"A GORGEOUS girl like ME" "Do you have criminal Women by Stanislas Prévine?" "is it a novel?" "No, it's a sociology thesis." "I'll have to ask the boss." "Do we have criminal Women?" "Yes, it was a sociology thesis." "It was never published." "But it was listed last year." "I remember very well." "criminal Women by Stanislas Prévine, it should have been published a year ago." "I really don't know what happened." "THE YEAR BEFORE..." "This is Professor Prévine." "A sociologist studying criminal women." "You must have been notified." "He will begin with..." "What's her name?" "Camille Bliss." "She's just a little tramp." "We have more interesting cases." "The one who drove 600 miles to knock off..." "Yes, the old Pole." "And the one who cut men up." "The buzz-saw killer!" "The giant who strangled her man." " With one hand !" " And in public." "Yes, but I'd prefer to start with Mrs Bliss." "As you like." "I am certain everything will go fine." "Here's your permit, to be stamped at each visit." "This way, sir." "There's a table for you. ls it all right?" "Certainly." "Thank you." "You want to see Bliss now?" "Yes, please, if I may." "Mrs Bliss?" "I'm Stanislas Prévine, I assume they told you about me." "You're the writer!" "Well, no, not exactly." "I'm writing a sociology thesis." "What's that?" "Sociology is the study of social phenomena." "I'm interested in you, what you did and why." "No shit!" "A novel about me?" "Not exactly. lt's more like a study." "Let's have a voice test." "The girl with the banjo" "All naked in her rancho" "She can never say no" "The girl with the banjo!" "The girl with the banjo" "All naked in her rancho" "She can never say no..." "Pretty good, huh?" "Say, do books make big money?" "I don't know. lt's my first." "Let's start from the beginning." "My first question concerns your father's death." "Okay. I was nine, see?" "I lived on a farm with my folks..." "Fuckin' bitch!" "Like your ma!" "All whores except for my ma, maybe." "So, the ladder..." "I took it to wash the windows." "How could I know Pa was up there?" "They said I lied." "So, like the papers wrote, that's how come I wasted my youth in jail." "So, this tragedy and lack of understanding explain your adult life and why you were accused of another murder." "Hey, got a butt?" " No, thank you." " What a jerk!" "I'm not offering, I'm asking for a butt." "A cigarette!" "Oh, I see." "Excuse me. I don't smoke." "So the connection between Pa's accident and what they say I did this time is obvious." "If I'd had a happy childhood, I wouldn't be here today." "It is the society's fault, like my lawyer says." "Mrs Bliss, did you really kill your father?" "Tell me the truth." "It was like this, see." "A fate-bet." "A fate-bet!" "I'll explain." "Whenever Pa juiced up, he'd kick my ass in." "I'd had it, know what I mean?" "So, by taking away the ladder, I'm betting." "If the old man sees his lift's gone, he'll yell and then beat the shit out of me." "But if he don't notice, bang !" "I win." "And I won !" "Isn't that something?" "That's fatality!" "But let's not talk about all that." "I don't want to get you depressed." "Mind if I step out for a minute?" "Here, hold my cigarette..." "Matron !" "I got to go!" "The expression "fate-bet" is very significant, and I will try to determine its precise meaning." "It is probably a rationalisation Mrs Bliss uses to reject her responsibility and her feelings of guilt." "After your father's death, you had a difficult childhood, you went to an orphanage, and because of a few youthful pranks, you wound up in an institution." "They called it..." ""Observation Centre for Juvenile Delinquents."" "Not for long, 'cause I got time off for good behaviour!" "observation CENTRE FOR juvenile delinquents" "You want mine?" "It's bigger!" "Here, I brought you some eats." "No dessert?" "I'm your dessert!" "Clovis!" "For Christ's sake!" "Oh, shit!" "I'm coming, Ma!" "I'll be back." "Who's honking?" "Nobody, Ma." "I ain't nuts!" "Hear that?" "Don't hear nothing." "Going to dump this stinking wine." "You sneaking out again?" "No, Ma, I swear." "So he dishonoured me, that shit." "Were you still a virgin when you met him?" "Half and half..." "At the Centre, we couldn't go out, but the postman could get in." "Same thing for the milkman, the baker, or the doctor." "My first was a doctor." "Wow!" "Could he examine you !" "Know how long l hid out?" "Three weeks!" "Clovis was scared of his ma, but I had my plan, and one night I barged in on them." "What's that?" "Clovis!" "Darling !" "Who's that?" "I dunno." " You don't know?" " You don't know?" "Look, lady, I've been in his car for weeks." "He bangs me all day and he don't know!" "Move over!" "I'm not of age, lady." "I'm not having no baby in a rumble seat!" "I'm pregnant." "You're a granny!" "You little shithead !" "Oh, Christ!" "If your pa could see you !" "Horny, dirty slob!" "I'll handle this!" "So we got hitched." "Old Isobel was so scared of the police, she fixed everything and got the licence and all." "And the little one?" "Me, a baby?" "Are you kidding?" "After the wedding, I said, "Sorry, no baby."" "They didn't shed no tears." "Did you get on with your mother-in-law?" "She hated my guts, but like I told her," ""You didn't lose a son, you found a daughter."" "Take this down, Héléne." "Clearly Camille sought with Mr Bliss a compensation for the hostile environment of her childhood." "Do you feel that you'd been unlucky since childhood?" "You bet!" "With the lousy meathead, it was always the same old crap." "What vulgarity!" "You'll change that." "No." "We must respect her personality." "File the tapes carefully." "We may have to hear them again." "Can we have dinner?" "Thank you, Héléne, but I have work to do." "My aunt was happy to know I'm working for you." "That's nice." "Goodbye." "You're the one who visits Camille?" "They finally got her behind bars." "But wait and see, she'll swipe them before she skips." "You know Mrs Bliss?" "You bet!" "She's from my hometown." "She's a handful, that one!" "Guess who?" "How's tricks?" "Sorry, I didn't hear you." "Hello, madame." "What is it?" "I don't see no "madame" here." "For you." "No shit!" "Camels!" "I'll take two." "Take them all." "That your book?" "Real neat." "Did you do it yourself?" "No." "A girl friend helps me." "Tell me about her!" "What's her name?" "I bet she's stacked." "You know what, be a doll." "Get me back my banjo!" "My banjo!" "Oh, I see!" "I thought it was a slang expression." "My uncle taught me when I was a kid, and I worked on it with Sam Golden." "So if I had my banjo, I'd sing my story like a musical." "Well, I'm not sure..." "But..." "I'll ask for it." "You need anything else?" "Yeah !" "Some goodies!" "Know what I go for?" "Almonds and peanuts and such." "We never get none here." "Ready?" "We're all set." "Right." "You had just got married." "Did you work at the garage?" "Old Isobel wouldn't let me go near customers." "Bookkeeping?" "Oh, no!" "I'll tell you. I was exploring, sort of." "Fill 'er up." "How much d'you have left?" "About a gallon." "Ya still got gas, get going !" "Goddamn pain in the ass!" "Folks said Isobel was loaded." "Clovis had only his expectations." "Yet, anything can happen." "She was always poking around the oven in the cellar." "I figured the dough was there, but digging it up with her alive, no dice!" "My dishes sparkle" "My hands are white" "My toilet's clean I'm happy with Kleeno" "Not too tired, missy?" "I'll live." "Thank God for the commercials." "That Kleeno dame, she had it made." "So why not me?" "Wait!" "Off to bed, baby." "Why the wine?" "He had only two ideas, not three, just two." "First, you-know-what." "Second, booze!" "I'd had it, mister!" "One night, I got him up at 4:00 a.m." "Open it up!" "It wasn't the nest egg, just a dividend." "You dirty crooks!" "Why'd you do it?" "I took our wedding present." " You can't!" " Well, I did !" " And now?" " To Paris!" "And on the road, his heap broke down." "I don't get it." "You're supposed to know about cars." "I'll call Ma." "What's wrong with it?" "I dunno. I'll call Ma." "It's her or me!" "It's Ma." "So long." "Baby!" "Don't go!" "So the jerk came back!" "I just couldn't shake him." "Over his shoulder, I saw a big sign saying "Colt Saloon."" "I must turn the reel over." "Criminal Women, second interview." "All set?" "Where were we?" "The Colt Saloon." "Say, Stan, your tie's corny." "His tie, now!" "What next?" "All that for me?" "And nuts, too!" "If I wasn't so shy, I'd kiss you." "Want a peanut?" "Shall we proceed?" "Where were we?" "The Colt Saloon." "A classy joint. I was a hostess." "Sam Golden was the star." "A great artist!" "Sam Golden, he sensed I was musical." "Clovis and me, we lived in a fleabag." "I watched TV all day to get away from that sex maniac." "Cut it out, will ya?" "Lay off!" "I wanna do it!" "Drop dead !" "I'm the boss." "Stop the TV!" "Hands up!" "Watch it, angel, you're cracking up." "Turn that off!" "Try saying it in Spanish." "My TV!" "You crummy motherfucker!" "I hate your guts!" "You shithead !" "I'm splitting !" "So I kept mum, very dignified, like he'd not busted up my TV." "Just walked out like the Queen of England, real class!" "Shit!" "You never considered a loyal talk with Mr Bliss?" "I figured he could screw himself." "He had a disgusting habit." "He was always scratching his crotch." "I couldn't stand it." "So you thought of divorce." "I thought of running to Sam Golden." "The first guy I met with his name in big lights." "I figured if he made it, why couldn't I?" "You saw Mr Golden as a superior being?" "You bet!" "I always respect people with big names." "I think..." "They know all about life, see?" "Sam !" "I'm real glad you're here." "Look, I'm in a big mess." "Clovis got himself a gun, he's nuts!" "I'm an ex-virgin and I'm scared !" "Shut the door!" "Take that off..." "Everything!" "All right." "Sweet" "Sweet little birdie" "Poor little birdie" "Warm and soft in my hand" "You like?" "Terrific!" "Who inspired it?" "You did." "He made it up right off the bat." "Anyhow, both of us being musical, we became intimate, like." "Your husband had no suspicions?" "We were damned careful, you bet!" "But that louse, Alphonse the mute, ratted on us." "A broad?" "So what?" "Camille?" "What?" "With that two-bit clown?" "Making it together?" "Shut up, damn you !" "I know you're in there!" "Son of a bitch !" "It's Clovis!" "Make way for the widow!" "Clovis, angel !" "They killed him !" "My husband !" "He's dead !" "He was so kind, so sweet." "I've got nothing to live for!" "Clovis, my love, wait for me!" "Only he wasn't dead, that louse!" "You know what?" "You'd be cute with long hair." "Well..." "The hour is over." "Hey!" "Don't forget my banjo!" "And peanuts!" "Never mind the rest." "Third interview." "Will you take a few notes?" "Comments on the third interview." "The subject often requests gifts." "This indicates a need for appreciation, in parentheses, as if possessions compensated for lack of love." "Moreover, we have a possible equation between music and sex." "Mrs Bliss treasures her banjo, and if we consider its suggestive contours, we have a sublimated penis envy." "Lack of love, sublimated penis..." "Isn't it all a bit far-fetched?" "Has it never occurred to you that she's just a tramp?" "That is a very unscientific remark." "The banjo is okay, but it doesn't mean Camille Bliss will be exempted from work." "My banjo!" "It's off-key, but never mind." "Oh, Stanislas, that's real classy!" " l've got a present, too." " For me?" "No, for the Pope!" "And knitted by Camomile." "That's what Sam called me for fun." "They're very nice." "Hide them !" "Through a musical career, you hoped to find the social approval you craved as a child." "On the nose!" "Okay, where were we?" "Oh, Clovis." "He was in hospital, and me, big-hearted me, I brought him goodies." "You didn't divorce?" "Divorce a slob with 27 fractures?" "I got too much class!" "Anyway, while he was laid up, I took care of my career." "You started with Golden on a purely professional basis and love came later, right?" "It's always trouble when you mix pleasure with business." "Sam was so wild over me, I just couldn't keep his mind on my career." "The girl with the banjo" "All naked in her rancho" "She can never say no..." "Get off the air!" "is there a law that says only you can sing?" "Guess what?" "Forget it!" "Tonight we go dancing." "Dancing, my ass!" "We ball right here!" "I sure turn you on, don't I?" "If not you, it's the guitar." "Get your ass over here!" "TO ALL THE LOVERS OF THE WORLD" "When are we going to rehearse?" "You want a hit on the mouth?" "Who do you think you are?" "Scram !" "Someone knocked." "Open up. I'm working !" "If it's a broad for you, she'll get it in the ass!" "is Sam Golden in?" "My husband is busy." "Who's this tramp, Roger?" "I don't know." "I'm Mrs Sam Golden !" "Come out, Roger!" "Had a nice trip, honey?" "This belongs to Roger?" "It's mine!" "And this?" "Mine, lady." "And this?" "You need any help, lady?" "And that?" "My purse!" "You shut up!" "Beat it!" "Out!" "Shit, it's torn !" "Please, step on it!" "It's a matter of life and death !" "I'll explain later." "ARTHUR extermination" "I told him how I was a victim of society with drunken parents, a sick brother, and that I wanted to die." "He kept on saying," ""Poor little bird."" " D'you love God?" " You bet!" "Do you work?" "I'm a singer." "Sure, on radio and all." "Poor, poor little bird." "You must be rich." "No, showbiz is so..." "How d'you say?" " Tentacular?" " You said it!" "After paying my agent, my musicians, taxes and all, I gotta hitch a ride home." "I understand." "Where to?" "My brother's, but he's in the hospital." "is it enough?" "I didn't ask!" "True." "But doctor's fees for your sick brother." "Take it." "Well..." "What must I do?" "Smile at life and have dinner with me." "is that all?" "I'm a gentleman." "All right." "I'll give you more." " l want to." " ln that case..." "At dinner tonight, I'll tell you all the secrets of my vocation." "Why an exterminator?" "Love of animals or love of men?" "You love animals or you love men." "Save some for dinner, 'cause I'm cold and anyway here we are!" "Poor child !" "You're freezing. I'm a cad !" "Be right back." "Sir?" "Mrs Bliss?" "My humble respects." "My name is Murene, attorney." "Sorry to barge in, my secretary is ill." " Could I see your husband?" " What's he done?" "Nothing, quite the opposite." "After his accident, did he get any compensation?" "Not a cent!" "They just carted him off!" "I thought so!" "Never mind the victim !" "I'll handle it, but I must see Mr Bliss first." "He's got a lot of money coming." "He's in the hospital, I'll take it." "I don't have the money in my hat, little lady." "We must sue, convince a jury." "Can't we talk it over?" "Sure, come right in." "I'll tell my cousin not to wait." "Hey, Mr Arthur!" "Open the car door!" "I can't have dinner with you." "There's this lawyer for my brother." "When you're a victim, he fights for justice." "Certainly!" "I made myself at home." "That's all right." "Sorry for the mess." "Had to rush out to work." "Please don't bother." "This place is charming." "It's sort of small." "But nice and cosy." "It's hot in here!" "Not at all." "Want a drink?" "Whisky, if I may." "We've only got wine." "My husband doesn't drink." "Here's to his health !" "And to his homecoming !" "That's right." "He's in the hospital." "You must feel terribly lonely." "In the daytime, it's okay, but at night!" "I understand." "Solitude!" "How well l know it!" "I must tell you, I've never met anyone..." "A woman, I mean, with whom I can really relax." "He relaxed so good, I wondered if he'd even make it home." "I wondered if he'd even make it home." "A nympho!" "I bet she even raped the exterminator." "Not at all !" "Let's go on." "The subject's numerous affairs reveal an emotional insecurity caused by an unhappy childhood." "I know emotionally insecure alley cats, but she beats 'em all !" "It's none of my business, but you worry me." "Good God !" "Why?" "You don't see the real Camille." "She claims she sings and writes songs, but does she study music?" "No!" "She hops into bed with the band !" "You exaggerate." "We shouldn't judge her, but try to understand." "Proceed." "Camille Bliss, this country girl pitched into the bizarre world of show business, was doomed to be the victim of it." "You really believe that?" "She's not a victim, she's a menace!" "And those gloves!" "A present from my aunt." "Your aunt's a whore!" "Bliss is punished." "Why?" "She stole gloves another inmate had knitted for her husband, a goalkeeper." "Visiting rights are suspended until further notice I'll call." "Going already?" "Camille won't talk in your funny box any more?" "She's punished." "That's no news." "It all began with the death of her pa." "What's your opinion of that tragedy?" "It's no mystery." "She took the ladder and the force of gravity did the rest." "No question about it!" "But she took it to wash the windows." "Hell, man !" "She's got other things on her mind !" "Wherever she went, that kid sure left her mark!" "Especially on the boys!" "Women blew hot and cold, but the guys..." "Wow!" "They were fond of her?" "Like you're fond of public utilities." "You can't do without, right?" "Mrs Bliss is not a utility!" "Let me tell you about the time she locked herself in the chapel with the gardener." "Excuse me. I'm in a hurry." "I'm Stanislas." "The professor!" "You called me." "Does it work okay?" "Well?" "Mrs Bliss told me about you." "Shitting all over my public image again !" "Not at all." "She admires you very much." "I should hope so!" "I laid her, so what?" "Dames!" "What did she say about me?" "She said you are a very great artist." "She's a good kid." "I miss her." "She could've sung, too." "For laughs!" "Would you say Camille is an artist, a pro?" "In the hay, she's sure a pro, but her voice stinks." "How is she?" "Still well-stacked?" "She is a fine-looking person." "If she's freed, she will need a loving contact, with reality." "I'm ready to lay her any time." "That's contact!" "That's not what I mean !" "Camille needs to relate to real people in real situations." "Do you understand me?" "Take your time, Professor." "Don't lose your cool." "Relax!" "When she gets out, I'll fix her up." "How's that?" "Fair enough?" "I'm no fool, I see what you're getting at." "You go for her yourself and you figure I'll cut you out." "Not at all !" "My interest in her is purely intellectual." "Man, I dig your style, but with Camille, ya gotta hit the target." "The only thing on your mind is to exploit Camille!" "Calling me a pimp?" "I dig your problem, but what can I do?" "It's been an exercise talkin' to you." "I hate to break it up." "Lookit!" "That your angel cake?" "Did you find your husband changed?" "Same creep as before!" "His 1 7 fractures hadn't changed him any." "The lawyer said to visit Clovis every day." "It was damned far." "I had Arthur the ant-killer and his truck." "He was my cabbie." "Your brother?" "He's recovering." "He'll be home soon." "But I wonder where l'll get the dough for a wheelchair for his re-education." "Take it!" " l can't!" " You must!" "Material things don't matter." "What good is my money if it can't be rewarded by your sweet smile?" "Where to?" "Colt Saloon." "Gotta rehearse." "Tell me, Mr Arthur..." "So just to be polite, I asked about his work." "That did it!" "He went on and on." "Mice, bugs, termites..." "When I appear, they disappear." "You'll ask me, what about spiders?" "Why don't you kill them?" "Search me!" "I'll be frank with you." "The termite, for example, eats into the heart of the house." "If it lives, the house dies." "I foresee your next question and can't help smiling." "Why the centipede?" "I say "centipede" like I'd say "bed bug."" "Sorry!" "Here we are." "Mind waiting a minute?" "My time is all yours." "Have you studied paranormal science?" "Paranormal what?" "It's weird !" "You hear cars pass long before you see them..." "Or long after?" "Look, Arthur." "Gotta see my sick brother's lawyer." "So this lady says," ""l've seen toads in the nursery," ""l'm not crazy."" "I said, "Lady, where is the nursery?"" ""Overlooking the pond," she says." ""Any water lilies?" l ask." ""Yes, sir."" ""Then that's it," l said." "Just some dumb papers to sign." "Don't worry." "Everything will work out." "Come in, little lady." "My regards to your husband." " Move!" " You're terrible!" "Let's skip the preliminaries." "I'm a very busy man." "Let's make wild love!" "But hurry it up!" "MASTER MURENE solicitor" "Be a good kid, sign here." "And there." "There's nothing written !" "Just routine, little lady." "I won't bother you with legal jargon." "Careful, it's not dry." "Aren't you ashamed?" "Displaying all that trash to children !" " You have the money?" " What money?" "You should give me money." "Look, baby, I gotta make a living." "Your husband gets run over, and he wants bread." "You call. I come." "But I'm no Salvation Army." "Didn't your parents tell you that lawyers equal dough?" "How much?" "Those breasts!" "Those thighs!" "It's a scandal !" "An aggression against the mental integrity of helpless kids," "innocent children !" "I know, I'm wrong." "I shouldn't carry on so." "What did the lawyer say?" "is he efficient?" "You bet!" "I'm pooped." "All that running around killed me, I couldn't think straight." "Keeping those guys happy!" "At least one of them behaved properly." "I mean Arthur." "That one?" "He was just like the rest, except he didn't know it." "Some little boys have no ambition." "But at nine, I decided I'd be an exterminator." "And I succeeded !" "Look, Miss Camille, this attic is rotting." "And without me, the house would collapse." "It's like a cancer of the brain." "The cruelty of it all !" "See these two little flies in a spider's web?" "They will be avenged !" "Come!" "So I went over, but there was this rug, and I tripped." "Arthur raved and ranted like I'd been killed." "It's my fault." "Can you ever forgive me?" "Let me help, little bird." "He grabbed me like an octopus." "His hands were all over me." "Fate was doing her bit, so I reckoned I must do mine." "There was this old sofa." "I grabbed Arthur so his face was right over mine." "Oh, Arthur!" "I just couldn't help myself." "Before we reached the sofa, it stopped being platonic." "Believe it or not, I was his first!" "He sure made up for lost time." "The houses he dragged me to!" "And each time, the same routine." "To turn him on, it had to be accidental." "Trip on a step or a rug..." "And then, the revival meeting !" "Forgive me!" "What have I done?" "How could I?" "I succumbed to temptation." "Oh, the flesh !" "The body!" "The body disobeyed the brain." "I behaved like a beast." "I must atone for this!" "Please!" "Don't say no!" "You don't say no?" "Thank you." "The shyster took my dough but Arthur gave it back, in spades." "I couldn't hurt his feelings." "You must have loved one of these men?" "Well, I loved 'em all, see?" "They were all different." "But do you realise you were calculating?" "What d'ya think?" "I don't just lay for no reason !" "You had no regrets?" "I was just sorry days have only 24 hours." "With four guys on my back..." "Four?" "Sure, 'cause Clovis was home, in his wheelchair, but as horny as ever!" "Just when I was trying to be nice to 'em all, the shit hit the fan." "Why are you in the dark?" "Time's up!" "We were talking and we forgot the time." "Next time, I'll know better." "No more favours." "Except to you." "You're so sweet." "camille Bliss, sixth interview." "Hey, you kids!" "Play with Clovis, push his chair around." "Do we have to?" "It's fun, you'll see!" "I knew it!" "You listen to me!" "Go to hell !" "That crummy shyster of yours, he works for me." "You know what you signed?" "For Clovis." "Admitting adultery!" "It's worth big alimony." "Up yours, lady!" "Shove off, you !" "Get lost!" "I was so mad, I ran to the only human person I knew." "Wait!" "Camille!" "Wait!" "Camille, I hate to see you so unhappy, but I'm glad you're here." "Who dared make you cry?" "They're gonna hear from me." "Why didn't you ask for my help?" "Don't you trust me?" "I couldn't." "Why not?" "My brother, Clovis." "Since he came home, he's sort of weird, like crazy jealous." "Jealous!" "Your own brother?" "Would he have incestuous ideas?" "Well, he acts funny." "Incest!" "And that fink lawyer double-crossed us." "What did he do?" "He neglected you?" "Worse!" "He harassed you?" "Don't tell me he dared lay hands on you !" "Mr Arthur, I owe you the truth." "That's just what he did." "The rat!" "He's worse than the vermin I exterminate!" "Are you my friend?" "More than that." "Well, then exterminate that rat!" "I can't believe an angel like you would ask me to kill a man." "A human life is a light lit by God." "Only he can snuff it out." "Let me do this." "Keep it!" "With this, you can afford a reputable lawyer to protect you." "Please, take it!" "You're disappointed !" "Oh, yes, I can tell you are!" "Look, I'll finish my preparations and take you home." "My brother needs me." "Just a minute." "Can't wait." "Are you angry?" "I'm splitting !" "So I made another fate-bet, one that couldn't miss!" "It's Camille." "I must see you, honey." "I'm in a little hideaway." "Chirac Castle, you know it?" "And I've got your cash." "Where is it, doll?" "Right here, in my bra." "Here I come." "Hello, you bastards!" "Clovis!" "You're walking !" "You bet I am !" "Where's your lover?" "I'm by myself." "By yourself, huh?" "Hey, you, exterminator!" "I tell you, I'm alone!" "I'm here on account of you, to meet a great bone-setter I heard about." "And who's that clown?" "Whatcha doing here with my wife?" "She's my client." "What do you want?" "Who's that guy?" "What you're doing is illegal !" "The two of them were laid out real nice and cosy." "I heard the voice of fate whispering to me," ""On your way, sister!" "Get the lead out and move!"" "You knew what you'd done?" "A fate-bet, but two-to-one!" "After that, I was all shook up." "I dragged my ass all night long waiting for daybreak." "The next morning, as I headed for home, I got this awful shock!" "Arthur, let me explain." "No more explaining." "Two men almost died." "What happened?" "I don't know. lt's a shock to me!" "Give your friend the kiss of life." "Quickly!" "Okay, Clovis?" "Clovis?" "Sure." "Her brother?" "Here, let me." "Mr Bliss!" "I don't know how you got here, but I wish to marry your sister." "What sister?" "You're a criminal, but I'm implicated in your crime." "Your brother's your husband, the lawyer, your lover!" "This accident is a crime!" "And God sees it all." "Get off the air!" "You are cynical, but I'll play your game!" "You revel in sin, so let us commit the worst sin of all." "You dragged me into sin." "Suicide is a mortal sin !" "Jump first." "Unless you want to join me after?" "No!" "Together, eyes closed." "Let's close our eyes." "Luckily, he jumped first." "I shouldn't have run, 'cause that's why some of those people said I'd pushed him." "But I swear I didn't!" "I swear!" "I believe you, Camille, but a jury would need evidence." "My word of honour!" "I'm sorry, that's not evidence." "You met no one at the cathedral?" "Think hard." "No." "Just some dumb tourists with lots of cameras." "Cameras?" "That's interesting !" "We might find a lead." "I'll look!" "It might take time, but it is our only chance." " There you are!" " lt's no use." "But I've got a good lead." "A man filmed the church that day." "His name is Mr Farrell." "Could we see Mr Farrell?" "But Mr Farrell is dead." "We're sorry." "Sincerely sorry." "We didn't know your husband was dead." "Not my husband, my son." "He was very ill." "It was hopeless." "You knew him?" "No." "We knew filmmaking was his hobby." "He filmed the cathedral." "That's my nephew." "Michou is crazy about films." "His work has won prizes." "I'll call him." "You filmed the cathedral?" "Yes, sir." "Can we see it?" "No." "Why?" "It's in rushes." "What?" "It's not edited yet." "Never mind." "I won't show a film unfinished." "It doesn't matter." " We'll forget it." " l refuse." "A man died." "A life depends on our seeing it." " Will you show it?" " Well, okay." "That's out of focus." "Someone pushed me, that's why." "The focus is okay now." "See the zoom?" "It's them !" "He's pulling her." "Nice zoom, huh?" "He talks to her." "He lets go." "He goes ahead." "She steps back." "The proof!" "It's there!" "She's innocent!" "Oh, I must kiss you !" "It's wonderful, Michou !" "I'm so pleased !" "Thanks to you, a wrong will be righted !" "Congratulations!" "Not bad." ""Camille Bliss is innocent!"" ""Camille Bliss is free!"" ""Camille sings!"" ""Camille is a star!"" "Some people figure I'm just a gold-digger" "Natch, I don't give it away I make them pay" "But me day I'll leave it to science" "The Aga Khan" "Shah of Iran" "Promise me the sky" "Can't understand why I'd just as soon be" "A gorgeous girl like me I don't keep track" "Never look back" "Tear up their letters" "To forget them better" "When it's done, it's over" "How many kisses" "Before I met you" "How many clowns" "How many towns" "For a gorgeous girl like me" "How many kisses" "How many misses" "For a gorgeous girl like me" "It's you !" "Flowers again?" "A crime of passion !" "Love's next slaying !" ""Killer of Camille's husband, arrested by police," ""is a sociologist!"" "Get your special edition !" "You could've given it to me." "Sorry. I didn't think." "I'll read you my statement." "Tell me if it's quite clear." "Here is my statement." "In relating that disastrous evening, I will rely solely on the truth." "It happened in the nightclub." "It's you !" "Flowers again?" "Was I good?" "Wonderful !" "Better than yesterday." "Lovely..." "Help me get these off." "Let's have some champagne!" "Well, I don't drink." "It's not liquor, just lemonade for grown-ups." "You hear that?" "See what I have here." "The draft of my thesis on criminal women." "Who's the writer, you or me?" "Both, but mostly you." ""So that motherfucker grabbed my ass" ""and I ran in the can," ""but he shoved me in the hay."" "Shit, that's crummy style for a professor." "They're your own words, reflecting your personality." "Okay." "You know best, I guess." "I thought maybe we could go out tonight." "Look, I've got this headache..." "Could you take me home?" "But let's have another one." "For the road." "And so I took her home, feeling highly emotional and a little drunk." "I thought Camille was responding to me, discreetly, of course, and that her headache was a charming pretext to invite me in." "What's the matter, Stan?" "You look funny." "Maybe your girl isn't so good." "She knows how to type, but intimacy-wise, she ain't much of a deal." "The moment her flesh touched mine, I fainted." "I whispered her name as our lips joined, and then it happened, the tragedy." "Honey!" "We're rich !" "Look!" "Ma had an accident in the cellar." "Look what she left!" "Who's that bum?" "Music man, eh?" "I'll make you sing, Charlie!" "Beat it!" "Music man my ass!" "You lousy tramp!" "Come here!" "Gimme that gun !" "Camille, don't!" "Camille!" "I never committed adultery with Mrs Bliss, though I contemplated it." "Nevertheless, I am certain of one thing." "I did not shoot Mr Bliss!" "There!" "is it clear?" "is it convincing?" "Ya did right. I'd have bumped 'em both !" "You don't understand. I'm innocent!" "Look. I'll start over again." "Hey, Professor!" "A visitor." " Thank you for coming." " Come on..." "Look what I brought you." "Help me!" "Tell them the truth." "I didn't kill Clovis." "You know that!" "I am not saying you did it." "Tell them it was an accident." "You claim you saw nothing because you fainted." "But I'm the one who fainted." "I don't remember." "Let's forget it. lt hurts you, and me, too." "The accident butt is out." "First, Pa with the ladder, then Arthur, now Clovis." "They'd crucify me!" "Look, honey, think about me." "I exist!" "And listen, everything has its good side." "Take me, for instance." "It's thanks to jail that I'm a star." "So now maybe you can write a great book?" "Jail's funny." "There's them that know and them that don't." "So now you know, just like me." "Mr Prévine." "Got a pass?" "No, I haven't, but I'm his secretary." "I know his lawyer." "That's no reason." "You need a pass." "You've got to ask the judge." "He'll give you one if you're family." "Get my lawyer!" "She told me!" "It was at the third interview!" "She told me she'd rigged the old oven in Isobel's cellar." "Later on, they found her dead!" "You know why?" "It worked like a time bomb!" "You know what?" "We'll blackmail her." "Either she changes her testimony, or we search Isobel's home to prove that Camille rigged the oven." "Evidence!" "I'll tell her that!" "You're my last hope." "Everyone's let me down." "You'll do it for me?" "It's not only a matter of friendship and ethics, I'd truly enjoy crushing that creature." "300,000 records sold in three months!" "Our new star of song is returning today to her slum neighbourhood." "Camille Bliss knew hard times in this garage." "She now owns the whole block!" "Right!" "It's all mine." "Explain your generous gesture." "On account of that man." "Come on!" "He's the one who gave me the idea." "He's my friend, my adviser, my agent." "He'll tell you better." "In a minute, these old buildings will be razed." "Mrs Bliss doesn't just wish to erase cruel memories." "We thought of those poor children who never had a chance to swim." "On this site will be built a swimming pool 33 yards long." "33 yards!" "And now, your favourite request programme, Old Songs for All." "From Mary to Baby Claude." "From Loane to Uncle Zef." "From Jack to Stanley." "From Bernadette to Mr Nicolo." "From Dudu to Martine." "From Walter to Cricri." "From William to Claire." "From Corinne to Balthazar." "I shall wait all night and all day I shall always wait" "for your return l shall wait" "Since the day you left" "Time stands still" "While I wait for the day I'll see you once again" "The blues won't fly away" "Until that day I shall wait... and the town of Béziers with our gratitude." "THE END"