Tenebre

[MAN'S READING FROM "TENEBRAE" BY PETER NEAL]:

"The impulse had become irresistible.

There was only one answer to the fury that tortured him,

and so he committed his first act of murder.

He had broken the most deep rooted taboo

and found not guilt, not anxiety or fear, but freedom.

Every humiliation which stood in his way...

could be swept aside by this simple act...

of annihilation: Murder."

Thanks, John. Take care of everything while I'm gone.

Have a good trip, Mr. Neal. Flight 401 to Rome.

See you inside the check in.

Flight 401 passengers please proceed to Gate 7.

Mr. Peter Neal, passenger to Rome. Mr. Peter Neal to the Information Desk.

Miss, excuse me, Peter Neal. Do you have a message for me?

Yes, there was a call, you can pick a phone over there.

Thank you. Hello? Yeah! Yeah.

Well, listen, Jane,

listen to me. Yeah. The reason why-- The reason why I haven't...

seen you for six weeks is because I-- Yeah. Jane,

take it easy! Would you just take it easy?

Look, I'm going to hang up on you. Do you hear me? I'm just going to hang up on you.

Right tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow.

I'll try to call tomorrow. Okay. Yeah. Bye.

Oh, Excuse me.

- Open your bag! Open it! I said, "Open it!" - Leave me alone.

- Come with me! I said come with me! - Leave Me alone.

I want to look in your bag!

Do you have a receipt for this one?

I was going to the cashier to pay for it!

You told me you didn't have a book.

Hey, what do you see? Who the fuck are you? I was only going to pay for it!

Please come along with me to my office, will you? This way!

Oh! Oh, I don't come in, I'm called in.

Elsa Manny, 12 convictions for shop lifting.

You should have learned by now!

Okay, listen. We can make a deal.

You, uh, just take the paper back, for Christ's sake.

I'll give you my address, for later, I mean, any time.

Come on, give me a break. You're not gay, are you?

Where do you live?

Here in Rome, Number 14 Via delle Camene.

Via - delle - Camene. Okay!

Thanks!

: We are approaching the coast of Greenland. We expect to land in Rome in approximately 5 hours.

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Hey, come here.

Hey, hey, girl, back!

Come back! Hey, hey, come here!

Ah, you hit me! You bitch! I'll kill you, huh?

Come here, back here!

Hi Carla. Hi, my washing machine just broke. Are you okay?

I am, now...

fine, thank you!

- Did everybody get this release? - Let's try anywhere.

Am I too late? No, did you get this release?

Come on, look at you! You're getting prettier every time I see you!

Are you still writing nice things about me, huh?

Getting my notes together usually takes me I would say about a month.

And the actual writing... actual writing about three months.

- Hi. - Hi Tilda.

Yeah, two months for revisions, rewrites, proofs.

So, 3 books in a row means I haven't stopped for almost two years now.

Tenebrae is a sexist novel.

Why do you despise women so much?

Sexist?! Oh, No. I don't think it's sexist.

Women as victims, ciphers,

the male heros with their hairy macho bullshit,

how can you say it isn't sexist?

Tilda, what's the matter with you?

You've known me for 10 years ever since you studied in New York.

- You know very well that I-- - Look, I'm talking about work!

Well, I don't know. Would you like me to tell you...

that I... support to the equal rights amendment?

Okay, so then explain the books.

Do you write to a fixed pattern?

Or do your publishers tell you this kind of sexism sales copies?

Miss, why don't we do this?

Setup a separate interview with you and Mr. Neal,

and let him really come the grips with your magazine's attitude, huh?

He just got off the plane and-- Well, how would that be?

- Okay. - I, uh-- I think it's time.

Uh-huh. Have a good day!

We just gonna slip out.

You all are welcome to drink the bar dry.

Thank you very much for your attention and your interest.

Oh, by the way, call me tomorrow and we'll setup a meeting!

Hey, my mother was hoping you to call.

Tell her I will. I'd love to see her!

- You know that you're getting very tense? - I'm learning.

Those guys just want your balls...

because they haven't, after all.

- What is that? - The hat you mean?

Bought it in a shop here in Rome. Nice, eh? It suits me!

- Isn't it warm? - No, try it!

No, no, no, no, no! Doesn't it--? Doesn't it drop off?

Drop off?

Yeah, I mean if you make a quick movement, won't it slip off?

Look!

- That's a miracle! - Drop off?!

You know, your book's been number one here, on the best sellers for at least 12 weeks!

- Twelve weeks? - Twelve, yeah, yeah. - Already 12 weeks? That's amazing, amazing!

- Pleased with your agent? - Oh! Terrific, great, incredible, fantastic!

Come on, come on! Say something nice about me!

Tell me, where is Anne my secretary?

Yeah, she's quite a girl that Anne. 6 days over here!

She's got the whole time wired for you and got a great place for you this morning.

- She promised to meet me here. - She's downstairs.

I didn't want them to think you had an on to roach.

They love your books, but they hate success!

Huh? That's interesting! Very, very interesting!

Hey, Bullmer, there was a-- There was a fellow in the corner.

He was, eh-- Well, actually he never said a word.

- The tall thin guy? - Yeah, that's it!

Cristiano Berti, he's a book reviewer on Channel One TV.

He is a big fan of yours. And we take the show with him... Thursday.

Oh, yeah!

- Ha-ha Peter!

How are you?

- Fine, how are you? - Oh, I'm great!

Peter? Peter, this is Gianni. Gianni, this is Peter Neal.

- Hi, Mr. Neal. - I'm glad to meet you, Gianni.

This talented young man will some day be an agent in the Rome office.

In the meantime, he's gonna look after you during your staying here.

Ah-huh!

And in the meantime, you pay more than promises, right?

See you tonight, alright?

- So-- Oh, I brought you a present. - Oh, Peter!

Just a little thing!

Oh, God!

Who could have done such a thing?!

Here we go. I'll take that, Gianni!

Are you Peter Neal?

Mm-hm. Yeah, that's me

Good evening! I'm Captain Germani,

of the Rome Homicide Squad.

And this is Inspector Altieri.

I'm sorry, we didn't want to disturb you, but the door was open!

- Right Inspector? - It was open, that's correct!

I apologize, but a girl was killed 5 hours ago.

A girl named Elsa Manni, an inveterate shoplifter.

We wanted to know if you knew her?

This is the first time I've been to Rome.

She died from 4 deep wounds.

- Throat, chest and suffocation. - Huh!

Her mouth was stuffed with pages from a book, Tenebrae.

Tenebrae?!

Well, we came to check if you knew of any connection.

I'll get you a drink.

Uh, just, uh-- just some water, please, Anne. Thank you!

- Is it alright if I-- - Sure, go ahead!

Sorry to bother you, we were just about to leave when...

- we heard the elevator! - Well, I didn't know the girl, I'm sorry.

Thank you.

No!

I'd offer you something harder, but you don't drink on duty, right?

Aeh, I only drink on duty a scotch, please, straight up!

Okay.

You just arrived, Mr. Neal? You mean, do I have an alibi?

Yes, I landed from New York about 2 hours ago.

Can I ask you something?

If someone's killed with a Smith & Wesson Revolver,

do you go and interview the president of Smith & Wesson?

Ah-heh! Thank you.

I've read all your books, Mr. Neal, except this one.

Just started on it last night.

The book deals with a murder commited with an old fashioned open razor, right?

Don't tell me who did it, I haven't finished it yet!

This girl, too, was killed with a razor and your books' pages stuffed into her mouth.

Ah! We found this...

on the floor of your apartment here. It's addressed to you!

"There was only one answer to the fury that tortured him."

Isn't that a passage from your book?

- Huh? - Yes. Yes, it is.

I respect you, Mr. Neal, believe me. I don't want to make...

your stay in Rome a nightmare, but we're going to need your help.

- Heh! I'd like to keep the letter. - Yes.

I think you'll get another one some time,

and then another.

So, we'd be very grateful if you keep us informed.

Beautiful scotch, but we won't keep you.

Inspector, please give them a card.

Mr. Neal, if you get anything, anything at all, you just call me on that number. All right?

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

There is something else. My travel bag in the bedroom. Gianni!

When I left home yesterday, uh, this morning, it was--

- Of course it wasn't like that. - Hello, hello?

Mr. Neal, would you like me to go and get you anything?

I mean I don't know what's being destroyed, Shaving Kit, anything like that.

I'll make you a list. Thanks. Gianni!

- And do you mind if I take this? - No, please go right ahead!

Hello. Peter Neal speaking!

: "Not anxiety or fear, but freedom." You wrote these words.

Page 46, "Freedom to strike again," Peter...

Listen, don't hang up.

We have to talk.

You taught me how, Peter Neal. You and me together! We've just begun.

Who's up there with you? I can see a woman, that's your girl friend?

Maybe she should be next,

but I've got other plans. If you like them,