This Man Must Die (Que la bête meure)

Shut up!

THIS MAN MUST DIE

Michel!

I would have killed a man.

I know neither name, address nor look.

But I'll find him and kill him.

Were you sick?

Yes, in a way.

Nothing serious, I hope?

No... not as you mean.

In that hospital,

they'd revive a corpse.

My sister's brother-in-law

I'm living with them

works in there as a male nurse.

A tall red head. Andre Duplessis.

Know him?

Their Dr. Duverger is A-1.

And the food, first-class too.

The prices, of course

You're lucky all the same.

The swine!

Sorry?

I meant that signpost.

3 months ago, a kid was killed here.

They could've thought about it before.

Authorities, you know

There was some mizzle, as usual.

You hurt your feet, it seems.

You had the curtains cleaned. Good.

Where's my boat?

A mast fell down. Old Coudec

is repairing it.

Very good.

You've repaired that.

Now listen carefully.

This is very important.

Never speak about "that".

Not the slightest reference.

You promise?

If, some day,

you have to talk about him

do it at the present tense,

As if

I know it's stupid

but I prefer it.

Let's drop that.

Did you obey my orders?

Is his room empty?

Yes. I gave everything to my niece's son.

And the toys?

I couldn't! No, I couldn't!

It may take 6 months, one or two years

but I'll find him.

I'll make friends with him

I'll wait patiently.

When he's trapped, I'll look at him with a smile.

Directly in the eye

And I'll make him deserve his death!

I've some work to do. Let no one disturb me.

If the phone rings I'm not here

I said I had work to do!

But, sir

Leave me alone!

But... it's the Police.

Gentlemen.

Come in, gentlemen.

Please sit down.

Sit down

Just one moment.

- Well? - The investigation is going on.

Vainly, of course?

We've put ads throughout the region.

To inform everyone

Every garage in the area has been visited.

The collision surely damaged the car.

We've been inquiring about repairs.

The pump assistants were questioned.

My men went everywhere.

Nothing.

I expected as much.

Might as well look

for a needle in a haystack.

In a haystack?

I wouldn't put it in a haystack.

I'd hide it in a needle-case.

Meaning?

The best way to hide a small dent

is to cause a bigger one.

What would I do to hide an accident?

I'd create a second.

I'd drive into a wall, a tree, anything.

It'd cover the first collision.

Yes, we must find out

if another accident happened that day.

We took care of that.

The idea isn't new.

There are different possibilities.

Perhaps the car hasn't been damaged

which is unlikely.

Or maybe the guy put it in a private garage.

In that case, it's still there

Or he might have repaired it himself.

If this hypothesis is right

does it inform us about the man?

It does.

If he repaired the car himself

it means he's an expert

and has the necessary tools.

You straighten a wing with a hammer.

But

he must have worked during the night

Because

hammering...at night... makes a ruckus

The noise would've woken the neighbours.

A wing can be removed and then replaced.

Let me go on.

If he replaced himself

a wing or a head-light

he's a good mechanic.

He's likely to work in a garage.

Or

Perhaps he's the owner of a garage

and can use his spare parts

without having to tell anyone.

A bit imaginary.

No, no... wait.

My son was crossing

from left to right.

He was thrown to the left.

Then the left wing was damaged.

We must find a left front wing!

May I help you?

Yes. I've a little trouble with my car

Where's your car?

At my place.

You'd better bring it here, don't you think?

No, no, it's not much.

I can do it myself.

If you've a front wing.

Oh a wing! What kind of car is it?

A 404.

I've no wings for A 404. No wings!

Well... if you had some old parts

I might find what I need.

An old stock of wings?

We fix them and throw out the junk

We don't keep them. I've no wings.

What would we do with them?

My apologies

Sorry. I'd have liked to help you.

It's okay. Thank you.

I've found it.

Take it, then.

Yes... that's it.

Careful with my tools.

But that's completely ruined!

Less than mine. I'll put it right.

-Didn't you say a left wing? -Yes

That's a right wing.

The result is rather disappointing.

Five exhausting weeks for nothing.

Or almost nothing.

Dead ends.

False hopes which leave me desperate.

I realize that my search is limitless.

I'm only a human being tracking another.

My only arm is my patience.

I have all the time.

I have all my life.

And all his.

Unless chance interferes.

Chance is wonderful. And it exists.

It's the only thing that exists.

The point of my pen on this paper

is like everything in the world

a coincidence.

I bet you're stuck.

You're not the first.

Same thing every time it rains.

There's always one to get stuck.

And sometimes, even two or three.

What can we do?

Do you know anything about cars?

Hell, no!

I don't either.

Wow...say...well

Last time, it happened

to someone important

an actress, a movie star

a fine girl.

She was in a sports car.

A Mustang, my son said.

A swell girl!

The guy with her, he fumed because

the front of the car was damaged

I remember it well. It was on the 3rd of January.

Yes, the night of January 3rd

-On January 3rd? -Yes, January 3rd.

What a fine girl! And not proud.