Nicolas Le Floch

"Only secrecy will guarantee your safety."

The English Cadaver

"Only secrecy will guarantee your safety."

Ladies, look at my instrument.

Copeau, you are too much!

The imminence of the conflict doesn't seem to bother them.

To the contrary,

the idea of revenge delights them.

A war against the English is always popular.

Despite austerity, even the people

place their hopes in it.

But you, as admiral of the fleet,

what do you think?

It will ruin the country, and without Austrian support,

the outcome is doubtful.

I would add, the Americans that we help

are nothing but English.

Madame...

Monsieur the Marquis de Ranreuil.

Sorry, I don't dance.

I would like to examine

the flute with which you want to run away.

- Goodbye. - Madame...

- Let me go. - Nicolas.

What are you doing?

Madame Cahuet de Villers was about to leave

with a flute that I would like to see.

- I will not permit you. - Stop being the policeman.

No one has taken anything illegally.

I'm embarrassed.

As is my father.

I have no idea what this is about,

but our records tell of your exploits,

and I hope to put an end to your intrigues.

Aimée. Admiral.

Don't I get a kiss?

There are many young men who dream of replacing me.

I wouldn't want to discourage them.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I'll see you again soon,

either in the inn or behind bars!

The Cardinal Dubois

visited all the watering holes

The Cardinal Dubois

visited all the water holes

Wait.

Look.

You...

I beg you. Please...

You weren't robbed.

The King's police did well.

You smell of alcohol.

You're alive. Someone else wasn't as lucky.

- Where? - Over there.

- I saw some English. - "Some English"?

- James Harris. - The head of intelligence?

Here, at the foot of a cab.

- Sure? - Yes.

A man of his importance doesn't wander around at night.

Perhaps the motive can be found over there.

The façade of the For-l'Evêque.

A dagger to the heart and a rope next to the body.

A failed escape attempt.

With Harris in the neighborhood, no.

Your escapee cut through the bars,

without a trace of the very tool that enabled him to do it.

How do you explain that, Mazicourt?

We found nothing or maybe someone took it.

Or the tool was given to him.

It's well known, Monsieur de Mazicourt,

that you run a second-rate establishment

where gamblers, pimps, and actors are allowed.

Low-class prisoners.

The establishment is well known if you rescind the term second-rate.

"The escape was discovered at dawn by a watchman

"coming on duty.

"I was told, I was awakened.

"When I went out, the police were at the site."

Can you confirm that?

That's all, yes.

There's no mention anywhere of the identity of the prisoner.

Why?

You're testing our patience, Mazicourt.

Why was the man being held?

There was a letter with the royal seal

of which I was not authorized to keep a copy.

Yet, the law requires it, in order to advise the judge.

A letter from the king?

So it was a matter of importance.

Important enough to permit me to bend penitentiary rules.

Who was providing for his care?

A young officer, I'm not sure of his rank,

came to bring him his provisions,

candles and personal affairs.

Does this button correspond to the fuzzy memory

that you have of this young officer's rank?

They held long consultations of which I know nothing.

That's all I have to say.

There's no joy during festivities this year: bad weather,

not enough laborers,

poverty is eroding the country...

no remedies in sight that are better than the disease.

You asked for me, Your Majesty?

I had a flute made for my father-in-law,

the Emperor of Austria,

a confirmed music lover.

A prototype.

A flute in 3 pieces, by Keller.

The gift was announced to him by the embassy,

the gift was to celebrate the signature

of the military pact between Austria and France.

This alliance

must temper belligerent passions from England,

with whom war is imminent.

Because of the Americas,

where the Insurgents defy England's power.

Do you have any idea

of the importance of this matter, Marquis?

Somewhat.

If it has a high market value, the gift is above all

of immeasurable symbolic importance.

The flute disappeared right here, yesterday.

That's to say, no flute, no agreement?

Exactly.

Truly a diplomatic disaster.

It will be a pretext for Austria to remain neutral.

How can you be an ally

of a country unable to protect its royal apartments?

The English are not yet in my apartments, Sartine.

Our only hope is that a person of dubious motives

seeks financial gain.

There's still time to find the flute.

Do it quickly.

And remain as discrete as possible.

The flute is a real problem.

And please don't misunderstand, I'm talking about the instrument.

As for the appendage, everyone knows, alas, that...

that I still haven't produced a male heir for France.

Have you tried to make it sing,

by putting it in the mouth?

My head is exploding like the buzz of Notre-Dame.

And your heart blames your head for excessive drinking.

- You're not angry? - And you?

Why am I honored with your presence?

Problems with a flute are troubling the king.

Oh, really?

No misunderstanding.

An instrument of major diplomatic importance has been stolen.

Weren't you looking for a flute under Cahuet's skirt?

Exactly.

Without your intervention, I would have found it.

You know who took it. Take it back.

From someone shielded by the queen, who has hidden it?

I'll find it, Madame, and you'll help me.

Me, play a police officer? You're joking, Nicolas?

I'm not joking at all.

Are you already leaving, Nicolas?

Don't worry, Marquis,

he is not a suitor for my daughter.

In front of you

is the ensign of a ship, Emmanuel de Rivoux,

a young officer who ensures the liaison

between the admiralty and Minister of the Navy, Monsieur de Sartine.

This model

is in the recent naval riflemen units

Sartine has bestowed upon the fleet.

He raises them like Prussians, which guarantees

an obedience and loyalty of stubborn barbarity

that we find in certain dogs.

The description betrays little sympathy.

I'm just old-fashioned.

I don't appreciate those who kill in cold blood

in the name of exact science.

In the king's name, is it really homicide?

Is it true you came upon an escapee

from For-l'Evêque?

News sometimes travels faster than the facts, I see.

But it's true, a very troubling escape, indeed.

The dead man,

held at gunpoint for unclear reasons

and whose identity remains unknown,

seems, in flight, to have fallen

in a street where all the street lights were out.

A dagger appears, it stabs the man's heart,

while English extremists abound in the streets.

And in the deceased's hand,

a button from a French navy military tunic.

There you go, that's it.

It's important to emphasize

that the only witness to evoke the presence of the English

and of James Harris

was found on site reeking of alcohol.

That's enough, Pierre.

- You're being familiar. - I wasn't drunk.

Yes...

It would be nice, before decay sets in,

to sketch our anonymous victim,

and send it to those who may have known him.

Lavalée.

He painted Mrs. Bourdeau at our wedding.