A Woman's Face

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[GATE SLAMS SHUT]

[GATE SLAMS SHUT]

[CROWD MURMURING]

That's a fine trick.

You know the prisoner's afraid of fire.

Summon the witnesses.

CLERK:

All witnesses.

Consul Magnus Barring.

Bernard Dalvik, restaurateur.

Christina Dalvik, masseuse.

Emma Kristiansdotter, housekeeper.

Herman Rundvik, waiter.

Dr. Gustaf Segert.

Vera Segert, housewife.

You have been called in this case...

...in which the charge

is murder in the first degree.

The Crown v. Anna Holm, alias, uh...

ASSOCIATE:
Alias Ingrid Paulssen.

- Alias Ingrid Paulssen.

What you may testify will determine

whether the defendant goes free...

...or pays the extreme penalty.

That is a grave responsibility.

As you remember it was Pontius Pilate...

...who said, "What is truth?"

And washed his hands of justice.

I hope in this case

we can do better than Pilate.

And without prejudice, arrive at the truth

and render a just decision.

So say we all.

JUDGE:

You will now take the oath.

Do you each and severally solemnly promise

and swear by God and his Holy Scriptures...

...to tell the truth withholding nothing

and adding nothing...

...as God is your help in life and soul?

ALL:

I do.

ASSOCIATE:
We wish to emphasize

that you are not to discuss the case...

...while you're in the witness room

under penalty of contempt.

- Do you understand that?

- Sir, of that you may rest assured.

CLERK:

The court is open.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

Herman Rundvik.

Don't forget Pontius Pilate.

[SNIFFS]

Who's smoking in here?

Put that out.

You are well acquainted

with the prisoner?

I was, Your Honor.

Speak louder, please, Mr. Rundvik.

JUDGE:
Your occupation?

- Wait... Waiter.

Well, Mr. Rundvik, your testimony.

Well, I wanna help you all I can, sir.

Is that loud enough?

Quite.

Now, this woman that got me

into this mess...

...she might think I was doing this because

I been promised immunity by the Crown.

- But I'm a loyal citizen. I've never...

- Yes, yes. Your story, please.

Well, I don't rightly remember

what day it was...

...but I know it was night.

It was in June just a little after midnight.

Now, the little place where I work

is about 15 kilometers outside of the city.

It's in that pine forest just off

the North Queens Road.

JUDGE:
And what was the name

of your little place?

HERMAN:
The Cafe Spader Dam.

Perhaps you've been there, Your Honor.

JUDGE:

I have not. Describe the establishment.

HERMAN:
Oh, it wasn't an establishment,

Your Honor.

No, it was just a quiet

little rural tavern...

... where people who loved nature

could relax in the bosom...

JUDGE:
What happened that night?

HERMAN:
That night?

Oh, that night.

Well, I was working all alone.

MAN:

Waiter.

Waiter.

[PIANO PLAYING

AND WOMAN SINGING]

Cheer up, I think they're going.

[SINGING]

- How did you like that, Torsten?

- I like both of them.

Now, dear girls, sit down

and we'll have another drink.

You dance well together,

don't you?

HERMAN:
Your check, Mr. Barring.

- Check? More wine, please.

Since Torsten will never break up

his party, I suggest...

It has been a lovely party, Mr. Barring.

Come, come, Mrs. Segert.

What's the hurry?

- What's the hurry? Sit down.

- Yes, my dear.

Your distinguished husband

has a reputation of sleeping soundly.

That's a sign of an extremely

intelligent husband. I must meet him.

Oh, poor Gustaf. He's working so hard

at the hospital these days.

I do feel it to be the duty of every wife

to have breakfast with her husband.

Bravo, bravo. The spirit of the Vikings.

May I have the honor

of driving you home?

Oh, uh, thank you, Olaf...

...but I think Eric lives quite near me.

Don't you, Eric?

Just a few feet away.

[TORSTEN CHUCKLES]

Your pencil.

I'm sorry, Mr. Barring,

but I don't seem to have a pencil.

If you'll excuse me.

To our host.

ALL:

Our host.

May he reach heaven

before the final check arrives.

[ALL LAUGHING AND CHATTERING]

Ah, Mr. Barring.

- You enjoyed your dinner?

- I enjoyed my dinner.

Splendid. Splendid.

You see, Mr. Barring, l...

I see you no longer wish

to extend me credit.

Mr. Barring, if this were the first time,

or if it were I personally...

- You own the place, don't you?

- No, unfortunately.

I am but an employee.

Then tell your employer

that I want to find out...

...why the name of Barring

shouldn't be good...

...at a miserable after-hours roadhouse.

We are not operating this miserable

roadhouse for the benefit of names.

Even the name of Barring.

You are the proprietor?

In a way.

Excuse me. Have you something

in your eye? Might I help you?

It doesn't hurt, it's only a trick

I learned from a friend.

She had beautiful eyes too.

- Did she?

- Yes, and now just hold still.

There we are. Is that better?

This is a most generous gesture.

I never make generous gestures,

as these two will tell you.

Thank you very much, Miss Holm.

It's a name which might be

of assistance to you.

TORSTEN:

Oh, really?

In certain quarters where the name

of Barring has perhaps lost its magic.

Good night, Mr. Barring.

TORSTEN:

Good night...

...Miss Holm.

Charming lady.

Yes, isn't she?

Now I've seen everything.

- There you are.

- Thank you, sir.

- Tell me, are you married?

- Yes, Mr. Barring.

- Any children?

- A boy.

- And a girl.

- Uh-huh.

- And another on the way.

- Oh.

You love children.

I loathe them.

[CROWD LAUGHING]

- Let's all go dancing.

TORSTEN:
But of course.

You have all had one more drink than I.

Allow me to catch up.

- Don't be long.

- Only one.

[VERA SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Ask them along, hm?

Why don't you go with us, my dear?

I wish I might.

But you know the American proverb:

"Early to bed, early to rise."

I hate to take you away, Eric.

I have to be at the office early tomorrow.

Confound it.

- I say, this isn't my coat.

- I'm sorry, sir.

- Pardon me, you have the wrong...

- Oh, no this is mine.

No, no, this has been in my family

for years.

MAN:
Come on, my dear.

I think it's about time.

TORSTEN:
Well, are we ready?

MAN:
Oh, let's go.

- That's my coat.

- Really?

Right you are, I should have looked

in the pockets for some money.

Now, girls, where are we going?

Have you lost something, sir?

Waiter, did anything drop out

of the pocket of this coat?

- Oh, no sir.

VERA:
Eric. Eric.

- Oh, Eric, what's the matter?

- Oh, nothing.

Nothing.

ASSOCIATE:

And you didn't know what he had lost?

Oh, no, sir.

- Not then.

- But you found out later?

- Yes, sir.

- How?

I don't know.

But she can tell you better than me.

She was the boss.

PROSECUTOR:

The head of your band of criminals?

Yes. No. I mean, it wasn't my band

of criminals.

I just got connected with it

through a misunderstanding.

Tell me, before you became connected

with this band of criminals...

...didn't you think what it might mean to

your poor wife and little boy and little girl?

- No, I didn't.

ATTORNEY:
Why not?

Because I'm not married.

ATTORNEY:
What about your poor children?

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