"THE WATCHMAKER FROM SAINT-PAUL" "Election special at 8:48 PM..." "Shut up, for Christ's sake!" "Come and eat!" "These radios never work when you need them." "The French don't know how to vote." "Always bitching." "I was at the hookers' protest in Jacobins Square!" "They were claiming the right to work." "Were they brandishing their work tools?" "I wouldn't say "brandishing." These ladies are discreet." "The UDR has more than 300 seats." "Union of the Left." "What a bunch of idiots!" " Don't get angry!" " We deserve it." "We welcome communist mayors if the government's right-wing." "You're right." "They're scared shitless of communists." "You know, you're in the Party." " What did your hookers say?" " Nothing." "Except for one:" ""Everyone has sex!"" "Wait, I'm not done!" "There were 1,000 people." "The atmosphere was becoming warmer by the minute, despite the riot police's presence, then an officer, the unit commander, shouted, "Everyone on the sidewalk!"" "You serious?" "The historic phrase!" " Did they obey?" " Not the hookers." "They were off-duty that day..." "They have a great sense of..." "ethical responsibility." "It's done." "It was so considerate of you to wait for me." " Here's the beef!" " Gimme my beef." " Is it working now?" " Yeah." "It was nothing." "This beef salad needs more onions." "It's good for your breath!" "Onions." "Here." "Being single has its perks." "You can eat onions." "This is great!" " Thanks." " Here's to you." "Very nice of you." "France is getting better by the day." " I don't think so." " Take the elections..." "It's total crap!" "54% of the French voted for the death penalty." "You and your death penalty!" "Something has to be done." "I founded the ATVFDP." "Associations are born every week." ""Association of TV viewers for the death penalty."" "Its main goal:" "that executions be televised." "Just before Guy Lux." "And before Hit Parade." "So the whole family can watch!" "Thanks, boss!" "But there's one thing, guys." "It's too dark at that hour." "We'll change the schedule or prerecord them like soccer." " In color?" " Why, yes!" "If there's one show that needs color, this is it." "Such daintiness!" "All we need now are condemned persons!" "That's a matter of opinion." "We'll make them up." "It'd take a serious person to host the show." "Someone who has that bourgeois look." "Someone like Léon Zitrone." "Good idea." "A decent person." "Good manners." "Serious and solemn, but with a hint of humor in his eye." " In his left eye." " No, in his right eye." "Not in Michel's right." "It's his right!" "Potatoes, anyone?" "Take care, boss." " See you soon." " Glad you came?" " Michel, you putting on weight?" " No, it's my son's." "I've seen it before." "It's Swiss." "Youngsters should be working!" "He is!" " He'd be better off unemployed." " That's a hard job." " But it can pay more!" " You're right." " Are you coming with me?" " I'll walk home with Antoine." "Don't dream about the elections." "Bye, Joël." "Bernard told me a good one." "Immigrant workers went on strike in Saint-Étienne." "Of course, the riot police were called in." "But the joke was on them:" "Their radios had been set on the same frequency as the church's." "Know what was heard during the Sunday sermon?" ""Car AF calling 623." ""We're approaching the factory." "Do you read me, Eugène?"" " Are you serious?" " Yes!" "And during the Elevation:" ""Prepare the grenades!"" " Did the officers hear mass?" " I dunno." "It would've been a blast!" "Why press?" "There isn't a car in sight." "I don't wanna get a ticket." " Are you Swiss or something?" " No, only a clockmaker." "How's Bernard doing at the technical college?" "So-so." "You shouldn't have let him drop out of high school." "Do you think he asked for my advice?" "At least it's a higher level..." "Higher than what?" "His father?" "Don't be silly." "Let's go." "Gotta leave you." "I'm parked here." " Not having a nightcap?" " No, I'm sloshed." " Bye, Antoine." " Sleep well." "You too." "See you tomorrow, if you drop by." "Shut up!" "Hello, friend!" "How are you?" " How are you, Mrs. Freunelli?" " Fine, thanks." " Mr. Descombes?" " That's me." "Officer Bricard." "Does the van with license plate 5763 Y 69 belong to you?" " Yes, why?" " Did it disappear?" "Disappear..." "When I came home last night, it wasn't in its spot." "I thought my son'd taken it." "Did he have an accident?" "Kinda..." "But your son wasn't injured." " Thank heavens." " Let them know we're here." "Is that you, Chief Inspector?" "Yes, we're here." "He doesn't seem to know." "OK, we'll bring him in." "Right." " You married?" " I was." " Can we take a look?" " Go ahead." "No, the apartment, please." "It's a bit complicated." "Better follow me." " Your son's room?" " There, to the left." " Search it." " Why?" "Then you're coming with us." " Regarding my son?" " To identify your van." "But I'm expecting the plumbers." " Leave the key with the janitor." " There isn't one." "With a neighbor, then." "In Vienna, you've been stuck in traffic." "You want to sell your car." "According to the latest polls, 89% of French citizens are happy." "Are you?" " Nothing more to tell me?" " Excuse me?" "Nothing more to tell me?" "We were sent to pick you up, that's all I know." "There's my van!" "Stop, for God's sake!" "We'll be back later with the Chief Inspector." "I told you I didn't want that jerk on the case!" "A stolen car near here." "Take care of it." "Chief Insp. Guiboud." "Please sit down." "Coffee?" "Can you get the gentleman a coffee?" " We found your abandoned van." " I know." "I saw it earlier." " What happened to my son?" " We'll see about that later." "Last night, you dined with friends at Chez Chauvin." "Upon returning home, your son wasn't around." "He'd left with Miss Torrini." " Do you know Miss Torrini?" " Not at all." "What happened?" "Not drinking your coffee?" "No, thanks." "All right." "Let's go." "Look." "The tires are flat." "I should've changed the tires a long time ago." "No..." "You better remain seated to hear this." "Your son killed a man." "What are you saying?" "He killed him not far from here." "We don't know why." "The victim was a key figure at the plant where Torrini worked." "A witness saw them burning the car and fleeing in the van." "He took down the plate number." "It wasn't hard to find you." "A car was stolen in the area." "We're searching for it." "I've told you everything I know." "I can't believe it." "I guess that's all you can say." "A black Citroën DS19, plate 4217 AN 71, stolen by 2 armed and dangerous suspects." "A Saône-et-Loire plate." " Tell me about your son?" " No." "Put your seat belt on." " Why?" " All right, suit yourself." "I'll let you off here." "You can take the bus." "Don't leave Lyons, you must remain available to police." "Excuse me, sir." "Would you mind letting me have your seat?" "I need to sit down." "Thank you." "Hello, Mr. Descombes." "Tell me about this Razon." "I found him on the floor near the shower." "There was still water on the floor." "He heard a noise, got out of the shower and the guy shot him." "Guy or girl?" "Let's take a look." " They entered the room and then?" " They waited." "She worked at the same plant as Razon." "They see the clothes on the armchair..." "So they rummage through them." "Did you?" "Yes, envelopes and cigarettes." "Thanks." " No wallet?" " No." "Razon had a gun." "Did you find it?" "According to the ballistics test, it was a gun still used in the Army." "The killer must've found it here and took it, along with the wallet." "We make a good team." " You never agree with me." " Precisely." "I don't know what it is." "It's odd." "It's a poem." "Must be Claudel." ""The will of God, so suddenly upright and severe..."" "Yes, it's Claudel." "I knew it before seeing the signature." "It's a tribute to paratroopers of Indochina." ""So long, ocean champions, so long, officers of God."" "With Claudel, you never know what to expect." ""Saint Breton, brutal saint, blasted colonel and soldier."" "Crazy." " He had this in his pocket?" " He was a paratrooper too." "He had a taste for art." "This isn't a typical blue collar worker's home." "Razon wasn't one." "Gun firing's not a manual job." "Any blue collar worker who receives a gun becomes a cop." "Razon was a special kind of cop." "One that works at a plant." "Take a full-face shot so we can see the seats." "Charred seats pay more." "A real tearjerker!" "And don't forget a shot of the steering wheel." "Open the door." " Here's the Chief Inspector." " So, Costes?" " On top of things, as usual?" " That's what news is about." "Why didn't they escape in this one?" "Instead of taking that van they abandoned." "Idiots!" "They preferred torching it." "Seems like the in thing to do." " I could say "leftist"..." " You just did." "It's a theory worth looking into." "I'm not the only one who thinks so." "Such a crime, on the night of the elections?" "It's a snap." "Unless, of course, it was just a heinous crime." " This is a good story for you." " Of course." "That's what'll make them unsympathetic." " Does Descombes live here?" " Yeah." "Sleeping?" "Did we wake you?" "What time is it?" "11:30." "I'm Costes, a journalist." "I know you got along with your son." "You were always on good terms." "It'll be easy to talk, since you have fond memories." "You think so?" "We'll try." "I won't keep you too long." " Please, not today." " There's no better time!" "The public wants to form an opinion of him." "What the public thinks is important." "Perhaps, but I'm not really all there." "I don't remember what I did since yesterday." "It's not about yesterday, Mr. Descombes." "I wanna know about the past." "You'll see, it'll come to you." "Is this his room?" "Yes." "You slept here?" " I didn't think I'd fall asleep!" " Do you have a minute?" "Go ahead." "It's hard to find a a plumber, so make the most of it!" " Do we take pictures?" " Perhaps." "The murderer's room." "What's this?" "A family heirloom." "It dates back to when we'd make contraband matches." "My granddad's brother designed it for such means." "We'd put a tiny fir log here, then we'd cut it without hitting the bottom." "Afterwards, we'd turn it around, like so, and that'd make... a bundle of 100 or so matches." "We'd soak them in the in the sulfur, then in the phosphorus." "It fetched us a sou." "Or else 5 years in prison, if we got caught." "Did your great uncle get caught?" "Yes, because he had phosphorus on his shoes." "He didn't realize he was making sparks while walking." "The officers spotted him and threw him in jail." "No point in writing that down, because..." "His girls still live in Ardèche." "Don't bother." "We won't mention it, Mr. Descombes." "Even though those brave bootleggers deserve our sympathy." "Outlaws fascinate young kids." "It's out of the ordinary." " Was he the family hero?" " No." "Don't make a big deal out of it." "Our family had no heroes." "Anyway, Bernard doesn't like heroes much." "You're a widower, right?" "No." "My wife died when we were already separated." "Guess I'm a widower still the same." "I was as unhappy as a real widower." "Goodbye, Mr. Descombes." " Goodbye." " And uh..." "Goodbye." "Thanks." " I'll drop by the store." " No need to worry." "Mr. Descombes lives here?" " If it's not urgent..." " It's urgent." " What do you want?" " To have word with you." "I've nothing to say to you." "Don't close the door on a friend." " Are you a journalist?" " Yes." "Not again!" "I belong to a newspaper that reaches out to millions." "Your son is one of them." "No one knows what happened." "A dead man was found, but maybe he attacked your son." "Where's the proof your son killed him?" "He wasn't alone." "Imagine if he's listening to the radio." "What's he hearing?" "A hostile voice making what could be a false accusation, one to which he can't respond." "Wouldn't he be happy to hear the voice of his best friend?" "You must've heard about such calls." "They can be very moving." "What am I supposed to tell him?" "I don't even know him anymore." "I can't tell him what I've told him in the past." "It won't work." "I wouldn't wanna speak with him right now." "The police are after him." "He could be killed." "What do you tell a man going through this?" "Even if it's your son!" "You must hope for something, even if you can't tell him." "Why not tell me?" " That he eludes the police." " He expects that from you?" "He expects nothing." "Otherwise, he would've confided in me." " Anyway, it's too late." " No." "Tell him what you think without admitting it." "I would." "He has to give himself up before it's too late, before the police shoot at him without warning!" "They think he's armed and they're scared too." "But they don't take risks." "I think he expects you to tell him to give himself up." "Razon with a Z. Don't misspell the name of the victim!" " What an idiot!" " Deguel confessed." "I don't give a damn." "Traffic police?" "No, it's not the butcher's." "Yes, I know it's a pigsty!" " The Descombes file." " Alas!" "Did you see "La Grande Bouffe"?" "Usually, there's nothing more innocent than food." "In this film, the food is disgusting and overly obscene." " It should be banned." " Especially in Lyons." "What does this prove?" "That he's against war or that he admires naked women?" "There are also some subversive slogans." "My son has more in his room." "Because he's a leftist?" "No." "Because his father's a cop." "There." "All done!" "Everything's back in order." "Thank you." "We shouldn't have removed them." "One of my men took the liberty." "And here's a notebook we took from his desk." "It contains mainly notes on films and part of an argument he had with his girlfriend about a film they saw." "Don't you wanna see what she's like?" "I hadn't given it any thought." "It's a picture taken at a fair, at a shooting gallery." "What's it like to see her in the picture?" " It's the rifle I see." " It's not a pleasant sight." "Especially when..." "What I learned about her isn't a pretty picture." "She played an important role in the murder." "In fact, I believe she's behind it all." "She was accused of theft at the plant." "Razon caught her red-handed in a workshop." "He searched her." "She was carrying 2 transistors." " I don't like this Razon guy." " Nor did your son." "And the girl, even less." "She said he hit her, which is possible..." "Even likely." "...and it all ended there." "But Liliane was fired." "So she took your son to Razon's place." "Therefore, she has a motive." "She asked him to punish Razon and flee together." "Being a young kid, he obeyed." "If only we could speak with him to tell him he can still turn himself in." "What worries me is that he's armed." "You want me to go on radio to send him a message?" " So he gives himself up?" " You thought about it?" "It's already done." " A journalist conned me." " How's that?" "If the police had asked me, I wouldn't have done it." "But she was the police." "Did you hear?" "Leftist!" "Nonsense." "And that bitch who has Bernard on a string..." "Where did the cops come up with that?" "And that journalist!" ""Mr. Descombes, make a call!" "You'll see!"" "As if Bernard was waiting for my call to give himself up." "The idiots only referred to his cowardice." "So you made a mistake." "Let's assume he didn't hear your little speech." "I hope so." "Anyway, he'll do what suits him." "He never did what he wanted." " That Razon's a bastard!" " That's obvious." "What can I tell you?" "It could become a political issue." "Do you think it'd augur well for Bernard?" "I dunno, it depends." "What do you think?" "Eat." "No, I'm not hungry." "You following me?" " I was just in the area." " To buy carrots, I guess." "Do you think my son'd shop with me?" "If there's any news about your son, you'll hear it from me." " Do you have any news?" " Yes." "They were spotted in an Ardèche village." "La Pervenche:" "6 miles from Privas." "A certain Marie-Louise runs a hostel there." "They spent 2 days there." "She thought they were lovers." " They are lovers." " So are you." "That's when I sent him the message." "They didn't hear it, because they had better things to do." "It's not bad news for either of us." "They love to stay in bed." "I might need you in a couple of days." "Why?" "If they barricade themselves, I'll ask you to come with me." "You don't have to shake my hand, but I'm holding it out all the same." "I still have nothing against you." "See you one of these days." "Better later than sooner." "So?" "That guy'd sell his soul to help save his son." " Anything on the wiretap?" " Nothing." "Just a woman!" "A watch and bracelet representative." "There's no reason for his son to call him to say "hello."" "If your son had done it, would he phone you?" " How old's your son?" " 7." "You have some time to relax." "Hello..." "We're not here to buy anything, sir." "We came to talk to you about Liliane Torrini." "Do you know my son?" "No, but we know Liliane well." "We don't want anything bad to happen to her." "So?" "Most importantly..." "We knew Razon, the man who was killed." "If we could be of any help, we thought..." " I can't see how." " Razon was a rotten man." "I already knew that." "I doubt it, there's nothing about it in the papers." "He did dirty things to us." "He was a scumbag." "Killing guys like that isn't right, but they shouldn't exist." "One day, he drove his car into picket lines: 2 wounded." "Of course, the investigation got nowhere." "We also have something else we must tell you." "He was trying to seduce Liliane." "He'd done the same with others, but this time it was serious." "She had to defend herself!" "I'm sure that's why she got fired." "I was told that Razon..." "The transistor story?" "Razon was the only witness." "Careful!" "Was my son aware?" "I didn't say that." "I don't know your son." "She mentioned him once." " Liliane spoke to you about him?" " No, she mentioned his name." "That doesn't amount to much." " Wanna come in?" " No, thanks." "We have to get back to work." " Thanks for the info." " It's also in our interest." " Thank you." " Goodbye." "Michel, come!" "Run the light." "Over there." "We'll corner those scumbags!" " Swines!" " Assholes!" "Bastards!" "Stupid thugs!" "Had enough?" "You're not gonna scare us!" "Go on, beat it!" "Beat it!" "Dirty pigs!" "Assholes!" "How's the water?" "Damn!" "What assholes!" "That felt good!" "Who were those guys?" " Friends of Razon." " Shit!" "The employer's militia!" "Vigilantes!" " I never knew they existed." " They don't." "But we have proof." "What should we do?" "Do I lodge a complaint?" "This is no time!" "Mr. Gaucher, my neighbor, a glazier." " Word gets around fast." " People also hear things." "Look at this." "Let's go for a drink." " Was Bernard arrested?" " No, not yet." "You scared me." "When you asked me to meet you without saying anything," "I feared he'd been killed." " That's only in the movies." "Most arrests are made without any harm being done." "We won't have any problem arresting them." "France is a strange country, Mr. Descombes." "50 million inhabitants and 20 million informers." "Nothing serious." "Did your Bernard run away from home when he was 12?" "Yes." "You didn't contact the police?" "No." "Was he gone long?" "Yes." "He went to Namur, Belgium." "To see a woman who took care of him after his mother left me." "She spent 6 years with us." "Then we separated." "He didn't need her anymore." "I didn't know he was thinking about Madeleine." "That's her name." "He never spoke about her." "What if he'd asked you to take him to see her in Namur?" "I would've been glad to." "Maybe what he wanted was to be alone with her." "I understand." " You know what he needed?" " Madeleine, of course." "...another woman at home." "I was told." "This Madeleine..." " Madeleine who?" " Fourmet." " Does she still live in Namur?" " I don't think so." "Why?" " You think Bernard...?" " No." "No, I don't think anything." "She left Namur, but I don't know where she is now." " Was he still writing to her?" " He never told me anything." "This dog's such a pain." "Come on, Wolfgang." "That's his name, strangely enough." "So, you didn't want to share your son." "I was able to keep him with me in my workshop." "He enjoyed it." "We'd play with small tools, the springs, just like a game of solitaire." "It's hard, you gotta go slow, and all of a sudden it works!" "He thought I was doing it for fun." "We'd go to churches to fix the clocks." "Big as they were, they never worked." "I'd put them in my van." "We'd eat on the way." "We'd get home late." "If there'd been a woman at home, she would've spent her time waiting for us." "He could've stayed home with her." "We would've missed out on one of life's great joys." "He liked being with me." "Too bad police officers can't do the same." "We could've had some young lawmakers." "He was great with his hands." "Better than me, in fact." "I wasn't surprised when he left school for a technical college." "What would've he have done after technical college?" "Graduated, Mr. Guiboud." "My son is preparing to be a cop and he may succeed." "I wish him the best." "My wife had been gone for 3 months and it was mid-winter." "It was very cold." "All of a sudden, a little kid came up to me." "He looked at me and said," ""How you've changed!"" "Then he took off." "He probably had nothing else to say to me." "I didn't know him." "At the time, I didn't know if it was a boy or a girl." "I ran after him to ask." "He answered, "A boy."" "He seemed startled upon hearing the question." "I must say it was pretty silly." "From a girl, it's biting, from a boy, it's mean." "Once, while on the bus, a boy with his mother was sitting in front of me." "He said, while looking at her," ""That man smells." It was my cologne." "It was quite embarrassing." "You had to deal with a mean kid, that's all." "I never saw any nastiness." "I was really happy that a boy crossed the street to tell me, "How you've changed!"" "It's extraordinary." "It's not nastiness, it's quite the opposite!" " A little boy, all alone." " The nerve!" "He comes to tell you something that astonishes him, that he can't keep to himself." "No one has ever loved me as much as that boy." "Even if it was just for a minute." "You must lead a happy life." "I was truly unhappy just twice, and I'm starting to get over this now." "You can get your van now." " I'm in no hurry." " We're not a storage center!" " I'll burn it." " It runs in the family." "Here's the dog." " Is she up?" " Yes." "Are you coming in?" "No, just tell her that her father came." "Hello, Madeleine." "They'll probably come here." "What do I tell them?" "I told them you raised him when he was little." "I also mentioned Namur." "You could too, and that's all." "Do you mind?" " It's just that..." " What?" " You know something?" " Yes, a little." "I was wondering if I should tell you." "I got this two days ago." ""We're thinking of you." ""From Saint-Étienne."" "Why "we"?" "Do you know the girl?" "A little." " I don't." " You don't?" " Why didn't he introduce you?" " I don't know." "Maybe he thought I'd be upset." "Why?" "Is she a nice girl?" "I found she was OK." "Rather nice." " She came here?" " Yes." " Often?" " No." "Twice, I think." "She came last winter." "He brought her here." "There was snow." "He showed her the yard." "He loved it." "Much more than the house." "Children need a yard." " This one won't last." " I know." "They want to build a hospital here." "You see, he never told me he came to visit you." "Yet he's not secretive." "But now, we don't know for sure." "What do I do with it?" "Tear it up and burn it." " You knew him better than me." " Don't say that." "Maybe, before he moved in with you..." "He didn't talk to me." "As you can see." "He once told me, "My father is the best." ""Everyone loves him."" "Everyone except him." "You got the top prize." "It was for second place." "I used to sing in local contests." "About me..." "About me and him, what else did he say?" "I can't remember well." "Once, he said something that struck me..." "He said..." ""My dad is too nice with a boy like me."" "What did he mean?" "I don't know." "Maybe that with a big boy, one shouldn't be too nice." "So he was mad at me." "Not at all!" "Now you'll get mad at me." "If I should get mad at someone..." "Still no news?" " From the police?" " Neither." " No news, good news." " Yes." "Maybe he didn't have a choice." "A demonstration organized by leftist groups took place near Miss Torrini's workplace." "The police retaliated." "The young murderers are still at large." "Bernard's father won't answer our questions." "He's still waiting for an answer to his desperate call." "Today's youth have no boundaries." "They should join the army!" "Why burn a car after killing a man?" "Interesting." "Will that be ox offals or a pig's trotter?" "One of each!" "The CGT is against carrying arms on the workplace." "It regrets the reactions in the factory, following a crime by certain irresponsible organizations." "It recommends we remain calm, and relies on the workers' discipline and good sense." "I represent the UDR, to bid farewell to our friend Razon and to honor the memory of a good man..." " Mr. Descombes is back there!" " He's here?" "In back." "...a Frenchman we can all be proud of." "I didn't know you were here." "You should've come with me." "To listen to this?" "Good friends, you have." "It's not my fault." "You can say stupid things on the street, but your buddy from CGT went too far." "Sorry!" " He voiced his opinion." " Will you take something?" " I hardly know him." " "His opinion!"" "As if you had one!" "They called him a leftist, like the papers you hate." "I never said that!" "But you think it, you're not helping Bernard." "He liked you." "Me too, my God!" " Don't get upset!" " I'll get upset if I want to!" "And what of it?" "Since we're on the topic, what if he were a leftist?" " What do you know about Bernard?" " Me?" "Everything." "He never told you a thing!" "Screw this shit!" "I'm the murderer's father!" "It's 9 PM." "This is Roger Perrin." "Exceptional results in Vincennes." "Bloody weekend, over 200 dead." "The young murderers of Lyons are still on the loose." "LIP, fifth week of strike." "The price of beef is on the rise." "Your son was arrested." "He's fine, don't worry." " Where?" " On Bréhat island." " Bréhat?" " On the north coast." "They had foolishly left their car in a parking lot." "Ever been to Bréhat?" "No." "We'd planned to go last year." "They were taken to Saint-Brieuc." "There's a night train, with a transfer in Paris." " What time's the train?" " 7:24 PM." "All right." "Thanks." "I'll finish this first." "May I?" "Now that we're off, we can..." " Where's your seat?" " Car 14." "I have a cabin in 2nd class." "There's extra room." "Come later." " Why?" " To travel together!" "Waiter!" "None for me, thanks." "Let's see what Chef Duplantin has to offer..." "Assorted cold meats, Curnonsky veal loin..." "Poor calf that was taken to the butcher!" "Crêpe..." "You're pissing me off with your descriptions!" " I wonder how my son will be." " Don't worry." " They might've..." " Hit him?" "No, he confessed." "Even so!" "I know how things work." "We may hit them to make them talk." "Or scare them." "That's for the Arabs." "If he looked Algerian or had long hair, maybe." "But men with blood and sticks, all that, it's in the movies." "We have simpler methods." "We just hit them on the head with the phonebook." "They end up talking." "And it doesn't bruise." "But he'd better be careful in jail." "Not hungry?" "No." " May I?" " Sure." " Don't expect he'll run to you." " I don't expect anything." "The worst part isn't seeing your son with the police." "But how he'll look at you." "I like you, Mr. Descombes." "You're right, how will he look at you?" "That's also why I want to see your son." "We don't understand our kids, so we try with other people's." "Professional killers, gangsters, I deal with them, but I don't care." "Your son's story is more important." "First, it's not out of the ordinary." "I wonder what we've done to our youth." " You're armed!" " Whenever I'm on duty." "Dirty job." "We're often told that." "He's here." "They're both here." "Please wait." "Hello, Lyons?" "Yes, he's here." "Hold on." "Lyons is on the line." "Excuse me, was it about...?" "I can't tell you, sir." "Thank you." "OK." "It's complicated." " Bernard isn't here?" " They left." " From where?" " There's another exit." "They didn't want me to see him." " They roughed him up?" " Nonsense." "They were scared to show him to me, but you won't say." " If anything happened to him...!" " He doesn't want to see you." "He doesn't want to see me?" "He told you?" "He told me." "But why?" "There's no reason..." " Because I came with a cop?" " Stop pissing me off!" "Thank you, sir." "You're early." " Can I stay in your car?" " I have another customer." " It won't be long." " Thank you." " You're early." " Yes." "I'll make coffee, do you want any?" "Yes, please." "You'll get shaken, you don't mind the plane?" "I don't know, never took the plane before." "You may be alone, it's happened before." "I doubt it." "Let's go!" "Here's your coffee." "I'll get the sugar." "Wait for me." " Here." " Thank you." " Something else?" " No, thanks." "Hi, Dad." "Passengers for Lyons, boarding now." "Let's go." "Fasten your seat belts." "Your Honor, I understand that a son wouldn't want to see his father in this kind of situation, but can't a father see his son?" "You will, Mr. Descombes." "You've arranged something?" "You'll see him with the judge." "He won't have the choice." "The judge is a woman." "She's good." "Thank you." "Hold on." "It's not a visit, it's a confrontation." "There's a lot at stake..." " It depends on you." " On me?" "Mr. Descombes, your son's defense is absurd." "Here it is:" ""I killed this man because he was a scumbag."" "OK." "Maybe Razon was a scumbag, but that's no reason." "Or "scumbag" should have another meaning..." "Political, social..." "I don't care." "But if he says so!" "I'll plead it as a crime of passion, regardless." "Your son doesn't understand politics anyway." "I want to plead that it was a crime of passion." "And I need your help." " Excuse me." " No problem." "Hello?" "Hello, my friend." "Wednesday, if you want." "I'd prefer 4:30 PM." "Perfect." "See you Wednesday." "Goodbye." "Crime of passion!" "Do you know of anything that could support this plea?" "There's the fact that..." "Razon had the young girl fired." "Ridiculous, I need better." "I don't know..." "Perhaps Razon roughed up the young lady." "And she had the bad idea of telling your son." "You said 2 friends of Miss Torrini's came to see you." " Yes, but my son won't..." " I don't care, I'm his lawyer." "They must know something." " Who are they?" " I don't know." "Find them." "We need passion!" " I'll try." " Good answer." "In exchange..." " Is this OK?" " It's a good start." "In exchange, here's the recording of the first interview I had with your son." "Yes, I did it." "Your son said you could hear it." "I'd rather listen to it at home." "As you wish." " You have a tape recorder?" " Yes." "It belongs to my son." " Good evening." " Goodbye." "Like I said." "I hated Razon, so I killed him." "Did he wrong you personally?" "If he had, I wouldn't have killed him." "He wronged your friend, by firing her." "That's no reason to kill." "So why, then?" "I didn't want him to get away with it." "So why pick that very day?" "We were leaving for a long time, so it was the right time." "She agreed to it?" "Let's say it was my wedding gift." " It's hard to defend." " I don't disagree." "Did you think about your father?" "Not at the time." "Afterward, yes." "Why won't you see him?" "It's not the right time." "Are you part of a leftist group?" "I'm not, neither is she." "Liliane is taking as much blame as she can." "I'm not surprised, she's a great girl." "That'll be all for today." " Mr. Descombes?" " Speaking." "You will see him." "In two days, at 11 AM." "In the judge's office." "2nd floor, room 109." "OK, good." "Thank you." "Can I tape our conversation?" " If you want." " I have permission." "About the message on the radio..." "I was tricked." " I'm not the one who..." " I didn't hear it." "I was told after." "Liliane and I didn't listen to the radio in the car." "We talked." "I said I wasn't mad at you." "I was told." "Why did you go to Bréhat?" "I don't know." "I thought about it right away." "You have nothing else to say?" "You neither." "Anything I'd say would sadden you." "One thing." "Don't come to court." "I'll go regardless." "As you wish." "Apparently, you'll be seeing psychiatrists?" " Don't count on them." " I don't." "Hello, sir." "Sit down." " Good morning." " Good morning." "May the defense speak." "I have interesting testimonials." "Mr. Razon was a man who constantly harassed the women in the factory." "So in this case, there would be a certain element of passion." "Element of passion?" "Bullshit!" "You must convince your son." "It's now or never." "What is it?" "Nothing." "If you won't help me, I'll drop the case." "I'll manage differently." "I don't like your pink shirt." " And for you?" " 3 bottles of Beaujolais." "4.20 f, sir." " Is that all?" " That's it, thank you." " You need change?" " No, thanks." "One saveloy, please." " With truffles?" " No, thanks." " With some pistachios." " Pistachios?" "It's our wedding anniversary." "I'd like to talk to you." "I'll pay, and I'll join you." "I pay here?" "Hello, Victor." "Two salads with saveloy, please." "Hello, sir." "Perhaps Bernard is hiding something." "If he doesn't want to talk, he won't." "Maybe Razon got personal with Liliane." " He fired her." " I'm not talking about that." "That doesn't lead to a crime of passion." "I'm thinking about something more serious that he doesn't want to say." "And that he doesn't want people to say." "He killed him because he was a scumbag, and I accept that." "I don't." "A scumbag can mean a lot of things." "Let's say..." "Razon catches the girl stealing and wants favors from her, or he'll fire her." "Against her will or not." "Regardless, it's a rape." "He'll still fire her after." "But he thinks she won't say anything." "And she tells your son, which is a very bad idea." "That didn't happen." "How do you know?" "I'm thinking of the visitors you had after the event." " I want to find the 2 girls." " Don't count on me." "I don't know their names and don't remember their faces." " You don't want to help!" " My son doesn't want me to." "I understand it's not pleasant for everyone to know that your girlfriend was raped." "But given his situation, he should get over it!" "He doesn't want to say it." "Me neither." "Do you know what lies ahead?" "That won't help his case." "So what?" "Are you enjoying making it a political issue?" "My son decides." "You know I don't agree with you." "But I still like you." "I'll find the girls." "If it helps your son, don't thank me." "I'm not doing it for him." "Don't leave!" "I'm going home." " See you, then." " Why, "see you"?" "We won't meet again." "Keep the change." "You're also picking him up?" "This isn't a procession." "You have the car?" "So the 2 of you are going?" "See you tonight." " I'll take you, OK?" " Yes." " Have you eaten?" " Yes, a little." "I'd like to be sure I understood correctly." "Could you repeat?" "I entirely support my son's decision." "What do you want?" "You'll miss the soap opera!" "On TV, you idiots!" "On TV!" "On TV, for God's sake!" "Let's go for a walk." "So what's the verdict?" "20 years for him, 5 for her." "That's a lot for a crime of passion." "Otherwise, it's normal." "I looked at him while you were talking." "The look on his face." "It's as if he had understood." "You don't look alike, huh?" "But there, you looked identical." "I can't even say he smiled, it was a non-smiling smile." "20 years, for God's sake!" "They made him pay for his attitude." "They didn't even let him talk long." "They didn't even let him talk long." "I know." "They also interrupted me." "They did everything to prevent the trial from being political." "I had so much to say." "That when you gasp for air, you break windows." "We're suffocating..." "in this shithole of a country!" "We live in a bubble and pretend it won't burst!" "Goddammit!" "It would have helped me to hear that earlier." "I know." "Maybe you weren't as convinced before." "Let me tell you something." "When it happened, I was glad not to have children." "But when I saw the 2 of you, specially you, in front of all those people, it felt like it was just the 2 of you in that room." "Sit down." "Sit!" "You OK?" " It's not easy to talk here." " Don't shout, articulate." "We'll get used to it." "I saw Liliane." "If it's a girl, she'll call her Sylvie." "Not bad." "If it's a boy?" "I don't know." "How about Michel?" "What do you think?" "Will you marry her?" "I don't know." "It depends on her." "In prison, I don't see the point." "Maybe I could take care of the baby?" "Why not?" "You're used to it!" "I would do it with Liliane's parents." "I could help until she comes out..." " You think they'll accept?" " I think so." "You see, we can talk better now." "We hear what we need to hear." "I thought of something last night, that I'd never told you." "During the war, in 1940, during the rout." "We were in a small village, called Limas." "We had been bombarded in the morning, and the General's house had been hit." "He'd left the place, and when he came back, he asked us to get the violin left in the house." "The house was ablaze..." "So I refused." "He got very upset." "He said, "It's an order!" ""Insubordination in the face of the enemy..." ""Court-martial..."" "I don't know why, but I slapped him!" "There were witnesses!" "It felt good." "After, it was chaos." "Everyone left." "I thought about it, during the entire Occupation." "I don't know why I'm telling you this." "Two of Razon's buddies threw petanque balls at the store." "They broke windows, and I threw one of them in the Saône." "Bye, Bernard." "When Michel came to see Bernard, the workers had fixed the roof that was ruined during the last rebellion." "The station and the city were almost deserted." "In Vienna, there was a 20-km traffic jam, and over 100 dead on the roads." "It was around August 15, the day of the Virgin Mary, which, as everyone knows, is Lyons's patron saint." "Translation:" "Épilogue"