THE CRIMSON RIVERS
THE INNOCENTS
"Clinagen: For high-performance living.
On the Swiss border, our state-of-the-art clinic
specializes in fitness and anti-ageing care.
Programs: Full Detox,
A New Youth, Better Sleep, Rebalance, Revitalization Plus". Quite the choice!
We might get nice rooms for once! -Wouldn't count on it.
How did she die? -Steamed to death.
The body was found yesterday morning.
There it is.
What's with all the Chippendales?
I like this case already.
Hello. -Hello.
Hi, Detective. I'm Sub-Officer Chapery Bastien.
We spoke on the phone this morning.
Hello, Sub-Officer Chapery. -Hi. Hello Ma'am.
No, Lieutenant Delauney. -Ah, of course. I'm so sorry.
Well, if you'd like to follow me? It's this way.
So, yes, this is Clinagen.
There you have Mont Blanc. And to the right, Lake Annecy.
It's a very famous clinic. People come from all over the world.
Yes, we've done our research.
Ah, okay...
That's the entrance to the spa. Shall I take you?
Good idea. Let's go.
The victim is Barbara Dervie. Irish, divorced, no kids.
She spends a week here every year.
She was found dead in the hammam.
You've asked guests, staff? -No one saw anything.
There are no surveillance cameras in the whole facility
to respect the guests' privacy.
And the spa is open round the clock, so... It's just this way.
The heat's off now,
but it was cranked up to the max.
She was tied up there.
Completely shaved and... tortured.
I have a photo, if you want...
What's that? -Um, some sort of flower.
A symbol carved on her abdomen by the killer. That's all we know.
Shall I send it to you? -Yes, I think that would be best.
Can you show us her room?
It's already occupied. -What?
Ms Vialle, the manager, she needed it for another patient.
And as it wasn't the crime scene, the prosecutor agreed.
Her suitcase is on the first floor.
Shall we...? -Where's Ms Vialle?
No idea. With another patient.
Go get her. We'll find the suitcase. -I'll try.
I warn you, though, she's not very helpful.
Just go get her.
Okay, will do.
Okay, not bad.
Sixty-nine years old but looks 20 years younger.
And this was only issued last month.
Maybe this clinic really works. -So it would seem.
Good day. -Hello.
How can I help? I've already told the police all I know.
Your men and women sure look young. -My clinic only treats women.
And excuse me, Detective, but age standards are becoming obsolete.
Thanks to science, we'll soon be living to 120 in good health.
As long as you can afford it, right? -At first, perhaps.
But soon, like everything, it will democratize.
Thanks to people like you? -Precisely.
Would you follow me? I have a meeting with the medical team.
Do you conduct plastic surgery here? -No.
Ms Dervie had work done, but not here.
I'm a doctor.
I rejuvenate from within, I do not remodel the façade.
Put some by the mineral baths, Lucas. -Yes, Madam.
Was he chosen for his "inner youth"?
I chose him for his looks, Detective. Like all the men here.
Let's just say they're beautiful objects.
Designed to satisfy your clients. -They can do as they wish.
Thank you. It's the science that interests me.
The medical roles are filled by women. The men do the menial tasks.
The other way round, for once.
Are you outraged?
Men must have really hurt you, Doctor.
My father was a terrible brute, it's true.
But, like all brutes, he became a child again as he got older.
Men are much more endearing when they're powerless.
Don't you think?
And the murder? -It's awful, of course.
But I trust you'll do your job.
The commissioner assures me you're the best. Hello Ms Valmont.
What was Ms Dervie here for? -Revitalization Plus.
Here, Doctor.
Does this symbol mean anything to you?
No. -And the rest?
The rope? The shaved body? -No idea.
Can you think of anyone, staff or guests, who may be capable of this?
Absolutely not.
Go to the village if you want to find psychopaths.
And lodgings too. Certainly more in your price range than here.
I must go.
Call me if you need anything. Good bye. -We'll be in touch.
Like I said...
Not very helpful. -She must have many friends.
But you'll not find many who speak badly of her.
She's a major employer .
All the local farmers have gone organic to supply her.
Look into the clientele, the staff, relationships,
the history of the place, etc.
We'll debrief tonight. -Tonight?
Yes, tonight. -That's a lot of people...
Yes. But I heard you were good. -Yes.
Until then, do you know where we can get a room?
Looks like no one's here.
Hi. -Who's she?
We're looking for a Ms Pillorge. -Over there.
In the fennel field.
Did you hear about Clinagen? -The old woman?
Who cares. It's their problem.
But Clinagen employs everyone here, no?
Yeah, for peanuts.
They work 24 hours a day for nothing.
You think the murder could have been pay back?
No way. They'd never do anything. To them, it's just life.
What's up with the cows? -They're Ronceaux's. They're sick.
He's got that idiot looking after them. -Who?
Ambroise, the vet.
He should be top of your list, anyway.
He filed a complaint against the clinic for endangering cows!
Endangering cows! He's nuts.
What an idiot!
It's Fifi...
She had a fever all night. Just like the others.
You're okay, grandma.
Gentlemen.
I'm Detective Niemans.
I'm told you filed a complaint against Clinagen.
And? -There's been a murder on the premises.
I don't see the link, and don't try to make one.
I complained because that bitch stopped us from using antibiotics.
Her criteria go beyond organic.
I can't treat pleurisy with essential oils!
By "that bitch", do you mean Vialle?
Everyone bends over backwards for her round here.
I should too. I'm losing all my clients.
Do you know her personally? -No, thank goodness.
Niemans? -Yes?
Excuse me, Mr... ?
Ronceaux. -Right.
What's that carving?
It's old. There's one on every farm round here.
It was there when I bought it. You should ask my wife.
Aline!
Aline, come here please! -Where were you Thursday night?
In bed. I get up at 5 a.m.
What is it? -These people are from the police.
They're asking about the carving.
It's a daisy wheel.
It was used long ago...
to ward off the evil eye.
There you go. Anything else?
No.
There, Fifi...
I've not finished, but it's livable.
Here's the first room. -Good. I'll take it.
Do you get a lot of tourists here? -Not really.
Because of the evil eye?
Lydie? Come here please!
You said you'd help me today. -It's cool.
It's not "cool". I can never rely on you!
I'm killing myself in the fields and where are you?
Sorry.
That's your room. -Thank you.
Doctor. -Hello.
Look at what great shape she's in.
And that's just the outside. Inside, she's a young woman.
Great hydrogen sulfide levels, good telomere length.
She could have lived to a hundred. Such a pity.
Shall we start?
That's why we're here.
Well, first, it's impossible to determine time of death in that heat.
She lost lots of blood.
The steam slowed down clotting.
That and the temperature made her heart give out.
But she was knocked out over the head first.
Then tied up, shaved...
They used an old-fashioned blade.
A straight razor. You can tell from the shape of the microcuts.
The cuts and incisions were made after.
Judging by the marks on her wrists,
she woke up at some point and tried to break free.
But what's most interesting is where the three cuts were made.
This one's on a birthmark.
The other two are on two large moles.
Clearly intentional. -I think I understand.
During the witch-hunts,
birthmarks and skin flaws were "devil's marks".
The areas were meant to be numb, so they were shaved to find the marks,
cut to prove their Satanism, forced to confess and executed.
Right, she was treated like a witch. -Yes.
That's to ward off the evil eye.
Were there witch-hunts in the area?
Yes, but in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Here are all the cleaners...
So, where are we? -Right! Yes...
I've looked into the Clinagen staff.
Vialle recruits them from other areas,
quite poor ones too.
She pays for their training and houses them in dorms on the top floor.
A good way to ensure loyalty. -Yes, or to buy silence.
This stinks of a cult. -With Vialle as the Grand High Witch.
Whose demands cast the evil eye over the village.
But why would the killer target a client and not her?
She's unreachable.
Plus, she creates jobs. -Then why that client?
Still nothing on Barbara Dervie? -Nope, nothing at all.
Old colleagues, family, friends... Nothing.
Just that she's been coming here for a long time.
The clinic's history looks clean too.
But we don't have former patient files.
The prosecutor refused... -He's starting to piss me off.
This means we have to keep digging in the village.
Registration docs for Park Clinic.
The former name of Clinagen. Manager, Anne-Claire Le Bars.
She was also lab director at Lyon University.
When Vialle was there. -Ah, yes! Exactly.
Here's the deed. -Thanks.
She left the clinic to Vialle in her will.
She'd just graduated. -You didn't tell us before?
Well, it's all legal. I checked. -Right.
I'll revisit Vialle tomorrow to go over all this.
Dig up what you can on Anne-Claire Le Bars
And you, make me a list of all the daisy wheels in the damn town, okay?
Okay. -Good luck.
What's that idiot doing? He'll crash! -Here.
Thanks.
He's on fire! He's on fire!
What the hell, Ronceaux?
Why did you shoot your cows?
Mr Ronceaux?
Put the rifle down.
Give me the rifle.
Please.
Give it to me.
Slowly.
You okay?
I'm tired.
I'll take care of it tomorrow.
Yes, Anne-Claire owned the clinic.
She left it to me because she believed in my work.
How did she die? -Cardiac arrest.
She was very weak from her cancer.
And you inherited all this? -Well, she had no children.
Honestly, Detective.
Why all these questions? I've already given a lot of my time.
I need the files of your other patients.
You don't get it, Detective. This was the work of a madman.
He's nothing to do with my clinic.
Your prosecutor understands this perfectly.
Everything on Anne-Claire Le Bars is up here.
I've prepared a box for you.
Here.
I also have Ms Vialle's thesis, if you like?
It's on the rejuvenation of mice. -Sure.
Yes, her research always focused on aging.
You know why? -Why our interests are what they are?
It's a big question. Her father was very old, I think.
Maybe it heightened her awareness.
I'll hunt out the thesis. -Thank you.
Are these the lab reservation books? -Yes.
Now, it's all electronic, of course.
I'll leave it here. -What was the date of Le Bars' death?
May 1st, 2004.
No reservation. -Poor woman... Everyone was off.
But it was booked out the night before. It says "I8" or "1.8".
Do you know what this might mean? -Can I see?
That's odd. Usually it's student names, experiment details...
Here she's booked her own lab, without any details.
Except for this "I8", that is...
There was no autopsy on Anne-Claire's body.
Weird for a heart attack. -Maybe Vialle was involved.
An investigation could have complicated things.
What if Vialle killed her?
Someone found out and took revenge on Barbara Dervie?
But again, why her? You don't torture someone at random.
Detective? -Yes? Mind the steps.
There are six farms with daisy wheels.
But no one will talk about them.
Same with former patients. They all have selective memory about Vialle.
No one wants trouble. -On the other hand...
Look who I found in her university class photo.
Right, he's been hiding some things. -Yes.
So, you were Vialle's classmate?
What about it?
I flunked my first year of med school.
Then I became a vet. All right?
When are you going to stop hassling me?
What was the relationship between Vialle and Le Bars?
That bitch Vialle made her believe she could cure her cancer.
Anne-Claire worshipped her.
She couldn't see it was just a ploy to get her clinic.
What did the other students think?
They were all sheep. Like here.
Vialle this, Vialle that...
They were all fascinated.
Only I had the balls to say her experiments were a load of crap.
That's why I was failed. -Her mouse experiments?
Mice? Humans, more like!
She spent her days in that lab,
playing Dr Frankenstein.
And Anne-Claire covered for her!
You saw her experiment on humans?
I didn't need to.
Does I8 or 1.8 mean anything to you? -No.
Do lots of people practice witchcraft around here?
No idea.
It's not something you talk about.
Especially to two Parisian clowns. -We're wasting our time.
He's just a drunk. Let's go.
You stupid pigs! -Sorry, what did you say?
Dad! Do something! -Who are you calling a drunk?
Screw you! -Ambroise! Let him go!
Stop! -Damn it, stop! Leave it!
Listen to her, you got it?
Stop it. That's enough.
Leave it. -You okay, Camille?
I'm okay. -Sure?
Screw you all.
Could be his revenge on Vialle? -Not like that.
She could have continued her experiments on humans.
Barbara Dervie was involved and was killed like a witch.
Either way, that drunk can’t help us prove it.
What the hell is this place?
More sympathy for a cow than a human. -A woman, Niemans.
Witchcraft here seems to be a woman's business. I'll deal with it.
See you back at the inn?
Thanks.
How many cows have you lost this year?
Six.
That's a lot, no? -Yes.
Looks like the daisy wheels don't work.
Can I be honest?
Please.
I'm not here because of the case.
Don't tell my boss. I don't think men get this stuff.
My son.
Leo.
He's 15. His dad and I are separated.
It was quite unpleasant.
And ever since...
Leo and I have had problems.
A bit like you with your cows.
I know it sounds crazy, but...
I think his dad cursed us.
Never mind. Forget it.
What do you want?
I think you can help us.
Okay.
I'll take you.
But you can't tell a soul. -Okay.
Sorry. I'll hang up.
Sorry.
Camille Delauney. Leave a message.
THESIS: HEMATOLOGY AND THE INFLUENCE OF BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS ON CELL RENEWAL
STUDY CONDUCTED IN THE RHÔNE-ALPES
It's about her son.
I'm leaving you in good hands.
Sit down.
You can remove the blindfold.
My name is Claude.
Drink this.
Eight of hearts. The eagle and the grave.
Death follows you, it seems.
Turn three of them over.
Harpocrates and Mercury.
Secrets.
Continue.
The giant.
You can't run away from your problems.
Another.
Ichneumon, the mongoose.
You were right. You were placed under a curse.
You think it's the father of your son?
I can free you from this burden.
I have that power.
But to do that, you must agree to go into battle.
You think I should go after my son's father?
Never.
You shouldn't even go near the curser.
Keep this in your pocket. It's a moonstone.
Squeeze it if you ever feel threatened.
It will keep the curse's hold at bay.
What have you come here to find?
What did you do to your son's father?
Actually, I'm investigating...
the Clinagen murder.
I'm a police lieutenant.
We think she was treated like a witch during the Inquisition.
Indeed.
Do you have any leads? -Clinagen manipulates the living.
That could be considered witchcraft. -No!
Science deals with body, not soul.
And the real motive for witch hunts was often very human.
To get rid of difficult wives or lovers.
To prevent revenge from women who'd been raped.
And, above all...
to punish those considered too free.
Men have always feared women, haven't they?
I... I don't feel very well.
The weight of secrecy.
Withholding the truth has a price.
Where is your son's father?
He's dead.
I killed him.
Jesus Christ...
Camille Delauney. Leave a message.
These people are starting to piss me off.
I'm looking for my colleague.
Where is she? -I don't know.
Where are you going?
What are you doing?
What the hell is this? -She fainted. I brought her back.
Why did she faint? What happened? -Niemans, I'll explain.
I drank something and lost control. -In what way?
I told her about Leo's dad.
She thinks I'm under a curse.
You don't believe that nonsense?
She knew before I told her. -No, she didn't.
She guessed from your reactions. We do the same.
Drink that and get some rest. We'll talk more later.
About? Did you find something?
While you were at your séance, I read Vialle's entire thesis.
She tried everything.
And concludes that a massive transfusion works best.
It improves performance, endurance, memory, strength...
It would also work on humans. -Maybe that's it.
Anne-Claire was a test before Barbara? -I don't know.
The weird thing is she stopped when it was looking promising.
That's how you do it!
What is his problem? -Get lost, idiot.
What's up, stoners? -Shut the hell up!
You shut up! -Piss off!
Piss of, you moron!
Hey! Calm down! -I am calm!
That's enough, hey!
For Christ's sake. -Get lost, idiots!
Hey! -What?
What the hell is wrong with you all? -Nothing.
I have to get out of this place. -Why? What is it?
It's nothing! -Calm down!
Now get out of here. Go!
Let's go.
Did you see their eyes? -Looks like withdrawal.
Not from weed. There's something else.
You think there's a dealer round here? -I don't know.
What's he doing?
Why's he taking off like that?
You okay?
Yeah, I'm okay.
Got anything on you?
It's just for personal use.
Why did you run?
I was just waiting for my girlfriend and freaked.
Can I go?
Yeah, get lost.
What now?
Let's check it out.
Come on!
What's she doing? -Claude! Open up!
I told you not to come. -Whatever!
With all these cops around? -You want us to turn you in?
Hurry up!
They're fine.
What did you do to them? -I opened their 12 meridians.
It made you feel better too, right? -Why do that?
Everyone wants inner peace.
But not many are ready to take the path, as they are.
They deserve the respect of people like you.
You have to be high to open your meridians?
It's easy to point fingers.
Just like the witch-hunts. -Sure.
When did it start? -I'm unifying their energy spheres.
Answer me. When did it start? -A year or a year and a half ago.
Who else? -No one just now.
Before? -Anyone who needed it.
You should really try it.
A village of junkies. That's their curse.
Claude's drugs or theories could have driven the killer mad.
Maybe she even chose the victim.
Yes, but why?
We still have nothing on Dervie. -Yeah.
Claude said witch-hunts were also used to get rid of women
who'd been unfaithful or raped.
What happened? -Your daughter's okay.
She's over there.