Criminal: France (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Caroline - full transcript

A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

Your jewellery and barrettes.

We begin the recording at 9:11 p.m.

Captain Hagen and Sergeant Matif
are present.

You're in custody for attempted murder.

Your phone.

Your Legion of Honour.

What happened?

Were you scared the workers would strike?

That the site would close?

You'll see that 24 hours is a long time.



- He's a good bluffer.
- He's not bluffing.

One time he waited more than 16 hours
before a guy started talking.

Our old boss loved it.

Well, she looks tough.

Her pretentiousness is so annoying.

He prepared you?

This is new.

Big bosses are coached by their lawyers
when in custody.

I'm curious, what did he teach you?

To breathe calmly?

To stare at your interviewer?

And did you teach yourself
to push an unruly worker into the void?

- Must you use this tone?
- Counsellor.

You cannot speak to me like that.



Shit, he's good.

The first testimonies state
the victim stood up against you.

He annoyed you that much?

And the presumption of innocence?

I prefer to focus on the truth, thanks.

Let's get serious here.

Yes, I was at the work site,

in the prefab offices,
100 yards from the scene of the accident.

Do you have any witnesses?

Your colleagues found me
and asked me to come here.

And no one else was there.

That's right,
I was working on the schedules alone.

Why weren't you in the cushy offices
in the 8th arrondissement?

Because I'm very hands-on.

And this type of site
requires you to be present.

Imagine the size
of an office tower's construction site.

It means pouring concrete from 360 feet up
in the heart of the business district.

Think about the noise,
the people, the dust.

Even at night?

This project costs
hundreds of millions of euros.

And we're already
nine weeks behind schedule.

So yes, I'm working overtime.
And I'm not the only one.

You must've found hundreds
of mobile phones in that sector, right?

Given the altitude,
there's only one tower.

At the time of the fall,
19 people were there.

We have all of their alibis.
Unlike you, none of them were alone.

So my first question is simple:

did you push Walid Benaoud?

Your insinuations are ridiculous.

If I got rid of my detractors, no one
would be left in the building industry.

Are you saying there are other cases?

You've no idea what I've had to face

to work my way up
in this predominantly male field.

As a woman, I was always getting shot down
by guys like you.

Honestly,

conflict doesn't scare me.

And I never had to use physical strength
to get respect.

Violence can be a last resort

and your reaction
can take you by surprise.

That's why I always come back
to the facts.

Then let's get back to the facts.

Other than your unfounded conjectures,

a so-called phone
and your little angry misogynist act,

do you have any evidence?

I'm just trying to understand.

Your attempt to manipulate me is pathetic.

The truth is you have nothing.

I love it when Olivier lets them think
they've scored a point.

She'll never confess.

Bosses are always like this.

They have a hard time
owning up to their mistakes.

Even though it feels good to do so.

It's a relief.

Only when you're guilty.

And for the last time, I didn't snitch
about Laetitia's sick leave, OK?

Can you tell me how he's doing?

It just so happens we have some evidence.

At the site, our colleagues noted

that in the spot where the victim fell,

the guardrails had been removed.

You really think someone pushed him?

The removal of the guardrails
makes it look premeditated.

Again, I had nothing to do with it.

I'd like to believe you.

The only problem is our colleagues
found this on the ground.

BARRETTE

You don't find it odd
that one of my barrettes was found

exactly where he fell?

It rather seems to speak for itself.

Enough already.

It's clear that someone
was trying to frame me

and make sure
I'd have to explain myself to you.

Do you have enemies, Ms Solal?

Success can create some hostility,

especially for a woman.

Making me the scapegoat
would allow someone else to take my place.

And there are plenty waiting to do that.

Can you think of anyone in particular?

Our competitors.

Or my last foreman,

a brilliant engineer
but a male chauvinist.

Former?

Yes, I had to fire him rather quickly.
He created a toxic environment.

You don't like being questioned.

Neither do you, it seems.

From what I've read,
you're known for being authoritarian.

The words of those
who can't take orders from a woman.

Someone got in,

pushed one of my men

and made sure that I'd be accused.

You have quite an imagination.

But my colleagues
checked the surveillance footage

and confirmed that no one trespassed.

Well then, I don't know.

I visited the site this morning
to motivate the team to work faster.

I must've lost my barrette then.

How is he doing?

Why do you keep asking?

You're surprised I'd like to know
how one of my men is doing?

What's she playing at?

She wants us to believe
she gives a shit about her workers?

No, she's asking about him
because she's afraid he'll talk.

She'll tell us her version
once she knows he's dead.

Perhaps.

But how can I be sure
you're not just checking

whether he can talk or not?

I understand.

Can you keep me informed
about his health status?

Thank you.

Bye.

The victim went into theatre
two hours ago. They stopped the bleeding.

There's still hope,
but he's not out of the woods yet.

Wait, you're granting her request?

No, we won't tell her yet.
I want to hear her version.

Or you could tell her
that he's going to make it.

So that she thinks he can talk
and she won't tell us a bunch of lies?

That's clever.

Or tell her he's dead.

Then she might not be as careful
and it'd be easier to catch her in a lie.

But that could be risky
for our investigation.

It's up to you.

I won't take the risk.

We'll use the info to bargain with her.

But it's our only leverage for now.

Let's go.

What are we waiting for?

Not another word
until you tell me how he is.

I'll ask, but first I need you to tell me
why you're so concerned.

Have you ever heard of empathy?

Despite his outbursts, I like him.

Everyone is against me at times,
but as for him...

I can't picture anyone on his team
wanting to kill him.

Meaning?

He's a...

a reliable and cheerful man.

He is liked by his fellow rebar workers.

Rebar workers?

Those who assemble the metal frames
that the concrete is poured onto.

The reinforcement of reinforced concrete.

Walid Benaoud had recently been promoted
to foreman.

She knows him.

So you know him?

Not really.

But you said yourself
that he'd stood up to me in public.

That's hard to forget.

But you know
what his coworkers think of him.

Did you check up on him
to try to, I don't know,

see how much trouble he could make?

I did not push him!

She's touching her mouth.

She's hiding something.

Is that in your textbooks?

Do they tell you how to get rid
of her sense of fucking impunity too?

If you didn't do it, who did?

You describe a man
who gets along with everyone but you.

Overall, yes, but sometimes
there's tension between the teams.

The concrete finishers always blame
the rebar workers for delays.

When the frames aren't ready?

Yes, or the forms.

- That's another team?
- Yes, the form setters.

They create moulds for the concrete.

Sometimes things are tense
between the groups.

But killing one another?

That's hard to believe.

Yes, I agree.

I still think you're the one
who pushed him.

Can we get back to the facts?

Remember, you don't have to talk.

On the contrary,

I'll talk.

Mr Hagen,

you're out of line.

This accident was awful.

You and your team have no idea
how many connections I have.

I could get you transferred in no time.

Your abrasiveness
should make it even easier.

Is she threatening him?

Let's keep our cool. We can't be provoked.

They didn't take any photos
when the ambulance arrived?

Yes, they did.

Here they are.

Their coworker was dying

and they were taking pictures.

All thanks to technology.

An update?

Laetitia, don't.

Don't worry,
I got the all-clear from my doctor.

I'm allowed to be here,
so I won't mess anything up.

I said no.

If she knows him,
it'll be too much of a shock.

We can't let her get away with this.

If she talks about the victim,
we can see what she's hiding.

Where are you going?

You want an update?

Well, here you go.
But it's not a pretty sight.

Can you control your team?

So? You don't want to see it?

It hurts to see the consequences
of your actions?

Laetitia, out.

She can't threaten us.

Now.

Let's take a break.

The interview was interrupted
at 9:31 p.m.

- She's in shock. She'll crack.
- He's right.

- We'll keep pressuring her.
- Confrontation isn't working on her.

- You want me to go easy on her?
- No.

I want to try something else.

Let's bring it down a notch, OK?

That's a bad idea.

We've done hundreds of interviews.

You go back in,
you'll say you're sorry, give her a coffee

and tell her what the hospital said.

It'll inspire trust. Then you can bring up
her relationship to the victim.

You know that this isn't a game, right?

You have to focus on their relationship
and let her talk.

She won't admit she killed him
over a cup of tea.

- Forget it!
- I believe I'm the one in charge here.

You don't have to like me,
but do as I say.

This is ridiculous.

Gérard, go get her a coffee
and do as I say.

- Feeling any better?
- Stop acting like you give a shit.

Well, it sure does look like it.

Let's start over with a clean slate.

Whenever you're ready, ma'am.

I'm going to file a complaint.

We're all going to take a deep breath.

It'd be best if we forget
about the threats you made.

Walid Benaoud went into surgery
two hours ago at Bichat Hospital.

They were able to stop the bleeding.

- Will he make it?
- They don't know.

He's not fully stable yet.

The interview resumes

at 9:40 p.m.

Ma'am,

you must understand why we have doubts.

You insist on knowing if he'll make it,

while also stating
that you don't know him personally.

FTR CONSTRUCTIONS
REBAR FOREMAN

I didn't push Walid.

Walid? She's calling him Walid now.

I asked about him because...

I care about him a lot.

Even more than that.

OK, we're getting somewhere.

Olivier, you want to take over?

Excuse me, I'd like to speak
to my client for a moment.

No, he may not.

You'll have to tell us a bit more
about your fondness for him.

You love him, but what about him?

Does he love you?

I mean, are you in a relationship?

For the record,

Captain Olivier Hagen
has re-entered the room.

So, are you in a relationship?

Yes.

Why didn't you tell us sooner?

We promised we wouldn't tell anyone.

We wanted to be in our own little world.

And with his coworkers,

it could've been awkward.
I respect that.

How long?

Eight months.

I'm sorry, but...

what kind of relationship was this?

We saw each other
two to three times a week.

And yes, we were sleeping together.

Is it a dominance-type relationship?
Is he your toy boy?

Not at all.

You see, we didn't want it public.

But you cannot deny
that you have a hierarchical relationship.

SHE'S USING THE PAST TENSE

I'm sorry, it must be due
to my lack of imagination,

but I'm having a hard time...

A hard time picturing us together?

We first met in the prefab offices.

He was looking for Accounting.
Apparently, they had overpaid him.

I pointed him to the right office,

but Walid didn't leave right away.

He asked me who I was.

Our building project
was up to the eighth floor.

We'd been there every day for five months.

I'd visited the site dozens of times,
yelled at the guys.

I even threw some get-togethers.

My name was on his overalls.

Nonetheless,

he didn't know who I was.

Since I didn't answer right away,

he asked me if I was also lost.

When we met, I was on my way
to fire some of the design team,

who were way behind schedule.

But then...

within a few minutes,

my anger dissipated.

I enjoyed the moment

and just said, "Caroline."

He offered me a cigarette.

We went up to the terrace
that overlooked the site.

And he said how proud he was to be a part
of this crazy project.

I had forgotten
how beautiful the building site was.

He asked me what time I got off
and I burst out laughing.

I was sure I had offended him.

But I hadn't.

Please go on.

He waited for me out front in the cold.

When I came down, everyone had gone.

I didn't think he was serious.

I immediately wanted to tell him
who I was.

He smiled.

Waiting for me, he'd realised.

He politely wished me good night

and started to leave.

My position posed a problem,

as it did with everyone else.

But then I decided to take action.

I invited him to get a drink.

We would see each other in secret,

more and more frequently.

Bullshit.

Why do you say that?

They're way too different.

She's roping us
into believing her fairy tale.

I don't believe it either.
She used the past tense quite a bit.

You see?

She's trying to put one over on us.

Maybe.

But she still could've pushed him.

Did you feel betrayed when he brought up
the poor working conditions in public?

That's beside the point.

We're nine weeks behind,

with daily penalties amounting to what
your team probably makes in a year.

- Imagine the pressure.
- You didn't answer the question.

I am well aware
of what I'm asking my men to do.

But I have no choice.

I can't change the system.

Should I just fire everyone?

Why did your lover all of a sudden
speak up about work conditions?

Did you go too far?

I think when he became foreman
he wanted to make pledges to his men,

show them he was up to the task

and would defend them.

The other workers were behind him?

Of course. Walid is charismatic

and the guys forget
we're in the same boat.

You run a team.

You must know how easy it is
to make enemies.

So threats of a labour dispute,
or even a strike, were real.

No, it was when they threatened
to shut us down.

What did you do?

I gathered all the men together

and explained
that our jobs were on the line.

We couldn't collapse or be divided
before finishing this project

and giving it our all.

We all depended upon one another.

If we poured concrete faster,
finished a floor every other day,

and if we all worked together,
we could do it.

I said that again this morning.

That must be when I lost my barrette.

Are you sure you weren't
asking the impossible?

For the last time,

I didn't have a choice.

In this predominantly male field,

you have no idea how many people
are expecting me to screw up

to call my legitimacy into question,
even within my teams.

Threats, betrayal, a kind of paranoia...
Isn't that all a bit extreme?

Yes?

I'm telling you that I love him,
but you...

- You still think I pushed him.
- Yes.

We just need your help to understand.

The majority of murder attempts
occur in private.

The man I love is hospitalised.

Hasn't this gone far enough?

That was the hospital. He's dead.

Fuck, she pulled it off.

We won't hear his side.

Did this public dispute
put an end to your relationship?

We had it out with one another, sure.

But it didn't break us up.

I don't know if you realise this,

but you spoke of your relationship
in the past tense.

Here we go again
with your crime of passion talk.

- Maybe that's what it was?
- You have no imagination.

On the contrary,
I find your paranoia interesting.

You're convinced
that you're being targeted.

And what if that were true?

What if Walid got close to you
to manipulate you?

Perhaps his coworkers chose him
to take down their unyielding boss.

That's absurd.

Here's a possible scenario.

Maybe you were blinded
by your desire to be seduced.

You believed in this fairy tale

where he didn't know your name.

Of course, you wondered

if such a young, handsome man
could fall in love with you.

But you continued to believe in it

because you were flattered
and were able to step out of your role.

And then you realised.

When you saw him running
the fight for social justice,

you realised that you had been conned.

So you waited a few days,

you removed the guardrails,

and you asked him to meet you.

To kill him.

That's it, he's got her.

Now it's up to you.

You can choose to remain silent.

And if you've nothing to add,

you will be charged.

Ma'am?

Ma'am?

She's not confirming it's true.

Olivier, can we talk?

What are you trying to prove?
You went way too fast.

You didn't give her time to react.

There's nothing else we can do.

You just won't admit
that I hit the nail on the head.

About her relationship, sure,
but who says she pushed him?

Maybe she never thought that Walid
could have been manipulating her.

She's just realising
your theory could be true

and that her lover didn't love her.

In which case she's hurt
and it's unlikely she pushed him.

Exactly.

OK, I'm going back in.

She may have left stuff out.

This is your last chance to talk.

No.

No what?

No, that's not what happened.

We're all ears.

I have to admit you impressed me.
You're quite intuitive.

I hadn't looked at it that way,

but I concede

that it's possible that Walid
got close to me to trap me.

However,

there's one thing

that I'm sure of:

our relationship was completely sincere.

You can see why we might not believe
in your fairy tale.

We loved each other. I know it.

When we were together,
neither of us was playing a part.

So let's say that you're right

about how we met.

But as for the rest, you're wrong.

We can still imagine
that your relationship was difficult.

At least,
when you talked about the building site.

We didn't talk about it.

He tried to at first,
but then we compartmentalised.

It wouldn't have worked otherwise.

Excuse me if this sounds naive,

but how were you able to compartmentalise?

Our positions were too far apart,
and even opposing at times.

We may have worked in the same place,

but our relationship was separate.

We met up at night,

usually at a hotel
that was sometimes far away.

The only time
I was able to let off some steam.

We're like two lovers

who come from two different worlds,

who settle in,
just happy to meet up there

and be together.

He never talked about his work,

his rhythm of work, his teams?

Everyone talks about that.

We never did.

Until he brought it up in public.

Like I said, I get it.

But we needed to hurry.

I come from a blue-collar family,
so I know how these things work.

You say you had to hurry things along,

but I'm wondering

if you could really do that.

Meaning?

They were working at a fast pace,

so speeding things up even more

would have meant playing with safety.

No,
I've always been a stickler for safety.

I would never sacrifice my men's safety.

Here, I have

all the documentation proving
that all regulations have been met.

Regulations are kind of theoretical,
aren't they?

Everything's accounted for on paper,
but in reality...

The company has several people

who verify
that these regulations are applied.

Here, the times they did rounds

and each inspector's report.

So you have people
who go around checking everything?

It's mandatory.

They activate certain boxes
to prove they checked it all.

So if I understand correctly,

one hour before the fall,

an inspector stopped by and indicated
the guardrails were in place.

These guardrails didn't just walk off.

Can you tell us
how you remove a guardrail?

Two poles are screwed
into a concrete slab.

And the boards are set on the hooks.

Wait...

Why would someone who wanted to push him
bother to remove all the poles

when he could've just removed
all the boards?

Plus it takes longer to unscrew them
and remove them.

Is there a good reason to remove them?

To have access

to the main slab's frames
and link it to the offset.

A rebar worker's job.

And?

Only he would've removed those poles.

That night,
Walid Benaoud worked late for you.

To maintain the insane rhythm
that you imposed.

So you're right, he does love you.

But he removed the guardrails.

He didn't put new ones in
because he didn't have enough time.

Wait, are you going back to your theory
about it being an accident?

No, it wasn't an accident,

it was a fatality.

The victim knows the safety regulations
like all the other workers.

Except that they no longer coincided
with the new goals.

You tried to compartmentalise.

Safety on one hand,
rhythm of work on the other.

Your love on one hand
and your workers on the other.

But our decisions affect people, ma'am.

And when we know them, that hurts.

From a legal perspective...

We're done here.

How is he doing?

I'm sorry.

You're telling me it's my fault he died

and that we're done here.

No, this is not a legal matter.

You're free to go, Ms Solal.

Whether you are guilty or not,
that's for you to decide.

Bravo.

Bravo, Olivier.

You did great.

Yes, I was really impressed.

- Great job.
- Thank you.

Where did Audrey go?

No idea.

What did she say?

Nothing special.

Wait, you don't think she belongs here,
do you?

Of course not.

I'll do what we discussed

and talk to management

about her mishap with the lawyer.

Of course. Shall we go?

Laetitia. A word, please.

- See you downstairs?
- Yes.

What?

You want to suspend me?

What other choice do I have?

I wouldn't have screwed up
if you had defended your men.

We couldn't let her threaten Olivier.

As the leader,
you have to defend your group.

Even when a teammate is uncontrollable?

Go ahead and suspend me
if that's what you want to do.

But I don't know which one of us
will be here much longer.

What does that mean?

You'll see.

Solicitor Claire Bertin.
Leave me a message and I'll call you back.

Claire, it's Audrey.

Look,

I didn't want to bother you with this,

but I need to know who told you
about Laetitia Serra's sick leave.

Everyone thinks I did it,

and things are complicated.

Please call me back.

Subtitle translation by: Louise Layman