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L'Alibi
At the nightclub
M. Winckler is doing his mind-reading act at the Femina nightclub. Mr Gordon walks in, but wants to leave as soon as he recognizes Winckler. Winckler guesses when Gordon was born to everyone's amusement (he had lied to his girlfriend about his age), and as he's leaving tells him not to forget to pay for his drinks.
At the bar
Helene is at the bar with her friends. She talks about her money troubles, and makes fun of Winckler's act when suddenly he comes up to them. 'You lost your mystical eye, he says. You don't need it, with the eyes you have'. She says she was just having fun and mentions again her money trouble. He reads her palm, her luck will change very soon...
Later:
Gordon is scared and running away to London.
G�rard is walking Helene home. She owes him money too.
Later, at Helene's apartment:
Winckler wants to offer Helene a deal. She misunderstands him. 'No. You look nice physically, but you're not my type of woman. Would you like to make 20 000 francs?...'
-What should I do?
-You came back here last night with me, and we stayed together all night long.
-Won't I get into trouble?
-Not for 20 000 francs worth.
-It's a drug thing?
-Maybe.
She hesitates. 'I need it too much...'
The next day:
The police questions Gordon's girlfriend who puts them on Winckler's trail. Helene can at last pay her back rent and the landlady tells her a friend of her brother is waiting inside.
M. Emile tells her that her brother needs money. She finds it amusing, she just sent him some this afternoon. M. Emile says he tried to see her after her work the night before, but she had already left. 'Too bad, she says. I was all alone and went straight home to bed. We could have talked...'
Later, Winckler receives a convocation to the police station. 'It's very, very annoying', he says.
At the police station:
Helene has also been asked to the station to see Inspector Calas. 'But isn't that the nice M. Emile?' He asks her to sign the declaration she made earlier. She lied earlier, she says. She wasn't alone that night. She didn't want to tell the truth to 'Emile', so he wouldn't repeat it to her dear brother who respects her so much. But saying it to the police, it's different. She tells him she spent the night with Winckler. That's nothing to brag about, he's not very handsome. 'But I'm having some trouble with my landlady...'
-All night or just a few hours?
-All night...
-You have my sympathy... He didn't leave at all during the night? Sorry, I almost was impolite...
As she leaves, Helene tells him he looked better in uniform. 'Thanks for preventing us from making an embarassing mistake, says Calas. We were about to arrest Winckler for the murder of a man named Gordon...'
M. Winckler is called next to the inspector's office.
-The young woman confirmed your story.
-I'm very...
-Happy?
-No... not happy. I'm very...
-Relieved?
-Why relieved? I'm not relieved. I'm very...
-Crafty.
-You're not helping. Fortunately I have my dictionary. May I?
-Please do.
-Sorry! I'm very sorry I had to drag the young lady into this. because it's not being a gentleman.
-No, but it's crafty.
-Crafty, you're always saying that. Usually with ladies, I'm very discreet. How do you say that in French?
-Discret.
-Oh, that's easy.
-But you couldn't be in this case. Your head was on the line.
Helene comes back. 'You have someting to say? Don't be afraid.' Calas tells her she'll be protected.
-I have nothing to say.
-You lied, you were paid. But you hadn't been told it was a murder.
-Not at all. I was just wondering if my name would be in the papers because of this. You understand, my family and my brother...
-I was just telling the inspector how sorry I was to have dragged you into this. But you see, he thinks I killed Mr Gordon, and who knows, maybe he still believes I did...
'What a moving little scene!', says Calas. He tells Winckler not to leave town. 'Besides, Paris is beautiful at this time of year...'
At the morgue:
'John Gordon, ex-convict, ex-gangster and now ex-Gordon,' says Calas. The others laugh. 'That's not that funny...'
The girlfriend identifies the body and notices Gordon no longer has his ring.
At Winckler's place:
Helene comes in. She gives him back his 'dirty money'. 'Too late', he says. She tells him she thought it was drug-related. 'Too bad for you'. She'll tell the police, she says. And she can prove it to them: Gerard took her home that night. He can testify.
'Why didn't you say that before?', asks Winckler.
-He'll talk! He won't be afraid!
-Oh, I don't think he'll talk...
Much later at the nightclub:
Helene is feeling very low. She's introduced to a drunk, Andr� Laurent. Calas is there, 'another disguise...', says Helene. Winckler does his mind-reading act. The drunk falls down and gives Helene a ring. She doesn't want to accept it because he's drunk and may regret it, but finally does. Winckler guesses that Calas is a police inspector. 'No need to read minds to guess that', Winckler says. He joins Calas at his table.
-Good work, professor. I hope one day I'll do my job as well as you do yours.
-It's more difficult to find a criminal than to find a cop.
-It's the same. You look for the one who looks the least like it.
-To your health!
-Is that irony?
-No... To the arrest of Gordon's murderer.
-I'll drink to that. I see you're not superstitious.
-Never! In my line of work...
-One more thing...
-No, I didn't do it.
-Oh, I know. You knew Gordon in America?
-He was a great enemy of mine.
-What did he do to you?
[they continue in English, well Winckler does...]
-You had many reasons to kill him.
-I'm happy someone else had the same idea. I would have had to do it myself.
As he says goodnight to Helene, Calas notices the ring. 'What's that?'
-None of your business.
-But it is.
Calas takes the ring and arrests Laurent.
At the police station:
They bring in the prisoner. The ring belonged to Gordon, and Laurent doesn't remember where he bought it, he was drunk. 'I'd advise you not to take this so casually. Someone you don't know sold you the ring and you gave it to this lady who you don't know either? You take me for an idiot?... I can't arrest you now, but I will when I get the chance.'
Laurent is to report to the station every 2 days. He buys Helene another ring and they try to find in what bar he could have bought the first one.
At Winckler's:
Winckler wants to know why Helene went to the police.
-To prevent an innocent man from being accused in your place.
-Charming idea. You didn't succeed I hope? Good, because that Laurent has the face of a murderer, if you ask me.
-You framed him, you sold him the ring.
-I didn't, much to my regret. It's an idea I should have had... I know you like that young man, but if it makes you forget your promise... Poor Laurent!
At the beach:
Helene's worried and Laurent is jealous of Helene's friend. They notice Winckler's servant following them. 'Didn't the police suspect Winckler at one time?', asks Laurent.
-Yes, but he had an alibi.
-I'd be curious to know what it was, that alibi...
At the police station: Calas asks Laurent if Helene told him she lied to the police. They disagree about whether she's lying or telling the truth about the alibi.
-Use your charm, says Calas. Make a scene, tell her 'A girl like you with a man like him! ah, it's horrible...' No need to resort to tears, but great concentrated pain. Maybe I'll even arrest and torture you; I didn't think up that ring business for nothing. And no true love, this is a police story...
At the nightclub:
Helene is worried about Laurent. She looks for him and finds him in a bar. He makes a scene about her sleeping with Winckler; Calas told him about his alibi, he says. 'A girl like you with a man like him! ah, it's horrible...'
Helene doesn't deny spending the night with Winckler...
The next day:
Helene and her friends are going to the country. They go to pick up Laurent, but she's disappointed that his room is so impersonal. She laughs at his hat, it's too big. He tells her a policeman came to question him earlier in the day and must have taken the wrong hat by mistake.
At the picnic, Jojo, who is a car thief, is very impressed with Laurent (he thinks he's the murderer). Laurent and Helene go for a boat ride on the lake. He's still going on about her sleeping with Winckler. She starts crying. He apologizes. 'Let's start all over again', he says.
At the police station:
-I'm sick of this, chief, says Laurent. You're wrong and I'm a jerk. The girl is sincere and she's upset about the whole thing. She loves me.
-I hoped she would. I don't know the girl but I assure you there's nothing between her and Winckler, so don't let that keep you from marrying her.
It's now time for the last act that they'll rehearse like in the theatre. The inspector's secretary will be Laurent's mother who'll be desperate that they arrested her son. 'It must be heartbreaking. Helene will tell us everything.'
At the nightclub:
Winckler walks up to Helene and Laurent.
-Introduce me please. My friend Helene is very charming, you have good taste. We have the same. The police is so worrysome. They have questions but we don't always know the answers.
-But you do. And that's why they're harassing me.
-I've got an alibi. Too bad for you.
-I'll find the murderer.
-That's dangerous.
-He'll make a mistake sooner or later.
As they're dancing, Laurent asks Helene to leave with him. He'll phone his mother. Helene says good-bye to her friend.
But Laurent is arrested at the train station. Helene follows.
At the police station:
-Don't look so glum, Laurent. In one moment, you'll learn something that should make you very happy.
-You think she'll come.
-I have faith in your sex appeal.
Helene walks in, they play their scene and Helene tells everything. Winckler's servant calls his boss to warn him that the girl talked. Laurent's colleagues tease him, his job must have been fun.
Helene stays at the station under police protection, but soon recognizes Laurent's mother in the inspector's secretary. Helene realizes Calas played the M. Emile trick on her again. She really fell for it, and for Laurent. 'Tell Emile he did a good job.' Laurent assures her he really loves her. She tells him to go collect his bonus.
Much, much later on the beach:
Helene has a nice scar, her friend says. She still loves Laurent. Jojo, the car thief, runs when Laurent arrives, now that he knows he's a cop. Helene and Laurent still argue about Winckler. 'Don't talk to him, says Helene's friend. He's just a dirty cop.' Helene gets peeved at both of them...
