When the Pheasants Pass (Quand passent les faisans)

"You're invited to attend the burial...

"of Jules Videau."

Jules Videau

The Videau family, please?

5th floor front, My condolences, sir.

Thank you.

But what have you got to cry about?

I can promise you it won't change anything.

You said we'd see less of each other.

Widowed and dumped... What a day!

Aunt Henriette!

There's someone with a book for Uncle Jules.

Poor Mr Videau!

I can still hear him...

"Gaston my boy, I want that book, no matter what it costs."

I managed to get it for him...

...at a very good price.

240 francs.

Not even the value of the binding.

Just take a look at the binding.

What's this about?

Something poor Jules had ordered.

A book of philosophy.

240 francs to pay.

Jules and oriental philosophy?

He was only interested in rugby and watching TV.

I'm afraid I may have embarrassed...

Let's just drop the matter, Sir.

I'm very fond of the Orient...

...that eternal source of balance, of wisdom.

What's the name of this book?

The Kamasutra.

Illustrated?

Let's say embellished... with some pastel sketches.

I love pastels!

Hello, police?

Send someone to 18 Junot Ave.

No, it's not an appropriate time to do business.

I'll come back when it's more appropriate.

Shyster!

Stop him!

Stop thief!

What style is your home?

None, at the moment.

We have a block of land.

We're going to build something quite original, to suit us.

We'll wait a bit longer.

How much is this scrap metal?

You call it scrap?

It's a Second Empire lamp... almost impossible to find.

It was worth 45,000.

What?

But anyway, it's sold.

You don't have any others?

He said they were impossible to find.

But then again, I have connections...

and I may be able to get you one from Vendee.

But there are 3 Brazilians after one.

- She's beautiful. - Yes.

At the same price?

Well...

The trend is rather upward.

But then again, for connoisseurs...

45,000 would be OK.

You live in Paris?

44 Boulevard de Port-Royal.

"44 Boulevard de Port-Royal"

Mr Hyacinthe Camus.

"Hyacinthe Camus"

- At this hour? - My apologies, ma'am.

Sorry to intrude on your morning, but...

it's a matter of urgency.

Would your husband be so good...

He just went out! You could've run into him.

What do YOU want?

Excuse my state of undress, Sir.

Exquisite! Such class, such taste!

It's about the lamp.

The lamp?

The Second-Empire-style lamp. You ordered one, didn't you?

Er... yes.

Here it is.

The boss had it delivered by air-taxi.

How kind of him!

My lamp was delivered by plane!

Progress takes giant strides every day.

That's right.

Well then... it's here.

Yes, it's here.

Fine...

So that comes to 60,000 francs all up.

What?

With the special flight.

It's just that... my husband isn't here.

Come back at lunchtime.

What are you doing?

I'm taking it.

It's absolutely forbidden to leave any goods without payment.

The boss would have apoplexy.

He's prone to it.

You realise, an item like this will sell in 2 hours.

You can't sell that lamp! It belongs to me!

Say something, Sir... Do something!

My dear lady...

So when will your husband be home?

For lunch.

Fine.

Then, in order to keep you happy...

...I'll wait.

I'll make an exception.

2 hours will go quickly.

You're right, this is quite untoward.

I'll fix this. Hyacinthe will pay me back.

I'm embarrassed!

Nonsense, it's trivial.

3, 4, 5... a.

There we are... 60,000 francs.

My briefcase.

Much obliged.

That's alright... goodbye old chap!

But not here!

Hyacinthe!

- Hyacinthe isn't here! - He is! Down there!

- Good morning, Inspector. - Ma'am.

You could say "Chief inspector" in similar circumstances.

Darling, we have a guest.

Chief Inspector! What are you doing here?

What a nice surprise!

I almost missed you, Camus.

Luckily Chief Inspector Barnave dropped in.

You left me without a cent.

You owe him 60,000 francs.

Really? What for?

For...

For what?

Well... it's our light.

This is our light?

It's a lamp off a cab, you idiot!

Camus!

What? Am I supposed to accept stupidity?

That you planned to hang this thing in our home is mad enough...

...but to let the my chief be swindled, is totally insane!

Not at all, my friend, it's you who's been swindled.

Because you think that fixes everything?

Can we establish who delivered this?

Who dared do it?

A little chap with a hangdog look.

You've probably crossed paths.

Good God! That little thug!

I thought I recognised him.

Oh, that crim! Wait, his name will come back to me.

It's there!

That's it!

- I've got it! - No! Not now...

Yes! I've got it.

- What've you got? - The name. Write it down.

There it is... no I lost it. No. Write, quickly!

Baudu... Arsene.

18 rue de la Folie-Regnault. Shit!

Paris... 11th.

Confidence trickery in '53 and '57...

9th and 2nd divisions

Forgery and passing of forgery in '63.

12th division.

All this at 3 in the morning.

Not bad.

I can't ask my brain to stop thinking.

Hyacinthe, you really are a case.

You've been kicked out of the police...

But allowed to make use of my pension rights, sir.

For abuse of power...

abusive searches...

various indiscretions.

These belong to your past...

...but your present is hardly more brilliant.

You have, dear Hyacinthe, attained a form of latent cretinism.

All your colleagues are aware of it.

It would be deplorable if those same colleagues learn that their boss...

their guide, their beacon...

was robbed of 60,000 francs by a cretin.

For me, the case is almost closed.

Not for me!

You have my money?

My phenomenal memory is in play.

All I have to do is nab that scamp and stick an old ID

under his nose!

Careful!

Impersonating a police officer... Art. 259 of the penal code.

- What do you want? - The dough.

It's like this...

The case is dealt with in 3 stages...

restitution, arrest, sentencing.

Just a moment.

You gotta admit I'm unlucky.

Statistically I had 1 chance in 100,000.

To what?

To bump into a pig.

What am I up for?

With your record, at least 2 years.

Because you know my record?