Number One Fan (2014) - full transcript

Strange thing happened the other day.

A guy came up to me in the
Metro, very shy but smiling,

and he said, "Hi!"

So I said hi back.

"Remember me?

"I'm a friend of whatshername."

Some woman I don't know.

So I said,
"Yeah!"

But I'd no idea who he meant.

And he kept going.

He says, "Florence, isn't it?"



Before I can get a word in,

off he goes again,

"We were talking about you not
so long ago with so-and-so,

"saying what a great cook you
are, your plum pie..."

- Why'd he call you Florence?
- He got me mixed up.

Give me my phone.

You understand, sweetie?

'Course not, he doesn't listen.

- My phone!
- No, just a second.

Shithead!

So, he'd got me mixed up

and he seemed so happy,
I didn't dare correct him.

He said stuff like,
"You dyed your hair, right?"

And I said,



"That's right, yeah."

Then he said,
"You still see Laurent?"

For some reason,

I said to him,

"No, you know. He's dead."

Whoever his Laurent was,
it was a huge shock.

He went pale and kept saying,

"He can't be, he can't be..."

Can you imagine?

Yeah, I dunno.

I felt awful.

As he was going, he said,

"I guess I'd better write Catherine."

Who's Catherine?

I don't know.

Laurent's wife maybe. Or his mother.

How did you know the guy was dead?

I didn't, I'd no idea.
That's what's funny.

Pain in the butt!

Time to go, or you'll miss your
train, darlings.

Excuse me!

NUMBER ONE FAN

For Muriel
Faithfully yours, Vincent Lacroix

- How are you?
- Good. And you?

Great!

- Hi, Guillaume.
- Hi there.

Excuse me, do you think he'll be long?

Another hour, at least.

- Okay, thanks.
- Sorry.

We'll wait in the parking lot.

Down the hallway.

Okay, Muriel?

- Great show tonight.
- Magnificent!

I can't let you in.
Too many VIPs.

- Sorry.
- That's okay.

- See you tomorrow?
- See you tomorrow.

Why are you screaming?

You realize you're screaming?

Why are you crying?
You realize you're crying?

I'm begging you, sweetheart,
on my knees here.

With my nose in the avocados.

I'm begging you, don't cry over a turbot.

What can I say to that?

Know what?

I'll finish up here,

hurry home and we can fight there.

I'm on my way.
Above all, don't calm down.

- Check.
- Check too!

You can't check.

I'll raise you 300.

Aggressive!

Watch out...

- Fold.
- Same here.

Just the two of us now.

I'm unsure, scared by your aggressive play.

- C'mon, Vincent.
- Don't rush me, buddy.

Buddy Boy. Buddy Boop!

- I'm trying to unsettle her.
- Sure.

There aren't a zillion
ways of unsettling someone.

- Stay poker-faced, like the lady.
- Young lady.

Young lady. Got that?

Or play the pain in the ass, like me!

It's my strategy.

I'll see your 300 and raise you...

500!

All in.

All in!

- Are you sure?
- Very sure.

Tens full of queens.

It's unfair!

I have a straight!

I had to go for it, with a straight.

- Hand over the loot!
- It was obvious.

I suck, but who cares!

Very well played.
You fooled me.

She's lethal. Superb.

Wonderful chips.

- Beautiful, aren't they?
- Absolutely.

- A fan gave them to me.
- Female?

No, I mean yes. A female fan!

An admirer. A very loyal one.

Cool.

They are beautiful.

A good hand, please.

Julie, turn it down please, baby.

- Julie!
- What?

Can you turn it down?
It's annoying.

Fuck it!

Who's dealer?

The idiot who asked. Sorry!

Thanks.

It's your deal, honey.

Okay, so I'm the idiot!

What, sugar?

Didn't hear you, sweetheart!

Asshole!

Sounds like she dropped something.

So, then...

Dumbass poker!

- Let's call it a night.
- I'm beat.

Sorry, it's not aimed at you, but at me.

Your friends will think it's hell here.

Not always!
Sometimes it's cool.

It was very cool, honestly.

Fuck it!

- Sick of you!
- Stop, Julie!

Calm down!

You're crazy!

Stop! Calm down!

Julie, my love!

Hey, this is Julie.
Please leave a message.

Good evening.

Sorry, you haven't seen a young woman

with medium-length brown hair, have you?

Sorry.

Goodnight, Mr. Lacroix.

Goodnight.

Thank you.

Hey, this is Julie.
Please leave a message.

Bayen 6th floor, middle

Is this a bad time?
Are you alone?

Yes.

May I come in?

I came to ask you a favor.

I have a problem.

Something has happened...

I'm in a...

I'm in a situation that's very...

Do you have a car?

Perfect.

I'm losing my mind.

I'm out of my mind.

Forget it.

Don't go! I can help you.

You did right to come to me.

I'll help you.

Sit down.

- I made a mistake...
- Tell me all about it.

We'll find a solution to your problem.

Just tell me what to do.

What can I do for you, please?

Are you okay to drive tonight?

Thanks.

I need some time alone.

I'll see you upstairs.

Thank you.

I need you.

I need your help.

I came to ask you...

I'm out of my mind.

I'm losing my mind.

This is totally insane.

Take the freeway to Dijon,

then on to Besançon.

After that, take the A-57

all the way to Pontarlier.

From there, take the B-437

to Switzerland.

After Morteau, cross the border at Locle.

It's a tiny border post,

one line of traffic, one guy.

Leave in the next 30'

and you'll get through with
folks working in Switzerland.

Follow signs for Neuchâtel for about 20 km,

then the road to Payerne.

When you reach Romon,

stop at 8, Willow Street.

Knock on the door

and ask for Isabelle Piriou.

...a letter from your brother.

She's your sister?

Yes.

Give her your keys and this letter.

She'll offer you a coffee...

I just made some tea.

You can rest up there if you want.

Thanks.

She'll ask you to wait for her.
An hour or so.

I need an hour or so.
I'll be back.

Wait for her.

When she comes back with your
keys, you can leave.

Okay.

Are you working tomorrow?

I'll call in sick in the morning.

It's no problem.

Here's a little cash.
For fuel and in case anything happens.

I'll make coffee. Want one?

Sure. Thanks.

Beautiful photos.

Thanks.

Your letters are beautiful too.

You kept them?

Some of them.

The ones about your sister, her illness...

I re-read them sometimes.

When?

Whenever.

When I have doubts.

Don't open the trunk.

Do exactly what I said.

Of course.

- You'll be okay?
- I'll be fine.

I'm sure you will.

Don't try to call me.
I'll contact you.

Thank you.

My dear sister,

only you can save me.

My life's gone mad, exploded around me.

I know you'll deal with this package.

Don't call me.
Not until this makes the papers.

When you call, act natural.

The line could be tapped.

I'll ask how the kids are.

If everything went okay, say they're fine.

If there's a problem,
say Mathieu has an earache.

I'll understand.

Not a word to Guillaume and burn this.

I'll tell you everything later.

It was an accident.

I didn't want this.

I think of you often.

Love you. Vincent.

- Hi, Arlette.
- Morning, sir. Sleep well?

Fine, thanks.

- How are you?
- Can't complain.

You want your coffee now?

No, I'll go get the paper first.

How you doing?

- Thanks, bye.
- Have a good day.

Croissant?

- Or toast maybe?
- No, thanks.

This is Vincent.

It all went to plan.

Where are you now?

At a rest stop.

Can we meet later?

I'd rather not.
I'm gonna get some rest at a hotel.

I feel pretty tired.

Yes, of course.

Tomorrow noon?
At the Human Rights Memorial.

73.80, please.

Thank you.

- Julie's not back?
- Sure, she's upstairs.

Sorry?

She's asleep upstairs.

No, she didn't sleep here.
She didn't get back while I was out?

No.

Claudine, this is Vincent.

Good. And you?

Right...

That's great.

No, I play the Olympia
after the album's release.

In a few weeks.

With pleasure, sure.

Say, I'm calling because I...

Your daughter's not there, is she?

I see.

It's nothing.
We had a little quarrel last night.

Like last time.

Sure, let's do that.

Thank you. Lots of love.

Say hi to Alain from me.

See you. Thanks.

That's Granny's taxi account.

It's all paid up.
She just has to use it.

That's for Arlette.

And that's my poverty-line salary.

To Guillaume Piriou,

my incompetent nephew,

who does nothing to deserve
this princely allowance.

Charming!

Thanks a lot.

Next month's schedule.

Seriously, you want a raise?

- You need money?
- No, I was kidding.

I caught up with all the fan mail.

The chicks down south
sent this for Suzanne.

You want a taxi for tonight?

What's tonight?

The film premiere.

I'll stay home, I'm beat.

I'll wait for Julie.

Okay.

You spoke to your mother today?

No.

I called last week, but she chewed me out.

I'll give you a raise anyway.

Mom!

Come in!

It's good to see you.

I had no time to make much,

but it's ready.

How was the drive?

Okay.

- Hungry?
- Not really.

I'm hungry!

She asked me to come and I said sure.

I dropped everything.
That's what friends are for, after all.

But it's a heck of a way.

Why not break your journey?
Sleep here and drive on tomorrow.

You look exhausted.

It'd be mean.
I told her I'd be there tonight.

Who is this girl?
Do I know her?

No.

See? You were hungry.

I'm glad.

How are the kids?

Fine, I think.

The house looks nice.

School's great.
They're making friends.

And you?

I'm okay.

On the desk,
you'll find some articles I cut out.

- You have them already?
- Yes.

South-West News even?

No.

I'm shattered.

Who moved my car?

I did.

It was blocking Gourbert's tractor.

You took the keys from my bag?

Yes, sweetie.

You could've woken me.

Not a chance.

You were sleeping like a top.
Don't be silly!

What time is it?

6 o'clock. Feeling better?

I have to go.

You can't set off again now.
It's absurd!

Sleep here and leave early tomorrow.

I told you, I have to go.

I'll be fine.

Right...

I'd have enjoyed an evening with you.

You've reached Vincent.

We're not in right now.
Please leave a message.

Good evening.

Julie, sweetie, mom here.
I can't reach you on your mobile.

Just checking it's all okay now.

Call me when you get this message.

Anyway, I hope you're both well.

See you soon.

It wasn't too hard,
the drive and everything?

No, it was fine.

I'm glad I rested up on the way back.

Of course.

It all went without a hitch?
No problems?

No, no problem.

I mean...

- At the border, it got a bit tense.
- How come?

When I got to the Swiss
border post you mentioned,

the guy motioned to me to lower the window.

So I did.

He asked the purpose of my visit.

I was caught off guard,

so I said,

"I'm going to a job interview."

"Where, then?"
he said with the accent.

I said, "DIY Depot in Romon."

"DIY Depot has no stores here."

I shot straight back,

"Yes, they do. I have an
interview at one in 40 minutes."

He said,
"Pull over, we'll run a few checks."

- Shit!
- I said,

"Please, officer, if I'm
late, there's no point going.

"8 months I've been out of a job."

I thought my heart would explode.

Apparently, I was convincing

because he said to me,

"Okay, go through."

That's insane.

No, it wasn't easy but at the same time...

You saw my sister and everything?

Exactly.

She wasn't too surprised?

A little bit, but she soon got over it.

It's silly, it felt like
working for the Resistance.

Doing that for me...

You have no idea what it means.

I'll make it up to you,

but right now, I can't let you in my life.

You understand?

We'll see each other on tour.

I'll see you at least.

I know when you're there.

Go back to life as normal.

Don't try to see me.

It was an accident.

When you see the papers in a few
days, I hope...

You won't be mad at me.

Thank you.

Come in!

Good timing.

I was talking about you.

This is Sébastien's new
partner, Nicolas Macé.

- Hello.
- Nice to meet you.

I'm with Coline still?

I'm sick of it.
I don't care about your tiffs.

- That's no help.
- You're kidding?

I helped you more than enough.

That's all.

By the way,

Lacroix's lawyer called.
He's running late.

Okay.

What do we do now?

We work together, like before.

I don't want us to break up.

I won't let you go.

It won't work, Coline.
We tried.

We'll try again. I'll change.

You'll never change.

You're a nympho.
A nympho, dammit!

I've got an ulcer!

Hear me?
I got sick over you.

Antoine, I will change, I swear.

I'll change.

We can't get the whole unit reassigned.

Anyway, I'm going to leave.

I'm quitting. I'm sick of this job.

I can quit, too.
If you want, I'll quit.

Go on in, sir.

Nice to meet you.

I'm Inspector Gosset.
And Detective Bartin.

Please, take a seat.

- Can we get you a coffee?
- I'm good, thanks.

I believe our mothers did the same job.

Cook, right?

In schools, that's right.

That's right.

That's funny.

What can we do for you?

I haven't heard from my partner,
Julie Dorieux, for 4 days.

Neither has anyone else I know.

I was playing poker with friends.
She was watching TV.

When my guests left, we fought.

Pretty violently.

I went out for a walk to calm down.

When I got back, she'd gone.

I drove around,
trying to catch up with her,

but I couldn't find her.

"Pretty violently"?

What do you mean?
Physically?

No, never.

Just violently. Verbal violence.

Insults,

shouting,

smashing stuff.

So you got back from your
walk and she wasn't home?

Okay. And since then,
she hasn't been in touch?

With you or anyone else?

No ransom demand?

No.

Why?

Sweetie, you said sorry,
what more can you do?

Maybe she doesn't want to
make up with you, darling.

Maybe she enjoys all this.
It happens.

Wielding power over someone,

it can be quite a thrill.

Don't cry, sweetie.
You're a wonderful friend.

Awesome!

Tragedy Strikes The Singer

The girl simply doesn't deserve you.

Hi there!

Here.

What's this all about?

What's going on with your singer?

No idea.

Read it for yourself.

Unstable, temperamental,
a pain in the ass...

A total ballbreaker!

- And?
- We've drawn a blank.

She dropped off the radar.
No witnesses.

Cellphone records, blank.

Bank account, blank.

Customs, blank.

Wait till she's broke.

- What's he like?
- A hunk.

- Shady.
- Stop it, Antoine.

No, you stop it.

He's not on the level.
I don't believe his version.

Because he's a hunk?

We have a reported sighting
of Julie in Naples.

We're checking it out.

Where do you want to go on vacation?

Pony-riding.

For two weeks?
Every single day?

Gosh!

Did school go okay?

Yes.

- What did you do?
- Painting.

What was the teacher's surprise?

She brought in a meany pig.

A meany pig!

Wow, that's amazing!

It's locked up?

Yes, in its cage.

You gave me a fright.

Because meany pigs, they can be so mean!

They go wild.

If you let them out,
they go absolutely nuts.

They attack the teacher.

They pull your hair.

Sit tight, I won't be a moment.

Vincent, it's Isabelle.

- How are you?
- Good. And you?

Sorry I didn't call earlier,
but we don't read the tabloids.

Mom told me everything.

I am so sorry.

And shocked.
Is there anything I can do?

There's not much we can do, except wait.

I'm sure

it'll work out.

There's still hope.

You poor guy.

How are you? And the kids?

Did the cops find anything?

For now, they don't have any leads.

I haven't seen you guys for ages.
Everyone okay?

Yes.

Compared to your ordeal,
our problems are peanuts.

Stuff like this puts
everything into perspective.

What problems?

Such as? Are the kids sick?

No, they're fine.
Except Florent...

- Mathieu?
- No, Florent.

He picked up a bug.

Earache?

No, a stomach bug, nothing serious.

Should I fly down?

No, really.

Honestly, we're fine.

- You're all fine?
- Absolutely.

Everything's fine.

Thank you.

It's the least I can do.

And sorry.

I mean...

It's such a relief to hear your voice.

We're here for you.

More pasta?

That's perfect.

Great. Thanks a lot.

Can I give you a ride?

Tonight, I'd appreciate it.

We're going!

I'll drop you off at your lover's!

- Silly!
- Guillaume, wait!

When's the charity auction?

- This maybe?
- It's next week.

Are you sure?

Good idea, isn't it?

It's wonderful.

"Best Album."

Shit, it's heavy.

Hello, Mr. Lacroix.

We dropped by to take a look around.
Can we come in?

- Sure, go ahead.
- Thanks.

I didn't tell the cops, you know.

What didn't you tell them?

That you and Miss Julie often had fights,

and smashed things up the other night.

Why not tell them?

It's the truth.

Don't hold out on them.
I didn't.

It's none of their business.

Don't try to protect me.

I don't need it.

I did nothing wrong.

Goodbye, Mrs. Barbie.

Enjoy your vacation!

Bye, Muriel.

See you soon!

I really like her!

Same here.

Beautiful legs, too.

Lucky you, I get Mrs. Guillon.

I pity you.

One day, I'm going to tell her.

You're out of your mind.

Look, if she stinks, she stinks.

Someone has to tell her.

- Where are you going?
- Cool, huh?

Yeah, fun.

I'm helping my cousin move.

See you tomorrow.

- Aren't they Xavier's paintings?
- That were in the living room.

I liked them.

- Whose is this?
- Mine. I can't throw them out.

These are tennis shoes, right?

No, those are for badminton.

- Etienne's great at badminton.
- Seriously?

He's crazy about it.

It's my secret vice.

You must be joking!

It's your not-so-secret vice.

What?

It's your guilty pleasure.

Talking of feeling guilty,

I waxed a woman whose
appointment was for Mrs. Barbie.

Mrs. Barbie, lower legs, bikini, underarms.

I was intrigued.

I expected a tall blonde
with never-ending legs.

In fact, she was petite, with brown hair,

and a funny accent I couldn't place.

I start waxing, we get chatting,

and for some reason, I said to her,

"A name like yours must've
made life hard as a kid."

With other kids, children can be so cruel.

She said to me, all tensed up,

"People have always
been cruel to my family.

"Particularly my father."

I wondered what she meant,
what she was talking about.

But from the start,
that accent had been bugging me.

Then...

Another strip of hair, and it clicked.
"She's German!"

I thought,
"Shit, I'm in the process of waxing

Klaus Barbie's daughter!"

No way!

Hold on,

that's not all.

Now I can't bear to touch her.
She notices.

She looks me straight in the eye

and says,
"Muriel, are you Jewish?"

"No, but I can speak up for them.

"Leave here right now."

Evelyne panics and looks at her.

I tell Evelyne I'll pay, which I did.

But she never comes back.

She left with only one leg done,
but we won't see her again.

Sure, I can beat you.

No chance.

Just try me! Try!

- Are you serious?
- Extremely serious.

Bring it on.

He's in trouble.
What did I tell you?

He's sweating!
Sweat on his brow!

You nearly did it.

What the hell are you doing?

Calm down, I'm doing nothing.

Not with him, Coline.

We questioned the singer's sister?

Who lives in Switzerland?

Yes.

What does she do?

Works with her husband in...

Some kind of small business. I'll check.

Hold on.

Antoine?

Police in Sarlat.

Ever been to Aqualoisirs?

You know, the water parks with pools,

attractions, solariums...

Yes.

One's being built down south in Dordogne,

just outside Sarlat.

You know the region?

I've been through there on
tour, that's all. Why?

It's where we found the body of Ms.
Dorieux.

Our condolences.

I'm sorry.

You're sure that...

That's not possible.

Can I see her?
Is she here?

No, Mr. Lacroix...

I'm sorry to have to tell you...

You won't recognize her.

The body's in an advanced
state of decomposition.

Your photos weren't enough to identify her.

We had to wait for the
results of DNA tests.

The ring you told us
about, we didn't find it.

Her silver band. It's not her, then.

It's not her.

She never took that ring off.
It's not her.

Unfortunately, the test results
dispel all possible doubt.

No chance of error?

No.

I know it's no consolation,

but this discovery narrows
things down considerably.

Absolutely.

We can focus our resources
much more efficiently.

We know now it was murder.

Or an accident.

Highly unlikely, sir.

Hey! How are you?

I'm in shit.

- I'm in shit.
- What's going on?

Julie's dead.

And I keep fucking up!

What's happened?

- I can't tell you.
- Talk to me!

I can't, Guillaume!

I need 2 hours, no cops.

If they stop you,
say you're a decoy for paparazzi.

- What happened?
- When?

They found her body in
a forest in Dordogne.

I couldn't do what you said.

Why not?

The border police were searching cars.

I couldn't go on. It was too risky.

I checked the trunk and...

Fuck!

I told you not to!

They were stopping cars.
I had to know what was in mine!

You said it went to plan,
but you'd turned back.

- You're mad!
- I had a solution.

What solution?

I asked you to drive a car.

And you buried a corpse!

You buried a corpse for me!

You're completely mad!

Stop saying I'm mad!

Are you any better?

You brought a corpse here
and you don't even know me!

An accident, you said!
I believed you, trusted you.

And you trusted me!

I promised to help you--

And you made matters worse!

Until yesterday,
anything could've happened to Julie.

If my sister had incinerated her,

without a body, it would all blow over.

Now, I have the cops
on my ass all day long.

- If they link it to you, I'm fucked!
- They won't.

How do you know?

You're sure no one saw you in the forest?

It was dark.
If a car was there, I'd have seen it.

I was very careful!

Anyone know you went down there?

Yes.

My mother.

If they do link it to me, I won't talk.

Of course you will.

Can I have some water?

Of course.

And the letter for my sister?

I burned it.

I couldn't cross the border.
Believe me.

Drop out of sight.

Mine...

and everybody else's.

It's damn flimsy.

Nothing but a hunch.

We can't arrest a star
without a solid case.

Seriously, you've no idea what happened.

Not how, not why.

He has no motive, wasn't in Dordogne.

His friends check out. You're stuck.

Give me more time.

Listen to me...

the investigation stays
as it is one week more.

That's all?

You know what it costs, every day?

For zero results!

One more week, tops.

- Then switch focus to Dordogne.
- Okay.

Weren't we promised a teleprompter?

Sure, we have one.

I don't see it.

Just in front of you, to your right.

Higher.

Can you run some text?

It's pretty small.

That's normal size.

Maybe so, but too small for me.

It needs to be bigger, okay?

Sure, if you want.

Is Guillaume here?

I don't get it.
What time's rehearsal?

Soon, but we're behind schedule.

Today's very special guest,

after an absence of 2 years,
Vincent Lacroix!

Vincent Lacroix,
20 years at the pinnacle of pop,

winning the hearts of millions of women,

without putting men's backs
up, which is some feat.

Platinum records and
concerts at the Olympia

and Palais des Sports.

His new album is a huge event.

Thanks for choosing our show for
your first TV appearance in 2 years,

especially at this difficult time

in your private life.

Let's hear it for Vincent Lacroix!

You were great.

- You okay?
- Sure.

I'll go get the car.

What are you doing here?

I just wanted to tell you...

You're not alone, you know.
I'm here.

You can rely on me.

Get this straight,
we can't be seen together!

We'll go down.

We're both going down.

We're not going down.

We're not.
You must keep faith in us.

Leave, Muriel.

Get out of my life.

There's no choice.

It's Guillaume!

It was fabulous!

I came from Bordeaux to see you!

All the way from Bordeaux?
Specially?

And you?

- From the Rhine.
- Just for the show?

You heard the new album yet?

Can I get a kiss?

- I'm trying to concentrate.
- Me too.

Shit!

I'm onto something.

Bayen, Muriel.

Logs on daily to Lacroix's site.

And who is she?

The daughter of Nicole Bayen,
interviewed by officers in Dordogne,

on November 18.

You're the best!

Everybody, in here!

You know Muriel Bayen?

Sure, she's...

Now where've I heard that name?

Yes, she's a great admirer.

Has been for years.

So, you know her?

I know who she is,
I've seen her hundreds of times,

but I wouldn't say I know her.

Why?

Where have you seen her?

Mostly at my concerts,
or coming out of TV studios.

Or radio stations.
She's a fan.

When was the last time you saw her?

Some time ago. I don't know.

You've seen her near your house recently?

No, she never comes to my house.

You're sure?

Yes.

Your nephew and secretary

told us she sometimes parks up outside.

But not for ages now.

7-8 years ago, she had a period of that,

waiting in her car for hours.

She never rang the bell,
never tried to talk to me.

One day, she stopped.

You were never worried?

A bit, back then.
She wrote to apologize,

saying she needed to be there.

Why are you asking me all this?

Does she know something?

Have you spoken to her?

She writes to you?

Yes, regularly.
Has been for 20 years.

Has she ever written about her
feelings toward Ms. Dorieux?

That's not her style.
She's very respectful.

Since then,

she hasn't tried to call
you, speak to you, see you?

No, she's not like that.

She's not intrusive,
trying to be something else for me.

She's not a friend, close or otherwise.

She's nothing.

Just a fan.

Why are you asking me this?

What's going on?

Her mother lives 3 km from where
we found Ms. Dorieux's body.

Stay away from the windows, please.

I wanted some air.

This is very upsetting.

- May I use the bathroom?
- Go ahead.

Where were you on the
evening of October 14?

- What day was that?
- Tuesday.

Home, most likely.
I'd have to check.

Your diary was empty.

I must've been home then.
I am most evenings.

With company?

Right now, no.

Did anyone contact you that
evening or during the night?

I don't think so.

Maybe someone called.
I don't remember.

What did you do next morning?

Wednesday? Went to work.

Are you sure?

No, I went to my mother's.

Meaning?

Next day, I had lunch at my mother's.

Who lives...?

In Dordogne. 20 km from Sarlat.

You're not exactly neighbors.

You weren't working that day?

Sure.

I didn't feel like it.
I took the day off.

With your employer's consent?

Hardly. I called in sick.
But I get on with my boss.

- Not according to her.
- Really?

At the time, we got on well.

Now, she's mad at me for telling
it straight to a customer,

who stank so bad we couldn't go near her.

The boss didn't like that.

She can fire me, if she wants.
I'm quitting anyway.

I won't wax hair all my life.

How did you get to Dordogne?

I drove.

How long did it take?

About five hours.

Ms. Bayen, we're taking you into custody,

for a renewable period of 24 hours,

as part of our investigation
into Julie Dorieux's death.

You have the right to inform a
family member or your employer,

consult a doctor and call a lawyer.

If you don't have one,
you can ask for a public defender...

I want Etienne.

Etienne Côte. He's my lawyer.

Okay, whose number is it?

We know but we can't reach him.

- How come?
- He's not in Europe.

His family emailed him,
but it's taking time.

Where is he?

- Tasmania.
- Tanzania.

In that case, call the embassy.

I need an answer now, not in 48 hours.

We can't keep her in custody
forever, dammit!

I don't know what...

What should I say?

Try to tell me why you're here.

Vincent Lacroix asked me to dump
his girlfriend's body. I did.

One night, he came by asking
me to get rid of the corpse

by smuggling it into Switzerland.

He was distraught--

Why do you make this stuff up?
Cut it out, please!

- Tell me the truth.
- It is! Believe me.

I can't.

- Why not?
- It's just not credible!

It's fantasy, like you waxing
Klaus Barbie's daughter.

Dozens of people can testify
that you keep making stuff up.

You think it's more credible
if I say I killed her?

What would be more credible

is you saying you're innocent,
except of being his biggest fan.

That besides your extraordinary
stories, you're an ordinary person.

With a mundane life,
just like mine, and that's okay.

What got you in here is saying
you were mixed up in this.

But you did nothing wrong.

No.

So quit telling tall stories, Muriel.

Stop making stuff up.

Yes.

Especially here.

Okay?

Yes.

If the police come back,

tell me what you want me to say.

What do you mean?

I don't want to say anything foolish.

What are you talking about?

Tell them what you know!

Whatever you say, some things,
they don't need to know.

The guest room blanket that
disappeared, for example.

Like the wooden stand and bathroom sponge.

Or the shelf. Or your hair!

That's enough now.

I didn't tell them Julie had
guests when you were gone

and didn't care if I knew.
I couldn't look you in the eye!

Tell them, Arlette.

Tell them about the other men.

Wednesday, October 15, at 10:30,
where were you?

In my car, driving to my mother's house.

Your phone records show
an incoming call at 10:26.

Do you remember that?

No, it's long ago now.

06 17 54 78 12.

- Does that number ring any bells?
- No,

but I don't learn
numbers by heart.

It's Jacques Hauserman's number.
Know him?

Are you sure?

Jacques Hauserman?

Yes, I'm sure.

How come a guy you don't know called you?

I have no idea.

Wrong number, maybe.

It lasted over 40 seconds.

44, to be exact.
Plenty of time to talk.

Not even half. It's a long time.

Most likely, you said more than,

"Wrong number."
"Oh, sorry."

"No problem."
So what else?

- I don't recall.
- Where were you?

At that time, on the road.

But where exactly?

Some place between Paris and Sarlat.

On the highway, I guess.

The nearest tower at the time
of the call was in Thiers.

That's not exactly on the way to Sarlat.

Let me show you.

Right there.

What were you doing there?

This is Vincent.

Where are you?

At a rest stop.

73.80, please.

Thiers Flea Market
Oct. 11-15 Main Square

That's it, of course!

Of course, I was in Thiers.

Of course! It's crazy.

I forgot that's why I took the day off.

Of course!

There's a big annual flea market there.
I love flea markets.

I love it, I'm a collector.

How could I forget? Crazy!

Explain.

At home, I have a calendar showing
every flea market in France.

At weekends, I love to go far
and wide rummaging for bargains.

It was the last day of
the flea market in Thiers.

I was a bit down.

Since my kids moved to their dad's...

I took a day off to get away from it all.

So you didn't have lunch with your mom?

Sure.

None of the stands had
anything interesting.

Could be why I forgot.

It wasn't far from mom's,
so I decided to drop by.

4 hours to a flea market.

2 more to go see your mom.
You had to be very motivated.

I enjoy driving.
I love getting out of Paris.

I like excursions like that.
They clear my mind.

And after lunch, you drove to Toulouse?

No, not at all.

That was your story for your mother...

Meeting a friend in Toulouse.

Yes, I made that up so she wouldn't worry.

If I told her the truth,
she'd think I was in a bad way

and bombard me with questions.

She couldn't understand me going so
far for a flea market or to see her.

She's not the only one.

I didn't need her concern.

I needed a day out, on my
own, and a few hours with her.

So you lied to her.

That's right.

Is that why I'm here?

You know Vincent Lacroix's website?

- Of course.
- You visit it often?

Once a week?

No, more.
I log on once a day.

That's a lot.

You find that normal?

Obviously. I'm a fan.

Tell us about Vincent Lacroix.

He's a man and an artist
I admire enormously.

It's fair to say that I know

every detail of his career and work.

He's an artist and a man

I admire enormously.

It's fair to say that I know every detail

of his work and career.

You have his address?

- You've been to his house?
- How'd you know Hauserman?

Sometimes.
Don't know him.

- His house?
- Why'd he call?

Outside his house.

Wednesday morning, I decided to
go to the flea market in Thiers.

- How?
- By car.

- And then, after lunch?
- I had a nap.

Until what time?

- Tell us about Lacroix.
- And Hauserman?

Why didn't you stay over at you mom's?

Can you stop that, Seb, please?

You've heard of Gâtine Woods?

Yes, they're near my mother's house.

You've already been there?

I often went walking there.

It was one of my dad's favorite spots.

When did you go there?

The last time was way back...

When my kids were little, I think.

You haven't been back since?

No.

You know that's where
we found Julie's body?

Yes.

How do you know?

I've been following the case very closely.

In the press?

You read in the press that the
body was found in Gâtine Woods?

Yes, I think so.

The location was kept from the press.

Really?

How come I knew?

That's a question for you to answer.

No, actually, mom told me.

How did she know?

She lives nearby.
Anything happens locally,

believe me, news spreads fast.

And when it involves Vincent
Lacroix, she finds out even faster.

Why so?

Because of me.

They all know I'm a fan.

Maybe one of them told you about me.

If that's why I'm here,

those busybodies will be hearing from me.

Do you recognize this ring?

- Should I?
- Do you recognize it?

Like that, not really.
There's nothing special about it.

It corresponds exactly to Julie's
ring when she disappeared.

It does?

We found it at your place.

You did?

If you found it at my
place, it must be mine.

Sorry?

Or my daughter's.
It's not really my style.

But she often buys jewelry
like that at garage sales.

Hold on, run that by me again.

I don't know,

you say you found the ring at my place.

It's not Julie's, so I'm trying
to work out where it came from.

An explanation, see?

How can you be sure it isn't Julie's?

It's impossible.

There's no reason for
a total stranger's ring

to be in my house.

It's as if I said

we'd found Tina Turner's
comb in your bathroom.

I presume you don't know Tina Turner.

So you'd say, no way.

But it's exactly like Tina's comb.

"She has the same comb as me,"
you'd say.

It'd be the most plausible explanation.

Or so it seems to me.

Unless you found fingerprints
or DNA whatever on it,

and in that case,

I haven't got a clue.

It was formally identified
by Vincent Lacroix

as Julie's ring.

I'm not saying she never
had a ring like that,

just that we must have identical rings.

I doubt we're the only
ones in France and Europe.

What is it? One-of-a-kind?

It doesn't look precious or special.
There must be hundreds like it.

That's the same style.

It's mass-produced too.

I guess, at least.

There is another explanation.

Perhaps you were in
contact with Julie Dorieux

on the night she disappeared.

Perhaps that evening,

as in the past, on lonely nights,

you spent a few hours
outside Lacroix's house.

Perhaps from your car,
with the window open,

you overheard your idol
arguing with his partner.

Perhaps you saw Vincent
Lacroix leave the house,

visibly shaken, overwhelmed...

And then,

Ms. Dorieux came out in a daze.

And you couldn't hold back.

You go up to her,

but it degenerates.

She's violent, she insults you.

Maybe she attacks you.

You fight back

and land a blow much
harder than you imagined.

She crumples.

You have no choice but to get rid of her.

You load her up into the trunk

and set off to bury her in the
woods near where you grew up.

And last time Tina Turner was in Paris,

you snuck into her suite at the Ritz,

rummaged in her vanity case
and took her comb home.

Stop!

You don't seem to realize what's going on.

Too many coincidences, don't you think?

The same ring as Julie,
lunch at mom's the day after she vanished,

3 km from where we found the body.

I do realize what's going on.

It's just my luck!

If the body turned up anywhere
else, I wouldn't be here.

He has fans all over
France, Vincent Lacroix!

All just like me.
One lives 25 km from my mom's.

Did you call her in?

This is so absurd.

I wasn't outside his house that evening.

I wasn't.
Ask anyone you want,

they won't say I was because I wasn't!

I swear, I wasn't there.

This has nothing to do with me.

Sure, I won't say I was
sad to hear Julie was dead,

but I'm not to blame for her death.

Why would I do such a thing?

Go get some rest.

Antoine...

Sorry to wake you.

I got hold of Hauserman.

And?

Is Coline not back yet?

Have you seen Coline?

Tell her to call me if you see her.

Antoine, we need to take
the lady's statement.

Can I have a quick word?

Do you mind waiting a moment?
Thanks.

- I have news.
- Me too.

We messed up.
The fan's not the killer.

She's the singer's accomplice!

We have a witness.
Dorieux had a lover.

The housekeeper saw a guy--

Hold on, hear me out.

Hauserman's phone was stolen
just before the call to Muriel.

Stolen at Le Cyrano,

200 meters from Lacroix's house.

I bet the singer was there,

stole the phone and called Bayen,
who was getting rid of the body for him.

Listen...
Two months we've focused on the singer

and it got us nowhere.

Forget him.

Nobody will buy Lacroix
killing his wife for no reason

and stealing phones to beg
a total stranger for help.

The ring!

The ring's clean and you know it!

Are you nuts?

Give me one shot at it.

I'll question them together.

Forget it.
I spoke to the DA. She let her go.

What? She let her go?

Take that woman's statement.
She has a solid lead for us.

If you're not happy,
I'll reassign you right now!

Please, take a seat.

I won't be long.

Coline, it's me.

Wherever you are, meet me at Le
Cyrano, near Lacroix's.

Bruno Vincey?

Inspector Gosset.
I have a few questions for you.

On October 15,
a customer's phone was stolen. Remember?

Yeah, but what can you do?

It's like a lady recently,
left her stuff on the table.

Of course, her purse gets stolen.

Any idea who took the phone?

No.

We'll never find out.

Vincent Lacroix is a regular here?

Yes. Coffee at the bar, very short.

Was he here that day?

The morning of October 15?

You expect me to remember?

- What can I get you?
- Coffee.

There in 5. Coline.

Are you sure?

Try to remember.

Sorry, but I don't see how I can.

He's here most days but not every day.
I don't know.

Would one of your waiters remember?

I'd be surprised.

Look who it is.
Isn't that funny!

How are you?

The gentleman wants to know if
you were here on October 15.

When?

October 15.

- Maybe. I don't remember.
- Sure?

Exactly what I said.

The day your partner disappeared

and may have been murdered...

You're sure? You don't remember?

That day, a phone was stolen here

and used to call Muriel Bayen.

I didn't catch that.

Sit over there to talk.

Chestnut blond, medium height...

- 1m75? 1m80?
- That's right.

Slim. Or lean, actually.

But not the sporty type, you know.

More the kind...

Not very healthy.

Not very healthy? You mean...

- Drugs?
- That's right.

I never found out if he was working.

Probably not.
He came when Mr. Lacroix was away.

Do you know his name?

I think he called himself Fred.

Fuck!

We interrogated Muriel Bayen.

For 48 hours.

After that long, you know,
not many people hold out.

Even the toughest nuts,
the most devoted and loyal...

At some point, they all crack.

Coline, a re-run tonight?
Nicolas.

He's nothing to me.
I don't give a damn about him.

Shut up.

I love you, Antoine.

Shut up.

He's nothing. I love only you.

- I don't care about him.
- Please.

- My heart belongs to you.
- Shut up!

Same as last week and every other week.

She hardly goes out,
except to work at the salon.

She ate Japanese 3 days ago
with one of her neighbors.

She saw her cousin Etienne Côte
and his girlfriend Delphine.

And she went alone to a non-profit
to do some volunteer work.

She calls her kids every day on the phone,

but missed them yesterday.

They'll be back for the vacation.

It's fabulously exciting.

Let's stop throwing money out the window.

Back off the fan.

Can I have a word?

- Where is he?
- I don't know.

Stop! Where was he posted?

Forget it, Coline.

Don't fuck with me!
Where is he?

I'll find out, so save us some time.

I can't help you.

Antoine wasn't reassigned.

He resigned!

I don't know where he is.

I'm sorry.

I apologize, I'm sorry.

I had to see you.
I can't call or write.

- We mustn't be seen together.
- I know. Wait!

- You've heard from the cops?
- No.

How come?

What did you tell them?

Tell me! I'm going insane.

I won't talk to you.

I did what I had to.

We saved our skins.
I can do no more for you.

I see myself planting
the ring at your place.

It haunts me. I'm obsessed.

It feels like it'll never stop.

Please forgive me.

It's all over now.

You're coming to see me next month?

Look, mom, it's Vincent Lacroix.

Let's go see the movie.