Original subtitles

THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF

Based on a short story by

These two wonderful weeks have now come to an end.

Two weeks of vacation.

Enchanting!

During which a humble inspector met the great star of the ballet, Wanda Bronski.

You should say that the great star of the ballet, etc.

Met the most brilliant inspector of the police, Edgar Tanner.

See you very soon.

- Nice vacation, Inspector? - Splendid, thank you!

- Hello, Inspector. - Hello, Maurice.

- So, what's new? - Nothing very pleasant.

- What is it? - The Chief wants to see you.

- No rest for the wicked, huh? - Unfortunately.

What's this mess?

No one touched a thing. Everything is as you left it.

- Put everything in order! - Yes, sir.

- And what's this cat doing here? - Nothing, sir.

It's the janitor's cat.

Start cleaning! I want everything in perfect order.

Starting tomorrow, I want flowers.

- Did you say flowers? - Yes, flowers.

I thought I'd misunderstood. What's happened? You've changed.

Happiness and love have changed me! I'm getting married in a month.

Do the same! Marry a pretty girl!

I wouldn't mind. But my wife doesn't want me to.

- I'm sad to see you so happy. - Why?

The boss is waiting for you, Inspector.

And once you've seen him, your mood won't be so good.

You think so? I'm afraid you're wrong.

I'm very happy with your work, Tanner. Especially in regards to the Martin case.

It was quite easy. Routine, really.

No doubt.

But the time has come to give you a case worthy of your talent.

I'd be honored. You won't regret it.

It's a case that could bring you fame and glory.

It's case file 3253.

The case of the four young women who disappeared?

No, five. Another one has now disappeared.

Another one?

Here is the situation.

Five women have disappeared in three months...

all in identical circumstances.

They vanished at night without a trace.

Not a single lead or the merest clue.

The first two didn't alarm us.

They were fairly loose women.

We assumed they'd left with an occasional lover and that we'd see them again.

But they never reappeared.

Now, after three months of quiet, the disappearances have begun anew.

Two women in 20 days.

This time, there are signs of violence in the victims' apartments:

Broken lamps, overturned tables.

Why?

My name? Eugénie Alberte Marianne France Schneider.

- Your age? - 22.

- Married? - No! Still single!

I have a number of suitors, but it's so difficult to decide.

No doubt, but please, just answer my questions.

That's what I'm doing! But once I start, I can't stop talking!

- Go on. Interrogate me. - The night of the incident, you were--

The incident?

You call it an "incident," sir?

It was a night of dread and horror!

- Did you see his face? - Not well. It was at night.

But it seems to me that he was very pale...

too pale and cadaverous.

Could you recognize him?

Yes. Because of the way he walks.

What's so unusual about it?

He was walking in step, with a heavy gait...

as if he was following a funeral procession.

I'm sure you know what I mean.

- Was he an ordinary man? - Extraordinary!

My love, my love

Give me as you pass

The warmth of your caresses

My love, my love

Come close to me

Never to leave me again

Make me happy at last

If you stay by my side

My affection will surely grow

But, my love, if you leave me

My passion will die out

My love, my love

- Thank you. - Why?

- I didn't think you'd come. - Yesterday, I promised I would.

But that was yesterday.

We all know how men are. They promise to come back...

and the next day, they forget.

I didn't forget you.

You are so beautiful.

For me?

When our farewell took you from me

And took you far away from my life

I was very happy

To be free at last

From your tired old love

You're so beautiful.

Your hair. Your mouth.

Your skin, so white.

What about my skin?

It's silky smooth. So soft, so fresh.

It feels like velvet.

You like it?

I feel like I'm in a dream.

You're the most wonderful man I've ever met.

And I'd like you to keep me as long as possible.

You're so pretty.

How sad to think that this juvenile grace...

this freshness can be withered by death.

Why do you think of such things?

Forgive me.

At my age, men sometimes have absurd thoughts.

You're not old. You're mature.

And you look very good.

If you were old, I wouldn't like you.

So you like me?

Yes.

What is it?

Why do you look at me like that?

It's nothing. More champagne?

Yes! Lots of champagne!

Tonight, I want to drink!

- Pardon me! - Good evening.

You shouldn't walk home alone. You're in no state to do so.

I'm not alone! Look, there's a cab waiting for me.

The Duke is inside, waiting for me.

And he's been very generous.

What a beautiful necklace. How lucky you are.

I didn't make you wait too long, darling?

- Where are you taking me? - Home, to drink more champagne.

- All right? - Yes, fine.

Anything you want.

But I'm telling you now, you won't get rid of me so easily.

Dany never lets go. You'll have to kill me to get rid of me.

Here.

- Thank you, sir. - I've never been out here before.

They say there are huge palaces here.

What did I do with my bag?

There it is!

Aren't you going to open?

How beautiful it must be here. Too bad we can't see a thing.

Strike a match, please.

Thank you.

How pretty!

All this greenery!

Speaking of which, do you like greenery?

Hey!

Silly you! You're scaring me!

Open up!

Open the door!

Why do you want to scare me?

Open up!

Are you there?

Are you there?

Are you there?

Don't be silly.

Show yourself. The joke's gone on long enough.

You'll be sorry if I catch you.

You'll be sorry, you'll see.

You'll see.

There.

Where are you?

Well, hello!

I saw you! Wait!

Where are you hiding?

Where are you hiding?

Morpho!

Morpho!

Bring her here!

Her skin wasn't damaged.

She's so pale,

you'd swear she was made of alabaster.

Poor Dany!

The necklace! Where is it?

Go away! I'm done with you today, idiot!

Disappear!

Melissa, my darling daughter.

Your suffering is almost over.

I'll save you.

I'll give you back your radiant beauty.

What's wrong?

He abused you again, Morpho?

Yes, I know, you're afraid of him, but you mustn't be.

After all, he's just a man. He'll die just like us.

When I was making my rounds this morning,

I saw that the door was ajar and the "For Sale" sign was gone.

I called the caretaker.

The caretaker?

Here's the sign.

Hello, Inspector.

He's the caretaker.

- Did you find the keys? - No, sir. I'm sorry. I can't find them.

It's only when the officer asked for them that I realized they'd disappeared.

So, I went to get another set at the owner's house.

- Where do you think they could be? - He must have stolen them.

- "He?" Who's "He?" - The buyer, sir.

He came four days ago. He wanted to visit the premises.

I took him home afterwards.

I give him some paper to write down the address.

He stole my keys, sir! I'm sure of it.

- How can you be so sure? - He was a strange man.

- Could you describe him? - I think so.

Tall, thin, elegant. In his fifties.

He had a look in his eyes that sends a chill down your spine.

Thank you.

If you go anywhere, let us know.

- I'll surely need you. - At your disposal.

- Did you find any fingerprints? - No. None at all.

I'm not surprised.

Thank you. If anything comes up, keep me posted. Let's go.

Now we have to find the cab that picked up the couple.

Yes, sir.

Let's not exclude the possibility of a theft.

So we have to find that necklace.

The duty officer described it well.

Yes, sir.

My dear Maurice, what an opportunity to be handed the case of the century.

Yes. An opportunity that comes at a moment

when you'd gladly spend more time with your fiancée.

- I'm really sorry for you' Inspector. - What can I do? Duty calls!

I could help you more than you think.

- How? - I don't know.

I'd like so much to help you.

Why don't you tell me more about this case?

Women have a lot of intuition.

For example, you already have several descriptions of this man.

Yes, but all different.

All fanciful and incomplete.

A strange look that sends chills down your spine.

A chalky complexion. The gait of a man in a funeral procession.

A lordly manner.

You should assemble these descriptions.

Assemble them? How?

I don't know. These clues are like pieces of a puzzle,

pieces that have to be put together.

Yes, but usually the pieces of a puzzle are visible.

They are well drawn.

Yes, well drawn.

Ladies and gentlemen, I called you here today

for an experiment that may shed light on the personality of the kidnapper,

whose misdeeds have given rise to your indignation.

Since all of you have supposedly seen this man

and have given a more or less complete description,

we're going to try, all together, to reconstruct his likeness

thanks to the talent of our illustrator, Mr. Klein.

Right.

In chronological order' you were the first to see him.

That's right. He's horrible.

You're the flower girl at the "Chat Noir," is that right?

I used to be, yes.

But today, I sell toffee and dolls.

One night,

a poor girl, a good friend of mine, Polly Patterson,

came out with someone.

- What kind of man? - Normal size, average.

Very elegant. With a dark frock and a black hat.

Like that?

A little bit.

Excuse me. He was taller and thinner.

Dressed in black, yes, but with a cape and gloves.

- Like that? - Taller and his face was--

- Wait a minute. We'll get to it soon. - Fine.

So, ladies and gentlemen, we have two versions of Mr. X.

Now, I would like to have the opinions of the others.

- I wish to speak! - Yes?

The second drawing is a perfect likeness.

It's exactly him.

And his gait, so characteristic.

Slow, heavy, impassive, weighty, careful.

Not at all!

Quiet! One at a time.

It's the cabbie's turn.

It would seem to me that it's the first drawing.

A little stockier perhaps.

I saw him when he got out.

But I didn't notice anything unusual. It's the man in the first drawing.

I perfectly agree. I saw him. We spoke in broad daylight.

Quiet! Quiet, please!

If I'm not mistaken, you saw two different individuals.

Right, let's move on to the face.

Describe the man you saw.

I hardly remember his face. He was normal.

- How old? - Well, neither young, nor old.

- And you? - Very wide eyes, and cruel.

- Light colored? - Yes. I think so.

The nose was thinner.

- Like that? - Sort of.

- What about you, cabbie? - I didn't see much.

It was dark, but I did manage to see his chin and mouth.

He had a square chin, very pronounced.

- Like that? - Yes. With a big mouth and thin lips.

Is that your opinion?

No. His face isn't at all like the gentleman described it.

- Why is that? - The man I saw was young, in his thirties.

The one I saw was young, with a thin and oblong face.

Very pale, but determined.

I also noticed that he had a very ugly scar.

On his right cheek, or the left.

From his temple all the way down to his lower lip.

That's it!

But what was even odder were his eyes.

Wide and vacant.

I struck a match and he didn't even flinch.

His eyes were lifeless, like those of a blind man.

It's an astounding likeness. You'd swear it was the same man.

Thanks a lot. You can all go home.

Good-bye.

- So, did you make any progress? - I'm afraid not.

- As of now, we have two killers. - The Commissioner said to give you this.

"While the new Bluebeard continues to spread terror,

the Inspector in charge of the case wastes his time with a ballerina.

What is he investigating with her?"

Tell Morpho to bury that body.

One more victim and what for?

- Have you failed again? - Yes.

But now I know why.

You've already sacrificed five lives.

Yes.

The lives of five harlots.

They all disgust me!

None of these girls was worth a minute of Melissa's life.

They're human beings. You had no right to do this.

Yes.

Yes, I know.

I deserve to be punished by God.

- Nevertheless, I will carry on. - You're totally mad.

- Can't you see it's useless? - No! I know why I failed.

Up until now, I've only tried transplanting the skin of dead women.

Dead cells, Arne.

That was my mistake. My big mistake.

From now on, I must transplant the skin of living women.

Only then will I triumph.

You're going to torture more poor girls? How dare you?

It won't last Very long.

And what will become of them after?

They'll have to die.

Or maybe not.

Yes, that's it. I'll use them to carry on with my experiments.

I'm leaving. I can't stay here anymore.

You terrorize me with your eyes and your bloody hands.

You'll stay here!

I'll kill you if you leave, Arne.

But so slowly that you'll beg me to finish you off right away.

Then why should I stay with you?

Because I don't want you to reveal my secrets.

I won't say anything, I promise.

I'm sorry, I can't take that risk.

And what's more, you are mine.

I broke you out of jail, freed you from a life sentence.

You should have left me there.

That's not what you said at the time.

Remember, when you were in the sick bay?

You too were different.

No.

I was just a poor doctor, working in a jail.

Maybe I was in love with you.

Yes, certainly.

Otherwise, you wouldn't have risked your job to save me.

How many nights did I spend dreaming up ways

to get you out of your cell?

Fortunately for you, I finally found a way.

It was simple' really. One shot of insulin,

and you fell into a coma.

All I had to do was sign the death certificate.

I spent a few horrible hours

before getting you out of your casket prior to the burial.

Then I carried you in my arms

for miles on end into the night.

I wonder what drove you to do all that.

Maybe it was to bury me in this castle, like poor Morpho.

Poor Morpho?

A sadistic killer who at 20 was already guilty of parricide.

I also helped him escape and stole his body to examine it

and study his brain at will.

And you turned him into a blind man, devoid of all reason.

A perverse animal that obeys your orders,

every one of which is more criminal than his own deeds.

I always tried to do good until fate lit that fire in the lab

that disfigured my daughter.

Today, my only wish is to give her back her beauty.

For three months' I've been fighting death with all my might.

But I will succeed.

I know time is of the essence, that's why I'm so ruthless.

But now, with the help of a few living human beings,

I know I can help Melissa.

Wait for me one moment.

I'll give the officer the two portraits of the killer so he can investigate here.

Don't be too long. I don't like it here.

- Good evening, sir. - The two portraits of the killer.

Ask around. I want to know if anybody's seen him.

- Understood. - Perfect.

Inspector, you're summoned to the police station.

Let's go.

What do you want?

Forgive me.

I must have mistaken you for someone else.

Someone who is very sick.

It's amazing how much you look like her.

Maurice found the necklace in Hartog, 25 miles from here. I must leave at once.

Maurice is already there. I sent him to arrest the seller.

A tramp with a bad reputation.

What's wrong, Wanda? You look upset.

I saw him. I'm sure of it.

- Who did you see? - The killer.

His gaze literally sent chills down my spine.

- How do you know it was him? - He was like the man in the first portrait.

What did he tell you?

That he mistook me for someone who is gravely ill.

It was really him, Edgar. The same hat, same cape.

Look! There he is!

Stop! Stop the cab!

May I help you, sir?

I'm sorry. My mistake. Please forgive me.

You're perfectly excused. Good night, sir.

I hope you're not going to start seeing the killer

on every street corner.

There are plenty of men with hats and capes in this city.

You're probably right.

I must be obsessed.

- Where do we go now, Edgar? - I'll take you home and be on my way.

A quick change of clothes and I'm off to Hartog.

- When will you be back? - I don't know. Tomorrow, no doubt.

- Why? - No reason.

I'll try to come back earlier, if at all possible.

- Think of me. - I think of you more than you know.

If everything goes my way, this case will soon be solved.

Then we can marry and go on our honeymoon.

Yes, darling.

I think it's time for us to part, you have so much to do.

- Do you still love me the same, Wanda? - No, much more.

When did you get in? I didn't hear you.

What are you doing with that dress?

Going to a masked ball tonight?

You guessed right, auntie.

- And what disguise did you choose? - That of a harlot.

At least it's not raining anymore.

If I haven't come down with anything, I'll be Very lucky.

It's here, Inspector.

Good evening.

That's him, Hogan.

The dealer who bought the necklace from the tramp we arrested.

Here's the necklace. Would you like me to open the shop?

No, that's fine. Where did you get this necklace?

- I already told your assistant. - Tell me again.

- How many times must I repeat it? - As many as I tell you to.

- Where did you get this necklace? - Someone sold it to me.

- Who? - Jeannot.

- Jeannot who? - I think it's Rousseau.

But everyone calls him Jeannot "Tanker."

Why? Because he's a drunk?

Exactly, sir. You're very perceptive.

Spare me the irony.

Do you know where this Jeannot is?

At home. At the cabaret, like every night.

Let's go.

Name?

Jean Rousseau.

Listen to me, Rousseau. I'm warning you.

Be careful with what you say, it could be used against you.

I don't know what that means, but go ahead, interrogate me.

- Who gave you this necklace? - Well, I fished it up.

In the bag of a young lady?

No, I swear. I fished it out of the river.

- And where would that be? - Close to here.

I'm a fisherman. Not for fun, but for food.

So I went fishing one day, cast my line and right away the cork sunk.

- I pulled and pulled and-- - The necklace appeared.

That's right.

- Do you have a job? - No, I'm on holiday at the moment.

I wander around. And fish.

And you get drunk every night.

- Yes. To forget. - Forget what?

Everything.

Did you also forget what you were doing on the night of the 23rd?

The night of the 23rd. That's going back quite a ways.

- Ten days ago. - Then it's easy. I was fishing.

We'll have to check it out.

As you wish, but it'll be useless.

Ask the fish! They'll remember!

Thank you, Jean.

Meanwhile, while we check your story, you'll spend a little time in jail.

I'll come get you in an hour.

No problem. Jail's not that bad. I've been there before.

What's not so great is the food, but you can't eat chicken every day.

Hey! Wait!

Listen.

I like you, but not him.

- You look like a swell guy. - Thanks. That's nice of you.

I'm not kidding. And I know you're in hot water.

Really?

Don't look in the village. The people there are too honest.

But outside the city, there are shady characters.

- What makes you say that? - Because.

That area scares me. It smells like a cemetery.

And I'm not saying this because I'm drunk.

I know the place. I've been there many times by following the river.

It disturbs me.

I swear, it looks like the perfect spot for a crime.

If I was you, I'd go check it out.

You're not hiding anything from me, are you?

Come on! If I knew anything, I'd tell you.

Really. It's just a hunch.

Hey, my friend, come with me. I want to get my toothbrush.

Move!

You were just a hope

A dream of love

And I loved you passionately

But now I'm doing fine

With my gentleman

With my fur and my landau

When our farewell took you from me

- Hello, beautiful. What's new? - None of your business.

What do you want?

Miss?

Are you drinking or not?

- What do you recommend? - A little kümmel? It'll get you going.

Make it a kümmel then.

- Say, beautiful, can you sing? - Of course.

Perfect. Let's sing a duet!

She sings in the morning in the garden

Come on, sing too!

Leave me alone.

Here you go, miss. Your kümmel is served.

Give me another one.

A double.

- Come with me. - You told me to leave you alone.

Sing with me and I'll go with you.

- As you wish. - All right, but a duet, okay?

Women, they're all crazy. I don't know what she sees in him.

- Come. Let's get a cab. - I couldn't have said it better.

- Are you free? - No.

Are you free?

- As free as can be. - Come on. Get in.

She's so pretty

She was as pretty

As a rose

She was--

- Are we home? - Well, I am.

Me too, then.

No, you're going to choir to sing with other girls all night long.

Sing?

- Take him wherever he wants. - Thank you.

Good-bye.

Wait! Give me the address of the choir!

- Enough for tonight. - Fine. I'll go get changed.

- Wait for me five minutes. - No more. I'm dead tired.

Who's there?

Irma?

Who's there?

Raymond?

Raymond?

Raymond?

That's enough, Morpho!

Take her away and lock her up in the tower.

She could still be useful.

Would you mind keeping quiet?

Sorry.

- May I, Inspector? - What a surprise! Here's our hard worker.

I wasn't talking to you, but to the Inspector.

Now, now, Mr. Jeannot. Please excuse me.

- Come in, Jeannot. - Thank you.

- Sit down. - Thank you.

What do you want, Jeannot?

- Tell him to leave. - Pardon me?

Excuse me, but I have something to tell you. Tell him to leave.

Leave us for a moment, Maurice.

- You're going to listen to this clown? - Leave us.

- As you wish. - You hear that?

- Now, can you tell me? - That's all I was waiting for.

I've just been released and I wanted to thank you.

It's only fair now that we've checked out your story.

But that's not all. I have stuff to tell you.

Since there was no wine in jail, I did a little thinking.

I like you. You're fair and square. Not like the other cops who--

Come now, Jeannot. That's got nothing to do with our business.

You're a gentleman. The first I've ever met

who never says anything bad about a friend.

If you follow the river for about five miles heading east, there's a barn and a pier.

They look abandoned, but they're not, not at all.

I've seen brand-new boats there and horses grazing.

What's this got to do with our case?

It's obvious! Think about it.

Who owns all this? We don't know.

Is there a caretaker? No.

You'd like to know what happened to the girls who disappeared, no?

Say someone took them by cab to the barn

and from there, took them across the river.

They'd probably go through Hartog to wind up at the castle.

- What castle? - It's a small castle right around Hartog.

Close to the river where I found the necklace.

But I'm certain it was lost elsewhere.

Further upriver. Because of the currents.

I say that because the necklace was spotless,

and back where I fished it out, the water's very muddy.

It should have been dirty.

Since the current is quite strong,

you'd think it was carried along to the place where I fished it out.

It's up to you, but you should go check it out. What'll it cost you?

The area is grim, but interesting.

Very disturbing.

You don't seem the type who's easily disturbed.

No.

They say that the inhabitants are strange and only come out at night.

Well, I told you everything.

Thanks, I'll look into this castle.

And check out the pier. The sooner, the better.

- At your service, my friend. - Stay in the area for a few days, Jeannot.

- As you wish. Anything for a friend. - Where can I find you?

30 Albert Street. It's a bar. Sorry, but it's the only place I know.

- So long, Inspector. - So long, Jeannot.

Good-bye.

- You never change, do you? - What do you mean?

You're always right where you shouldn't be.

- Maurice? - Yes, chief.

I want you to check out the inhabitants of a little castle near Hartog.

Yes, sir.

Try to find an abandoned barn and a pier up the river

- about five miles from here. - Yes. Fine.

If you find any fingerprints, compare them to those in the case file.

Yes, Inspector.

Meanwhile' the boss wants to see you and he's not in a good mood.

My darling daughter. She hasn't been home all night.

It's never happened. She always comes back.

She knows I've been sick for months and she never leaves me alone.

What's her name?

Irma Gold.

I'm a widow.

She dances every night at a cabaret called "The Trianon."

When she didn't come home, I went to see her friend Olga

and she said my daughter stayed late to rehearse.

- Alone? - She rehearsed with the pianist.

I'm so afraid that something has happened to her.

That my girl has been killed. That she'll never come home again.

Like all those other poor girls.

Don't despair. It's probably just a false alarm.

You can be sure we'll do everything in our power to find your daughter.

Take this lady back home.

Thank you, gentlemen. Thanks a lot.

I thank you all.

May God bless you.

This situation can't go on.

I demand that the kidnappers be found right away,

even if it means mobilizing the whole country.

This time, a murder was committed.

The kidnapper killed that poor pianist.

Then let's mobilize the whole country.

- Let's not hesitate. - What do you mean?

Let's put both portraits of the killer in all the newspapers.

And the press will know that we're clueless.

- They'll all be on our case. - You're right.

But if it means no more victims, then I don't care.

I'll write a warning to all citizens.

I'll send out all our officers in search of this criminal.

We'll search night and day and if we come up empty-handed,

I'll tender my resignation.

If you fail,

then we'll both resign.

Our careers are at stake, Tanner.

Is there anyone else?

Just one. He insists. He says he knows the killer better than anyone.

There are at least 30 people who know, who saw, who speak

and in reality, only speak nonsense.

- Shall I get rid of him? - Let him in. After all, what's one more?

Excuse me, Commissioner.

Commissioner? No, I'm an inspector.

Inspector, then.

I know who your killer is.

Very well. His name, please?

- These faces you've drawn are not faces. - Is that so?

They're masks made from dissected human bodies.

And what's the killers' name?

Elias Saussman.

He lives in the attic at 30, Ricochet Street.

He's a great writer.

- And where can I find him? - Very simple. He's right here.

- Here? - Yes, here.

Elias Saussman, the brilliant killer, is me!

Fine. Then I'll arrest you.

Yes. I'll finally have my name in the papers.

I'll finally be famous, even if it must cost me my life.

Handcuff him and send him to the loony bin!

No, not the loony bin! I'm a proper criminal.

And I'll write a pamphlet about you!

No! No, no!

You see what you've done with Melissa?

- She's a living corpse. - Shut up!

And for that, you killed?

I can still hear the screams of that poor, tortured young thing.

- Why? - Shut up!

My experiment was almost a success.

Look at her face.

Very soon, I will succeed.

How? By committing more crimes?

I'll try, if I can, to use that woman again.

And if she dies, I'll carry on with others.

The police are looking everywhere for you,

your likeness is everywhere and the whole city is on the alert.

- You'll be arrested! - I'll take that risk if I have to.

I would like so much to find a certain woman again.

Which woman?

She looks so much like Melissa.

She's just as beautiful as my daughter was.

If only I could draw her to the castle,

then I'm convinced there would be no more victims.

You're crazy, insane,

possessed by demons of torture and murder!

I won't let you commit any more crimes!

She's responsible for all those crimes!

Arne.

Arne!

You liked Melissa a lot.

Would you like to hear her voice again?

She was nice to you, wasn't she?

She wasn't afraid of you.

Don't you want her to be happy again?

Arne won't be back for a while.

She'll only be back for our triumph.

In a few days, a woman who looks like Melissa

will maybe come here.

I'm counting on your help.

And if it works out, she'll be all yours, Morpho.

- Did you read the papers? - Yes.

Even what they say about me in the Courier?

Of course. I hope they'll be kinder to me.

They'll acknowledge your talent.

And yours too. That's why I love you, Edgar.

Last call, Mrs. Wanda!

Go take your seat. I'll see you at intermission.

- Good luck. - I don't like to see you sad.

- Why? It pains you? - No, but I love you.

Inspector.

An urgent matter, I must go right away.

Head straight home after the show and tell Wanda I'm sorry.

The fingerprints are identical

and belong to the same person.

We picked this one up on the pier and it's fresh.

By consulting the archives, we found our man,

and here's the most important thing.

"Morpho Lautner, sentenced to death

for murder, parricide and repeated acts of violence

on May 21st, 1905.

Died in jail from a heart attack three days before his execution."

Seven years ago.

- Are you sure the prints match? - Have a look for yourself.

- That's why I had them blown up. - Yes, they match.

Fetch me the Morpho Lautner file from the archives.

Right away, sir.

Good evening.

You again! Remember me? No? Too bad.

- A kümmel? - How did you guess?

I recognized you.

A gentleman asked me to give you this.

He rented a private room.

He looks very distinguished. You'd like him.

Take me there.

- Hi, Paulette! - Hi, darling.

It's here.

If you need anything, call me!

- Do you have a pen? - Yes, of course.

If I only had flowers to sell, I'd already be dead.

Back in the old days, I used to sell a lot.

Men just aren't romantic anymore.

Thank you.

- Did I startle you? - A little bit.

I apologize.

Let me introduce myself. Dr. Orlof.

Glad to finally meet you.

- My name is Tanya. Tanya Feld. - Tanya.

- Please, sit down. - Thank you.

That way, we won't be disturbed.

- Champagne? - With pleasure.

An aberrant, a monster, who took pleasure in killing.

He committed his first crime at the age of 17,

killing a child of 12.

He committed parricide at 18. Obviously, he'd be the ideal suspect.

Unfortunately, there's a problem.

Mr. Morpho has been dead for seven years.

The death certificate was signed by the jail's physician, Dr. Or--

Orlof. I know him.

Orlof.

- Still practicing? - He retired about seven years ago.

This would have been his last official medical act.

He was a very smart man. A great doctor. It must be him.

Orlof.

Go fetch me the file of this Dr. Orlof.

Yes, sir.

It's already 1:00 in the morning.

We were supposed to make our rounds in the old city.

Yes, but this is more important. Find that file.

Right away.

I like you, Tanya.

More than any other woman I have ever known.

Let's go to my place, we'll be more comfortable.

I live in a quiet neighborhood and my house is charming.

Come to my place. Let's leave.

Yes, of course.

My hair is a mess.

- You must think I'm ugly' no? - You're beautiful.

- Finish your drink. - Yes, yes.

Offer me flowers, will you?

- Choose. The flower girl is here. - Yes. The flower girl. Thank you.

This one.

You'll see! A surprise, a surprise.

Wait for me one moment. I'll go freshen up, all right?

- Don't be too long. - Oh, no! I'll be back in a minute.

Here. Give this to the officer making his rounds in the street.

I saw him earlier.

Tell him it's urgent, the lives of many women depend on it.

Here. I'm taking a few more flowers.

What do you think?

You're more than beautiful.

Would you like to leave now?

- I'd like that. Let's go. - To my place, all right?

It's quite far, but we'll be alone.

It's a real, peaceful paradise.

Let's not waste any more time.

The cab is waiting for us.

I'm so sleepy.

I think I drank a little too much tonight.

- You're not angry? - Of course not.

You can sleep.

Thank you.

You're so nice to me.

Driver, faster!

I don't know where that pier is, sir!

Keep going. There's a fork in the road. I'll show you.

- So he lives in a castle close to Hartog. - Yes, he retired there.

How ironic if your friend, the tramp, turns out to be right.

Officer, how fortunate to find you here!

The killer's after me with a knife in his right hand!

And a hammer in the left, I know.

How sad. Everyone's gone crazy.

- So, Polks? - Good evening, Inspector.

- Anything new? - No, nothing. Or rather, yes.

- I have a letter for you. - Who from?

The flower girl gave it to me.

It's from a girl who according to her, was a little drunk.

Written in lipstick.

Another crazy one who's seen the killer.

- Shall we go, Maurice? - All right.

We'd better drink a coffee before going back to work.

- Good idea. - Good night and good luck.

- Thanks, boss. - Good night.

Thank you. Need help?

No, that'll be fine. Thank you.

Come. We're home.

Morpho!

Come here!

Morpho!

Take her up to Melissa's room.

She won't wake up for a few more hours.

I must make a serum before I operate on her.

- Any coffee left? - Yes, a little. According to this file,

Morpho Lautner was buried in the prison cemetery, lot 23, section 8.

- What about it? - It'd be easy to find the place

to see if Morpho Lautner is still there.

Maurice, that's a brilliant idea and vital to our investigation.

- Let's go make this unpleasant visit. - Now, sir?

Time is of the essence.

Here. That crazy woman's letter.

I'll read it later.

- Let's go. - Right with you.

Let's go back and give the order to arrest Morpho and Dr. Orlof.

The latter for forging a death certificate.

In the meantime, let's get some sleep.

How appalling! It's horrible!

What's the meaning of this?

You thought you had me, huh?

Maybe you even work for the police?

I'll show you the work I'm doing here.

A certain Jeannot gave me your address. He said I could find him here.

Yeah. He's right there. That's him.

Ah, my good friend! Want to share a drink with us?

- You have to take me to the castle! - What castle?

The one in Hartog! You were right after all.

Take me there, quickly! A woman's life depends on it.

This is all nonsense. The only truth is in wine.

It's the only truth there is.

Yes, the only one!

Love, love

Jeannot, take me to that castle. There's a cab waiting for us.

- Come quickly! - All right, Inspector.

Why didn't you say so? Let's go!

The pier is right over there.

I'm going to operate now, Morpho.

Morpho? What's wrong?

What are you doing? No!

Morpho!

What have you done, Morpho?

Jeannot.

Come on!

I don't dare shoot now.

Watch out!

- Wasn't I right after all? - Yes you were, darling.

You're the best detective in the whole world.

From now on, you'll always be by my side.

THE END