Charade Page #3

GRANDPIERRE (exploding)

C'est absurde, Madame. To-tale-ment absurde!

REGGIE:

I know. (pause) I'm sorry.

GRANDPIERRE:

It is all right.

GRANDPIERRE sighs, puts down his pencil and pushes a button

on the desk. He removes a cigar from his desk and inserts

it into his mouth.

GRANDPIERRE:

Is it all right?

REGGIE:

I wish you wouldn't.

He rips the cigar out of his mouth and slams it back into

the drawer, closing it fiercely. A UNIFORMED POLICEMAN

sticks his head in the door.

GRANDPIERRE:

Les effets de Lampert.

The POLICEMAN leaves and closes the door.

GRANDPIERRE:

On Wednesday last your husband sold the entire

contents of the apartment at public auction.

Furniture, clothing, kitchenware -- everything.

The gallery, in complying with his wishes, paid

him in cash. One million two hundred and fifty

thousand New Francs. In dollars, a quarter

of a million. The authorities in Bordeaux

have searched his compartment on the train.

They have searched it thoroughly. They did

not find $250,000, Madame.

He opens the desk drawer, puts the cigar back in his mouth

and lights a match by scratching it against the glass desk-top

before he remembers REGGIE's request. He puts it back in

the drawer again. The door opens and the POLICEMAN enters

again, this time carrying a wicker basket which he deposits

on GRANDPIERRE's desk, and leaves. GRANDPIERRE peers into

the basket.

GRANDPIERRE:

These few things are all that was found in the

train compartment. There was no other baggage.

Your husband must have been in a great hurry.

He begins to take them out, placing them on the desk,

identifying each item as he does.

GRANDPIERRE:

One wallet containing four thousand francs --

one agenda -- (pausing, he opens the notebook) --

his last notation was made yesterday -- Thursday --

(reading) "Five p.m. -- Jardin des Champs-Elys�es"

(looking up) Why there?

REGGIE:

I don't know. Perhaps he met somebody.

GRANDPIERRE (dryly)

Obviously. (returning to the items in the

basket) One ticket of passage to South America

-- one letter, stamped but unsealed, addressed

to you --

REGGIE (lighting up)

A letter? May I see it?

GRANDPIERRE hands her the letter and watches her closely

as she reads it.

REGGIE (reading)

"My dear Regina: I hope you are enjoying your

holiday. Megeve can be so lovely this time of

year. The days pass very slowly and I hope to

see you soon. As always, Charles. P.S. Your

dentist called yesterday. Your appointment has

been changed." (she looks up, puzzled) Not

very much, is it?

GRANDPIERRE:

We took the liberty of calling your dentist --

we thought, perhaps, we would learn something.

REGGIE:

Did you?

GRANDPIERRE:

Yes. Your appointment has been changed. (he

smiles at his little joke, then returns to the

basket). One key to your apartment -- one comb --

one fountain pen -- one toothbrush -- one tin of

tooth powder (he looks up) -- that is all.

He slides a sheet of paper and pen across to her, then

starts to put the things back into the basket while he

speaks:

GRANDPIERRE:

If you will sign this list you may take the

things with you.

REGGIE (sighing)

Is that all? Can I go now?

GRANDPIERRE:

One more question. Is this your husband's

passport?

He reaches into the desk drawer and pulls out a passport

which he hands to her.

30.INSERT -- PASSPORT

The cover indicates that it is Swiss. REGGIE's hand opens

it to a picture of a man -- the man we saw in GRANDPIERRE's

photo. Under it is the name: "CHARLES LAMPERT."

31.MED. SHOT -- REGGIE AND GRANDPIERRE

REGGIE:

Of course it is.

GRANDPIERRE:

And this?

He hands her another passport.

32.INSERT -- SECOND PASSPORT

The cover is American. When it is opened, we see the

identical picture, but the name under it reads: "CHARLES

VOSS."

33.MED. SHOT -- REGGIE AND GRANDPIERRE

REGGIE:

I don't understand.

GRANDPIERRE:

And this? And this?

He hands her, one at a time, two more passports.

34.INSERT -- THIRD AND FOURTH PASSPORTS

One is Italian which, when opened, shows the same photo

with the name "CARLO FABRI." The other is Venezuelan, the

same photo, and the name "CARLOS MORENO."

35.MED. SHOT -- REGGIE AND GRANDPIERRE

GRANDPIERRE:

Have you nothing to say, Madame?

REGGIE looks down at the four passports, then back to

GRANDPIERRE.

REGGIE (hopefully)

It's all right if you want to smoke your

cigar now.

36.INT. LAMPERT APARTMENT -- DUSK

The house is empty as before. Now it is silent, the late

afternoon light coming from outside. REGGIE stands by a

window. A canvas airline bag rests on the floor nearby.

Suddenly there is the noise of a DOOR OPENING.

37.CLOSER SHOT -- REGGIE

As her head turns, in alarm, toward the noise. There is a

moment of silence, then FOOTSTEPS are heard, coming closer.

38.ANOTHER ANGLE

As PETER enters.

REGGIE (surprised)

What are you doing here?

PETER:

I phoned but nobody answered. I wanted to

tell you how sorry I am -- and to find out

if there was anything I could do.

REGGIE:

How did you find out?

PETER:

It's in all the afternoon papers. I'm very

sorry.

REGGIE:

Thank you.

A silence.

PETER:

I rang the bell but I don't think it's

working.

REGGIE:

Yes it is -- I heard it this morning.

He looks around for the light switch, then goes to it and

flicks it on -- nothing happens. He flicks it a few more

times.

REGGIE:

They must have turned off the electricity.

She shakes her head. PETER looks around.

PETER:

Where did everything go?

REGGIE:

Charles sold it all -- at auction.

PETER:

Do you know what you're going to do?

REGGIE:

Try and get my old job back at UNESCO, I

suppose.

PETER:

Doing what?

REGGIE:

I'm a simultaneous translator -- like Sylvie,

only she's English to French -- I'm French

to English. That's what I did before I married

Charles. The police probably think I killed

him.

PETER:

Instant divorce you mean?

REGGIE:

Something like that. But I'm sorry it

ended like this -- tossed off a train like a

sack of third-class mail.

PETER (taking her hand)

Come on. You can't stay here.

REGGIE:

I don't know where to go.

PETER:

We'll find you a hotel.

REGGIE:

Not too expensive -- I'm not a lady of

leisure anymore.

PETER:

Something modest but clean -- and near enough

to UNESCO so you can take a cab when it rains

-- okay?

She nods. He picks up the airlines bag and they start out.

REGGIE stops at the door and looks back.

REGGIE:

I loved this room -- but Charles never

saw it -- only what was in it. All those

exquisite things -- (looking around) I

think I prefer it like this.

38A.INT. FUNERAL CHAPEL -- DAY

CLOSE SHOT of a phonograph. A hand appears, starts the

record on it spinning, then places the arm at the beginning.

An instant later ORGAN MUSIC starts with a roar.

39.INT. FUNERAL CHAPEL -- DAY

CLOSE SHOT of the coffin. It rests on a low platform, with

a bouquet or two of flowers near the head, the lid open.

Inside, the face made up to look lifelike (but failing),

lie the remnants of Charles Lampert.

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