Diabolique Page #4

how to get the drug

-But you got him to drink it

-l didn't want to, you know l didn't

You could have let him sleep it off

Who pushed him under?

And who brought the heavy bronze?

You'll see in court which of us

comes offworse

l'm not afraid ofthat;

we'd get what we deserve

-Go to the police, then

-l've thought of it

So you can blame it all on me?

Well, l'm going to call them first

Go ahead;

l'll tell them the whole story

How you killed him out ofjealousy...

...and l helped because l pitied you

You were the jealous one, because it

was over between you. You killed him

What are you waiting for?

Have you my paper?

The ink's still damp

l've nothing to say

-Where are you going?

-To Confession

You think you'll get absolution?

l can go to the police

-lnvolving me?

-l can't leave it like this

lt's over, don't worry.

He's been found

NAKED BODY lN THE SElNE

-Why in the Seine?

-The main thing is, he's been found

lt all fits:
the description,

the location, the time ofdeath

Our alibi will hold up

The morgue

l read this and l think

it may be my husband

ldentity card

Can you describe

Monsieur Delassalle?

Medium height, thin, dark eyes...

That's all in the paper

-Can you give more precise details?

-Such as?

Well, an appendix scar, for instance

He has one

-His own teeth?

-All ofthem, l think

-Fillings?

-One or two, probably

-Any moles?

-Yes... on his shoulder

No bracelet on his wrist?

He never wore one

Anything about the right thigh?

-Nothing

-Above the knee, remember?

Nothing... l must be wrong, then

Bring up 4702

You were right on both points

Come with me, please, Madame

-lt's not him

-Are you sure?

l'm sorry, this rarely happens

Saint-Cloud at this hour?

You don't catch me missing my dinner

Still a bit shaken are we, dear lady?

lt gets to you, doesn't it?

At least it wasn't him

Feeling better?

l'm Alfred Fichet,

police superintendent, retired

l didn't go to the police

You didn't even inform them?

You should have;

that's what they're there for

l didn't think of it; l'll do it

Oh, l can take care

ofthe matter myself

The police are so busy;

we mustn't over-burden them

We'll find your husband,

shall we, you and l?

l've forty years experience,

and time on my hands

There's really no need

lf l find nothing, you owe me nothing

lf l do find something...

well, you be the judge

-How long have you been married?

-Eight years. But l don't see...

l know what l'm doing.

So, eight years...

lt's boiling

He had keys... came and went.

After all, he was the boss

lt was a holiday, too

Monsieur Delassalle... depressed?

He wasn't the type,

not complicated at all

Feeling ill, perhaps?

Sound as a bell;

used to be a tennis champion

Did he get a telegram on Sunday?

A phone call?

Things often start that way

l couldn't say. l'd taken the wife out,

to enjoy the holiday

An accident is possible. Did Monsieur

Delassalle drive fast... very fast?

The ladies had the van in Niort

Could he have drowned?

He was like a fish in the water.

That man could really swim

l think you may have been too hasty

in your alarm

He's been gone only five days, and

already you're running offto the morgue

lt was that article in the paper,

the description...

That could fit 100,000 men in Paris,

not to mention their country cousins

You suspected suicide, l suppose?

Yes... l don't know

A suicide doesn't usually strip naked

l'm inclined to a much less

tragic theory

-By which l mean...

-A woman

You're right. lt was foolish of me

to worry and bother you

No. Our agreement was that if l find

nothing, you owe me nothing

But find something l will

lt's been so many years...

Our council school at Charonne

was nothing like this

lfwe'd had that...

You've had it emptied

-So you thought ofthat, too?

-Not at all

What do you mean?

lt was emptied because l dropped

my keys in... yesterday morning

Mademoiselle Horner,

our most loyal associate

So it's nothing but a coincidence

All the same, you do seem to have water

very much on your minds in this house

May l see his correspondence?

-You'll never find him

-How do you know?

-He has a typewriter, anyhow

-To take care of bills

True, Monsieur Delassalle is no writer;

perhaps he mistrusts his spelling

l don't see him as despairing

Well, let's do things properly

Delassalle, Michel, age 34...

Height... 1 metre 70... yes, l know.

Dark hair

-Eyes?

-Brown

Nose... average

Normal ears. You wouldn't think such

a description would turn someone up

They'll find him, though.

Those devils are good

How was he dressed that day?

We weren't here

Ofcourse. What am l thinking of?

What we'll do is look in his

wardrobe and see what's missing

What was the seventh pair?

Brown suede

-Tie?

-Dark red with white stripes

You've sharp eyes;

there are two dozen there

Now, the suit

You're more familiar with his ties?

A grey Prince ofWales, l think

Like this?

Madame Delassalle has a weak heart

You should have told me. There's

no hurry, l've plenty to get on with

Rest, dear lady, while l go and look

in on my friends at Headquarters

l'll be back, don't worry

Plantiveau says he's a detective

Private eye! Lemmy Caution!

Ritberger, ifyou've finished,

l can find more work for you

The Church knew the importance

of Latin, l can tell you that

Every last village priest knows Latin

But isn't particularly intelligent

lt isn't his business to be...

Not in class, Moinet?

The Head's punishing me

What nonsense!

Why would he punish you?

l broke a window

Could the Headmaster be back?

Tell me the truth. Who punished you?

The Headmaster

-Don't lie to me

-l'm not lying

You're frightening him

Be good and tell me everything,

and l'll let you offyour punishment

-How did you break the window?

-With my catapult

The Head opened the door, and said l

was to fill the wheelbarrow with leaves

That's impossible,

you know he isn't here

He's a born liar; last week he said

he fought a lion at the county fair

No one else has seen the Head,

but there is indeed a broken window

He can't have invented the story

A case of auto-suggestion, perhaps

He breaks a window,

expects punishment

Darkness and his subconscious

do the rest

-Do you really believe that?

-Yes, he imagined his punishment

l say he's just trying to pull our legs

The catapult

The Head confiscated it

Enough is enough, Moinet

Excuse me, l feel rather tired;

l must rest

You may leave the matter in our hands,

Headmistress

We've been very patient with you,

Moinet

You may go and stand in the corner

until you decide to tell the truth

We'll see who weakens first

l saw him; l know l did

lt wasn't Moinet who put the catapult

there. Who was it?

Someone, l don't know...

-Just chance?

-Yes, chance

Just chance that Fichet

was at the morgue

The suit, the hotel, now the boys...

...is all thatjust chance?

Calm down. l'm nervy, too

There must be an explanation.

Miracles don't happen... unfortunately

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