!" " Michèle's worked like a trooper." " Absolutely." "I love cooking." " When are you going?" " I'll try to book the..." "But the period we want books up fast." "People don't realize the art muscle needs training." "Or else culture collapses, goes flabby." "That's what we've got now." "Flabby culture." "Is that aimed at me?" "Originality or singularity used to be valued and sought after." "Or even an end in itself." "Now it's a liability." "Richard's a theorist." "I'm not talking about novelty." " Coming out of our ass, novelty!" " Delightful image at dinner." "Anyway, what's inspiration?" "80% hard work." "Some people know nothing of hard work." "It's not in their culture." "We know who you mean." " I didn't say a word." " Say it." "Say it." "No, I think that..." "Everybody's different." "I love everyone." "We're all children of God!" "Yeah, Africans eat goat's innards." "They're different." "Exactly." "I went on safari in Kenya." "It was great." "Right, there you go." "I think now is a good time." "I have an announcement to make." "Ralf and I are engaged to be married." "Sorry." "How do you manage to be so grotesque?" "Don't you realize?" "I hope everyone likes blueberries." "Josie added a ton to the official recipe." "I was feeling creative, so I added blueberries." "Looks good to me." "It's almost midnight." "Do you mind if I put on the Mass?" "On the contrary." "You're leaving?" "It was wonderful." "Really." "Next time, our turn." "You'll come to us." " Let's not rush things." " Leave it to us." "We'll have lunch first, Michèle and I." "Just the two of us." "One step at a time." "I agree, excellent idea." " Goodnight." " Great." "See you!" "See you, 'night!" "Flirting with the banker, was that a test?" "You're making a scene in my home?" "It's come to that?" " We'll talk later." " Make yourself useful." "Disaster!" " That's two double words." " One double word." "I can top that." "Journey!" " 64." " Hold on, I've got it." "No, that's 70." "70, you see." "My bad." " Ladies..." " No, thanks." " Sure?" " Really." "Curse him!" "Damn him!" "Close the book, ring the bell, blow out the candle." "What's that?" "Call yourself a Catholic?" "You don't know the excommunication rite?" "And you do?" "I've heard about it." "My father made the sign of the cross on me, before I left for school." "He did it to all the local kids until some parents asked him to stop." "Sounds reasonable." "Apparently, my father was offended." "That night, he made the rounds." "Knocked on every door, went into every house on the street with a shotgun, a butcher's mallet and a pair of kitchen knives." "Yes, I heard about that." "You heard about the 27 human victims, not about the animals." "They never get a mention." "6 dogs, a couple of cats, too." "For whatever reason, he spared a hamster." "You couldn't make it up." "I was doing my homework when he arrived home with blood all over him." "My mother was at work." "She was a nurse back then." "Can you imagine my mother, a nurse?" " Funny, isn't it?" " We don't have to go over it." "I don't mind." "It does me good to talk." "He decided to burn everything in the house." "I helped feed the fire." "We gutted the place." "Curtains, carpets..." "Tables, chairs..." "All in the fire." "It was exciting." "You get caught up in it." "We were about to burn our clothes when the police arrived." "Someone snapped a photo." "Bizarrely, it's that photo that stuck in people's minds." "Me, half-naked, smeared with ash." "The photo of a little girl as psychopath, next to her father, the psychopath." "My empty stare in the photo is terrifying." "Not bad, huh?" " Cognac?" " Love one." "Same glass OK?" "Cognac, anyone?" " Me, please." " Whiskey." " Champagne, please." " I'm out." "So, one whiskey and one cognac." "Are you aware how mean you were to me at dinner?" "Yes, I am." "You're cruel when you find anything or anyone unpleasant." "I'm on the list, apparently." "Neither of us is drunk enough for this conversation." "Okay?" "Irène." "What's happened?" "Can you hear me?" " I don't believe it!" " You better believe it!" "What?" "Go see... your father." "She's had a major stroke." "We alleviated the pressure on her brain but she remains unresponsive." "Unresponsive, meaning?" "She is comatose." "How long for?" "Sorry, there's no telling." "I mean, she's stable..." " This is real?" " Excuse me?" "No." "I mean..." "There's no way she's faking it or playing it up?" "You're medically certain this is for real?" "I'm sorry, but yes it's for real." "In fact, there's a strong probability your mother will not wake up." "But as I say, she's stable right now." "I suggest you get some rest." "There's nothing you can do here now." "We'll call you if there's any news." "Goodbye and thank you." "Be strong." "Well?" "It's not good." "Do you mind sleeping in the guest room?" "No." "You're sleeping with me." "Did you see Richard with Hélène?" "I did." "Telling the same old stories." "And she seemed amused by them all." "You'll wind up being good friends." "Oh, no doubt." "I'll go over for dinner, just the three of us." "I picture myself at their door with a box of macaroons." "It makes me want to puke!" "You remember in Cassis?" "We tried." "It was hopeless, we couldn't stop laughing." "What are you doing?" "Anna's gone to the office." "I was trying to cheer you up." "Oddly, your stupidity was what first attracted me." "Sorry if I misjudged." "I can't do this anymore." "We have to stop." "You were great and everything." "We'll stay friends but..." "Are you kidding?" "This whole ridiculous situation is unbearable, right?" " Don't you think?" " No." "Your breasts are bigger." " Not that I'm aware of." " I'm telling you." "Say you don't want me anymore and we're done." "It's not that simple." "But if you like..." "I don't want this anymore, this situation, the lies." "You dodged my question." "Sorry." "I don't want to fuck you anymore." "Was that the question?" "I won't see him." "I'm not superstitious." "I couldn't care less about death-bed requests." "If you hope to keep manipulating me with this abject stunt..." "Ever since you gave up on basic morality, acting out like a spoiled teenager, you never gave a shit what I thought." "How much it hurt me." "This aneurysm thing is just treachery." "Disgusting." "Like this salad, with its shitty olives." "You can't stay mad at me till the end." "Sure, the news channel works fine." "She's in v-tach." "What's going on?" "What's that beep?" " Ma'am, please." " Cardiac arrest." "20 mg of GTN." "No change." "Up it to 40." "Still no change." "We're losing her." "What are you doing?" "Sorry I couldn't stop myself" "I'm looking for a spot with some significance." "It's not like there'll be a sign that says," " "Dispose of mother here."" " His pacifier." "We had a picnic there once, that hollow there." "I remember only too well." "Her chicken salad gave me horrific gas." "You forgot it?" "How can you be such an idiot?" "Three times I reminded you." "At home and in the car." "You enjoy this?" "See how she talks to him?" " Give up the Xbox, moron!" " Stop it." "Stop it?" "Stop what?" "I'm embarrassing you?" "All you deserve, asshole!" "Baby blues." "I hope my boy doesn't inherit her temperament." "Vincent, he's a cute kid but he's not your son." "You know that?" "Found it." "Josie!" "Are you listening?" " What's up?" " He's not your son." "Look at his skin." "It's two tones darker than yours or Josie's." "Don't you see?" " Whose is he, if he's not mine?" " He's his father's!" "His father's not you." "Sorry, but you're being made a fool of." "Don't lay a finger on me." " Cunt!" " What?" "Say that again." " What?" " Cunt!" "Stop!" "So, what now?" "Okay, this'll have to do." "The wind's picking up." "Sorry to bother you." " I saw your shutters open." " Come in." " Sorry if I'm disturbing you." " You're not." "With your shutters open and a storm brewing, your windows'll shatter." " That would be bad timing." " The wind can do serious damage." "I know." "You weren't here in '99." "The end of the world." "I believe it." "You need a hand?" "Perhaps, yes." "Thanks." "I never counted, but there must be something like 20 windows in this house." "It's a westerly, so let's start there." "In the kitchen." "You're cold?" "A little." "Next window perhaps?" "OK." "I wasn't expecting anyone." " Looks like a Grumman Wildcat." " I don't know." "I'd love to restore one." "And fly it to New York." "You're a pilot?" "No." "You've got to have a dream." "Let's start with that one." "Sorry." "The Summoning scene needs to come later." " No, this is..." " Kurt, we have no time to argue." "The player encounters Kira in her sweet, schoolteacher persona before her Dark Rebirth." " Or there's no boner moment!" " Right." "Michèle?" "Got a minute?" "Yeah." "I found something on Kurt's private server." "It looks like he's into crushing." "What's "crushing"?" "What it sounds like." "Crush-sh." "Enjoy." "Twisted, but hardly a smoking gun." "I guess not." "Good work." "Keep on it." "Ash Girl." "Deliciously nasty." "You're here?" " You're mad?" " I'm mostly curious." " I guess I should explain." " You have to, yes." "I was never going to show it to anyone." "Philipp Kwan ripped it off my computer and sent it out." "But you created it?" " Yes." " Why?" "At first, as a game idea based on true crime photos." "Then it got weird." "Nobody would've seen it if that asshole Kwan hadn't..." "If I'm fired, he deserves it too." "Take out your dick." "Pardon me?" "Show me your dick and I might not fire you." "I thought you were Jewish." "Well, no." "Put it back." "The guy I'm looking for is circumcised." "I still get the 10 grand?" "That's a no." "And delete all that." "Ah." "Fantastic!" "Get out!" "Get out of here!" "A wave of enthusiasm in Spain." "Pope Francis will join crowds of pilgrims walking barefoot on the road to Santiago de Compostela." "In France, Georges Leblanc stays in prison, unsurprisingly." "The serial killer failed in his latest application for parole." "Georges Leblanc is 76 years old." "He must wait ten years to apply again." "His lawyers announced he..." "Fuck you, fuck you!" "I'm Michèle Leblanc." "I called yesterday." "Right." "Wait there for someone to come get you." "Thank you." "Ms. Leblanc?" "I'm the Assistant Warden." " A coffee or something?" " No, thanks." "Can we talk in my office if you don't mind?" "This way..." "I'm here to spit in my father's face." "I can't guarantee it's a metaphor." "People have all kinds of reasons." "I came because I gave the bastard too much power over me." "My whole life fleeing him, fearing him." "What a waste!" "Ms. Leblanc..." "Your father is dead." "Shortly before 8am, we found him deceased in his cell." "How?" "There'll be an investigation, but he appears to have hanged himself with a sheet." "Um..." "When did this happen?" "We only know it must have been between 7pm and 7am." "Um..." "At what time was my father notified that I was coming today?" "Shortly before 7pm." "Your mother requested cremation, with a vault for his ashes next to hers." "She won't be there, even if her plaque's next to his." "I had a list of things to say to him." "Nine bullet points." "I killed you by coming here." "Emilie Fontaine, reporter at Le Parisien." "I was wondering if you'd like to comment on your father's passing." "How did you get this number?" "I realize it's an awkward time." "It's an opportunity for you..." "Ms. Leblanc?" "Are you feeling anger?" "Grief?" "Relief perhaps?" "Anna's voicemail." "I can't take your..." "This is Richard." "Leave me a message." "How are you feeling?" "How am I feeling?" "Are you dizzy?" "Head spinning?" "No." "I'm fine, I think." "Except my leg." "Don't bother." "It's jammed." "Unbuckle and I'll help you out." "You should let me look at it." "I played soccer." "Great, so what?" "I mean, I know a bit about leg injuries." "As a teen, I tore my anterior cruciate ligament." "OK?" "One year of rehab." "Alright, I'd better disinfect it now." "A nasty sprain." "It needs treatment." "So, how was it?" "Was it good?" "How was it?" "Answer me." "Did you enjoy it?" "Why did you do it?" "It was necessary." " Have a good day, ma'am." " Thanks, goodbye." "Stop it, Michèle." "You can't do this." "What can't I do?" "Walking in without ringing the bell." "I have a key, Ralf." "Why ring the bell?" "Ignore me, I won't be long." "It's not about how long." " Don't be unpleasant." " You have to go immediately." "I own this apartment!" "Your mother invited me to stay and I decide..." " What's going on?" " Not now!" "It's up for sale." "That's why I'm here." "I saw your father passed away." "One less bastard in the world." "You should start packing your bags." "I saw all the shows on TV about you and your dad." "When you murdered all those people." "I saw all the corpses, all the dead children." "The bastard's dead now, and at least I fucked his wife." "It's Robert." "Anna's gone to her London meeting." "My afternoon's free." "I was going to call." "I sprained my knee." "It's in a brace." "I can hardly walk." "So?" "We're not going skiing." "You were fabulous." "Where'd you get the idea of playing dead?" "Anyway, you got what you wanted." "See, I'm as good as my word." "Now that..." "It was a very peculiar sensation." "So we can still be friends." "Mmm-hmm." "You know what I mean by "friends"?" "No more fucking." "Vincent?" "What are you doing here?" "Josie kicked me out." "What happened?" "I don't know." "So think about it." "There must be a reason, however demented." "There's a reason." "I lost my job." "Lost?" "I resigned." " You resigned?" " I had to." "My car broke down." "You resigned because your car broke down?" "It's one hour there, one hour back, from the house." "That's unhealthy." "I saw a thing on TV about air quality in the subway." "You brought him here?" " I had no choice." " No choice?" "Josie threatened to go to America." "And take Lucien along." "I can't believe I'm defending her but she has a right to be mad at you." "You have responsibilities, an apartment, and you quit your job?" "You say it exactly like her." "My car broke down." "That's not my fault!" "You have to give that baby back right now." "You're not married." "It could be seen as kidnapping." "Kidnapping?" "He's my son!" " My son!" " Alright, he's your son." "No, not alright." "Who could that be?" "Where is he?" " Who?" " My baby!" " Where is he?" " Upstairs." "My baby!" "What did you do to him?" " What did I do to him?" " I wouldn't trust you with a hamster!" "Let go!" "Let go of me!" "Let go of her." "Let go of me, dammit!" "Let go of her!" " Vincent!" " What?" "He's my baby, get it?" "My child!" "It was always about the baby for you." "You were in it for his sake." "I could be a good father." "I know it." "These?" "Sure, but unsalted ones." "Hi, Vincent." " OK?" " And you?" "Buy Bonne Vie." "They're made in Florange." "Evening, Michèle." "How's your knee?" "And you?" "Your hand?" "Patrick said Bonne Vie unsalted chips are made in Florange." "Rebecca's on a trip and left tons of lasagna." "I'll never be able to finish it." "I got this to go with it." "Sounds good to me." "Yes, sure." "No, thanks." "Where did Rebecca and her parents go?" "To see the Pope in Santiago de Compostela." "Hmm." "Driving and on foot at the end." "I saw he'll be saying mass in the cathedral." "The Pope." "I have a hard time imagining the guy barefoot." "It's so weird to think he's a real person, like with feet." "Go easy, sweetheart." "He's out." "Eyes bigger than his belly." "Thank you." "The floor's warm." "It's a wood boiler." "I installed it myself." "Sounds like a job." "Yes." "Works by inverted flame combustion." "Inverted flame combustion?" "Sounds like you just made it up." "I'm not making anything up." "It's in the basement." "I can imagine." "You want to see it?" "OK." "There we are." "All noise is muffled by the door." " Vincent's upstairs." " Yes, he is." "Do it." "It doesn't work like that." "Not for me." "It has to be like before." "Let's go." "Whoa!" "Thank you for dinner." "Anytime." "Kurt." "Anna, I have an idea." "The party for the game launch, we could ask Vincent to organize it." "Good idea." "I know I was always against throwing work Vincent's way but..." "What's wrong?" "Robert's fucking someone." "Are you sure?" "I recognized the scent of that stupid body wash they use in hotels trying to be classy." "We don't have that at home." "That's your only evidence?" "I smelled his underwear." "I waited all day for him to take off his shorts." "When he did at last, I pounced on them." "And sniffed." "I felt ashamed beyond words." "Shame isn't a strong enough emotion to stop us doing anything at all." "Believe me." "You're becoming a regular." "Looks like it." " Your wife?" " Couldn't make it." "Ah!" "What do you mean, "Ah"?" "We should've come together." "Carpooling is hip." "How are you?" "Fauchon made this up for us." "Taste that, it's awesome." "Mmm!" "Right this way." "You're maitre d' tonight?" "Mom put me in charge of the party." " How are you?" " Fine." " How are you?" " Good." "Oh!" "Sorry, lipstick on your cheek." "Welcome to my home." " Want to give it a try?" " No, thanks, I'm no gamer." "Really?" "I'd love a go." "Show me?" "Can I get you a drink?" " Champagne?" " Red wine, please." "I'll switch to red, too." " Champagne for you?" " No, I'm good." "Bottle of red, please." "I was told to pour glasses." "I'm in charge here." "I was given specific instructions." "Whiskey here, please." "Faster, much faster!" "You can press the circle." "Get him moving now." "Press there to jump." "You didn't bring Hélène?" "We've met now." "I won't lie to you." "It's over." "What happened?" "Laying in bed, I asked her which of my books was her favorite." "Why'd you do that?" "She said Scent of Poplar." "Scent of Poplar is a novel by one Pierre Casamayou." "I'd no idea there were two Casamayous." "Apparently, he's talented." "Poor Richard." "Yes, poor Richard." "So... it looks like somehow, despite our best efforts, we have a success on our hands." "All I can say is thank you, to your good health and hip hip hooray!" "Aw!" "Well..." "I couldn't put it any better." "Have a great evening!" "Kurt!" "Kurt." "Have you met Richard?" "Some time ago, Richard pitched a very interesting idea." "You two working together could make something fabulous of it." "I think, at least." "Talk it over." "This isn't charity?" "Oh!" "You should know me better than that." "Go on, tell him your idea." "So, it's set in a..." "Let me get you a drink." "We can go whenever you want, darling." "We'll have more fun in bed than here." "How about a whiskey, guys?" "Give me a minute, then we can go." "Whatever you say." "Two whiskeys and an OJ, please." "It's going great!" "It's me." "What's you?" "It's me, sleeping with Robert." "It's over now, but it was me." " How long?" " 6-8 months." "I didn't have a clue." "I know." "What did you do?" "I stopped lying." "See you." "Take my keys." "Patrick's driving me home." " You're leaving already?" " You did wonderfully." "Relax." "See you." "It's twisted." " Sorry?" " Twisted." "Between us, it's sick." "Diseased." "I was in some kind of weird denial but I see clearly now." "What do you see?" "You don't expect to get away with what you did to me?" "Huh?" "I'll do what I should've done at once." "What do you mean?" "It's not just about me." "There's your wife, too." "And others, perhaps." "Who knows." "What do you mean?" "How many others?" "That you've done the same thing to?" "I'll go to the police." "I'll tell them everything." "Why?" "It's over." "It's over." "Ms. Leblanc?" "What was your relationship with the deceased?" "He was my neighbor." "Like have-a-cup-of-coffee neighbor?" "Borrow-the-lawnmower neighbor?" "No, I never borrowed his lawnmower." "But it was..." "Yes, that kind of neighbor." "Until maybe... recently." "When he attended this party with you?" "Yes." "That's when your relationship became more personal?" "Yes, I mean..." "It was heading in that direction." "When this man appeared in your house, masked, you never suspected for a moment it might be your neighbor?" "Who could imagine such a thing?" " The color OK for you?" " Just fine." "It's perfect." "Careful, the statues are fragile." "Rebecca." "You found a buyer?" "I took a bit of a hit, but not too bad." "The realtor did a great job." "I'll give you his details." "If ever you..." "I'm not going anywhere." "Stuff piles up." "I wanted you to know..." "I'm..." "I'm very sorry for all you've been through." "Fortunately, I have faith." "What's it for if not to get through tough times?" "Patrick was a good man but he had a tortured soul." "Goodbye." "Michèle." "I'm sincerely glad you could give him what he needed." "For a time, at least." "Hey there!" " Wow, beautiful!" " Check it out." "Josie let me choose." "A convertible." "He's earned it." "Let's go." "Baby!" "Happy?" "Crazy!" "MONSTER" "ASSASSIN BASTARD" "I heard you were here." "Physically, anyway." "We're going ahead with Richard's project?" "Let him fool around for a while." "How's Robert?" "I kicked him out." "Ever since, he's hit the bottle." "What did you see in him?" "It was just one of those things." "An opportunity." "I wanted to get laid." "That's no excuse." "It was shabby." "Worse than that even." "Vincent's grown up now." "It's just the two of us." "And I'm all alone in that huge house." "I'm going to sell it." "I was thinking I could move in with you for a while." "Oh!"