Charade Page #2

PETER:

No, I'm not -- I've got some packing to do. I'm

also going back to Paris today.

REGGIE:

Oh. Well, wasn't it Shakespeare who said:

"When strangers do meet they should erelong

see one another again"?

PETER:

Shakespeare never said that.

REGGIE:

How do you know?

PETER:

It's terrible -- you just made it up.

REGGIE:

Well, the idea's right, anyway. Are you

going to call me?

PETER:

Are you in the book?

REGGIE:

Charles is.

PETER:

Is there only one Charles Lampert?

10A.DELETED

10B.CLOSE SHOT -- REGGIE

Her face clouding.

REGGIE:

Lord, I hope so.

11.EXT. AVENUE FOCH -- LAMPERT APARTMENT HOUSE -- DAY

The Arc de Triomphe at the far end of the Avenue. CAMERA

PANS to pick up a TAXI as it pulls up before the handsome

building. Inside are REGGIE, SYLVIE and JEAN-LOUIS.

12.MED. SHOT -- TAXI -- LAMPERT APARTMENT HOUSE

As REGGIE climbs out and the DRIVER begins unloading her

suitcases.

REGGIE:

Goodbye, Sylvie, and thanks. (She turns

toward the house).

JEAN-LOUIS sticks his head out of the taxi window.

JEAN-LOUIS

When you get your divorce will you be

going back to America?

13.MED. SHOT -- THE TAXI

REGGIE looks at SYLVIE, surprised.

SYLVIE:

He knows everything.

REGGIE (to JEAN-LOUIS)

Don't you want me to stay?

JEAN-LOUIS

Yes, of course -- but if you went back and

wrote me a letter --

REGGIE:

-- you could have the stamps. I'll get

you some here, okay?

JEAN-LOUIS

Okay.

REGGIE walks toward the house with the driver, who carries

her cases. She presses the button that electrically opens

the front door.

14.DELETED

15.INT. APARTMENT LANDING -- DAY

As the elevator rises REGGIE gets out, followed by the

driver. He puts down the bags in front of the apartment

door.

REGGIE (handing him a tip)

Merci.

The driver leaves. She goes to the door and presses the

minuterie, the button that turns on the time-light, and the

lights come on. Then she rings the doorbell. There is no

answer. She rings again. Still nothing. Sighing, she

digs out her keys and starts to fit it into the lock. At

this moment the minuterie expires, plunging the scene into

darkness.

REGGIE'S VOICE

Wonderful.

She finds the button and the light goes on again. She

inserts the key and turns it.

16.INT. LAMPERT APARTMENT -- ENTRANCE HALL -- DAY

CLOSE SHOT -- DOOR as it opens and REGGIE steps into the

CLOSE SHOT.

She stops, her expression changing.

17.REVERSE SHOT

From REGGIE's p.o.v. as CAMERA PANS the entrance hall. It

is bare -- no furniture, no rug, no pictures, no nothing.

18. MED. SHOT -- REGGIE

She stares for a moment, then goes back out into the

landing.

19.INT. APARTMENT LANDING -- DAY

As REGGIE steps back outside. She looks at the nameplate

beside the door.

20.INSERT NAMEPLATE

It reads "MR. AND MRS. CHARLES LAMPERT."

21.INT. APARTMENT LANDING -- DAY

REGGIE looks at the plate in disbelief, then turns and

hurries back into the apartment.

22.INT. LAMPERT APARTMENT -- DAY

As REGGIE hurries into the entrance hall.

REGGIE:

Honorine -- !

No answer.

Now, CAMERA FOLLOWING, she goes into the Salon. It is

also empty -- stripped bare. There are squares of the wall's

original color where paintings used to hang, the hooks

still in the wall.

She rushes now, going into the bedroom, CAMERA FOLLOWING

crazily, lurching and careening behind her. The bedroom,

too, is empty. She goes to the built-in wardrobe closets

and throws open all the doors. Only some hangers remain.

She pulls open the drawers -- nothing!

REGGIE:

Charles -- !

She turns, and running now, goes through another door to

the library, CAMERA FOLLOWING. The rows of shelves are

as empty as the rest of the apartment. She begins to turn

in a circle, looking for something, anything. In a panic

she turns and runs out, colliding suddenly with a MAN whom

she (and we) have not noticed until the moment of impact.

REGGIE screams.

23.CLOSE SHOT -- INSPECTOR GRANDPIERRE

A heavy-set man of no particular age with tobacco-colored

hair, and thick glasses.

GRANDPIERRE:

Madame Charles Lampert?

24.WIDER ANGLE

Including REGGIE, in a state of near-shock.

REGGIE:

Yes.

GRANDPIERRE:

I am Inspector Edouard Grandpierre

of the Police Judiciaire. Would you be

so kind as to come with me, please?

25.INT. MORGUE -- DAY

We see a large metal drawer being opened and an all-too-

familiar shape outlined under a damp sheet of muslin.

26.ANOTHER ANGLE -- OVERHEAD

Looking straight down at the tops of REGGIE's, GRANDPIERRE's

and an ATTENDANT's head and smack into the open drawer.

GRANDPIERRE lifts a corner of the sheet at the bottom and

reveals a bare foot with a ticket tied to its big toe.

He stoops to read it. Satisfied, he recovers the foot,

then moves to the other end to uncover the head. As the

sheet starts to lift:

27.REVERSE SHOT

REGGIE as she looks down into the CAMERA. She closes her

eyes for a moment, then looks again.

GRANDPIERRE'S VOICE (o.s.)

Well, Madame -- ?

She nods.

GRANDPIERRE'S VOICE (o.s.)

You are positive?

She nods again. GRANDPIERRE moves into the SHOT.

GRANDPIERRE:

You loved him?

REGGIE:

I'm very cold.

GRANDPIERRE nods as he turns to the unseen ATTENDANT.

CAMERA suddenly moves as the 'drawer' is slid back into

the wall. BLACKNESS comes with a loud clang and continues

while the echo dies.

28. INT. GRANDPIERRE'S OFFICE -- DAY

CLOSE SHOT -- DESK DRAWER (FROM ABOVE) as it is pulled open.

A photograph of Charles Lampert lies face up in the drawer.

A hand reaches in and pulls it out.

29.WIDER ANGLE

Including GRANDPIERRE sitting behind his desk, and REGGIE,

sitting across from him. The office is as bare as most

policemen's offices. GRANDPIERRE studies the photo.

GRANDPIERRE:

We discovered your husband's body lying next

to the tracks of the Paris-Bourdeaux railroad

line. He was dressed only in his pajamas.

Do you know of any reason why he might have

wished to leave France?

REGGIE:

Leave?

GRANDPIERRE:

Your husband possessed a ticket of passage

on the 'Maranguape.' It sailed from Bordeaux

for Maracaibo this morning at seven.

REGGIE (a pause)

I'm very confused.

She starts to rummage through her bag. GRANDPIERRE shoves

a package of French cigarettes across the desk to her. But

she pulls a package of nuts out of her bag. She begins

separating the shells with her thumb nail and eating the

nuts, depositing the shells in the ashtray. GRANDPIERRE

watches this for an instant.

GRANDPIERRE:

He was American?

REGGIE:

Swiss.

GRANDPIERRE:

Oh. Swiss. His profession?

REGGIE:

He didn't have one.

GRANDPIERRE:

He was a wealthy man?

REGGIE:

I don't know. I suppose so.

GRANDPIERRE:

About how wealthy would you say?

REGGIE:

I don't know.

GRANDPIERRE:

Where did he keep his money?

REGGIE:

I don't know.

GRANDPIERRE:

Besides yourself, who is his nearest relation?

REGGIE:

I don't know.

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