I Confess Page #2

- Oh, Mr. Keller, good morning.

- Good morning, Father.

You're back early, aren't you?

Is Mr. Villette's garden flourishing?

Mr. Villette is dead, Father.

- Dead?

- He was murdered, Father.

What? Did you hear that,

Father Logan? How dreadful.

I discovered the body.

I called the police.

Then they came and asked me

a lot of questions.

A lot of people were outside the house.

Then the inspector told me I could leave.

What a terrible thing.

A very terrible thing.

Father, why did you come

to Villette's house this morning?

Father, I must speak to you.

I know what you must think of me...

...but I can't give myself up. I can't.

They would hang me.

Hasn't God forgiven me, thanks to you?

But the police never would.

I don't know what you're

talking about.

But it was I who confessed to you.

It was my confession.

I want you to speak to me about it.

You must tell me what to do.

I can't give myself up.

You must tell me some other way.

There is nothing I can add

to what I've already said.

Aren't you human?

Haven't you ever been afraid?

You are so good.

It's easy for you to be good.

Have you no pity for me?

- Otto.

- Oh, Alma.

Otto, Father Benoit asked earlier...

...would you please

mend the tire on his bicycle?

But the tire wasn't flat

after all, Alma.

I don't see why you're so damn solemn

about this case, Larrue.

Anyway, why do you come

and worry me after lunch?

I've always had the greatest

admiration for you.

You have, in the past, been faced

with tremendously difficult cases...

...all of which you have solved

with remarkable skill.

And now, here you have

a case in which there are no clues...

...no fingerprints,

no motives, no suspects.

Ought to be very simple for you.

Shall I bring the girls in, sir?

- Girls?

- Yes.

Just a possibility.

It may be something to go on.

Sit down.

Sorry I had to drag you

away from school.

We love to be dragged away

from school. Thank you.

Are you a detective, monsieur?

Yes. And monsieur here

is the crown prosecutor.

Hello.

- Would you like a biscuit?

- Please.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

Now, my little ones,

tell me everything.

Your mother said that you

passed the Villette house last night.

- That's right.

- And what was the time?

- Eleven o'clock.

- No, it was after 11:O0.

- Well, now, which of you is right?

- Well, we had been babysitting...

...but we didn't go straight home.

That's why.

Well, shall we say, then,

between 11 and 11:30?

- Yes.

- And what did you see?

We saw someone

leaving the Villette house.

- A man or a woman?

- Man.

- Well, what was he like?

- He was a priest.

- What?

- A priest.

Now this is very important.

Are you sure?

Quite sure.

Tell us exactly.

On our way home by the Rue Valentine,

we passed Monsieur Villette's house.

We know it well. It was very dark,

and she was frightened.

- I was not.

- Yes, you were, and we began to hurry.

And then suddenly,

there was this priest.

He was coming out of the house

and walking away.

- Did you see his face?

- No.

How tall was he?

Like him.

- Was he fat or thin?

- Not fat. Not thin.

Did you notice anything special

about him?

- Did he see you?

- I don't think so.

But you are absolutely sure

he was a priest?

Yes.

Thank you. You may go now.

Oh, my little ones, I do not want you

to say anything to anyone about this.

- Promise.

- Yes.

Thank you.

Murphy, I want you to check

every rectory in town...

...and find out which priests

were out late last night.

Yes, sir.

Of course, it's absurd

that a priest would be involved.

You don't really think

it could be a priest?

Yes, maybe.

- Who?

- I have to make sure.

I can't tell you until

I've checked further.

Well, don't be so mysterious.

Most of his time is given

to his parishioners.

Was he with one on Tuesday night?

I have no idea where he was

or what he did...

...but I'm perfectly sure it's all right.

He will tell you so himself. Come in.

- Good evening, Father Logan.

- Good evening.

I believe this room has given this

gentleman from the police department...

...the idea that we hide grime with paint,

but it is not so, Mr. Murphy.

We have made certain that the walls

underneath are spotless.

I don't question that, Father.

Sorry to bother you, Father.

It's no bother. What can I do for you?

It seems that Inspector Larrue

wishes to speak to you.

Would it be convenient for you

to come down to the office now?

Certainly. Certainly.

It's all right, Father,

I told Mr. Larrue I'd be available.

Good night.

What is it, Father?

Who was that man?

The police want to ask

Father Logan some questions.

Oh, now you're bringing

your bicycle into the study.

How much further into the rectory

are you gonna push it?

- Alma, have you washed the cassock?

- Not yet.

- Where is it?

- It's in our room.

Don't wash it. I don't want it washed.

- But why?

- Listen to me.

I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.

I was occupied on the telephone.

It's all right, Murphy. I'll call you later.

- Unpleasant bit of business, isn't it?

- It is, yes.

Sit down.

Well, just a few questions,

and we'll get it over as soon as possible.

You've been at St. Marie's

for how long?

For nearly two years now.

I have known Father Millars for...

For a long while.

Matter of fact, I was a choirboy

when he was at the basilica.

Really?

I've heard that you saw military service

during the last war.

I believe you were awarded

the Military Cross. Yes.

You seem to have done

a number of brave things.

Well, I survived.

Are you given to understatement,

Father?

That depends.

This case, this Villette murder,

is all understatement so far.

- You knew Villette, didn't you?

- Slightly, yes.

Then perhaps you can help.

What was he like?

Well, unfortunately,

I didn't know him well.

Well, did you know him

socially or in a business way?

In neither way, actually.

I'd met him once many years ago.

- Cigarette?

- Thank you, no.

No one seems to have

known this Villette...

...and yet he was a lawyer.

He had clients.

Not one of his clients have any

information to give about the man.

Oh, not that you were a client of his,

as you say, you hardly knew him...

...but may I ask what were you going

to see him about yesterday morning?

Well, that was a personal matter.

You were acting for someone?

One of your parishioners, perhaps.

I can just say that my visit didn't have

anything to do with Villette's death.

Well, of course it didn't, Father.

But you do understand that I must

consider every scrap of information?

When a murder has been committed...

...each scrap of information

is important to the police.

- Of course.

- I know sometimes it seems like prying.

- It can be very embarrassing.

- I'm not embarrassed.

Good. Very good.

I've been wondering about the lady

you met outside Villette's house.

Quite by chance, I happened

to see you from inside the house.

Inspector, the appointment

that I had with Villette...

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