06x08 - Le.Testament

[bunniefuu]

ASTRID: [[Ah ah ah ah.]]

File falls

ASTRID: Do not touch the files.

Don't touch!

ASTRID: Don't touch. Don't touch.

You damaged the box, it is torn.

[[Ah ah ah ah!]]

Do not touch.

I was very explicit with Ms Beauvois.

This audit does not require
any deviation from the protocol

on handling and
preservation of classified files.

Therefore I am the only person
here authorized to handle the files.

I am authorized; do not touch
the files, you damaged a box.

AUD1: Don't get upset.

- You did damage a box, though.
- Yes...

- Sorry.

RAPH: When will I get the result?

DR: So, for the electromyogram
results are quick.

And the MRI you had this morning
has already been sent to the neurologist,

so you'll have it all in a few days.

So it's not painful, it's just
slightly unusual sensations, okay?

DR: Let's go.

Clicks.
Tones, crackling.

. . .

Insistent knocking

- Yes, coming!

Annoyed
Oh-!

Astrid!
- Hello Raphaëlle.

I need to talk to you
about Archimedes' Palimpsest.

- At 5:30 in the morning?

- At 5:31, yes. Criminal
Documentation is impossible,

that's what made me decide.

- All right, I- excuse me—

—is there a connection between
Criminal Documentation and, your thingy?

- Archimedes' Palimpsest?
Absolutely not,

it's a work dating
from the 13th century,

it has nothing to do with
Criminal Documentation.

No, actually, Loculus_95 has it.

- All right, Loculus.

- Underscore 95.
- Underscore blah blah. Hold on, hold on,

you know what? I'm
going to make a big coffee

and we'll start from the beginning, huh?

- There, the coffee. Yes.

- In the Middle Ages,
parchment was a scarce resource,

and it was common for a parchment
to be reused several times.

Books whose text has been covered
by other text are called 'palimpsests.'

Raphaëlle, you're asleep.
- No.

- Yes.

- So, Archimedes' Palimpsest

is a text by Archimedes,
hidden under another...

- Beneath the text
of a medieval prayer book.

Thanks to modern techniques,

a 9th-century text, based on a work
by Archimedes from the 3rd century BC,

was rediscovered beneath
the 13th-century religious text.

- Mmp. And, uh...

this text interests you because?
- Because it contains

the written record... of the
first known puzzle in human history.

- Ah.
- The Loculus.

- Yes.
- It's a kind of tangram

dating back to antiquity- Raphaëlle,
I don't understand your questions,

we've talked about this.

- Oh really?
- Yes,

throughout a whole
Monday dinner.

In October.



Improvising
- Yes! I remember!

- There you go.

In 2013 this legendary work was
sold at auction to an anonymous buyer

for $2.2 million.

- Oh, wow.
- Yes.

Only, I learned that this anonymous buyer

is none other than Loculus_95,

who I've been exchanging puzzles with
for several years now on Puzzle Buddies.

Two days ago, Loculus_95
sent me an email to tell me

his real name: Edgar Denis Lesneaux.
- Oh...!

And to invite me to his place to
consult on Archimedes' Palimpsest.

- No!
- Oh yes.

- Yes! But I'm not letting you
go alone, I'm going with you.

- Our train leaves in 43 minutes.
- 43 minutes.

- Loculus_95's property
is located in Eure-et-Loir.

If we want to be able to
make the round trip in one day,

we must take the 6:20
train to Nogent-le-Rotrou,

in 43 minutes.
- No no, I'm not ready at all, Astrid.

- That's why I got here early, Raphaëlle.

- But- We can definitely go, but,
I dunno, maybe a little later.

Next weekend is good, and
there's a holiday next week.

- Loculus_95 emailed me two days ago.

But that was too much
of a disruption of my routine.

However, my routine
has already been disrupted

by the ongoing audit
of Criminal Documentation.

Tomorrow will be too late.

Loculus_95 wrote me that
he's leaving on a long trip.

We must leave now.

- Very well, I'll get dressed and
we'll go for the train in 43 minutes.

- 41 minutes.
- Yes! No, don't stress me out,

I haven't washed up!
- Wash up.

- I haven't done my hair!
- Do your hair.

- I haven't done my makeup!
- You'll do it on the train.

- And breakfast and all that?

- There's actually a bakery
downstairs from your place.

Sweeping orchestral music

. . .

- Well... Beautiful house!

He has money, your Loculus 95.
- Underscore 95.

I remind you that he bought
a book for $2.2 million.

- And what'd you say his name is?
- Loculus_95.

- No, his real name.
- Oh. Edgar Denis Lesneaux.

There are cars.

Loculus_95 didn't mention
the presence of other guests.

He only mentioned
his housekeeper living here.

I hadn't anticipated so many
social interactions, [ah ah ah ah!]

- No, Astrid, don't worry,
maybe these are all his cars.

What're they doing?
Are they opening up or something?

Lock buzzes

Raph grunts - We need to push.

It's heavy.
[font color="#4a4a4a"].

It's heavy.
- It could've been automatic, huh?

- It could've been automatic, huh?

Hinges creaking
- It could've been automatic, huh?

Hinges creaking
[font color="#4a4a4a"].

Gate bangs solidly

- Mm-mmm! Raphaëlle! Hmmm!
- Yes-? Yes?

- You have to go around,
do not walk on the lawn. Mm-mmm.

FITZGERALD: Hello?
- Hello.

- Are you here for the wake?
- Absolutely not,

we've come to see Edgar Denis Lesneaux.

- So, for the wake.
- Mm-mmm.

- I'm Edgar's son. My father is dead.

♪

My father is in his
room. I'll take you there.

- I'd rather consult
Archimedes' Palimpsest first,

that's the initial reason
for our visit. Hm-hmm!

- No, it might be better to first go
pay our last respects to... our host.

- Mm-mmm. Raphaëlle, that
changes nothing for him, he's dead.

The Will

- Yes, it can change a lot, I assure you.
- Mm-mmm.

Let's go see-
- Archimedes' Palimpsest!

- This way.
- The palimpsest?

- First we see his father, Astrid.

- And then the palimpsest?
- First his father.

- Loculus.
Raph scoffs

Hinges creak
Hm-hmm.

- [Yes, a moment!]

Bob

{\an3}Lila Olivier

{\an6}- Dad had a heart
condition for years.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

It was his sword of Damocles;
it could've happened at any moment.

- The body has been moved.

- Uh... Yes?

The funeral service moved him here.

Dad didn't die in his bed,
he had a heart attack,

in the library.

It was Blanche, the
housekeeper, who found him.

- He presents a subcutaneous
contusion, there. There's a hematoma.

He must have done it when he fell,

when he had the attack.
- Absolutely not.

The appearance of the tissue
indicates an ante-mortem hematoma.

OLIVIER: [Who- ?]

LILA: [Oh!]
- Astrid?

- What is she doing?

ASTRID: You said that
your father suffered

from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

- Yes, but-

- Ah! Hmm!

The bathroom?

- [It's that way.]

- [What does it mean?]

- [Hold on.]

Astrid, what're you doing?
- The toothpaste,

it was mixed with a foreign substance
not a part of its initial composition.

- A lethal substance?

- A non-lethal substance—

—which becomes so for a person
suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The death of Edgar Denis
Lesneaux could be of criminal origin.

- Listen, miss, we've tolerated
your eccentricities so far,

I ask you for a little decency,
we're a family in mourning.

The village doctor and the
Gendarmes came to confirm the death,

but neither risked such
a far-fetched hypothesis!

ASTRID: All right.

Slight gasp

RAPH: Holy cow!
What is that, Astrid?

- It could be curcumin extract,
it's a fluorescent substance.

It's a very specific odor, that I
identified in the mouth of the corpse.

For someone suffering
from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,

this substance is fatal.

Raphaëlle, a body of
consistent evidence indicates

that the toothpaste was poisoned,
and, thereby, Edgar Denis Lesneaux.

RAPH: Okay! Well-

I'm informing you that starting now,

this room and the bathroom
are considered a crime scene,

FAMILY: What?
- ...as well as the library, obviously.

I would ask you to leave immediately,

and of course remain at our disposal;

we'll be downstairs shortly.

{\an3}- What are you
talking about?

RAPH: Come on!

Fitzgerald!

Door slams

To our friend Edgar
Forever in our hearts

- Astrid thinks he was poisoned.

Yes, I know, it's crazy.

Can you call the prosecutor in Chartres?

Yes, I think he'll contact
the Gendarmerie CID in Orléans.

Good.

Okay, "cool."

Until everyone gets here,
Astrid and I will mind the store.

Thanks, Nico, love you.

I'm hanging up.
You go. No, you. No-

- Raphaëlle?
- He hung up. Yes? Yes.

- You will not have missed the
fact that we are facing a problem.

Loculus_95 sent me his
invitation email two days ago.

- I thought about it, Astrid.
But all these people

say he died three days ago.

- Just so. That means that

Edgar Denis Lesneaux was already
dead when I received the email.

- In other words,

someone used his email to get you here.

Someone who knows the truth
and wants it to be discovered.

The palimpsest is a decoy.

- The palimpsest!
Raphaëlle, the palimpsest!

- Oh, yes, the palimpsest, sorry, yes!
- Yes.

- Uh, well...

- You said 'after,' 'after' is now.
- Let's go.

[ Excuse me.]

There we are! Perfect!

Astrid?

Palimpsest?

RAPH: Oh, excuse me.
Door shuts

Could we please see the
room where your father died,

the library, I believe?
- Of course, I'll take you there.

- Yes, to where we'll find the palimpsest.

- Right. It's centrally located, you'll see.

Are you sure your friend isn't mistaken?

- Oh, she's rarely wrong, I assure you.

- Losing one's father is already violent.

But knowing that it might be
m*rder, to be honest I wasn't
ready, it's so...

unthinkable, so crazy.
Do you understand?

- Absolutely not.

- It's this way.

- Be careful, Astrid, they're suffering.

I've never seen you climb stairs so fast!

- Yes, it's because there's the palimpsest.

Where is the palimpsest?

FITZGERALD:
Before your eyes, on the bookstand.

- Mm-mmm. There's nothing on the lectern.

- So we don't know who sent you this email,

but one thing is certain:
this person brought you here,

to prove the m*rder.

And your book, there,
that's... one piece of the puzzle.

A multi-million euro book disappearing—
that's quite a motive for a m*rder.

Right? Are you listening to me at all?

When you get your hands on the palimpsest,

you won't be able to think
about anything else. Am I wrong?

- Raphaëlle, there.

Gasps
- What is it?

You're not picking it up?

- It's a piece of evidence in
an investigation we're not in charge of.

- You have your gloves.

Okay!

Well, it was bound to
happen one day: I'm
presbyopic,* that's for sure.

{\an3}* Can't focus
up close

- You are presbyopic.*
- Yes.

So, what is this, what does it say?

'For there is nothing hidden
that should not be discovered,

and nothing is done in secret
that should not appear in public.'

What is it?

- Mark 4:22.
RAPH GASPS

- You amaze me, Astrid.
- Raphaëlle,

it's written there.

That.
- Oh yes.

This is a page from a gospel.

- The theological works are stored there.

No gospel, no gospel, no gospel- ah!

A gospel.

Hm-hmm! Found it.

The page was torn from this gospel.

- What does that mean?
- I don't know.

This page was hidden exactly

where the body of Edgar
Denis Lesneaux was found.

Or, Edgar Denis Lesneaux,
was also Loculus_95,

scholarly and prolific contributor
to the Puzzle Buddies forum.

Raphaëlle, this page is not a page.

I think this page is a riddle

that Edgar Denis Lesneaux
left me before he died. Hmm!

- Interesting.
- Yes.

- And I'll bet you anything
that the culprit is in this house.

Doorbell

Good morning, madam.
Please inform Mr Lesneaux.

that his old friend Corentin
Maille came to pay him a little visit.

BLANCHE: It's that-
I regret to inform you

that the gentleman has passed away.

- What?

When did this happen?

BLANCHE: Three days ago, sir.

I'm sorry.

- Mr Maille!

Your timing is perfect,

we were just about to
meet in the living room.

Please.

Door closes

This way.

Good!

The investigators in charge
of the case should be here soon.

In the meantime, do not leave the manor.

Could each of you tell me

how you were connected to Mr Lesneaux?

Fitzgerald, if I understand
correctly, you're his only son.

And you, Blanche, his housekeeper.

- Am I to understand the police
interrogation has already begun?

- Not at all.

If I'm here it's because I'm
accompanying my friend, Astrid Nielsen,

who was invited by Edgar Lesneaux.
- Edgar Denis Lesneaux.

- There you go.

And if I've taken matters
into my own hands a little, it's-

If I took matters
into my own hands,

it's a bit like asking if
there's a doctor in the room.

Let's say I'm the cop in the room.

- Corentin Maille, 67.
I'm an old friend of Edgar's.

We met in the army, we go way back..

- Do you want...?
- A whisky, rather.

RAPH: Sir?

- Olivier Levert, 45.

I'm Edgar's financial partner.

You should know, he lived several lives.

He was a pilot in the air force, a diplomat,

he wrote science fiction novels.

He had been working for 10 years

in the development of
technology patents, with yours truly.

- Lila, Fitzgerald's mother.

Edgar and I have been
separated for the last 15 years,

but we remained very close.

- Uh, Robert Lazuli, 39.
I sleep with his wife.

- Oh Edga- I mean— Bob!

- That's true, isn't it?
You've never been divorced.

So, there you have it, I'm
the guy who sleeps with his wife.

Mobile ringing

- Yes, Raph, go ahead.
- Yeah, Nico, how are you?

- Fine.

- The Commissioner had
nothing to say about me?

- I said you had a family problem.
He didn't ask any questions,

but that won't last long.

- Is Norah with you?
- Yes. Norah?

I'm putting it on speaker.

- I need some research on
just one or two people. Taking notes?

- Yes, that's me.

- First, Fitzgerald Lesneaux,

Lowers voice
the victim's son.

Then there's Lila
Bouvier, that's his mother.

Then, Olivier Levert,
around forty years old,

businessman and associate of the victim.

Also, Corentin Maille, sixty and a bit,

retired military or something like that.
Then,

Robert Lazuli, 'madam's' gigolo.

And finally, Blanche Justin,

early thirties.
NICO: Raph,

you haven't been
attached to the investigation.

- But... I know, I'm not
investigating, I'm just curious.

NICO: Is that all?
- Yes, that's all.

NORAH: I'll take care of everything.

- Love you.

- Love you.

Kitchenware banging

Are you being treated well here?

- Yes.

It was a pleasure to
work for the gentleman.

I was 18 when I started,
zero qualifications.

He took me under his wing.

He was like a father to me.

No lie, he was the
kindest guy I've ever met.

- He was a pretentious jerk.
- Bob!

But it's true! To a guy like him
a personal trainer had to have
a one-digit IQ.

Well, I say that, but I'm young
and in good physical shape,

and besides, his wife left him for me,

he was jealous, that's all.

A normal reaction. You understand?
- Absolutely not.

- Nice.

- In recent years, my relationship with
my father has often been complicated.

- I know that feeling, yes.

- I always thought we'd
put the pieces back together,

and I really felt like
we were on the right track.

And that's it.

When I think about my
anger, I have to hit something.

Bob is a little jealous,
but he's not a bad fellow.

I can't blame him.

I have always maintained
a close relationship with Edgar.

Do you understand?
- Mm-mmm.

- Nothing to report, nothing abnormal,
before Mr Lesneaux's death?

- Not particularly.

The gentleman received few visitors.

Or perhaps during
his free hours, I don't know.

BLANCHE:
The night he died, I was in my room.

Maybe he called for help,
but I didn't hear anything.

I blame myself so much, you've
no idea how much I blame myself!

- You couldn't have known.

- I remember one thing.
The day before his death, Olivier,

his business partner, came to the manor.

I heard an argument,
but it wasn't anything unusual.

That had been happening often lately.

- Article 434-4 of the
Code of Criminal Procedure:

'It is forbidden for any unauthorized
person to alter the scene of a crime

or an offense before
the first legal proceedings.'

- But... Wait...

Excuse me, I'm just looking
for an important letter that

Edgar was supposed to
send me, but it's nothing much.

I'll put everything back, I promise.

- Mm-mmm. The article details
the prohibition of falsification,

the alteration or erasure
of traces of evidence

whether by adding,
moving or removing any object.

- I imagine it can wait
until the Gendarmerie comes.

ASTRID: Just so. Hm-hmm.

What was Edgar Denis
Lesneaux working on?

- Ah, In recent years
his area of ​​interest

had really been
the field of optics.

Through conduit
OLIVIER: Edgar had been a pioneer in

Through conduit
in the world of VR, virtual reality.

Through conduit
It hadn't become widespread on a big scale,

Through conduit
but the tech giants sensed the potential.

They spent fortunes on his patents.

- What is this about?
- Edgar had developed a

a revolutionary helmet, five years ago.

. . .
The patent served as the basis
for everything that is done today.

Since then he'd been working
tirelessly on a capture device.

He was obsessed with

the idea of ​​inventing a machine
able to record his memories.

[There it is.]

- You should leave this office.

- Very well.

OLIVIER: Good day.

Quietly
- I bet everyone in this house is lying.

Take Blanche, for example.

I'll bet you anything it's been
ages since she slept in her own bed.

Know why? Because it doesn't
smell like a room where you sleep.

The bed's never been unmade.

- If she doesn't sleep in her
bed, where does she sleep?

- [That's what I'm wondering.]

[In the gentleman's bed? Hmm? ]

Hmmp, ['like a father to me,' what
kind of father? Wink: "Sugar daddy," yes!

[And you, were you able to chat a little?]

- Chatting.

According to the
dictionary definition, to chat...

[Chat: to talk a lot while
saying insignificant things.]

- [Yes.]
- Raphaëlle, you know very well

I don't chat.

- [Thank you, Astrid.]
- You're welcome.

I surprised Olivier Levert, the-
- [Shhh...]

[No.] Shush.

- [Can I speak now?]
- [Yes.]

- [Olivier Levert.]
- [Yes.]

- [...the associate of Edgar Denis
Lesneaux, searching his office.]

- [Oh! Of course!]

[Blanche said they were arguing a lot.]

- Lila Bouvier spoke of him
in a very moving way.

While Robert Lazuli— 'Bob'—

—spoke about him in terms
that seemed to me... unfriendly.

He said 'pretentious jerk.'
Raph suppresses laugh

- Well of course.
- Yes?

- You know what?
- Mm-mmm.

- I think Lila had taken
up again with Edgar,

and Bob was incredibly jealous.

Do you follow me?

- Absolutely not. I don't understand
what you just said, Raphaëlle.

Doorbell

- [At any rate,

everyone in that house
had a reason to k*ll him.]

[They're all suspects.]
- Raphaëlle, I remind you,

we're not in charge of this investigation.
. . .

Raphaëlle,Iremindyouwe'renotincharge...

of the investigation.

- Wait! Blanche, wait, I'll take care of it.

It must- it must be Homicide. Good...

Footsteps

- Master Karmin, Mr Lesneaux's notary.

- Ah?
BLANCHE: He's the estate lawyer.

- Please.

- Hello, Master Karmin.
- Hello, Blanche.

Mr Lesneaux hoped to see his loved
ones gathered around his remains.

He stipulated in his will
that if that were the case,

his will, drawn up on January 8, 2016,

would be read aloud in his
home while his body was still there.

If no one objects...

Ms Astrid Nielsen

and Ms Raphaëlle Coste
will act as witnesses.

Softly
Very good.

'I, the undersigned,

Edgar Denis Lesneaux, born
in Granville on November 1, 1956,

leave to my son Fitzgerald,

almost all of my assets:
real estate, the manor,

and like financial assets.'

'To Lila Bouvier, I leave

the property in Saint-Paul-de-Vence,

where we experienced
such wonderful moments.'

'To Olivier, my loyal associate,

I am leaving the bicorn hat that
belonged to Napoleon, acquired in 2001.'

'Regarding the disposable portion,

I leave the sum of €500,000 to

the Gabriel Garcia Marquez
orphanage in Bogota.'

Bewildered murmurs

'And finally, to Blanche Justin,

my loyal and devoted housekeeper,

I am leaving an annuity of €5,000.'

'ex*cuted in Nogent-le-
Rotrou, January 8, 2016.'

Doorbell

- Are you going, or should I-?

- No, it's fine.

- Cmdr Fargeau, CID,

appointed by the prosecutor
of Chartres to lead the investigation

of the suspected homicide
of Edgar Denis Lesneaux.

Can we see the victim, please?
- Of course.

- ...but then we
wondered why-

- And how.

- And 'how,' a book

worth several
million euros-

- $2.2 million.

- ...could have
disappeared
just like that,
without a trace,

at the same time
that Edgar Lesneaux
was k*lled.

- Wait, who are you exactly?

- Oh, I- I thought
I introduced myself, sorry.

Cmdr Coste, Crime Squad, Paris.

And Lt Nielsen identified
the criminal origin

of the death of Edgar
Denis Lesneaux.

- It was toothpaste.
- Mmm.

Yes, we investigated
a little, waiting for you.

What do you want,
it's just how we are.

RAPH: ...don't hesitate-
don't hesitate to call us.

We would be delighted,
delighted to collaborate with you.

If you find the palimpsest, the-

Well.

We know one thing: this gendarme
has the merit of being direct.

- 'Peripheral neuropathy'?

TV

What does that mean?
TV

- That the MRI found
lesions in my motor cortex.

The neurotoxins from Lamarck's
poison gave me a bonus.

But the neurologist told me it was stable.

It can't get any worse, Nico,

but it's possible that things
might not get any better.

Wait, wait. Nico, I'm going to see
an occupational therapist tomorrow.

We'll find out more.
- Okay.
[font color="#4a4a4a"]:

We'll find out more.
- Okay.
TV

TV

- sh*t! What did he say?

- The police custody of Blanche Justin

Edgar Lesneaux's housekeeper,
has been extended.

Cmdr Fargeau, in charge
of the investigation...

- What is this bullshit?

- Archimedes' Palimpsest, a priceless book,

was found in the suspect's room.

In any case, I searched that room,

there was no more a palimpsest
there than butter on a cow's a*s!

- You missed it, it happens.
FARGEAU: The palimpsest is a good motive.

The young woman surely
expected more from the inheritance.

There was surely abuse of
the vulnerable, in addition to m*rder.

- Ridiculous!

Wait, I agree, maybe there
were two or three things

that needed clarifying, but

I had a good feeling about the
housekeeper, she was the only one.

And besides, this theft story, it doesn't
hold water, that isn't how things work.

- You don't have all
the elements of the investigation.

They were able to find something else.

- No. My gut tells me something's wrong.

- If your gut's telling you...

Knocks
Commissioner?

- Hmm?
- Sorry to interrupt,

I know we don't have a meeting.

Oh, nice tie!

It's nice, it's a very
pretty tie, that really...

- What do you want, Coste?

- The Edgar Denis Lesneaux case.
- There is no Edgar Denis Lesneaux

case here, you know that.
It falls under Gendarmerie jurisdiction.

- Yes, I know, exactly, but I
was thinking that it could be

a great idea for
the police to collaborate with-

- No!
- No...

- Don't even think about it.

Poking your nose in this
investigation is a mistake in itself.

Besides, I need you here,

so I forbid you to return to
the chateau, is that clear?

Thank you!

Please close the door when you leave.

- This is not an acrostic,
nor a Caesar cipher

with a letter shift.
I tried all combinations.

So I thought it might be some
kind of mathematical encryption,

for which Mark 4:22 is the key. Hmm!

TETSUO: Okay, I'll see what I can find.

- Tetsuo, I have to hang up.
- 'Kay. Disconnects

- I didn't say goodbye.

RAPH: Astrid?
- Yes, hello.

Raphaëlle, you should come to
Criminal Documentation, drop everything.

- All right, I'm coming.
Disconnects

- I didn't say goodbye.

Twice, 1 - 2.

- Have the snoopers left?

- 'The snoopers'?
- Yes. The audit team.

- Ah. The Inventory Department is finished.

They will submit
their conclusions soon.

Raphaëlle?
- Yes?

- I received a new message from Loculus_95.

- Oh! Our mysterious ally
wants to continue helping us?

- Yes.
- And what does this message say?

- 'Astrid, thank you for
coming to the manor and

revealing the truth about
the real cause of my death.'

'When I was m*rder*d, I
was working on a prototype.'

'I think this will help you shed light

on the mystery surrounding the m*rder.'

'Attached is a compressed
folder of several gigabytes.'

- Interesting. A victim who
sends a posthumous email

to solve one's own m*rder.
That takes ba*ls.

Well, we face several options. The first:

The email was sent with a delay,

written by Edgar when he was alive,
knowing that he was going to die.

- I considered that hypothesis,
but it seems unlikely to me.

Even though Edgar Denis
Lesneaux knew he was in danger,

It is unlikely that he knew precisely
when his m*rder would take place.

- All right. Second option:

It's someone who is using his email

to ask you to reveal the truth.

And I bet that this mysterious stranger

was at the wake and we
must've crossed paths with them.

Have you opened the attachment?
- Absolutely,

but I don't understand what it is about.

Look, I'll open it.

- I'm calling Norah.

- They're immersive videos.
RAPH: 'Immersive videos'?

- The manor's laboratory
contained research elements

related to virtual reality.

- Hold on, I'm not
understanding everything:

are these immersive
videos or virtual reality?

- It'd be simplest just to try it, no?

- Yes. I...

- This is my personal PC,
the one I play games on.

It's a big beast built for gaming:

Ryzen 9, RTX 4090, 64 gigs of RAM.

With this there's no
VR lag and no FPS drops.

It's gonna be like velvet.

- Oh- No, no...

NORAH: No?
- No, it's not my thing.

NORAH: There's nothing to worry about.
- I know, but... I don't.

- Me.

I'd like to put it on.
- Wait, Astrid, no.

It might trigger a panic attack to have
stuff going on, with that on your head.

- Raphaëlle, virtual reality offers
a safe environment,

no surprises, no physical contact,
and accessible only by sight.

And if that doesn't suit me,

I can take off the helmet
in seconds, I assure you.

It's less oppressive than the real world.

- All right.
NORAH: It's true.

Let's go.

System beeping

. . .

. . .

. . .

NORAH: Everything all right, Astrid?

- Yes.
RAPH: Can you describe what you're seeing?

- I am in the manor.

In Edgar Denis Lesneaux's room.
- [font color="#00ccff"]Hello.

- I hear a voice.

BOTH: We hear it too.
[font color="#00ccff"]- I am Edgar

[font color="#00ccff"]Denis Lesneaux. Turn around
if you can't see me.

EDGAR: [font color="#00ccff"]Immersive video is not new.

[font color="#00ccff"]But the camera that allowed me to film

[font color="#00ccff"]what you are watching
right now is revolutionary,

[font color="#00ccff"]it's in the glasses—

[font color="#00ccff"]—it might seem insignificant,
but it changes everything.

- There's a mirror, but
it's not my face I see in it.

It's Edgar Denis Lesneaux's.

He's the one talking to me.
- [font color="#00ccff"]...Thanks to these glasses,

[font color="#00ccff"]I'm recording this immersive video

[font color="#00ccff"]exactly from my point of view.

[font color="#00ccff"]You're experiencing this moment
as if you were me, aren't you?

[font color="#00ccff"]As if you were in this room,

[font color="#00ccff"]looking at yourself in the mirror,

[font color="#00ccff"]except that it's my image
that the mirror reflects back to you.

- Absolutely. Hmm!

- [font color="#00ccff"]Don't try to reply to me or
move around, this isn't interactive.

[font color="#00ccff"]You cannot interact with the environment

[font color="#00ccff"]since these are recorded videos.

[font color="#00ccff"]It’s more like a
machine to record memories.

Disconnect chirp

RAPH: Norah, can you show the files?
- "Yes."

System beeping

Here they are.
. . .

- Hey, do you see that?

The dates indicate
that the videos were recorded

just before Edgar Lesneaux's death.

NORAH: We can experience the victim's
final moments from his point of view.

- Astrid, can you continue
watching all of this?

Let me know when you
notice something interesting.

Norah, go join Nico back at the brigade,

try to understand why
Edgar made such a large donation

to a Colombian orphanage.

I assure you, we'll get this
case back on track, don't worry.

Click

[font color="#9900cc"]Hinges creak

EDGAR: [font color="#00ccff"]Did you see Bob go up?
- [font color="#00ccff"]He's watching Manchester-Barça,

[font color="#00ccff"]we have at least 45 minutes ahead of us!

EDGAR:
[font color="#00ccff"]There's something touching about that boy.

[font color="#00ccff"]I'm sure he thinks
I'm taking him for a fool,

[font color="#00ccff"]that's definitely not the case.

EDGAR: [font color="#00ccff"]You know what?
I'll go watch the second half with him.

- [font color="#00ccff"]Ah... unless we add...
injury time. Undress me.

- [font color="#00ccff"]Is that when a woman

[font color="#00ccff"]cheats on her lover
with her cuckolded husband?

[font color="#00ccff"]Is that still adultery?

[font color="#9900cc"]Laughing
- [font color="#00ccff"]I don't know, Edgar,

[font color="#00ccff"]all I know is I would never
have gone away with Bob

[font color="#00ccff"]if you hadn't cheated on me with that...
What was her name again? 'Camilla'?

[font color="#00ccff"]Don't talk about the past anymore, Lila!
[font color="#9900cc"]She moans

- They're going 'bam.'

I- I'm going to close my eyes.

LILA: [font color="#00ccff"]Edgar...
[font color="#9900cc"]He laughs

- And what did he tell you?

- Not much. He's sending
me the results tomorrow.

NICO: Is it okay?

Norah's here.
I'm putting us on speakerphone.

- Hey Raph.
- Hi Norah.

- I spoke to the director of the
Gabriel Garcia Marquez orphanage,

he explained that he's received
regular donations from France—

—substantial donations
from an anonymous donor.

- Anonymous?

sh*t.
NICO: Wait, this'll make the difference.

Astrid told us about the name Camélia.

Twenty years ago, a child born to a
Camélia Torres and an unknown father

arrived at the orphanage.
- The child's name is Julien—

—Julien Torres, a French first name.

NICO: And we know
Julien is the first name
of Edgar Lesneaux's father.

It's becoming obvious:

The victim had a secret son.

I'll let you go.
- Mmp.

EDGAR: [font color="#00ccff"]I've always loved this place.

[font color="#00ccff"]I'm happy to share this moment with you.

[font color="#00ccff"]You can't smell the odors,
of course, but they're wonderful odors.

MAILLE: [font color="#00ccff"]Edgar, are you
talking to yourself now?

[font color="#00ccff"]Don't you feel like
you've forgotten something?

EDGAR: [font color="#00ccff"]I don't think so, no.

- [font color="#00ccff"]I really want my money.

EDGAR: [font color="#00ccff"]You're being too
generous with yourself, Corentin.

Knocking
[font color="#00ccff"]This blackmail has gone on too long.

- Astrid?
MAILLE: [font color="#00ccff"]That's bad timing, because

[font color="#00ccff"]I've have a letter which only needs to be
sent to a major national daily newspaper.

[font color="#00ccff"]A letter talking about a completely ill*gal
commando mission that you financed.

[font color="#00ccff"]What would your official
family make of that?

EDGAR: [font color="#00ccff"]I gathered some
particularly compromising documents

[font color="#00ccff"]regarding the mercenary
activities you've

[font color="#00ccff"]been involved in since you
were kicked out of the army.

[font color="#00ccff"]That's the principle of
a deterrent weapon, you see:

[font color="#00ccff"]you drop your b*mb,
and I drop mine!

[font color="#9900cc"]Blow
Raph yelps

- Oh my! Are you all right?
- Don't touch.

- Sorry.

- I wasn't hit.

- Excuse me, I didn't mean to touch
you, I didn't mean to scare you, Astrid.

What happened?

- Corentin Maille. He lied.

He saw Edgar Denis Lesneaux
a few days before his death,

and he caused the
hematoma I noticed on his face.

- He hit him?
- Yes.

Mr Maille was blackmailing him.

- Yes, I heard, bits of... 'Commando'-

- An ill*gal commando mission

which might displease his
'official family.' It wasn't very clear.

- Yes, it's very clear!

And it ties in with everything
we've learned thanks to you:

the existence of Camélia.

She was a cleaning woman
on a military base in Bogota.

Edgar had a child with
her, who they named Julien.

But Camélia died shortly afterwards,

therefore Julien was
placed in an orphanage

in Bogota, the one
mentioned in the will.

And once he reached adulthood,
he reportedly joined the FARC—

—uh, Colombian Marxist guerrillas.
- I know what the FARC are.

They finance their
armed struggle through

kidnappings, extortion
and drug trafficking.

- That's right, that's FARC.
- Hm-hmm.

- So the problem is,
we can't question this Julien,

he was k*lled in 2017
in a military operation.

- The ill*gal military operation.

Raphaëlle, I will return to
Edgar Denis Lesneaux's memories.

The answer must be there,

I still haven't found his
memories about the palimpsest.

The palimpsest, Raphaëlle!

- [Yes, the palimpsest...]
- Yes.

- Actually, be careful, at least
with hitting and all that.

All right...

- I'm going back.

System beeps

- [font color="#00ccff"]What's with this New York hipster look?

[font color="#00ccff"]You've changed your glasses!

EDGAR: [font color="#00ccff"]I know you diverted funds, Olivier.

- [font color="#00ccff"]Excuse me?

[font color="#00ccff"]How do you know- I, I mean,
where did you get that from?

EDGAR: [font color="#00ccff"]I take that as an admission,

[font color="#00ccff"]my closest collaborator discovered it-

[font color="#9900cc"]Scoffs
[font color="#00ccff"]a computer whiz.

- [font color="#00ccff"]You have assistants now?

[font color="#00ccff"]I thought you worked alone.
- [font color="#00ccff"]This marks the end of our collaboration;

[font color="#00ccff"]you'll receive your dismissal
letter at the end of the week.

[font color="#00ccff"]It goes without saying,

[font color="#00ccff"]you've already helped
yourself a lot. And,

[font color="#00ccff"]consider yourself lucky
that I'm not filing a complaint.

[font color="#9900cc"]Garbled fast-reversing audio

[font color="#9900cc"]. . .

[font color="#9900cc"]Edgar and Olivier
speaking in reverse

[font color="#9900cc"]Audio slows, stops

Click

- [Seriously?]

Softly
Okay, thanks Astrid,

see you later, huh?
- Yes.

[Psst! Norah!]
- Yeah?

Quietly
- We have a spy.

- Can you be more specific?
- At the manor!

Astrid saw something like a false wall,

a place to watch and listen

to everything in the living room, [and-

why not in other rooms?]

[In my opinion, that's
our mysterious contact;

and I'm certain we've crossed
paths with them at the manor.]

- [Hey- ]
- [Yes?]

- [I found something crazy.]
NORAH: You too?

Softly
- Yeah. During the Occupation,

the Lesneaux Family manor was the
headquarters of the High Command.

Everything was requisitioned
except for one wing,

which was left at the disposal
of Julien Lesneaux and his wife.

'Julien,' Edgar's father,
not his son k*lled with the FARC.

- What does this have to do with our case?
- I'm getting to that:

- I went to the Yad Vashem website:

Julien was honored as
'righteous among nations'

for saving the entire Slavisky family.

In other words, he hid a Jewish family

in the middle of a nest of Nazis.
- [Whoa! f*ck!]

[You're a genius!] Inaudible
NICO: Hmm?

- [For what?]

[For what?]

System beeps

. . .
Clicks

. . .

. . .

. . .

Sweeping orchestral music

- Hello, Fitzgerald.

What is this invitation?
- I don't know,

it wasn't my idea, in any case.

- At the same time, the wording

looked more like
a summons than an invitation.

Oh!

All right.

- So nobody knows what
we're doing here? Not again!

MAILLE: One of you definitely
invited us, 'fess up, sh*t!

Well, I'm off!

Door opens
- Oh! Don't leave, Mr Maille,

this is where it's gonna get interesting!

- What is this nonsense?

- Please, sit down.

Sit down!

Thank you.

Crossmurmurs, affronted crosstalk

And especially with
four more guests coming! Yes!

- Of course.
- But-
- All right.

- You'd better be convincing, Cmdr Coste.

- Don't worry, the facts speak
for themselves, my dear colleague.

Well!

- During our first visit, I discovered

a page torn from The Gospel of Saint Mark,

hidden by the victim
at the foot of the lectern.

I finally understood that the
message Edgar Denis Lesneaux
wanted to convey to us

was not what was written on this
page, but the page itself. Hm-hmm!

ASTRID:
This is a page from the New Testament.

Edgar Denis Lesneaux
purposely made an analogy.

ASTRID: This page means—

—'there is a new testament,'

a 'testament' in the
notarial sense of the term.

- Please, come.

Look. See?

It's a palimpsest, about 'the palimpsest.'

A text about another text.

In reality,
it's a new will written by the victim.

ASTRID: Absolutely.

- When he started to feel unwell, Edgar

realized immediately that
he had been poisoned.

Courageously, Edgar had accepted
the fact that he was going to die.

He therefore embarked on writing a will.

on the very same page of the palimpsest.

- This has no value.
- Counselor, if you would?

Thank you.

- Ah, do not touch.

- This is a completely
original case of a holographic will.

It is dated, signed, and
handwritten— therefore perfectly valid.

- And what did he say, counselor?

- That he leaves everything
to his son Fitzgerald,

with one exception: Patents.
RAPH: Oh!

That is to say: what has the most value.

To whom does he transfer
his patents, counselor?

- He transfers them to, uh...

'Blanche Justin, my faithful chambermaid.'

Olivier laughs scornfully
- There it is;

all of this confirms the theory
already put forward by the authorities.

It was Blanche who m*rder*d
him, she wanted his fortune.

RAPH: But why k*ll him

before he had time to
make the new will favoring her?

You, on the other hand,

you had everything to lose
if this will were to be revealed.

- Are you kidding?

I would've k*lled my
own father for a few patents?

- We'll get to that.

We've long wondered

who was hiding behind
the messages from Loculus 95.

- Loculus_95. Hm-hmm!

We were missing a piece of the puzzle.
- What Astrid means,

it's because a character
was missing from the story.

- Loculus_95,

it's me, Astrid, Astrid Nielsen,
from the Puzzle Buddies forum.

Hm-hmm!

If you hear me, give me
a tap, but not too hard.

- Now spiritualism! They'll
try everything on us, they'll try it all!

Olivier chuckles

Loud tap

ASTRID: Hm-hmm!

There.
Here's how we will proceed:

Tap once for yes, twice for no.

But not too hard.
One tap: yes. Two taps: no.

Do you agree?

Loud tap
ASTRID: Hmm.

Are you a separate person
from Edgar Denis Lesneaux?

. . .

- Do you have a family link with him?

. . .

Is he your father?

. . .

You are Julien Torres,

you didn't die fighting
with the FARC, did you?

. . .

- Do you know who k*lled your father?

Two loud taps

- So, you called on Astrid?

One loud tap

That's perfect, because we're
at the beginning of the answer!

Hidden door bangs
Some gasp

RAPH:
Julien, there's no need to come out.

RAPH:
We know that you're agoraphobic

Your father was prescribed
paroxetine for eight years,

but this product doesn't
appear in his toxicology.

Was that for you?

. . .

You all had a good reason to k*ll Edgar.

- You, Mr Maille,

you were blackmailing him,

threatening to reveal the
operation that exfiltrated Julien Torres

out of the FARC organization.

RAPH: But Edgar decided to
no longer give in to this blackmail.

- You, Mr Levert,

when I caught you
rummaging through his office,

I found the document
you were looking for,

the letter informing
you of your dismissal.

- I've read this letter.
An excellent motive, indeed.

- Nonsense!
ASTRID: You, Ms Justin,

you never slept in your room.

RAPH: But with Julien.

That's why you didn't speak
when you were arrested.

By helping Edgar hide and protect him,

you fell in love with him.

- Who is this Julien
you're talking about?

What does he have to do with this?

ASTRID: Ms Bouvier, you're not listening.

I just said Julien Torres is
the son of Edgar Denis Lesneaux.

RAPH: Yes, an illegitimate son,

that Edgar never got over having abandoned,

and whom he went to Colombia
to search for eight years ago.

Who was presumed dead,

But in reality, Edgar was hiding him here.

RAPH: A son with whom
he had forged such an intimate link,

that you couldn't stand it.

ASTRID: You thought your
crime would go unnoticed.

But Julien Torres contacted me.

- And he was right to do so, Astrid.

She quickly discovered the truth.

So, you improvised.

You stole the palimpsest
to put it in Blanche's room.

- He took care of that b*stard
like he never took care of me.

He loved him more than me.

Two loud taps

ASTRID: What will happen to Julien Torres?

He never left the mansion in eight years.

- I think the court will be lenient.

He still has an outstanding
sentence for joining the FARC.

but it was clearly recorded in
his file that he suffers from PTSD.

This triggered a kind of
acute agoraphobia in him.

He'll serve his sentence,
but with an electronic bracelet.

- Hm-hmm! Perfect.

I will be able to continue exchanging
information with Loculus_95. Hm-hmm!

Mobile vibrates

- Astrid?

I need to tell you something.

I noticed that I have lasting
effects from the poisoning.

Well, nothing dramatic in itself, but...

They call it a problem- a motor- uh,

a problem with fine motor skills.

And...

I don't want to worry you,
but if it doesn't improve...

I'll no longer be able
to do my job as a cop.

Do you understand?

Astrid?

Can I see?

'Madam: in context of budgetary
normalization and optimization

linked to the digital transition,

a reassessment of physical
archiving needs has been conducted.'

- 'Internal analysis confirmed that the
majority of resources have been digitized.'

'Therefore, the allocation of dedicated
spaces and the implementation

of the dismantling of physical
assets have been accepted.'

I'm not sure I understand.

I'm not sure I understand, Astrid.

- Criminal Documentation will disappear.

Raphaëlle sighs
- [[Damn, it can't be!]]

♪ Plaid ♪
By Lil Payet

. . .