"Excuse me, but aren't you Sarah Morton?" "It is you." "I recognize you." "Look, I'm reading your latest novel." "I love it." "I'm a big fan of Inspector Dorwell." "I've read all your books" "You must have mistaken me with someone else." "I'm not the person you think I am." "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "Good morning." "What would you like?" "Whiskey, please." "Ice?" "Yes." "Yeah!" "And after that in all the directories." "And we will renew, most definitely, that shouldn't be a problem." "Just a minute." "Hello, Sarah." "How are you?" "Could be better." "Is John in?" "Yes, but he's in a meeting." "Who with?" "Terry Long." "Who?" "Yeah." "I'm in the process of drawing up the contract now and it should be with you shortly." "Yeah, I'm absolutely sure." "Now, you're on what's called "a roll. "" "You must keep the momentum good, take a short holiday, but nothing to long..." "Sarah!" "Um, let me introduce you." "Sarah Morton, Terry Long." "Terry Long, Sarah Morton." "I'm so pleased to meet you." "My mother adores you." "She's read all your Dorwell books." "Right." "Well, Terry, always a pleasure." "We'll speak very soon." "And congratulations again on that award." "I'm sure it's the first of many." "Oh, geez, John." "Very nice to have met you." "And do hurry." "My mother's impatiently awaiting the arrival of the newest Inspector Dorwell book." "So what award did that little shit get?" "The Manchester Book Critics." "Hardly the Booker Prize, I know, but it's not bad for a first novel." "The "little shit," as you call him, has talent." "I just hope he sells." "I trust you taught him your favorite motto." "And what motto's that?" "You know damn well." "You drilled it into me 20 years ago." ""Awards are like hemorrhoids. sooner or later every asshole gets one. "" "Did I say that?" "My God, you're jealous, aren't you?" "You don't look after me anymore." "Just because I give a little fled things, some encouragement, does not mean that I am neglecting you..." "Besides, you've never had any problems finding inspiration for the Dorwell-Series..." "You write with such remarkable ease I wonder you need me at all." "Okay, Sarah, what's the matter?" "Can't be money." "You're rolling in it." "It's incredible." "The only thing you can find to talk about to me is money." "I don't give a damn about money... or success!" " I just want to find " " An inspiring plot." "No." "You don't understand." "It's" " It's got nothing to do with inspiration." "I'm" " I'm fed up with murders... and investigations." "Why don't you confound your critics and write something completely different?" "Put Dorwell on the shelf, as it were." "You didn't like the last one, did you?" "I knew it!" "And you haven't had the balls to tell me." "That's simply not true." "You know very well I've loved the Dorwell series right from the beginning." "As well you might... considering the money they make you." "Do you like France?" "I like frogs' legs." "So what?" "My house." "Why don't you go there for a while, hmm?" "Breathe some fresh air." "It's free, it's out of season, the weather's glorious." "There's a swimming pool." "Would you come and visit me?" "Well." "I have got my daughter." "But maybe I'll come for a weekend." "Bonjour." "Bonjour." "Hello?" "Hello, Father." "It's me." "Are you all right?" "Yes, I've arrived safely." "How is the house?" "The house is lovely." "The weather?" "The weather's gorgeous." "How is the weather in London?" "Doesn't stop raining." "Are you all right?" "Yes, I'm okay." "Have you met anyone?" "No, I haven't seen anyone." "You shouldn't stay by yourself." "Try to get out." "Father." "Yeah " "Look, Father, if there's a problem of any kind, ask Mrs. smith for help." "All right?" "I don't need anyone's help." "Yes." "You take care now." "You too." "All right." "Bye-bye." "Good-bye." "Hello?" "Sarah!" "John, how are you?" "I'm very well." "I should be asking you that question." "So, tell me, how's everything going, darling?" "Did Marcel come and fetch you?" "Yes, but listen." "I have just one thing to say to you, and that's thank you." "You were right, as usual." "Your house is a little piece of paradise." "And I've already begun working." "Hmm?" "So soon?" "Yes." "The idea kept running through my mind while I was on the train." "You know, one of those stupid things that just latch on and won't let go." "Really?" "I don't know where it's heading, but - so, what's Dorwell up to now?" "Well, I'm not ready to talk about it right now." "All right." "But I think it might be quite funny." "Anyway, I'm going to wait until I'm sure." "Well, that's marvelous." "Well, I'm glad you're happy." "Have you been out and about yet?" "No." "I'm just enjoying the peace and quiet here." "Good." "Yeah. so, when are you thinking of coming?" "Um, I don't know." "I'm not sure." "It" " It depends on the work, you know." "Um, look, I'm sorry, sweetheart." "I've got another call coming through." "Now, you take care, and call me when you're ready to read me something, all right?" "Right." "Fine." "Good-bye, John." "Are you English?" "That's correct." "I'm Sarah Morton." "I'm a writer." "And my publisher, John Bosload, is letting me this house." "Ah. so you're Daddy's latest conquest." "You're his daughter?" "So what?" "Didn't he warn you?" "No, he didn't tell me you'd be coming." "I'm not surprised." "Is he here?" "No." "I'm here on my own." "and I'm here to work." "Maybe he'll come and visit." "I'm glad he's not here." "Are you going to be staying long?" "I don't know." "I don't have much work these days." "So, which bedroom did you take?" "The one upstairs overlooking the pool." "Of course." "That's the best one." "Well, I'm gonna unpack." "Sorry." "Hello." "Leave your name, number and any message you might have... and I'll get right back to you." "Bastard!" "You could have told me your daughter was coming to your bloody house." "How do you expect me to work now?" "It's Sarah." "Good-bye." "I couldn't get through to London." "Is there anything to eat?" "Yes." "Go and look for it in the kitchen." "Personally, I'm gonna go back to bed." "I have to work early in the morning." "Fine." "Good night." "Sarah, right?" "Right." "I'm Julie." "You're not too hot" "Sorry." "I woke you up." "No." "I was just dozing." "You must be working too hard." "You should have a swim in the pool." "The water's cold." "It'll wake you up." "Well, thank you for your advice, but I absolutely loathe swimming pools." "Yeah, I know what you mean." "I prefer the sea too." "The ocean." "The crashing waves." "The feeling of danger." "That you could lose footing at any time and be swept away." "Pools are boring." "There's no excitement, no - no feeling of infinity." "It's just a big bathtub." "It's more like a cesspool of living bacteria." "Oh, that?" "No, it's just a bit of dirt and leaves." "So. what are you writing?" "A romance novel?" "God, no." "I write crime fiction." "Oh, yeah!" "That's how he makes his money." "And that's how he can afford to buy a beautiful house in France for his daughter to enjoy." "What about you?" "Are your books selling well?" " I can't complain." " What is this one about?" "Murders and a police investigation." "In the Luberon with rich English tourists." "Listen, if you don't mind, I do have work to do." "Okay." "I leave you alone, Miss Marple." "I need to make some phone calls anyway." "Going shopping?" "No, I'm going to have lunch in the village." "Ah, good idea." "By the way, I spoke to Marcel." "He's coming very soon for the pool." "Hello?" "Don't worry about it." "I'm not going to bother her." "Anyway, it's a big house." "Did you ring mom?" "I'm telling you, she's still waiting, so hurry up." "Yes, C'est ca." "Ciao." "It's your publisher." "John?" "Hello?" "John?" "He hung up." "Hello?" "Hello, this is Sarah Morton." "Could I speak to John, please?" "He's gone out." "Oh." "Really?" "Well, could you ask him to call me back in France?" "Okay then." "Yes, thank you." "Good-bye." "He scolded me." "He told me not to bother you." "He said I should leave you alone so you could work." "Listen, Julie." "I'm going to be frank with you." "I need peace and quiet to concentrate." "And since we share the same living space," "I must ask you just to go about your business without getting in the way of mine, hmm?" "I mean, this house is certainly big enough for the two of us. so, please make an effort." "I was only trying to be polite and make friends." "But if you prefer I don't" " I don't prefer anything!" "I just want to work on my book in peace." "Fine." "That's too bad, though, because I just bought loads of nice food." "I guess I have to eat my foie gras all alone." "Ca va?" "Bonjour." "Oui." "Your bedroom's not big enough for you?" "Yes, it is, but he snores like a pig." "I couldn't get to sleep." "Expecting another one?" "Bonjour." "Bonjour." "Going out?" "Yes." "Do I have to ask for your permission?" "Well, it would be nice if you didn't make any noise when you came home." "Yes, mother." "I pity your mother." "You pity her?" "Why?" "Well, I imagine having a daughter who comes home with a different man every night must be difficult for a mother." "Well, you imagine wrong." "You know what?" "You're just a frustrated English woman... who writes about dirty things but never does them." "You can shove your uptight morals up your ass." "I was worried when you didn't come home." "Are you gonna tell my daddy?" "Yes, maybe I will." "Then why don't you?" "He would love it." "I'm not so sure about that." "How can you be so naive?" "He's the king of orgies." "Didn't you know?" "Julie?" "Yes?" "Would you like to go out to dinner tonight?" "Shall we go?" "Are you ready?" "Yes, I'm coming." "You're working, as usual." "Oh." "I was just rereading an old piece." "What's it doing here?" "I found it in the garden near the pool." "Where shall we go?" "Not too far." "I'm exhausted." "I see the waiter isn't here tonight." "Franck?" "Maybe." "I don't know his name." "It's Franck, a boy from Lacoste." "During the off-season he only works days." "I see." "Do you know him well?" "A little." "I see him around sometimes." "You seem to know just about everyone here." "Well, of course." "I've spent my whole childhood here." "But not with John?" "No." "He abandoned us, my mother and I." "He just came here for the summer on holiday." "Do you resent him for that?" "No, not really." "He lives his life, I live mine." "What about your mother, is she French?" "Yeah." "Where does she live?" "In Nice." "Why are you so interested now?" "Oh." "Oh, I don't know." "Well, maybe you and I got off to a bad start." "I was angry with you" " Well, actually, I was angry at John... for not really telling me about you or her." "He's the one you're interested in." "When someone keeps an entire part of their life secret from you, it's fascinating and frightening." "I don't deny that I want to know more." "But don't count on me to tell you any secrets." "If you wanna know something, you should ask John." "I'm not asking anyone anything." "Yeah, sure." "You may pretend you don't care, but I can see you're hoping I tell you some things about my father." "Actually, I'm more interested in your mother." "Why don't you live with her in Nice?" "That's a long story." "Shall we order?" " Yes." " S'il vous plait." "I was 13 the first time." "I haven't stopped since." "I fell in love once." "We were 16." "It was summertime." "He was... handsome, romantic, coming from Paris." "His name was Christian." "I was crazy about him." "I wanted him to take me, but I was too fast for him." "He was a baby." "He didn't know how to do those things yet." "He was terrible." "He came on me after two seconds." "So I dumped him." "He wrote to me for a year, but I never wrote back." "I remember once in the fort we built in the forest, he asked me to marry him." "It's stupid." "I know. we were just kids, but it made me cry." "It was the first time anyone " "I'm sorry." "I'm boring you with my stories." "No." "No, go on." "I'm enjoying it." "Go on?" "With what?" "What happened to your eye?" "It's nothing." "Some asshole tried to hit me, but I fought back." "He was bleeding like a pig." "Nobody better mess with me, because if they do, I'll mess with them back." "I suppose you don't want any?" "Why not?" "Never judge a book by its cover." "I've done my share of smoking." "And fucking?" "Yes." "I was around in swinging London." "Yeah!" "My mom already told me about it." "What did she tell you?" "How she met John." "How she seduced him." "How is your book coming?" "It's coming." "Although, I must say, it is quite strange... to be writing a typically English story set in London... while I'm here in this house in such beautiful weather." "My mom wrote a book too, but it was never published." "He told her it was awful, so she burned it." "Well, that's terrible." "Did you read it?" "Yeah." "I liked it." "It was a bit sentimental, kind of a Harlequin romance, but charming." "What was it about exactly?" "About her and my father." "It was a love story with a happy ending." "But what he wants is blood, sex and money." "That's what you give to him, isn't it?" "Yes." "But I like all that too." "Did your mother live in this house?" "Sometimes." "With my father, especially in the summertime." "But once they were truly separated, she didn't want to come back anymore." "She went to live in Nice." "Anyway, it's really his house." "Did she want him to come and live with her in France?" "Yeah!" "She wanted him to leave his wife and family in London for her." "But John would never do that." "My mother was terrified to be alone here." "Not me." "I am like you." "Julie?" "Julie, are you here?" "Good evening." "Hello there." "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine who's come for a drink." "Could you make us a drink, Sarah?" "I'll go get some weed in my room." "Whiskey?" "Yes." "No!" "Please, stay for a while." "Okay." "~ Let's do it ~" "~ Let's do it ~" "Sarah?" "~ Let's do it ~" "~ Let's do it ~" "~ Let's do it ~" "Come and dance, Sarah." "No!" "No, no." "Please, come on!" "~ Let's do it ~" "~ Let's do it ~" "~ Let's do it ~" "~ Let's do it ~" "Sweet dreams!" "Did you sleep well?" "No." "Where did this blood come from?" "What blood?" "Here, on the tiles." "Huh?" "Oh, right." "That must be mine." "I cut myself earlier." "Oh, yes?" "And where did you cut yourself?" "Leave me alone!" "Bitch." "Hello?" "Could I speak to John Bosload, please?" "It's Sarah Morton." "Okay then." "Please hurry." "It's urgent." "I'm sorry, Miss Morton." "John's not available." "Well, where is he?" "He's gone out." "Okay, bye." "Julie!" "Julie, I'm not your mother!" "Julie!" "Julie!" "Julie!" "Come here." "Shh." "Nothing." "You just fainted." "Everything's fine." "Oh, my head hurts." "It's all right." "It'll go away." "Julie?" "Yeah?" "You must tell me the truth." "I need to know." "About Franck?" "Yeah." "I think I killed him." "But why?" "I don't know." "For you." "For the book." "Are you done?" "Yeah." "Okay, now " " No, no." "Get out." "Follow me now." "Ready?" "You'll have to clean up behind." "Okay." "Don't forget." "Good." "You've found them." "Yeah." "I'll take this." "Okay." "Come on." "Start digging." "I'm so tired." "Not surprising." "It's tiring to kill a man." "Sarah?" "Sarah." "What?" "Thank you!" "All right." "That's done." "I'm going to bed now." "Sarah?" "There's something you forgot to burn." "What's that?" "Your book." "It could be used as evidence." "Did you read it?" "No, but I just can imagine." "Well, stop imagining, huh?" "Get yourself to bed." "We got work to do tomorrow." "Listen." "I've thought it over." "We have to carry on with our lives as if nothing has happened." "You should call Marcel and ask him to come up this afternoon to do some work." "Like cut the grass?" "Why not?" "It's important for everything to appear normal... as it was before." "Another thing, did anyone see you with Franck before the two of you came here?" "No." "Are you sure?" "Yeah." "I went to his house." "He lives in an isolated place outside Lacoste." "And after, we came directly here in my car." "Did anyone see you along the way?" "I don't think so." "Did he have any family?" "No." "His parents are dead." "Right." "Are you going back to London?" "Not straightaway." "That would look suspicious." "Why are you helping me, Sarah?" "Well, why wouldn't I help you?" "I don't know." "Do you think they will arrest me?" "No, not necessarily." "If you do exactly as I say, I don't think there'll be any problems." "And why should I believe you?" "Because you write about murders in your books?" "Absolutely." "Marcel." "Marcel." "Sarah." "Oh." "It's you." "I came to say good-bye." "I want to let you finish your book." "I'm going to saint-Tropez." "A friend of mine has some work for me in his restaurant." "It's possibly for the best." "Are you going to tell my father?" "John?" "I've got nothing to tell him." "You're right." "Good-bye." "Julie?" "Yeah?" "How did you get that scar on your stomach?" "Is that for your book?" "Yes." "A car accident." "Good luck." "Sarah." "I don't really know why I'm doing this, but after everything that happened between us." "It seems like the right thing to do." "I lied to you." "My mother's book was not completely lost." "It did burn, but she kept a copy which she gave to me." "John doesn't know I have it." "Perhaps if I give you these pages today, you will bring her back to life." "So if they inspire you." "Take them." "Steal them." "They're yours." "Julie." "Yes, well." "I've read it." "I don't know what to say." "You didn't like it, did you?" "I wouldn't say that, exactly." "Oh, come on, John. stop beating around the bush." "Give me the truth." "Well, I don't understand what you're trying to say." "And I don't recognize you in it." "I thought that's what you wanted." "You wanted something more personal." "Yes, I know, but I " "I don't think writing about feelings is your strong suit." "Murders, investigations, that's your line of country." "I mean, this is far too subtle." "It's too abstract." "Where's the action?" "Where are the plot twists?" "So, what's your advice?" "Shall I burn it?" "Oh, God, you're so melodramatic." "No!" "But for the benefit of your career, I don't think we should publish it." "Not right now." "Let's have another Dorwell." "think of your audience." "It's funny." "That's precisely what I thought you'd say." "Well." "There you are then." "Come on." "You can do better than this, Sarah." "Actually, I don't think I can." "I think this is the finest piece of work I've done in a bloody long time." "And because I knew in advance that you wouldn't like it," "I've taken matters into my own hands... and I've given you a surprise." "I've signed with Barken." "Unlike you, they love the book." "Why couldn't you have told me?" "There are a few things that you couldn't tell me." "Keep the book." "Give it to your daughter." "I've signed it for her." "Ciao!" "Oh, by the way, you can tell Terry Long's mother... that Dorwell will be back and he's in top form." "Good-bye, Debbie." "Bye-bye, Sarah." "Hi." "Hi." "Debbie." "Hello, Julia." "How are you?" "I'm fine." "How are you?" "I'm very well." "Thanks." "Is my father around?" "Yeah." "I'll tell him you're here." "Thanks." "Hello, John?" "Julia's in reception." "Okay." "He'll be out shortly." "Thanks, Debbie."