"You know what happens at that height?" "The brain dies from lack of oxygen... cell by cell." "It just shuts down... and the body goes with it." "I can't stop thinking about what it must have been like." "Why don't you start at the beginning?" "It's always the easiest." "OK, I'll start at the beginning." "I grew up on the plains in Indiana." "I was a flatlander, through and through." "To be honest..." "I really didn't have much to leave behind." "Virtually no family and very few friends." "Anyway, it was January." "I'd already been in London a year and a half." "For the first six months, I'd been incredibly lonely." "Then I met Jake." "What I loved the most... was how comfortable we were with each other." "I felt safe." "OK, let's go." "I design CD-roms and websites... for corporate clients." "That must pay well." "It sounds fancier than it is." "Jake was an engineer." "Tunnels and bridges, that sort of thing." "He kept his tube tickets... in a wallet he got when he was twelve." "Same wallet, same inside pocket." "Alice?" "Alice?" "See you later." "Hey, Alice." "You going in?" "Yeah." "I'll see you in a minute." "Reconfigure the training program manual... to make it look like a game on the website." "We tried that with the appliance kings." "Yes, but this isn't about washing machines." "Now we're training a worldwide sales force." "You're the new media pioneers." "Think of something." "Alice, you still have the old template, don't you?" "Are you with us, Alice?" "I'm going out to get my hair trimmed." "I'll be back after lunch." "Oh, shoot!" "And you got in?" "Yeah..." "I got in." "What's your name?" "Alice." "Alice." "Don't turn away." "Come here tomorrow." "I have to work." "Then come back tonight." "I can't." "Whenever you want, Alice." "You decide, and I'll be here." "I couldn't believe what had happened that day." "I knew it shouldn't happen again." "I wanted everything back the way it was." "What do you want me to do?" "Nothing, just keep doing what you're doing." "That was when I found out his name..." "Adam Tallis... and that he climbed mountains." "He caused quite a stir here yesterday." "He saved six people up there... with no oxygen." "You stop me whenever you want." "Please don't stop." "I bought your book today." "It isn't my book." "I'm just in it." "It looks good." "People died, Alice." "Something went very wrong." "There was a woman named Francoise Collette." "I lost the whole group." "I still don't understand what happened." "There was no room for error." "Everything had been checked." "I was in love with her." "Do you know what it's like over 20,000 feet?" "It's like this." "Without air, the brain cells die." "It shuts down." "And then the rest of the body follows." "It's been two years... and it doesn't go away." "I live with someone." "But you're here." "I have to go." "Don't put them on." "Hi." "Where are you?" "I'm running some errands." "Do you think you could pick up my watch... on the way home?" "I'm running behind schedule." "I'm never going to make it." "Of course I can." "I missed you today, Alice." "Miss you." "I love you." "Love you." "Knock it!" "Not nice." "And give it!" "Go in!" "A card?" "Ref, that's a bit harsh." "Yeah." "Sorry." "I'm just..." "There's nobody there!" "I have to leave you." "You what?" "I can't go on like this." "I'm sorry." "I have to leave." "You have to leave me?" "We're together." "We're perfect together." "I want to marry you." "I met somebody." "Who did you meet?" "You don't know him." "I'm sorry." "When did you meet him?" "I didn't mean to hurt you." "It's not the point..." "It's very much the point!" "We go to the market together every Sunday!" "I buy your fucking tube tickets for you!" "Jesus!" "Where you going?" "You were looking for Adam." "He's not here at the moment... but it's cold out there." "Come in." "Please, come in." "I've been climbing in Chile." "Adam always takes his pictures down... or makes sure his back is turned to them." "Oh, please, sit down." "For me, pictures tell me who I am... but for Adam, they steal his soul." "Want some?" "No, thank you." "No, it's quite good." "I'm his sister." "You're his sister?" "Yep." "I'm Deborah." "We climb together a lot." "He was having some work done on his place... so he stayed here while I was gone." "This... is Mr. Know-it-all." "It's his name." "This is Francoise, right?" "That's the real reason... my brother takes the pictures down... because it's... too hard for him to see her." "My brother's a brave guy, but sometimes... he's afraid of remembering." "What he forgets... is that he's not the only one responsible." "I was up there, too." "She was my best friend, Alice." "Yes, I know your name." "You're very beautiful." "I can see why he'd fall so hard for you." "The thing about my brother... is you're either with him or you're not." "And once you've made the jump and you're with him... that's it... there's no discussion." "Can I have his address?" "Yes, of course." "Thank you." "I left him." "You're hurting me." "Morning." "Alice, this is Joanna." "Joanna, Alice." "Joanna Noble from "The Guardian."" "I'm interviewing Adam about his Himalayan clean-up project." "Nice to meet you." "Where can I find a shirt?" "Your phone?" "Would you get that for me?" "No one there." "In some respects, it's just become... a playground for the rich and inexperienced." "Thank you." "I have to go to work." "Will you think about me today?" "Yes." "What are you doing today?" "Thinking about you." "Do you want to learn how to climb?" "Sure." "Come and see me after work." "That's good." "He's not as strong as he was last week." "It's lovely to see you." "I see you've got a harness." "Do you want to put it on?" "Just put your feet in there... and pull it up like a pair of trousers." "That's great." "That's right, double-back in." "There we go." "It suits you." "Thank you." "It's OK." "I'm helping her." "How are you?" "OK, fine." "I'm sorry." "Let me check your harness." "Seems to be good." "She's my sister, but she drives me mad." "I swear it's chemical." "You ready?" "I don't know." "Maybe." "Come on." "Well, finally, Alice." "The flatlander captured the mountain boy." "Alice, meet Klaus." "Klaus, Alice." "I liked your book." "Well, thank you." "Well, nice to meet you." "This looks hard." "It's all in the mind." "I mean, my taste in clothes has completely changed." "Really?" "I bought this practically transparent pink T-shirt." "And I won't even tell you about the lingerie." "No." "Probably best not to mention the lingerie." "I'm still in the big white cotton panties." "I'm sorry." "I'm a little manic." "Have you seen Jake?" "Of course I have." "He's been my friend for 15 years." "How is he?" "What can I say?" "He's smoking like a fiend... and he's completely fucked up." "It's not like there's no reason, is there?" "Sorry." "I think that you're destroying both of your lives." "I'm sorry." "You had somebody who loved you." "You loved each other... and you let him go for good sex." "Love isn't just a good fuck, you know?" "This is more." "More what?" "More everything." "When I'm with him, everything is more." "Oh, God, Alice." "You could write greetings cards." "You really bloody could." "Sorry." "Right." "Come on." "Let's get out of here." "I could do with some retail therapy myself, I think." "I can't, but come with me." "I'm gonna see Adam at 3:00." "You can meet him." "And there's this really amazing store... and I haven't bought it yet, but I will..." "It's OK." "She's fine." "Call the police." "Adam!" "Stop!" "When I saw him... oh, Jesus." "That'll never happen again." "I won't let it." "Are you OK?" "Yeah." "I'll always be here, Alice." "Yeah." "I'll protect you." "Say you believe me." "I believe you." "Marry me." "The sooner the better." "Tomorrow." "The day after, as soon as possible." " Marry me!" " Yes!" "Sir, can we ask you some questions, please?" ""Use your head, Alice." ""What do you really know about him?"" "Hey, you ready?" "Look at this." "Someone's trying to scare you." "There's been a call this morning." "There was someone there... but they didn't say anything." "Makes me sick." "If anything else happens like this again... make sure you tell me, OK?" "You'll be fine." "Do you, Alice... promise to love and cherish Adam... for as long as you both shall live?" "I do." "And do you, Adam, promise to love and cherish Alice... for as long as you both shall live?" "I do." "May the Lord bless this union... and secure it from all harm." "How do you know the priest?" "This is my family church." "You have a family church?" "Wow, I have a mother who doesn't talk to me... and a dad I've never met." "It doesn't matter." "My life began when we first saw each other." "Come on." "I need you to see something." "What?" "No, no, no, wait, wait, wait." "Now, I want you to see this... through my eyes when I was six." "Look." "Like this." "You know the story that we're broken into two pieces?" "And we spend our lives searching for our other half." "You're it." "OK, here we are." "We're getting dressed here?" "Yep." "Here." "No!" "No, no, no, no." "Don't do that." "I need to remember you like this." "Come on." "I don't want you to freeze to death." "Come on." "This is the only way station... for hikers in the whole area." "The church has kept supplies up here for years." "You went hiking on your wedding day?" "That's his idea of romance." "I thought a honeymoon was lying in bed... with room service." "Oh, I'll give you a honeymoon you won't forget." "I promise." "No, no, sit down." "Choose your rhythm and then commit to following it." "Count if you have to." "I'm gonna make you strong!" "I wanted him to be proud of me... so I followed the trail for hours." "You made it." "What's that?" "It's an anchor... to catch a falling body." "Catch." "Do you trust me?" "Yes." "Don't move." "I gave up all control." "I let him decide when I could breathe... and when I couldn't." "I loved it." "God, I love you!" "We returned to London... and Joanna Noble's article came out." "I was happier than I'd ever been." "Excuse me." " There you go." " Thanks." "Hello, Jake?" "No, it's Sylvie speaking." "Hello, Alice." "Sylvie?" "I must have dialed wrong." "I thought I was calling Jake." "Oh, no, no, that's fine." "I just happened to be over, actually." "Jake's going to be back soon, I think." "Look, Alice, this is gonna sound a bit weird... but I was definitely going to tell you... but Jake and I have actually been... seeing each other." "You and Jake?" "Well, it..." "just sort of happened." "Did you move in?" "Yeah." "Yeah, I did, uh, sort of." "Oh, Lord." "How cliche is this?" "Old friend moves in... to console jilted boyfriend... and then these two find themselves together." "You gonna be OK with this?" "Yeah, I'm OK." "We're gonna be late!" "Hurry up!" "Yeah, I gotta go." "We'll talk about it later, OK?" "Here we go." "How you doing?" "!" "Hey, Alice, Alice, I'm sorry." "Sorry." "Excuse me." "How you doing?" "It's really nice to see you." "It's Alice Tallis." "My rhyming sister-in-law." "Are you OK?" "I have a headache and was looking for some aspirin." "Oh, no, give me your hand." "Can you feel that?" "Yeah, it really hurts." "Close your eyes." "Breathe." "Slowly." "That's good." "It's the meridian that controls the kidney or the brain or the left big toe." "I forget which." "But... it's whatever works, right?" "Thank you." "Close your eyes." "OK, you can open them." "Oh, my God." "I want to drink to that beautiful lady in blue." "Where is she?" "I don't think she's ever climbed past the third floor... but she has conquered our Adam." "But what she doesn't know is that to get Adam... she also gets us." "Hear, hear!" "Most of the people using the program are women... and we try to sell them a game... but women don't like games." "Women like stories." "Men like games." "Men like to slay the dragon... and get the princess... but women like to know... how did the dragon and the princess... all get there in the first place." "A game is the wrong approach." "Sorry." "Excuse me." "Alice Tallis." "This is Joanna Noble." "Do you remember me?" "Yes, I remember you." "I got a weird note about the article." "I'm not gonna do anything with it." "I mean, I'm certainly not going to follow it up." "It's probably stupid of me... but I somehow felt obliged... to tell you about it." "Shall I send it to you?" "Yeah, you can send it." "Is it private?" "I don't want this sitting in a public "in" basket." "I understand." "You can fax it." "OK, I'll do that." "You have the number?" "Yeah, I got it from your secretary." "OK, thanks for calling." "Sorry." "I had to take that." "No problem." "Gave me a chance to think." "We shouldn't be playing games." "It's obvious women don't like games." "I think this project needs a new face." ""Dear Joanna Noble, what you wrote made me sick." ""Your big hero Adam Tallis raped me." ""Why don't you try reporting the truth?"" "It's out of paper." "I've decided that from now on... this is Alice's project." "You're the new point man..." "I mean, point girl... woman." "Excellent." "Congratulations, Alice." "Thank you." "Open or closed?" "Closed." "Fuck!" "Alice Tallis' office." "Hello, Claudia, it's Adam." "Oh, hi, Adam." "Hi." "Is Alice there?" "No, she's just left, actually." "Left?" "Where'd she go?" "I think she went to the doctor's." "So, you thought this woman was sending the notes?" "Yes." "Yeah?" "Hello, I'm Joanna Noble from "The Guardian."" "I called you before." "Yeah." " Are you Michelle Stowe?" " Yeah, I am." "Come in." "It was at a birthday party." "I asked him to dance... and then, I don't know... we start kissin'." "I mean, I was shit-faced." "I came and put my hand in his shirt... then we went outside." "Guess at the end, I was just straightening up a bit... 'cause I remember wondering... what the hell I was doing." "Then he pulled me into the bushes... undid my dress." "It was a zip... in the back." "I was so young." "I started to cry." "He put his hand over my mouth and kept going." "He's strong." "There was nothing I could do." "I tried to fight him." "When he was done, he shook me... and said something like..." ""It's only sex." ""Just sex."" "Then he got up... and left the party with his sister." "So, you want to write an article about this, then?" "I mean, he's not royal or anything... but it's close enough." "We can make some money out of this, Joanna." "It doesn't work that way." "Yeah, it does." "Everybody's always blabbing'... about who's stickin' it into who." "They make plenty." "You have no proof." "This is a question of "he said, she said."" "Jesus, Alice, I can't believe you did this." "What if she calls my editor?" "I could be fired." "Do you think that nosy wives... have immunity from normal behavior?" "I knew the minute that I called... that it was a mistake." "Sorry, Alice." "It's OK." "I just..." "I thought you should know what I did." "It was really just innocent curiosity." "It's never innocent." "Curiosity gets people killed." "What would you do if it was your husband?" "I don't have one." "You not only have one... but one who's wild about you." "You're right." "I have to trust him." "People have stories." "You and I, everyone." "But I couldn't tell you one complete story... about my husband." "Practically everything I knew about him... came from a book or a newspaper... or shreds of information dropped by other people." "I couldn't help myself." "I needed to know more." ""Adele Blanchard."" ""It's crazy..." ""but I want to show the world my bruises."" ""What we're doing is dangerous..." ""but I still can't help wanting more."" ""The only way to end this is to be brutal." ""We have to stop what we're doing." ""I've decided to go back to my husband." ""I'm not strong enough to live on the edge with you anymore." ""I know you won't fall, but I will." ""I'm sure of it." ""This tears me apart..." ""But I have to go back to Michael." ""I love you." ""Adele."" "I've been thinking about you." "Me, too." "I called the office yesterday looking for you." "Oh, yeah?" "Claudia said you weren't feeling well." "She thought you might be at the doctor's." "I, um..." "I had an appointment, but, um..." "I never got out of my meeting." "Where was the meeting?" "At the, um, client's hotel." "Which hotel?" "The Hilton." "I'm sorry for being nosy." "I just like to picture what you do during the day." "Where'd you get this?" "Deborah gave it to me." "She has good taste." "I got a call about, um... a weird call about the article." "There was this woman named Michelle Stowe." "She sent a fax." "Didn't happen, Alice." "I never raped her." "I shouldn't have..." "I've known her since we were kids." "I think she saw me as a way out." "If you met her, you'd understand." "I'm not surprised she contacted you." "I'm just sorry you had to hear all that." "Good morning." "Hi there." "Are you ready?" "I'll just get my jacket." "I'm sorry to barge in like that... but your husband refuses to understand the fact... that sponsors need talk shows... and he would only show up if I drove." "Why didn't you tell me... you were gonna be on a talk show?" "It's just a stupid jazz show." "Directory inquiries." "Yes." "Adele Blanchard." "Which city, please?" "It's London." "Do you have a listing for Adele Blanchard... on Marchmont Road?" "One moment." "This train is about to depart." "Please mind the doors." "I'm looking for Adele Blanchard." "I'm her mother." "Is she home?" "You must be one of her American friends." "We tried to contact everyone." "She's been missing for eight months." "Missing?" "What did you say your name was?" "Joanna." "She never tried to contact her husband?" "Not even a letter to an old boyfriend... or something?" "Eight months and not a word." "And this is from a daughter... who manages to e-mail her mother from Nepal." "Joanna, promise me you'll never think the worst about Adele." "It helps a little... if one tries to be positive." "She was so happy that day." "No jitters, nothing." "Do you know him?" "Adam Tallis." "She climbed all over the world with him." "My son-in-law Michael... is a trader in Milan." "At first, he never stood in her way... when it came to climbing." "Then after two years, he got fed up." "It was either climbing or the marriage." "She chose the marriage." "The day before she was supposed to go back to Milan... she went out... and never came back." "I found that in her bags." "It's probably the last picture taken of her." "Today I've had two signs that Adele is close by." "You arrived, and Adam called." "He wanted to know if there was anything new... in the investigation." "Would you like to stay for dinner?" "No, thank you." "I just..." "I have to get home." "It's really late." "I'm disappointed." "He should be here around 5:00." "You and Adam would love each other." "Sit, sit." "I'll get it." "Is it all right if I set it up for next week?" "I haven't managed to get to the bank yet." "Yes, of course." "Mrs. Blanchard." "I'm sorry, I just..." "I have to get back." "I don't want to be late." "I was hoping you would stay a little." "I'm sorry." "This train is about to depart." "Please mind the doors." "What are you doing?" "!" "What am I doing?" "I'm making you mine." "Sometimes I feel like I don't know you." "Oh, you know me." "You know everything you need to know." "Look at me." "Open your eyes." "Please." "Open your eyes!" "You've been with another man." "No." "What are you doing, then?" "What's going on in there?" "Why do you keep sneaking around?" "Is the suspicion exciting?" "Do you need it go get off?" "What is it?" "I found Adele's letters." "You... found... her letters?" "Is that how you tell the story?" "What, they were just... sitting with my keys on the table... and you just happened to notice them?" "Look what I just happened to find!" "These and these!" "And I found these!" "Here, read them!" "I have nothing to hide, Alice!" "Did you sneak around behind my back because you... need it to get rougher and rougher?" "I mean, is that it?" "I'm trying to understand you, Alice." "If you do this, will I punish you?" "Is that what your goal..." "Please untie me." "If you trusted me... you wouldn't be in this position, Alice." "I just..." "I wanted to know more... about you." "And I wanted to know your past... and I wanted to know your stories." "I just thought if I knew more... that I could love you more." "I know the only thing that matters is us together." "I know that." "Because when you're not around..." "I get lost." "It drives me crazy to think about losing you." "I'm yours, Alice." "What more do you need to know?" "I could break your neck, I love you so much." "Do you want to stay here?" "I mean... do you like this?" "Adam, I have to pee." "My God." "Alice, please, don't do this!" "Alice!" "Please!" "Where are you going?" "!" "Alice, please!" "What are you doing?" "!" "And that's when I came to you." "I want to be clear with you." "In my experience, charges of domestic violence... are usually too little too late." "I want you to reopen the Adele Blanchard case." "It's not easy to reopen a case like this." "Britain is swimming in missing persons." "He killed her." "Mrs. Tallis, any case... missing person or murder, needs evidence." "I have to ask you what you have." "Adele's letters?" "No." "Warning notes?" "No." "You have... two photos." "Proof of nothing." "He raped Michelle." "She never reported it." "Start without me." "I'll be there in a bit." "I'd like to help you, Mrs. Tallis." "What everyone else does to be like him." "He can't see you." "She's pretty shaken up." "Is she?" "I mean, is she hurt?" "She..." "Jesus, she was running into traffic." "Let's get a doctor." "She'll be fine." "I would never hurt her." "I love her." "You brought him in?" "He walked in, looking for you." "He brought in a pair of shoes." "He was worried about your feet." "I believe your husband... has the potential for violence." "I believe he's unpredictable." "But is he a murderer?" "I don't know." "The truth is, what you two have been doing together... was consensual." "You said it yourself." "You liked it." "Can you close the blinds?" "I won't be able to keep him for much more than a few hours." "That's as much of a window as I can give you." "You're accusing a hero, Mrs. Tallis... and you have absolutely no evidence." "Alice, what's happened to you?" "Oh, Deborah, I'm sorry." "I'm not crazy, I just..." "I just..." "I went to the police station... but no one believed me, and I just..." "I just..." "He came in and he brought my shoes... and they thought I was nuts... but, I mean, I know he's your brother... but, I mean, you were her friend, too." "Maybe you could, um..." "Look, you remember when you said that you were... either with him or not, no discussion?" "Well, I'm..." "I'm not..." "I'm trying to understand." "L..." "I just, I want to ask, I mean, um... uh..." "Was Francoise with someone else?" "Yes." "It wasn't an accident." "She left him... so he killed her." "Maybe." "This is the anchor that we used." "It's made of titanium, but the important thing is... it can hold 2,000 falling pounds." "I've got a friend in Kathmandu... who sent me an anchor that they're making locally... with the wrong material." "This is what happened with just seventy-five pounds." "Maybe you're right." "Adam could have switched the anchors... for Francoise's group." "He killed them." "Leave him, Alice." "I know him." "You have to leave him, for your own good." "Deborah..." "Deborah, it's not the only time." "What?" "I think that, um, he was with a woman..." "Adele Blanchard, and I think... that she was gonna leave him to go back to her husband... and... and I think that..." "that he killed her." "Adele was never gonna go back to Michael." "Everyone knew their marriage was over." "I read her letters." "She ended it with Adam." "And, uh, I just, um..." "I think that, uh, that she's there." "What?" "I went to the police." "The police, they won't do anything." "They need evidence." "I think he buried her here... at Saint Edmund's." "I need you to help me find her." "Do you want to go with me?" "I have a confession to make." "I sent you those notes." "I know about my brother's violence." "I've seen it." "I should have done more, but... it's no excuse... but he scares me." "I'm glad you got away from him, Alice." "You'll be OK now." "Can I take that?" "Yeah, sure." "I think it's here." "He took the pictures just by the angel." "Oh, my God." "She didn't have to die." "If only she'd told me... she was going back to Michael." "Yeah." "I gave her one, too." "She thought it was beautiful, just like you did." "Why did you do this?" "!" "Who do you think gave him his first piece of silk?" "He was just 15!" "I'm talking about fucking, Alice!" "That's right!" "We fucked right here!" "Adam is mine!" "He's mine!" "Why?" "!" "I was never yours!" "We were kids." "Kids!" "It's over." "It's all over." "Oh, God." "She and I..." "We used to come here together." "I just thought you had to trust me." "And that's how it ended." "Yet not a day goes by... without at least one thought about the passion." "Maybe I was so blinded by it... that I missed all the clues to his past." "I often wonder... what would have happened... if I hadn't looked up that morning." "Two years later, I saw him once more." "I don't know." "Maybe a flatlander like me... can't live at that altitude." "Maybe it never would have been possible... to sustain what we had." "Maybe." "Well, that's what I tell myself."