"DEATH OF A KILLER" "Momma!" "I was so afraid I wouldn't see you again." "You didn't suffer too much?" "Sit down." "And you too." "Has Maria gone out?" "I don't know." "She didn't tell you where she was going?" "But she knew I was coming home today didn't she?" "So what's going on?" "She left me." "When?" "I couldn't keep her here." "When did she leave?" "Just after you did." "I've been living alone for 5 years." "Why?" "Why?" "With no father and a brother in jail who knows what a girl will do?" "Come on, eat something." "And you too." "Remember – Maria, your sister Maria you loved so much." "Perhaps loved too much." "Remember." "It all began then." "Five years ago." "That evening, Luciano brought all the information you asked for." "Yes, the construction company van arrived at the bank on the 29th of every month at exactly 11 o'clock." "Two workers collected the workers' pay and loaded the truck." "50 million in bank notes." "The stuff of dreams." "Yes, Luciano had observed very well." "He had even followed the vehicle to the construction site." "There was no escort." "The vehicle didn't leave the city." "Yes, it was always the same itinerary." "It never changed." "So you settled down to study it." "And by the time you raised your head, you had decided everything." "The plan of attack, the location, the day, and the time." "Two or three times, no more." "You know him, he must have got tired out." "Oh that guy!" "It's not his fault." "I played the game, I lost." "It even turned out well." "Where are you going?" "I'll be back." "No, wait." "What is it?" "Is Luciano there?" "Who?" "We've come to see Luciano." "I don't know any Luciano." "We don't have a son and we've lived here for three years." "Why?" "No reason." "Who is Luciano?" "Drop it!" "What do you want with him?" "No, it wasn't Maria." "Do you remember this church?" "Maria had insisted on coming here with you." "Who was that candle for?" "And that prayer." "You asked her those questions." "She just smiled, but didn't answer you." "And that bothered you." "Troubled you." "But you hadn't come there for that." "You had asked Luciano to find two reliable guys for your team." "They were there." "So you questioned them." "Where were they from?" "Who had they worked with?" "Who for?" "They said that it used to be with the guy they called the "old guy"." "That was a good reference." "He didn't hire just anybody." "He had had a long successful career and was never caught." "Now he was rich and respected." "And he still laid down the law in this town." "You told them you needed cars." "At once, they knew where to get them and how to fit them up." "Yes, they were real professionals." "You trusted them right away." "And you weren't wrong." "The two of them became your friends." "And they still are." "And Luciano?" "Luciano had stayed a little way off." "He was joking around with Maria." "With your sister Maria." "And suddenly you asked yourself why Luciano was your friend." "It was a Sunday night." "You had come with Maria and the others." "There was just one detail you had to sort out." "With Flipper, given that name because he was the pinball champion." "A former employee of the construction company fired for impropriety." "He was the one who had provided all the information to Luciano." "In exchange he wanted a whole share but didn't want to do anything more." "He wanted to take the money but not the risks." "You told him that you wouldn't give him presents like Santa Claus." "Everyone had to be equally involved in the job." "It was safer that way." "It was that last argument that won the day." "Flipper understood the subtleties of it." "So you started to explain to him what you wanted from him." "It served as a warning for Flipper." "Like all players he was a little bit superstitious." "Five years ago." "We were all there." "The whole gang." "You had calculated everything and worked out the timing." "The first car had to take off immediately behind the van when it left the bank at the set time." "The second car would wait there." "When the first one passed, it would start to follow it." "A bit further on, the third car would join the others." "As soon as the van got to that point you would give the signal." "The first car would overtake the van at high speed and stop in front of it to cut it off." "The second one would force it over to the left." "And the third at the back would cut off any hope of it reversing away." "Then we would have to work fast." "Albert and Tony would take care of the drivers." "Flipper, the security guard You, the money." "You'd get everyone into the car and drive to an isolated area." "There, you'd change cars." "You'd abandon yours, which would have been traced by then, and get in the one which Luciano had waiting in a side street." "In point of fact, where was Luciano?" "You called him a bunch of names." "He should have been there listening with the others." "But was that the real reason that you were beside yourself?" "Wasn't that just a pretext?" "The masks." "Remember." "You had bought them at the St. Laurent Fair." "Seeing all of you with those cardboards faces made her laugh." "She wasn't able to recognize us." "That's Albert." "No, Tony!" "Then, that's Albert." "No, Flipper!" "That's Luciano." "And of course she didn't get him wrong!" "You neither, for that matter." "You had such a good time, you almost forgot why you had bought the masks." "And yet..." "At the shooting gallery, you wanted to show them what you could do." "And – bull's eye first shot." "And you could keep the photo." "The bastard!" "He had dared do that!" "Maria!" "You warned him." "Never, never, as long as you were around." "As long as you were around." "Now, I know that she's gone off with him." "Hey Massa!" "Well I never!" "Back with us again?" "Hey guys, what are you having – it's my round." "Those two are so faithful." "You must be pleased to be with them again." "So, what's happening?" "Does Luciano still come here?" "Luciano, oh no, not at all." "Not for some time in fact." "So, a 51 as usual?" "And you guys?" "Same thing... the same." "Do you have his address?" "Clients' addresses, I don't..." "You know where I can find him?" "Absolutely no idea." "You know, just yesterday I was thinking about Luciano." "I really don't know why." "Just wondering what had become of him." "Strange coincidence isn't it!" "Yes, real funny!" "Bye!" "But..." "He wanted Luciano's address." "Of course, I didn't give it to him." "He had told me not to." "You know what, Massa seemed strange." "Hello, it's me." "Yes, you were right." "He's looking for him." "Well, we're seeing a ghost!" "Oh, it`s been such a long time since we've seen you Mr. Massa!" "I'm really happy to see you." "I'm saying that sincerely and I'm sure you know what I mean." "Please take a seat." "Gentlemen." "A shave?" "Yes, a shave." "Well, as they say, everything blows over, good and bad." "Do you see Luciano very often?" "Luciano?" "Yes, but just for a haircut." "Once a week." "You know, he's a good kid and so classy..." "You know this lavender it's a marvel." "Do you know where he lives?" "Of course I know where he lives." "That is to say..." "he doesn't live there any more." "And his new address." "Do you have that?" "I did have it, but not any more." "I must have lost it." "The next time he comes in for a haircut I'll ask him for it." "That's right... next time." "Mr." "Massa." "Yes?" "What is it?" "It's me." "Who's "me" supposed to be?" "Massa." "Well, well, you're out then." "What do you want?" "Luciano's address." "I don't know it." "I know." "Since I got out, nobody knows it anymore." "You`d think he never existed." "Well in any case, it's not me you should be asking for it." "I'm not with him anymore." "He dumped me." "The less I see him, the better I am." "Since I'm a no longer a member of the family, they want nothing to do with me." "Understand what I'm saying?" "Very well." "So, the address?" "I'm telling you I don't have it." "Did you become deaf or what?" "I can't invent it can I?" "Go on, get out of here." "This is my house." "I've been humiliated enough by your friend Luciano." "After the hard time he gave me, I'd give you the address if I had it." "I don't owe him any favours." "I've done enough for him." "Why are you looking at me like that?" "He went off with another woman – I can put up with that." "But I'm much better off alone." "I'm perfectly happy and you can tell him that." "Yes, I'm happy." "I don't need anyone." "Luciano, he can just fuck off." "You too." "Gaby, he's the one who sold me out to the cops." "14, rue Malenard." "Hello, Maria." "Let her go." "Come here." "So you're with him now." "And yet I had warned you." "You didn't know what Luciano was." "A bastard, a coward, a pimp." "He was your best friend." "Yes, a friend who sold me out to the cops!" "That's not true." "You're crazy." "He couldn`t do that." "Why would he have done that?" "To get rid of me so he could sleep with you." "I would have accepted anyone but not him." "Not him." "That's not true." "You would never have accepted anyone because you're jealous." "Jealous!" "Me!" "Yes, you always have been, remember." "In the beginning, you thought Luciano was a great guy!" "It was only when you saw that I liked him that you began to hate him." "You don't know what you're saying any more." "Oh yes, I do." "Perhaps you don't remember, but I will never forget." "All those scenes, all those reproaches for nothing." "As if you were my lover." "It was only when they arrested you that I felt free." "You whore!" "Tart!" "Slut!" "Oh, you can say whatever you like." "I don't care." "I love him, do you hear me, I love him." "That's enough!" "You're going home right now!" "Never!" "Come on!" "Leave me alone!" "Come on." "Leave me alone." "You`re hurting me." "Coward!" "You're nothing but a coward." "I hate you." "I've always hated you." "No!" "Hands up." "Face the wall." "All of you." "Come on, hurry up." "Don't move or I'll shoot you all." "You, come here!" "He says you sent him to prison." "That's nonsense." "That's all that the creep can come up with." "They came to kill me." "Look!" "But those bastards won't get me." "I won't spend my life in fear." "They came to my house," "I just defended myself." "The law is on my side." "No, don't do that!" "If I were you, I wouldn't do that!" "The "old guy" sent me." "He's waiting for you." "You have to understand him." "He's just out of prison and he's upset." "Let him calm down." "I`ll talk to him." "You used to be friends, remember?" "You shouldn't be angry because of me." "That's stupid!" "Listen!" "I was wrong, but I know Luciano as well if not better than you do." "He has always admired you." "He`s told me so." "We`ve been together for five years." "I beg you." "I've never asked you for anything." "Do this for me." "Massa." "I know what you're thinking." "That's why we haven't let you out of our sight since you got back." "But I'll be the first to admit that the whole story isn't very clear." "I mean about your arrest." "It's very clear to me." "He sold me out." "That's not true." "You're lying!" "He's got a grudge for reasons that have nothing to do with this." "We'll see." "Let me be the judge of that." "If we have an informer among us, it`s serious." "All right, tomorrow, 5 o'clock in the morning at the old ruins as usual." "Until then, I want everyone to be calm." "I don't want any trouble." "Agreed?" "This way, gentlemen." "Sorry, but this table is reserved." "Yes, for me!" "Yes, sir!" "Three whiskeys." "It's fun!" "And now ladies and gentlemen, the famous dancer Stella Aram." "Would you like to dance?" "Yes." "Maria!" "Massa, you have accused Luciano of selling you out to the police." "Are you ready to uphold that accusation in front of everyone here?" "Yes, I'm ready." "Then, we're listening." "It happened on the day we did the job." "It was the 20th July 5 years ago." "At 10 o'clock we were waiting in front of the bank as planned." "The job started off well." "But it was at this point that it went wrong." "We were sure that the guy would back down." "The most difficult part had been done, but we lost someone – Flipper." "Tony and Albert were taking a break in Italy." "Luciano and I were planning to drive to join them in Milan." "Before that we had to take care of the money." "Luciano was supposed to wait for me while I hid the money." "We felt that the money should lay low for a good while." "We were all agreed that we would do the split a bit later." "When everything had cooled down." "Only when I came out there was no more Luciano." "And in his place there were the cops." "You had warned them." "You were the only one who knew where I was." "We're listening to you." "First of all I want to say that I have never ratted on anyone." "You know me." "Tell us what happened." "As far as you're concerned." "It all happened just like he said." "Up until we got to his house." "And after that?" "I was waiting in the street." "Suddenly I saw them." "It was too late to warn him." "If I had stayed there, I would have been picked up." "I had to go into hiding." "What else could I do?" "That's the truth." "And the money?" "I didn't touch the money." "I didn't even take my share." "That's proof." "You see, I have nothing to reproach myself for." "The money is still at my house." "That's true." "Nobody has touched it – we still have to split it up." "But that isn't why he sold me out." "It was because a family matter." "Yes, it was about your sister." "I'm aware of that." "Now, leave us alone." "We need to talk about this before making a decision." "It could be that you are right, Massa." "Or you, Luciano." "We'll never know the truth." "But whether he ratted on you or not, for us, it's about a woman." "And where women are involved, men have to sort it out between themselves." "OK?" "So this is what we have decided." "You have one bullet each." "One chance in six." "You take turns." "Heads or tails?" "Tails." "Heads." "You shoot first, Massa." "Ready?" "Your turn, Massa." "Your turn, Luciano." "Your turn, Massa." "Your turn, Luciano." "Massa." "Luciano." "Massa." "Take this." "Albert." "My share." "Luciano's share?" "For Maria." "This was Luciano's share." "Will you give it to Maria?" "Oh no!" "Take it, take it." "Now I'm leaving." "For long?" "Will I see you again?" "Yes." "When?" "Don't know." "I'll keep you informed." "Momma, you will see Maria?" "Yes." "Please tell her..." "well no... forget it." "Your sister went to talk to the cops." "The old guy said to warn you." "That's all!" "My sister has ratted on me to the cops." "I have to leave you now..." "They're waiting for me." "I was pleased to see you again." "Good luck." "I'm going this way." "Massa!" "What are you doing here?" "I came back." "And you, what are you doing here?" "I came back." "Let's go!" "Massa." "You're surrounded." "Give yourselves up." "Throw down your weapons and come out with your hands up." "Massa." "You're surrounded." "Give yourselves up." "Throw down your weapons and come out with your hands up." "The End" "Translation by Nocturne"