"Shut up!" "THE BEAST MUST DIE" "Michel!" "I'm going to kill a man" "I don't know who or where he is, or what he's like" "But I shall find him and kill him" "Been ill?" "Yes, in a way" "Nothing serious, I hope" "No, not in the way you mean, anyway" "I know that clinic; they'd do wonders for a corpse" "My brother-in-law... my sister's, really, but I live with them he's a nurse there; a red-headed fellow, Andre Duplessis, remember him?" "That Dr. Duverger is a top-notcher;" "and the food's great, too" "It's pricey, of course;" "but, still, you've been lucky" "The bastards!" "I was thinking about the sign" "A kid got run over three weeks ago" "So the sign goes up afterwards?" "You know civil servants" "It was drizzling a little, just the usual" "Have you hurt your foot?" "You've had the curtains cleaned;" "good" "Where's my boat?" "A mast came off;" "I sent it for repair" "You were quite right" "You've stuck that on again; good" "Listen carefully, Madame Levenées" "I've something very important to ask you" "Never speak of it again;" "don't even refer to it" "Promise?" "And if for any reason you should have to mention him some time then talk of him in the present, as though..." "I know it's silly, but I prefer it that way" "Now, to change the subject:" "have you followed my instructions?" " Is his room empty?" " The furniture's gone to my niece" "And the toys?" "No, I couldn't..." "It may take six months, a year, two years, but I'll find him" "I shall win his confidence, then I'll bide my time" "Finally, smiling, I shall look him straight in the eyes and for interminable hours I'll make him await death" "I've work to do; if anyone telephones, I'm not to be disturbed" "I said I had work to do;" "don't bother me!" "Yes, but it's the police" "Just a moment" "The investigation is proceeding" "With no results, naturally" "We've made appeals for people to come forward" "The front of the car must have been damaged by the collision" "Our inquiries at garages and petrol stations about repairs to wings, radiators or bumpers have yielded nothing" "As one might expect" "It's like searching for a needle in a haystack" "A haystack?" "If I wanted to hide a needle I'd put it in a box of needles" "The best way to disguise damage is to create more damage" "To avoid the consequences of an accident, I'd stage another" "I'd drive into a wall or a tree, obliterating the first collision" "What you should be looking for is an accident in that area the same day" "We have; the idea isn't exactly new" "All right, but just let me think aloud for a minute" "First possibility: the car wasn't damaged, which isn't likely" "Or maybe he put it in a private garage and it's still there" "Or, more plausible this, he carried out the repairs himself" "Admitting this hypothesis, does it tell us anything about the murderer?" "If he did the repairs, he must know something about it or at least have the tools to beat out a dented wing" "He would have to do the repairs by night and the hammering would have wakened the neighbours" "But a wing can be taken off and replaced" "I'm coming to that; if he replaced a wing or a light he's an experienced mechanic and must work in a garage" "Or else he himself is the owner of a garage who can get replacements from his own stock without anybody knowing" "Rather wild reasoning..." "My son was crossing the street from left to right" "He was thrown to the left" "So the left wing must be damaged" "Find a left front wing" "I need a little job done on my car, so I..." " Where's the car?" " At home" "Couldn't you bring it along so I can see what needs doing?" "I can do it myself if you can let me have a new front wing" "I see; what kind of car is it?" "A 404" "I've no wings for them;" "no wings at all, in fact" "How about old stock, or even something slightly damaged?" "I don't keep such stuff; it all goes to the breaker's yard" "What the hell would I do with it?" "I've no wings at all" "I'm sorry, I'd have liked to oblige" "I think I've found what I want" "Mind my tools" "Can't you find something better?" "It's all bashed up" "Less than mine;" "I'll fix that" "Didn't you say a left wing?" "That's a right wing" "The result is rather disappointing" "Five exhausting weeks for nothing..." "or almost nothing" "False trails, vain hopes that leave me bruised and despairing" "I quite realize that the terrain is limitless" "That I am one man on earth seeking another" "My only weapon is patience;" "I can wait" "I have all my life, and all his" "Unless chance takes a hand;" "chance is weird, and it does exist" "In fact, chance is all there is" "Like everything else, my pen on this paper is a coincidence" "I bet you got stuck in the mud" "You're not the first that happened to" "Every time it rains, someone gets stuck there" "Sometimes several cars" "I think the engine's flooded;" "would you know?" "The last time it happened it wasn't just anybody" "She was a film star, a really fine-looking woman" "She was in a sports car..." "a Mustang, so my son says" "A fine-looking woman" "The man with her was going on about the front of his car" "It was the third of January, as I remember" "Yes, that's right." "A nice little piece, she was" "Not stuck-up, either." "A bit upset; she was crying" "Don't carry on like that, I said, there's no real harm done" "What was her name?" "That I don't remember, but I did see her on television" "I saw her on television in a programme called..." "I've forgotten that, too" "But my son's interested in these stars... much too interested" "Why do you want to know?" "Well, you know... when someone famous has had the same experience..." "When are you going home?" "Why don't we go now?" "You could do with a drink" "Afterwards, I'll get my contraption and pull you out" "Where's Jean-Frangois?" "Tell him to come" "Careful, it's not very clean" "Come in and make yourself at home" "3rd January; that would be some coincidence" "It never occurred to me that it might be a woman" "But I'd have no qualms at all about that" "I can see her" "I can see her deliberately driving full-tilt into the quagmire TO WASH MY SON'S BLOOD AWAY" "What are you up to?" "Get out!" "Tell this gentleman her name" "Héléne Lanson" "You've never heard of Héléne Lanson?" "I don't go to films much and I never watch television" "You must have seen her;" "I'll show you a photograph" "Get us a drink, mother" "There aren't all that many pretty women on television" "What was the programme called?" "Les Cathares" "You're right, she is beautiful" "The man was an ugly customer, though" "But what a car!" "What was the man's name?" "I've no idea; he was an ill-tempered brute, though" "He kept bawling her out for crying" "I don't know how to put it, but there was a callous look about him" "Yes, that's it: a callous look" "Her husband?" "That's what I think, too!" "How would you know?" "She doesn't like the girl and never even saw her" "What do you see in that bit of skirt?" "I told you" "She's just right for the character in my new script" "So you're going in for movies now?" "Following the herd!" "Why not?" "I can still go on with my writing if I want to" "What time is she coming?" "I'm not sure she will come" "She usually ends up at the St. Hilaire" "Yes... poor Héléne" "She could be rather good if they'd let her" "No one's ever given her a chance?" "No such luck for her; she's a jinx" "A jinx; you know what that is" "Come and dance with me" "You're late" "Nice, eh?" "You look lovely, Héléne" "I'm not just saying that" "Anyway, there's a chap here whose eye you've caught" "I don't believe you" "Well, sit down" "He looks rooted to the spot" "This is Marc, a very talented writer" "It wasn't difficult" "She wasn't playing hard to get; but she's not such a fool as I thought" "She even has a sharp sort of wit" "So far, she hasn't made one stupid remark" "It's the best restaurant in Paris, hence in France" "Don't you find the cuisine amazing?" "Sometimes she seems to be wondering what I am really up to" "I've made absolutely no advances;" "it amuses me to keep her guessing" "If she knew..." "She only knows me under my pen-name of Marc Andrieux" "How could she connect me with the Charles Thénier whose son was killed?" "I'm biding my time" "She hasn't been to my place before" "I'm not sure how I shall act" "But my resolution will not weaken" "If she is guilty, she will die" "I'd rather..." "How about a drink?" "Terrible weather, isn't it?" "We don't get spring any more;" "no summer, autumn or winter - nothing" "If I were God..." "What are you after?" "What do you mean?" "You take me out to dinner, to films, to night clubs; why?" "Because I enjoy it; don't you?" "What about this script you mentioned?" "I'm working on it, thinking, making notes" "Can I see the notes?" "Well, really, isn't that stupid?" "It must be my secretary who..." "who must have put them..." "Let's be frank; what do you want with me?" "You aren't a child; it shouldn't be hard to understand" "Well, pretend I'm a child and tell me" "All right, if you want me to go through the usual routine" "I'll tell you that you're beautiful, that you have great charm that I like you" "And?" "Since the day you entered my life I haven't been able to sleep or eat hardly even drink" "The singing of birds is a dreary refrain and the flowers have lost their scent" "Will that do'?" "I thought that kind of man was extinct" "You think no such thing" "Are you married, or virtuous?" "Neither" "Then don't you want to kiss me?" "What a strange character" "Tea or coffee?" "With toast, jam and fried eggs?" "Yes, I'm hungry" "It smells good" "That's nothing" "Some day I'll do you saddle of hare with sauce poivrade or morel croustades, then you'll really see" "No teaspoons?" "They're pretty hideous;" "I thought you were rich" "No; anyway, I'm a bachelor living in a furnished apartment" "Why?" "Because I travel a lot" "So I've nothing..." "Anyway, things bore me" "Me, too; except living in the country, I'd love that" "Where are you from?" "I was born in Brittany" "And have you... have you still family there?" "My sister and grandmother" "How about friends?" "Not many; my brother-in-law" "Isn't he family?" "What's the difference?" "Where does he live?" "At Quimper; he runs a garage" "I'm sorry, I've always been all thumbs" "What were we saying?" "Oh, yes, he runs a garage" "It's the biggest in the area;" "he's filthy rich" "What's his name?" "Perhaps I know him..." "I'm often in Brittany" "Paul Decourt" "I'd be surprised if you knew him" "No, I don't know him" "He's a funny chap, you said" "He's not funny;" "actually, he's rather repulsive" "Why are you so interested, anyway?" "I'm interested in everything that concerns you" "Well, that's nice" "The only nice thing since this morning, in fact" "Do you see him often?" " Who?" " Your brother-in-law?" "Not often now; not at all, in fact" "Since my illness" "It was nervous depression;" "everyone laughs, but it isn't funny" "I agree;" "I'm not laughing" "Did you have worries?" "Yes, but I don't want to talk about them." "Got any cigarettes?" "Yes, they're in the thing in my room" "You have a Teddy?" "Give it to me!" "It's a souvenir that means a lot to me" "A souvenir of whom?" "My nephew who died." "Give it to me" "Why can't I touch your nephew's bear?" "I'm just a tart to you, I know." "It's a horrible thing, anyway!" "You're trying to kill me" "I'm sorry" "Me, too" "I acted like a fool" "In pursuing a goal like mine emotions must be cast aside" "The bear my son loved so much is only plush and stuffing, after all" "I feel oddly tender to that thoughtless little creature" "Her depression after the crime proves she is more victim than culprit" "Which does not mean I have changed my plans; far from it" "In fact I have got what I wanted;" "emotional duplicity pays dividends" "I persuaded her" "We're going to Quimper" "I pleaded nervous exhaustion and my love for Brittany" "I used her own argument: was I unworthy to meet the family?" "She didn't jib; she was delighted" "I feel a little ashamed; she thinks my feelings are deeper..." "I thought he ran a garage" "He doesn't sleep among the pumps" "The garage is in town." "Hurry, we're late" "Would your sister think it more proper if I stayed in a hotel?" "Don't worry, she knows me" "I'm glad to hear it" "I mean that after Paris, little sister is not expected to be a nun" "My sister doesn't care, anyway" "They have fifteen bedrooms, if you insist on your own" "I'll show you your rooms" "You'll have your usual room and Marc the one next door" "This is yours;" "I hope you like it" "We have friends for dinner;" "Paul will be home soon" "I'll just put on a shirt and tie, then join you" "I've never seen anything so ghastly" "Come and meet my son, Philippe" "Stop that now; your father will be home soon" "My mother-in-law, Madame Decourt" "Jacques Ferrand, Paul's partner" "This is his wife, Anna" "Quimper's a charming town, isn't it?" "Rather quiet" "Especially in winter" "Summer's livelier" "It's best in spring, though;" "the fields are covered in flowers" "That's how it goes with spring" "The autumn is pleasant here, too" "The last time I was here in autumn the colours were all reds and yellows and..." "Bronzes" "You live in Paris, normally?" "It's busier than here" "Rather too busy for my taste, actually" "My husband and I were there three weeks ago; the traffic's impossible" "Especially in the rush hours" "Two hours to cross Paris." "It's ridiculous" "Not to mention the noise" "I read a report saying it reached some terrible decibel level" "And the pollution of the atmosphere;" "it's a real national problem" "An international one, even" "How will it all end?" "I see that lots of young people are very worried about it" "You had a fine summer" "Don't speak of it!" "All the tourists going to Spain..." "disastrous for the hotel business" "The weather isn't the only culprit;" "the sun shines here, too" "No, the authorities must take a good deal of the blame" "On investments, for instance." "I don't know what your line is..." "I write a little" "Of course; remind me of your name" "I read your last novel..." "what was it called?" "I liked the end, when the blind old servant runs into the burning house" "You must be mistaken;" "I write children's stories" "How wonderful" "Another glass?" "It's fifteen years old" "I wanted to ask you what you think of the nouveau roman" "Some people find it boring but I think it's an interesting attempt to renew old forms to reconcile time and space, if you see what I mean" "Yes, I'd say so, yes" "I mean, Nathalie Sarraute, Butor, Robbe-Grillet even Gegauff, like it or not, are pretty extreme" "Yes, indeed, very extreme" "Here's Paul" "Think you're a lady of leisure now?" "Just because we had a bit of fun?" "You'd better think again, girl" "And wipe that grin off or it won't be my hand on your rump, it'll be my boot" "You're here already?" "Sorry I'm late;" "I had meetings" "What gloomy faces" "This is simply disgusting" "It's drowning in gravy;" "why didn't you boil it down?" "I did; four hours" "Give it five or six hours, then" "When the meat is cooked, you keep it hot and do the liquor in a casserole" "Haven't I told you a dozen times?" "Are you a gourmet?" "On occasion, yes" "So you understand, right?" "They say I grouse, but I don't like waste" "Know what my butcher's bills are?" "A hundred a month!" "Cookery's the one art that doesn't lie" "You can be taken in by music or painting, but grub's good or bad" "My dear wife, though prefers sitting in her room writing her little doodads" "I'll treat the gentleman to one" "O moon of hope, valley of tears" "My heart shrouded in black" "Please, Paul, stop" "Elixir of eternal youth, great design of spring for all thing" "Dancing in my heart on the purple in my heart on the purple asphodels" "While in the dark depths of Erebus, ultimate revolt shakes the foundations of my ego" "Madame shuts herself away in her room to shake her foundations!" "What's your professional opinion?" "For that I think you must be forgiven for neglecting your stove" "You're very kind, but Paul's just teasing" "I'm fond of you, anyway, sweetie" "I've nothing against poetry;" "in fact, I'm pro culture" "Idiot boy!" "Look what you've made me do!" "An abominable creature;" "a caricature of the wholly bad man such as one never imagines meeting in reality" "I was afraid I might like him" "Now my joy in killing him will be doubled" "Are you still anxious to see over my garage?" "Yes, I'd love to" "What are you writing, a book?" "I wouldn't have minded being a writer; it's easy money" "I see you don't want me to read it lt's just notes;" "I don't like showing it to people, because..." "Why, is it smutty?" "Not at all, it's just that..." "It's about a man who's looking for another man" " A detective?" " In a way" "I thought you wrote stuff for children" "Yes, I do; it's about a child" "You must be afraid someone's going to pinch it" "No, I'm sorry... it's just that..." "I could lend you the key of my safe" "Important things should be hidden..." "like my deeds" "If you like I'll dig a hole in the garden" "What a brew" "It's for the squits;" "I hope you never need it" "Big enough?" "To what do we owe the pleasure, Monsieur Andrieux?" "He wants to see the garage, I can't think why" "Maybe he wants a setting for his next story" "A mucky place like this?" "You're kidding" "I know him; very ingratiating, sticking his nose into everything" "LET THE MEN DO THEIR JOBS, DELAYS WILL INCREASE YOUR BILL" "How women do carry on" "She wanted to be a painter, so I got her a tutor" "A week later she'd forgotten that, took up mysticism instead" "Saturday horoscope stuff..." "Zen, Hinduism, Buddhism Bramah, Rama, Siva and I don't know what" "Now it's poetry she's on" "I wouldn't care, except that the kid's becoming the same" "Maybe she's just trying to escape" "What from?" "I give her everything" "No, it's the family; her sister's just the same" "That Héléne, she gave us a hell of a time; me especially" "The little bitch." "I could tell you a thing or two" "But I didn't come to share secrets" "What do you want with that junk'?" "Nothing" "Do you know a sculptor called César?" "His passion is scrap metal;" "everything has a soul, he says" "Does he really?" "Aren't you a bit touched, too?" "Some soul!" "Why do car salesmen always kick the tires?" "Why do film-makers do this?" "They're tricks of the trade" "If you want a car, this is a snip" " Thanks, I have one" " Not like this" "I'm not giving you a salesman's line" "This one belonged to me; a great car" "I have to get rid of it" "Why do you have to?" "Do I ask if your granny rides a bike?" "What are you up to?" "Don't hurry, we've got all day" "I've been looking everywhere for you, to sign my report" "How about History?" "Unfortunately, I swotted the wrong thing" "Well, we won't quarrel about trifles" "After all, we're brothers-in-law;" "you're almost family now" "Almost, but not quite" "The bastard!" "The filthy swine!" "I wish he'd die" " He's your father, old chap" " I don't care" "Why don't you kill him?" "Why don't you kill him?" "That's crazy talk; do you realize what you're saying?" "I knew what you'd think" "If you don't do it, I will" " What will you do?" " I'll do it" "I've one twice as large" "What a family tableau, like a Victorian novel" "How wonderful, a spider-crab!" "Take them off, I said" " I'm cold" " I'll warm you" " What about Jeanne?" " She doesn't care" " And Anna's husband?" " He doesn't care, either" "I love you" "Why are you looking at me like that?" "You, too, slept with him?" "Who?" "You know who I mean" "It's the most horrible memory of my life" "Forgive me?" "I've nothing to forgive" "Have you other secrets?" "Isn't that enough?" "Are you sure you haven't?" "Have mercy, Marc" "I've confessed enough for one day" "You see, Jeanne, commonly called a shellfish this is really a highly ferocious marine gastropod" "The tide's coming in, fisher-folk;" "time to go" "They say it's hard making money in the provinces, but it isn't" "I can put you onto something" "I'm no businessman" "Don't be stupid" "Nothing to it; invest ten thousand and you earn two" "That's twenty per cent." "An old woman owns some land near here" "Just right for a golf course." "She won't sell, but she can be ruined" "I could get it for nothing" "She left some bonds with me, but there's no proof, no receipt even" "I'm quite serious." "Want to go and have a look?" "It's not far" "Get a move on, you lazy lot!" "I can't hold on" "I'm going to be killed!" "Help!" "You can't just leave me here;" "help me!" "Stop getting in my hair!" "Let's go" "I'm fed up with your fishing parties" "Put the light on" "Why did you help him?" "Who?" "You should have let him fall" "Stop it" "He doesn't deserve to live" "I know" "I don't like him, either" "Lovers often hesitate, not from timidity but to prolong the anticipation" "Filled with hatred, I linger over what awaits me" "Killing him will be no more than throwing away the peel of a fruit one has relished" "He cannot swim; his son told me so" "I spend hours walking with Philippe" "I must coax Decourt out in a boat" "I shall hire a boat, a small one" "I shall wait for a south-westerly, the prevailing wind" "We shall have the wind behind us to the headland" "After that we shall be tacking into the wind" "My moment will have come" "I shall wait for a squall and put the helm hard up which will bring us to" "inevitably, the boat will capsize" "They don't hire boats, they make them to order" "But the boss is a mate of mine;" "he'll oblige" "I don't mind buying one" "For one trip?" "You're not tight with your money" "He's never here" "This one isn't bad at all" "Don't expect me to go with you in that nutshell, will you?" " Are you afraid?" " No, but I value my life" "You take ten times the risk every day just crossing the street" "You like that one, do you?" " Saying tu now, are we?" " Sure, why not?" "I hate formalities;" "I'm pretty direct, but I say what I mean" "And, frankly, spending money on that is daft" "No, it's not" "What do you think?" "I couldn't care less" "Most people prefer the Odyssey" "But the Iliad is the most sublime thing ever written" "When you get round to Kafka, you'll see the resemblance" "Homer is much finer, of course" "There's a city talked about but which is never reached" "Hundreds and hundreds of heroes fight and die for this unreal, unattainable thing" "The theme is very simple, but treated with incomparable poetic detail" "When a bad poet describes death he automatically employs cliches;" "eyes turning up sweat beading the forehead, the terrible, inhuman grin" "But not Homer; each death he describes is distinctive and true" "There is a moment when a young Trojan is pursued by Diomedes" "He receives the javelin in his neck and the point protrudes from his mouth like a metal tongue" "And he falls to the ground, biting the cold steel" "It's a marvelous image" "You're very kind" "I was quite lost with these Greeks and Trojans" "It's a bit embarrassing to say, but I like you a lot" "I'm embarrassed, too, but glad" "It's a pity that..." " That what?" " That you're not my father" "ls it wrong to judge parents?" "You know, actually it's rather difficult not to" "It's best to think of other things, though" "Ignore them, you mean?" "In a sense, yes" "I'd rather have had a father I could think about" "That's hard, too: not to think" "I think of him and I hate myself" "I know how babies are made;" "half of me comes from him" "Anyway, your blood is your own" "Your eyes are your own" "It's you that sees, thinks, acts;" "it's you that..." "All right, go on" "Tomorrow's Sunday; take me out in your boat" "I've invited your father" "He hates boats; he's afraid" "He was upset that time on the cliff" "He didn't like everyone thinking he was afraid, did he?" "Why have you invited him?" "Because he introduced me to the man I got the boat from" "His friend made me a special price" "So it's... it's the least I can do" "I'll be back in fifteen minutes" "Hurry, the tide's rising;" "and bring an oilskin" "I'll be equipped like a sea-wolf" "Be careful, Marc;" "Paul's really no sailor" " I'm not a baby" " No, but you've a horror of water" "Except in pastis" "The forecast isn't good" "No, but it's just a bit of wind and a little rain" "Otherwise it's calm and fine" "Be careful, darling;" "don't go out too far" "No, it's not necessary" "Not necessary?" "Isn't it a bit choppy?" "On the contrary, it's a perfect sea" " Where are we going?" " Round the headland and back" "But there are rocks and terrible currents there" "Don't be frightened" "Stop saying that." "I'm not afraid" "I just don't like mucking about" " Want to take the helm?" " I don't know how" "You simply steer like this and control the sail with this rope" "Scared?" " Knock it off, I'm no kid" " Come and try, then" "No point in coming out, otherwise" "Nothing to it, is there?" "I must say, it isn't difficult" "Yes, it's easy" "I don't see why they go on about it" "Like I told you" "What now?" "Let it go" "Take over this bloody thing, because..." "Duck!" "Let it go!" "Take over!" "I've had enough!" " Joke over, let's go back" " No, the fun's just starting" "Go back, I said" "Are you crazy?" "No tricks, or we'll both die" "Tricks?" "Just do as I say; you should have hidden your diary better" "Do you take me for a fool?" "You write kids' stuff and think you're so superior" "All that fuss of yours, so of course I went and read your lousy diary" "Stop, or you'll make me tip her over" "There's no point" "Because my lawyer has your diary" "If something happens to me, your little black book goes to the police" "That's why I kept you waiting, laughing up my sleeve" "You take me for a fool?" "Why didn't you take it to the police right away?" "Because you knew you'd spend years in jail?" "Don't worry, I shan't denounce you" "On the contrary" "What I want is your lousy skin, and I'll have it" "It's as good as done, and you can't lift a finger" "I'll just take it easy;" "you're as good as dead" "Shut your trap!" "You rotten, lousy bastard!" "Shut your mouth, do you hear?" "You stinking, rotten swine!" "I forbid you to set foot in my house or you'll go out the window!" "I'll just get my suitcase" "Your whore can pack it" "Are you cold?" "Shall I put up the hood?" "Don't bother" "We'll be stopping soon, anyway, for a bite to eat" "You feel like eating?" "More than ever" "What's on your mind?" "Nothing" "I don't want to think" "I'm wondering how you can eat" "I'm trying not the think, to empty myself, too" "So far it hasn't affected my appetite;" "rather the opposite" "May I serve the duck?" "The little boy... the one you knocked down on the road..." "He was my son" "It took me a long time to find you" "My real name isn't Marc Andrieux, it's Charles Thénier" "Of course, in getting you to Brittany my one idea was to meet Paul and kill him" "ls that why you got to know me?" "In the beginning, yes" "You can't imagine what I went through" "You won't believe me, but I didn't dare say anything" "I'm a coward" "I hate myself" "Someone else said that" "Let's go back" "You kill him... and I'll help you" "The death is reported of a popular personality in Quimper" "The body of Monsieur Paul Decourt was discovered in his bathroom" "Death by poisoning had occurred several hours earlier whether an accident or suicide has not yet been established" "Monsieur Decourt was a well-known businessman whose actress sister-in-law, Héléne Lanson we have often admired on our screens" "Shortly before the tragedy, she was a guest in the deceased's house accompanied by the noted children's writer Marc Andrieux" "It is believed they are driving to Paris" "They are requested to communicate with the police at Quimper" "Here are the first pictures" "An inhuman grin..." "it was terrible to see" "He did it; he killed him!" "Please sit down, Madame" " I'm Inspector Constant" " I'm Charles Thénier" "You hear that, Inspector?" "He was using a false name" "All in good time, Madame, please" "What happened, exactly?" "The maid found the body about seven o'clock; soon after you left" "He had dragged himself to the bathroom and collapsed on the wash-basin, breaking it as he fell" "How very sad" "Please sit down" "We have the results of the autopsy" "Can I have a drink?" "You knew he was taking medicine for an intestinal disorder?" "Yes, soon after I came here he made a point of telling me about it" "We found some in his stomach, along with poison" "He'd taken nothing else" "What sort of poison?" "It's a substance used for getting rid of pests..." "The nerve centers are paralyzed" "The body is seized by convulsions, as in epilepsy" "Breathing becomes labored;" "Decourt must have suffered terribly" "How very shocking, Inspector" "Unfortunately for poisoners, rat poison tastes vile" "Putting it in soup or tea won't do" "But an evil-tasting medicine would serve" "It is possible that someone might have done just that" "Don't listen to the swine, Inspector" "Unfortunately, the bottle has disappeared; no fingerprints, no clues" "Any suggestions, Monsieur Thénier?" "None." "Why should I have any?" "Suppose we talk about your diary" "We have it and I've read it" "I hope you appreciated my style" "Among other things" "I appreciate your motives" "We're not monsters" "But I do represent the law" "And this diary is damaging evidence against you ls it?" "How?" "You say in so many words your sole purpose is to kill him" "Imagining a crime is no crime" "You're obviously delighted by his death" "Being delighted by a crime is no crime, either" "I admit my sole thought was of killing him" "I admit that what you've told me fills me with joy" "My only regret is that he suffered so little" "My sufferings have lasted since January" "You're frank, at least" "But this adds to the circumstantial evidence" "Maybe, but I didn't kill him" "Everyone wanted him dead;" "everyone hated him" "They did." "Except for his mother, perhaps, because she's like him" "If I were you, I'd take me off your list of suspects" "After all, I knew he had my diary" "I knew that if anything happened to him, you'd get the diary" "I'd hardly be fool enough to kill him, would I?" "It's true, and I've already thought about that" "I must question these people, especially Mademoiselle Lanson" "We'll continue this conversation at the police station" "Take him to my office" "I'll join you at the hotel" "A kind of cow, in two letters" "lo" "Having questioned everyone, I've reached certain conclusions" "It's true, only an idiot would commit a crime in such circumstances" "And you're very far from an idiot" "A man in your situation cannot have killed Paul Decourt" "Unless he's being very clever and playing the idiot" "Go on" "Suppose you decided to arouse Decourt's suspicions on purpose" "You excite his curiosity, let him find the diary get him to take precautions that will seal his doom" "He'll think his hold over you will prevent you from killing him" "But he's wrong" "The opposite happens" "Yes, but it's only supposition" "Let me go on" "If one thinks of your diary as a confession addressed to yourself then you're right" "It puts you above suspicion" "But, reversing the proposition suppose it's the motor element in your crime" "What do you think?" "Nothing; go on" "I think your diary was written in order to be found" "It was found" "So Paul Decourt could then die" "Yes, but wouldn't it have been easier if I'd used my pseudonym for everything" "You know we'd have connected you" "But you knew you'd be cutting the ground from under our feet by acting openly, didn't you?" "I'm afraid I must place you under arrest" "Now tell me where's the bottle?" "A boy is asking for you." "He says he's Philippe Decourt and it's urgent" "Don't be afraid, Philippe" "What is it?" "Something to tell me?" "The poison's in this" "I hid it in the cellar, under some rags" "I killed daddy" "Do you realize what you're saying?" "Marc did nothing" "Daddy was horrible and wicked" "I got rat poison from the garage and put it in his medicine" "Daddy put the bottle back in the medicine cupboard" "Afterwards I took the bottle and I hid it because I was afraid of fingerprints" "Will you swear to this?" "Look at me" "You swear it's true?" "You know you've ruined your life?" "Do you?" "Don't talk about it now" "Tomorrow" "I'll tell you everything tomorrow" "I want to sleep now" "Héléne darling, forgive me" "Yesterday Philippe confessed to murdering his father" "I said nothing;" "I walked away a free man" "What a lovely revenge, worthy of a Greek tragedy" "A man kills a child, his own child kills him" "Poor Philippe, his hatred almost equaled mine" "Perhaps this mutual feeling was what drew him to me" "During our lessons I could have told him how to kill his father" "I'm sure he'd have jibbed at nothing" "Perhaps he'd even have loved me more" "Tell the Inspector that I'm to blame and I alone" "That Philippe confessed to save me" "You see, I hated that dreadful man so much that I didn't want to sacrifice my life" "The Inspector was absolutely right" "My diary served to make it seem I'd failed" "But really I'd succeeded" "Forgive me" "I can't let Philippe pay for me" "I thought I'd become as chill as steel but the heart is slow to die" "Don't let Philippe suffer" "You must believe me; but for all this, I'd have loved you" "Now I'm going out to sea far away, never to return" "I'm going to disappear, Héléne, vanish without trace" "I was a coward yesterday" "I was afraid of prison" "I did not have the courage to reject Philippe's sacrifice" "So let me choose my punishment" "One of Brahms' Serious Songs paraphrases Ecclesiastes" "The beast must die, the man dieth also yea, both must die" "Farewell."