Samuel?
Samuel!
THE CRIMSON RIVERS
THE DAY OF THE ASHES: PART I
Sorry.
Excuse me.
Commissioner Niémans? I'm Lieutenant Thierry Chauveron.
I'll be helping you with the investigation.
- Is there a car hire here? - No need. I've got my car outside.
- I'd prefer to be independent. - Well then, the car hire is that way.
- I thought there'd be someone with you. - Well, it's just me.
You can brief me on the way.
So you know the prosecutor?
Yes. He's an old friend.
But that doesn't explain why he put me on the case.
We have to determine whether it's a murder case.
The brief said someone had sabotaged the vault supports.
It's just a theory.
The main problem is that Toschi was pastor at the Château.
- What's the Château? - Not exactly how it sounds.
It's a winegrowing estate run by a Protestant community.
They're known here as God's Harvesters.
- Is it a cult? - You could say that, yes.
They claim to be heirs to the first Protestants of Alsace.
Behind the smiles, they're very uncooperative.
They tried to prevent the autopsy. It's against their beliefs.
They won't answer our questions.
And, as it's harvest time, they don't want any hold-ups.
Any internal tension?
Hard to say as they don't mix with outsiders.
They only employ outside help for these few harvest days.
And what was Toschi doing at the chapel at that time of day?
He went by every evening to see how the work was coming along.
It was here that their ancestors hid from persecution.
They plan to make it a memorial to Protestant oppression
in the 16th century.
I see.
You removed the police tape? Who authorised that?
Lieutenant Colonel Kirsch.
Forensics is finished. The experts are done.
Samuel Toschi's been dead for over a week. There was no reason to wait.
- Work's already resumed? - It starts tomorrow.
The prosecutor gave the go-ahead.
According to the autopsy, Toschi died under the rubble.
His ribcage was crushed and his neck was broken.
- Are the frescos valuable? - Not really.
They have more of a symbolic value.
Right, get a team together and secure the area. OK?
I don't want anyone snooping around the site.
- What about the work? - Not my problem.
Nobody sets foot in here
until we've established whether it's a crime scene.
- Mr Raynaud won't be happy. - Who's he again?
I heard you were here.
My name's Joseph Raynaud.
I'm the one who runs the Château Cooperative.
- Commissioner Niémans. - I believe you're wasting your time.
I received the expert report this morning.
It certifies that the vault's collapse was an accident
caused by accelerated limestone erosion.
Something to do with fumes from the vines. I don't understand it all.
In any case, there's no malice or negligence involved.
- How did you get this report? - Our own experts did the work.
- Your experts? - Yes, from our insurance company.
I take care of all financial and legal matters.
I thought they'd be best for the job.
- What the hell is this? - Calm down, Commissioner.
Our experts are the best in their field. Their assessment is legally sound.
I think we can consider the case closed and you can go home.
Let me explain something, Mr Raynaud.
I've come from Paris to wrap this case up.
I don't give a shit about your tricks. I intend to do my job properly.
So your insurers are not going to tell me the case is closed.
Got it?
You went in a bit strong.
The Château community has a lot of power around here.
Who's funding the chapel's restoration?
The Château, largely.
Along with the local council and the archdiocese.
- Why the archdiocese? - The chapel was Catholic originally.
Does the Château have much money?
Its wine is very famous.
But all the income is used to sustain the community.
We're coming up to the vineyards now.
What on earth...
Are there a lot of people in the cult?
Not everyone you see here is part of the community.
People come from all over for the harvest.
But the rules are strict. Everyone must dress the same.
Slow down, please. Slow down!
All right. Pick up the pace or we'll be here all night.
Where exactly are we going?
To see the coroner. I need to talk to him.
I heard someone died. Was it your boss?
I'm not part of the community. I'm a seasonal worker like you.
But as far as I know, there are no bosses here.
- But you heard what happened? - Yes.
- So who's going to lead the cult? - I told you, there's no boss.
And it's not a cult.
You ask too many questions.
Doctor Beaucarne?
- Yes? - Commissioner Niémans from Paris.
I'm investigating the death of Samuel Toschi.
- You're here as backup? - No, it's about your report.
- Which part of it? - It says he had a stone in his mouth.
- Yes. And? - A stone from the collapsed vault.
I'd say so.
But there was no damage to his mouth or teeth.
What do you want to know?
Surely a stone like that would do serious damage to the face.
Yet his was perfectly intact.
So?
So perhaps the stone was put in his mouth before the vault collapsed.
- You mean he was killed first? - It's possible.
Of course.
Toschi could've been stoned to death and then hidden underneath the rubble.
But then why leave a stone in his mouth?
- A signature, maybe. - Well, good luck.
My back's killing me.
- I feel like an 80-year-old. - Welcome to the club.
- Is it your first day? - Yes.
I hope the Château has comfortable beds.
The seasonal workers stay at a camp at the end of the main field.
Of course.
The Château is just for cult members.
What is it?
I live at the Château. I'm part of the cult, as you call it.
- Sorry. - It's fine.
I'm Blandine.
Camille.
- Yes? - There's someone here to see you.
I'll be right down.
Hello. I'm Commissioner Niémans.
Stéphane Bruneau. You wanted to see me?
You're overseeing work at the chapel?
Yes.
Have you read this?
- What is it? - The expert report on the accident.
An accident?
- I don't think so. - That's what the report says.
I'm a professional. I can assure you the site was entirely safe.
If the vault collapsed, it wasn't by accident.
Would you need expertise to sabotage the supports?
Not necessarily.
- Do you work with your own men? - Some are my own, yes.
- But most are from the community. - The cult.
How they live is their choice. They're good workers.
Are you close to any of them?
Absolutely not. There's always a barrier.
An invisible wall.
Do you think one of them could have done it?
No.
Toschi was like a god to them.
Did you know him?
He came by every day. A real pain in the arse, always on my back.
But his enthusiasm was...
quite inspiring.
- Any valuables in the chapel? - None.
The community's only asset is its wine.
- Do you know Raynaud well? - Another pain in the arse.
He's their businessman.
He's in charge now that Toschi's dead, right?
It doesn't work like that.
All decisions are collective. No one's in charge.
There's always a boss.
Raynaud claims they chucked the rubble out.
We haven't spent months restoring those frescos
for them to just be thrown out.
Would the cult have any reason to hide it?
Do you have photos of the fresco from that vault?
Yes.
Would you mind emailing them to me?
OK.
- Hello. - Commissioner?
I've looked into the stone in the mouth.
Throughout history, in Italy, Ireland and Poland,
bodies have been found buried with stones in their mouths.
Seemingly to stop them from coming back from the dead or biting the living.
- It's not a Christian ritual? - No, more of a superstition.
There are many theories.
Have you made a list of looters and art traffickers?
- I'm on it now. And... Commissioner? - Yes?
You might want to touch base with Lieutenant Colonel Kirsch.
He's not heard anything yet. I think he's starting to get...
- nervous. - I'll take care of it.
What's it like inside?
Only members have access.
- Do they have something to hide? - All I know is the rules are strict.
I think it's pretty creepy.
I'm only here because they pay the best wages.
Same, I'm just here for work.
And it makes a nice change not having a mobile phone.
But I can't wait to get rid of these clothes.
They're worried that we might not dress modestly.
Yet they're happy to wave their arses in the air when they pick grapes.
At least the clothes solve that problem.
Hello.
- It's me. - What's it like?
Little House on the Prairie with barbed wire.
But I've connected with one of the women from the cult.
- What's your verdict? - Definitely murder.
A stone was put in Toschi's mouth before he was buried.
What does that mean?
Someone's looking into it. For now, it's just ghosts and vampires.
But I find it hard to believe the cult's not involved.
Would they really demolish their own chapel?
Just a wall.
The ceiling's covered in frescos.
Worthless Christian stuff from the 19th century.
But the community was quick to remove and hide the rubble.
- Because of the frescos? - I don't know.
I met this one guy by the name of Raynaud.
He looks like an overgrown garden gnome. Have you seen him?
Yeah.
He just gave us newbies a lecture on God, nature, wine and chastity.
It seems he's taken over from Toschi. Though they say there are no bosses.
They don't want us here. They're hiding something.
And they dumped the rubble to get rid of evidence?
Or to hide it.
- Have you noticed anything? - The estate's big.
All buildings are off limits. I'll try to find a route over the wall.
- OK. Be careful. - Yes, Mum.
Yeah, all right. Ciao.
- Everything OK, Commissioner? - At ease, Lieutenant.
- I've come to help. - To help?
Yes.
Still working on the list of traffickers?
Yes.
Let's take a look, then.
- Come on! - OK.
- Hello? - Niémans.
I've found the missing rubble.
- Where are you? - In a sort of cellar behind the farm.
They've reassembled the fresco on the ground.
The fragments are numbered, but they've lost the middle one.
Or someone stole it.
Head back to the camp. It's not safe.
I'll call you tomorrow night.
OK.
- Who's that? - Mathussène?
Not really a looter as such.
He deals in stolen goods and makes his own sculptures.
But he specialises in religious art.
- Is Altkirch far? - No, but it's way too late for a call.
We'd best get going, then.
There must be a bell or something.
What are you doing?
I'm climbing the fence.
This isn't good.
Mathussène!
Hey!
We're police. We'd like to speak to you.
Turn off that damn radio!
The bastard's taking off!
You go that way!
Hey, you all right?
Hey!
Why did you run off like that?
- Why did you run? - I'm not running, I'm here!
Shit. All right, all right I'll tell you who it is.
I said those fonts weren't worth shit anyway.
What are you talking about?
There's been a number of baptism fonts stolen from churches in Ungersheim.
I don't give a shit. I'm here about the Rosheim fresco.
- What? - The fresco in the Rosheim Chapel.
- Do you know it? - Where the murder happened?
- A part's missing, what do you know? - I had nothing to do with the murder!
Calm down, we know that.
But that fresco got a guy killed. Was it worth it?
It would be, yeah.
Don't screw with me. Those paintings are worthless.
Those on top, yes. But not the ones underneath.
- Underneath? - Christ, guys. Do your homework!
The 19th century artists whitewashed the walls and painted over the top.
Rosheim Chapel
has frescos that date back to the Renaissance.
It's these that they're restoring. And they're worth a fortune.
Right.
Shut up!
Where's the nearest forensics lab?
Strasbourg. You think there's still evidence at the chapel?
Call them first thing and tell them I need a RayzorX.
- Will you remember? - What is it?
A portable X-ray machine. And tell them it's urgent.
And what should I tell the colonel?
Tell him he'll have my report in the morning. Don't worry.
I didn't know we could smoke here.
- I wish I'd brought mine. - Why wouldn't we be allowed?
We're not torturers.
- Sorry. - It's OK.
Are you a Christian?
I went to church as a kid.
Still practicing?
No.
- Is that bad? - No, no. Not at all.
Look around.
This land is our life.
I wouldn't change it for the world.
What are they doing?
After harvest ends tomorrow evening,
we spend the night burning the waste. Everything we used for the harvest.
The next day, we cover the vines with the ashes
and pray for the coming year.
We call it the Day of the Ashes.
Here.
We're strange, right?
Completely nuts.
- Hello? - This is Commissioner Niémans.
You've made a real fool of me.
- What are you talking about? - The chapel's hidden frescos.
- That's a rumour. - You haven't X-rayed the vaults?
What for? We're restoring the ones on top.
- You're not exposing the hidden ones? - No, not at all.
And again: there's no proof they exist.
So you didn't look under the plaster?
Usually I would, but this time it wasn't possible.
Why not?
The Château guys have strictly forbidden it.
What's this business with the frescos?
They're from the Renaissance.
But their message might be more important.
What message?
I don't know. They were quick to hide the rubble.
And it seems they want the others to stay hidden.
These aren't the ones being restored?
I believe the restoration is to make sure they remain covered.
One of my sources says a fragment was stolen. This could be our motive.
- A source? - Yes.
- What source? - I can't disclose that.
Who do you think you are, exactly? A journalist?
May I remind you that I'm in charge?
Yet you were about to close a murder case without investigating it.
- You've read the experts' report. - Read mine.
The case clearly involves murder and theft.
So, if I were you, I'd go to the Château and interview everyone there.
- What, a good hundred suspects? - Yes, plus local art traffickers.
When harvest ends tomorrow, they'll leave and we'll be up shit creek.
So I'd call in help from Colmar and Strasbourg.
And try not to let the press know it's a murder.
I'd like to work in peace.
I wasn't planning on advertising it.
Lord, bless these vines
that are the fruits of the earth and of man's toil.
Visit these vines. Protect them.
Through Christ our Lord, He who lives on eternally.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
- What? - Nothing.
You shouldn't let appearances fool you.
- We live in total freedom here. - It doesn't seem that way.
All these rules come from us. They're not imposed.
We want to live like this. It's our choice.
- When did you join? - I was born at the Château.
- You've never known any different? - No.
I got married at 17. Now I'm 29 and I have three kids.
We live by the rhythm of the seasons here.
This is how we truly unite ourselves with God.
Do your kids go to school?
Of course. We have daycare and schools.
And all these families... Are you all in dorms like us?
We share a farm with two other families.
But how does it work with...
- With what? - Well, with...
Don't worry, the farms are big!
But what about you? Where are you from?
I'm a seasonal worker.
I work summers on the southern terraces
and winters at the ski resorts.
This is my first grape-picking season.
I'd never have guessed.
- But where's your home? - I don't really have one.
You've never wanted to settle down, find a husband, have kids?
I know at least two who wouldn't say no.
Come to prayer this evening. You'll understand us a bit better.
Maybe no one's here today.
Excuse me.
Hello, Sister.
I'm Commissioner Niémans. I'd like to speak to Rector Kosynski.
- Concerning what? - I just have a few questions.
Come in.
Two policemen are here to see you.
Show them in.
Commissioner Niémans, Lieutenant Chauveron.
- Thank you for seeing us. - Of course.
How can I help you?
We're investigating the murder of Samuel Toschi.
I thought it was an accident.
No, evidence points to a murder with theft as the motive.
A murder?
- What's worth stealing at Rosheim? - The frescos.
You'd have to take a whole wall. Plus, they're not very valuable.
You're talking about the ones on top. I'm talking about the ones underneath.
Have a seat.
Who told you about that?
It's common knowledge among local historians.
Not historians, charlatans and amateur treasure-hunters.
These frescos don't exist. It's a completely unfounded rumour.
Have you ever checked?
I'm sure those in charge of the restoration have done so.
If they had found anything, I would've been informed.
What if those in charge are trying to keep their existence secret?
Quite a sensational theory.
Again, if they existed, I'd know about it.
Our diocese is funding a third of the work.
And why, exactly?
Rosheim Chapel is part of the region's Christian heritage.
But the current owners are Protestant.
We want to create a non-denominational place of worship.
- You don't mind having ties to a cult? - I had a theology professor who said:
"The only difference between a cult and a religion
is the number of followers."
I didn't expect your diocese to show such tolerance.
It's our core mandate.
- Did you know Toschi well? - Only from construction meetings.
- Any idea who might want him dead? - None at all.
I would drop this idea about hidden treasures in the chapel.
- You haven't asked how he was killed. - They said he was crushed.
He was dead before the wall collapsed.
The killer put a stone in his mouth. Does that ritual mean anything to you?
No.
I'm sorry.
OK. Thanks for your time.
- Goodbye. - Goodbye.
Goodbye.
Thank you.
- Some bread? - Yes, thank you.
National Gendarmerie! ID check!
This is outrageous.
What is this?
They picked up everyone who's had a run-in with the cops.
Basically all Romani.
This is all his fault.
- What's my fault? - These shameful arrests.
This nonsense about murder and theft.
- So why did you hide the rubble? - What?
- Where's the missing piece? - What are you talking about?
And the frescos under the whitewash, what do they depict?
This is the guy you want on your case?
The Commissioner's just being thorough.
You've arrested a bunch of Romani.
If your skin's a bit darker, you're a suspect, is that it?
You're disgraceful.
If this stops us from finishing the harvest tomorrow,
I'm taking you to court.
You do that.
The prosecutor says to follow your instructions.
But I agree with Raynaud. This is absurd.
I didn't tell you to arrest all the gypsies.
When dealing with theft and art trafficking,
you start by arresting those with records, right?
- It's not my fault they're all Romani. - Sure.
Where are you going now? You call this cooperation?
If thou but suffer God to guide thee
And hope in Him through all thy ways
He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee
And bear thee through the evil days
Who trusts in God's unchanging love
Builds on the rock that naught can move
If thou but suffer God to guide thee
And hope in Him through all thy ways
He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee
And bear thee through the evil days
Who trusts in God's unchanging love
Builds on the rock that naught can move...
Camille?
These are my little angels.
- Rachel and Anna. - Hello.
- You sang beautifully. - Thank you.
Daniel, Barthélémy.
Come on!
I'm Camille. Nice to meet you.
They're both single.
It'll be a tough choice!
- You're getting married? - We're not baptised yet!
- Really? - We were not baptised as children.
We believe the decision to join the community should be made as an adult.
- Have you decided? - The baptism's tomorrow.
- You can come if you like. - Can she come?
Well...
- Why not? - I'd love to.
Great. I'll leave you to get acquainted.
She's a cop.
We need to get rid of her.
Commissioner?
The machine you ordered is here.
Yes? Be there in an hour.
- Where are we going? - You're staying here.
I'm going alone.
I'm the only one authorised to use it.
- I know what I'm doing. - But it's my responsibility.
Then write up a discharge. I'll sign it and we're good.
- What about me? - Go back to the station.
See if any gangs saw something suspicious last night.
Be discreet. We'll touch base tomorrow.
- Do you not have a stamp? - A stamp?
I'm only teasing. I'll have it back with you by breakfast tomorrow.
I hope you remembered my cigarettes.
- I can't take any more roll-ups. - I thought you'd quit.
There must be a secret meaning behind these frescos.
- Is the killer part of the community? - I don't know.
It's either a current member seeking power
or a former member seeking revenge.
I wish I could X-ray the rubble.
What?
Subtitles by MehrAzar
The prosecutor's here.
Thanks.
- Hey. - Hi, Éric.
- Can you explain this bloody mess? - Yes. Follow me.
Toschi was the pastor and Raynaud the businessman.
- The killer's decapitated the cult. - OK. So?
So it looks like revenge.
Either a former or current member who wants to destroy the community.
- Any clues? - Yes. A fresco in the chapel.
I'm still looking into its meaning.
Pierre, you really need to give me something soon.
I've got all of France on my back.
The prefect, the mayor, politicians...
The murders are scaring tourists away from the region.
It's very bad for business.
This whole cult thing stinks of extremism.
And another thing:
I've promised local authorities you won't delay the harvest.
- Let them finish today as planned. - You know how it is, Éric.
- Either I ease off or I attack. - Don't be an arse.
If we don't follow protocol,
the wine is ruined and we're in real trouble.
The killer's right here. It's either a member or a worker.
The investigation is bound to slow the harvest.
Just do what you can.
They're a pain, but they're good winemakers.
- And wine is the currency here. - Yeah.
And it pays your wages, too.
Don't piss me off, seriously.
THE CRIMSON RIVERS
THE DAY OF THE ASHES: PART II
Raynaud's wife is here.
Do you want to talk to her?
Yes. Take me to her.
Mrs Raynaud?
Would you follow me, please?
Good day, madam, I'm Commissioner Niémans.
Can I see Joseph?
I'm sorry. Your husband's been taken to Colmar morgue.
- We need to ask if you'd... - Yes.
I can identify him.
Follow me, please.
Please accept my condolences.
- I'm very sorry for the misfortune... - Will this take long?
No, just a few minutes.
I have to get back to work. It's the last day.
The grapes won't wait.
When did you last see your husband?
Yesterday evening.
- He came to our home in Rosheim. - You don't live together?
Yes, but at the moment he's...
Well, he was overworked. So he was sleeping at the Château.
Why did he come to see you?
He wanted to kiss our kids goodnight.
And then what did he do?
He left at around 8pm to check the wine vats.
He works day and night during harvest.
Did he say he was going to the chapel?
No.
Did he have reason to go?
No.
Any enemies?
We have no friends nor enemies at the Château.
These are foreign concepts to our community.
Do you understand?
How would you describe your husband? What sort of person was he?
He was...
- fulfilled. - Fulfilled by what?
- His family? His job? - No.
By the love of our Lord.
He was filled with light and serenity.
Did he ever talk to you about hidden frescos?
No.
Do the initials "MLK" mean anything to you?
No.
And a ritual that involves placing stones in the mouths of the dead?
They put a stone in Joseph's mouth?
We'll find out in the autopsy.
But this was the case with the first victim.
Does it mean anything to you?
No.
OK. Anything else you want to tell me?
I have to get back to work.
- I'll drive you back. - No.
I'll go with the others in the truck.
- Is that the woman you told me about? - Yes.
- You knew she was Raynaud's wife? - No.
I can't believe I missed that.
- Does she have kids? - Three.
- I met two girls yesterday. - She trusts you?
- I hope so. - Try to find out what she knows.
I believe Toschi also had MLK on his body.
I bet they only crushed him under the rubble
to hide those letters.
I brought a notebook with me.
Draw me a map to the hidden rubble. I need to X-ray it.
Here's the farm and the workers' camp.
This is a guarded entrance.
The rubble's down in a cellar. You can get in here.
OK. I'll send some guys over.
You should get back to your cult.
- Meet me here this evening? - What time?
The end of the working day, I guess. Sunset?
- Can you be a bit more precise? - Sadly not.
No watches, no clocks.
OK. See you later.
Let them go. This was no robbery.
- But we haven't finished... - It doesn't matter.
Besides, none of them could've killed Raynaud.
Step into my office.
- What's the new focus? - Cult members.
Conduct background checks, search homes.
See if anyone was ever kicked out or if there's been an accident.
- A death, for example. - You think it's revenge?
Whoever wants to destroy it must have a reason.
Check the seasonal workers.
See if a former member has got in using a fake ID.
OK. Here. I've also got this for you.
- What's this? - A report on the Château.
Written by?
The Interministerial Mission for Monitoring Cultic Deviances.
It's quite a read.
Where are you going now?
Back to Barr to see the rector.
I want to show him the X-rayed frescos.
- Why this fixation on the frescos? - They tried to hide them.
And a fragment's been stolen. I think that's reason enough.
X-ray images of the rubble.
- More biblical scenes. - OK. Thanks, Chauveron.
Hey, I'm taking you home.
- I want my girls. - Where are they?
- At school. - Come on, I'll take you.
Come on.
Rosheim Chapel protected Alsace's first Protestants
from brutal repression in the mid-1500s.
We knew that already.
It seems the Protestants then took over the chapel.
No way. The Catholics would never have allowed it.
And they wouldn't worship in a Catholic building.
Wait, there's more.
During the worst years, the Protestants pretended to convert.
They emerged after the Edict of Nantes as a pure, dogmatic group.
Maybe that's when they painted the frescos.
And then covered them up?
Or endowed them with special meaning.
So we should see some Protestant authorities?
No. We can't be judge and jury.
What does it say about the cult today?
Today...
"God's Harvesters are a fairly harmless sect.
Quiet, organic farmers, they are just an unerring branch of Protestantism."
Seems they need to rewrite the report.
Call Colmar, see if they've done the autopsy. We'll swing by after Barr.
Mummy!
- I've come to pick you up. - Where are we going?
- Where? Where? - We're going to visit your brother.
Camille, can you watch them a moment?
I have to speak with the teacher.
- Hi. - Hello.
- Do you know Jean? - No, who's that?
He's our brother.
- Where is he? - With the others.
- Where is that? - We're not allowed to say.
We're not allowed to go there, either.
OK, girls. Let's go.
Come on.
Come with me.
Up we go.
You were right. There are indeed paintings beneath the whitewash.
Do you have any leads on the Château murders?
I'm not at liberty to say. Do you recognise the images?
They're probably passages from the Old Testament. Yes.
Could they have been painted by the first Protestants
- in the mid-1500s? - No.
They were against such iconography. The images had Catholic associations.
Our sources claim these Protestants pretended to convert.
Might they have created these frescos
to convey a secret message to their sect?
- What message? - That's the question.
I believe the missing fragment holds the key
to the meaning behind all the hidden frescos.
Tell me what I can do to help.
Good Lord.
These three letters.
Do they mean anything to you?
I'm no expert in Semitic languages,
but I believe that MLK
is a western Semitic term meaning "king" or "ruler".
It may have a connection to David or another king from the Old Testament.
This is clearly a message. If we can figure out what it means,
we might be able to prevent more murders.
- Thanks anyway. - Of course.
He's hiding something. I guarantee we won't hear from him again.
- Did you see his reaction? - When?
His face when he read the letters MLK.
He understood the message perfectly. There's no doubt.
- Should we arrest him? - No need. I have another solution.
Call this number. It's a monastery near Guebwiller.
Ask if a man named Marc Meyer is there.
- Who's that? - An old acquaintance.
- An oblate. You know what that is? - No.
A monk in civilian clothing.
- No answer. - All right. Try again later.
They're not big on telephones there.
Where are we going?
It's time you looked behind the scenes.
Hi, sweetie.
Are you OK?
Some of our children are born with genetic defects and illnesses.
Why aren't they in a hospital?
They are in a hospital.
The facility is fully funded by our wine.
You keep them hidden away their whole life?
Sadly, they don't live very long.
None have ever reached adulthood.
Joseph said it was the price we paid for our purity.
Your purity?
Our pure blood.
We're not just a close community.
We share a genetic heritage.
Our bodies and souls are one.
There's something else. Come with me.
If you look closely, you'll see there are two lines.
As though they used some sort of pliers, slightly open.
I believe this was done with pruning shears.
Or scissors, but I think shears are more likely.
Do you think Toschi's body might have had the same inscription?
We would've needed to look more closely at the skin.
His ribcage was crushed.
It was a total mess. There's no way I would've seen it.
- What time did he die? - Around 8:30pm.
And what are the black marks on the mouth?
Remember the stone in Toschi's mouth?
It seems it had been bleached by the dust.
As a result, I thought it was a piece of limestone.
It turns out it was probably coal.
At least that's what this guy had in his mouth.
A piece of coal.
NO ACCESS
There's one thing I don't get.
You think the Château folk crushed Toschi
- to destroy the letters, right? - Exactly.
So why would they leave the coal in his mouth?
They didn't know it was there.
Did you reach the monastery?
I left a message asking them to call back.
Damn, I missed them.
- So, your fake monk... - Oblate.
Yeah, him. He's there all right, but he won't be telling you much.
- Why not? - He's taken a month's vow of silence.
I'll drop you at the station, you can go and get him.
- Where's Camille? - She's staying here.
But I thought Jean's house was for people who aren't well?
Camille isn't well, sweetie. That's why she needs to stay here.
Shall we go?
Dear Lord, thank you for receiving our brother Daniel.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, thank you for receiving our brother Barthélémy. Amen.
Amen.
What the hell is she doing?
Yes?
What?
The victim's body was discovered by the cleaners...
Bloody hell.
- Did you put him there? - No, this is how he was found.
The killer seems to like orderliness.
No one saw anything?
He'd just finished with Raynaud. He's still warm.
- Surveillance cameras? - There aren't any.
We have to send the body to Strasbourg. He was our only coroner.
Did he have a private practice?
We'll check. What are you thinking?
I think he had ties with the cult. Maybe he was their doctor.
Or perhaps Beaucarne found something in the autopsy that he shouldn't have.
He's been playing us from the start.
His assistant noticed the stone in Toschi's mouth.
He would never have told us.
Then he spins us that crap about limestone dust
and not seeing marks on Toschi's body.
There's no way he would've missed it.
So why not say something?
Because he understood the message and didn't want it to get out.
- So why spill everything about Raynaud? - Because he had no choice.
And mainly because he feared he might be next.
Now that Samuel and Joseph are reunited with our Lord,
we are naked in the face of adversity.
But we must not surrender.
Ours is a long history of persecution that will never be over.
God sends us these trials to strengthen us.
Our faith will always triumph.
Today, we need to continue our work.
God has given us a mission.
And this mission is all that matters.
One day,...
One day, we will learn the identity of our persecutors
and we will settle the score.
The harvest is finished.
Despite the attacks,
despite the police,
despite all the obstacles, we have once more
succeeded in harvesting the wine of the Lord.
Night is falling
and the fires are being lit.
Tomorrow morning,
we will celebrate the Day of the Ashes.
The night will be long.
I suggest we call upon our Lord and recite Psalm 130.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord
O Lord, hear my voice
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
Camille?
Good evening.
I'm looking for this woman. Have you seen her?
Does anyone recognise her?
- Do you know this woman? - No.
Good evening. Do any of you remember seeing this woman?
Never seen her.
Please, has anyone seen this young woman?
Do you recognise her?
Good evening.
Have you seen this woman at all?
Yeah, that's Camille. But I don't know where she is.
She didn't even collect her wages.
She might be inside with the community.
I saw her this afternoon with Raynaud's wife.
Maybe they've converted her.
Maybe.
A goddamn undercover operation? When were you planning on telling me?
It seemed like the best option.
Sending a colleague undercover without telling anyone, are you mad?
The whole point of undercover is total secrecy.
No, my friend. Old age is clearly taking its toll.
You can't do that without approval from a superior.
When I joined the investigation, we didn't even know it was a murder.
The harvest allowed us to infiltrate the cult.
Going the official route would've taken days. You know that.
- And now she's missing. - Not necessarily.
- She just didn't show. - You can't reach her?
No. She probably made it inside.
I asked her to stay close to Raynaud's wife.
Unbelievable.
You're out of your goddamn mind.
What about the case?
We're dealing with a triple homicide, not just a disappearance.
I know. Look, either you send people over there
- or I'll look for her myself. - All right.
I'll send a team.
Right.
I'm holding a press conference tomorrow.
I need something concrete by then.
You can go.
Your monk's arrived.
- Where is he? - In the canteen.
He's a weird one. Our colleagues wanted him in a cell.
- And, Pierre.. - Yeah?
I wish you'd told me about the undercover cop.
Don't you start as well.
Meyer, thanks for coming.
Hello.
I'm breaking my vow of silence. I hope it's serious.
It is.
What's that?
My gear.
What sort of gear?
Just gear.
OK. We'll get you set up.
Empty room, white walls, window shutters down.
OK.
Where are the images?
On a USB stick.
- What era? - 16th century.
Oh, great.
The case concerns a local religious community.
God's Harvesters. You know them?
They say they live "out of time",
in a system that places them outside the order of the universe.
What does that mean?
The vast majority of cults
follow religious teachings in pursuit of salvation.
The Harvesters believe this salvation is in their bodies.
They think their flesh is sacred,
that they were chosen as God's people during the Reformation.
So they procreate solely among themselves
to ensure they remain pure of flesh.
They take the expression "to reproduce" quite literally.
This practice still continues.
We need you to look at the frescos. A part's missing.
See if you can guess what the stolen fragment depicted.
I'll do my best.
Thank you.
Beaucarne was indeed the Château's doctor.
- Mrs Raynaud was his assistant. - She was a nurse?
More of a volunteer.
OK. Keep digging on Beaucarne.
See what his exact role was at the Château.
Look into his full history with the cult. OK?
Thought we'd forgotten you?
Don't worry.
We wouldn't ruin our grapes with a cop's flesh.
We have bigger plans for you.
I don't give a shit! Turn the place upside down.
She can't just have vanished.
- Yes? - Commissioner, you need to see this.
- Where are you? - Rosheim registry office.
- What are you doing there? - It's easier if I show you.
So I checked the coroner's ties to the community, like you asked.
I dug out all death certificates signed by Beaucarne in the last 10 years.
More than 80% were kids at the Château.
Several deaths a year.
Genetic illnesses are hardly surprising.
But these children all die at the same time each year.
Late September.
The end of the harvest.
I can't believe they would euthanise them.
It's Meyer. He thinks he's found something.
Close the door.
I've figured out the frescos. It's a sort of comic strip
recounting stories from the Old Testament.
In particular that of Lot, Abraham's nephew who lived in Sodom.
I'll show you.
Here, we can see a town up in flames, which must be Sodom.
See these flames here?
And the figure over here is, without doubt, Lot's wife,
who turned into a pillar of salt
when she looked back on the burning city.
What's the story of Lot?
Lot was living in Sodom when he took two angels into his home.
The other inhabitants tried to rape the angels.
Lot protected them, but God was angry
and sent fire and suffering to rain down on the city.
It was at that moment
that Lot's wife turned back and was turned to salt.
God had told them not to look back upon the sins of Sodom.
But it's surprising to see Lot in a church.
Why?
Because of how the story ends.
Lot and his two daughters took refuge in a cave.
The girls were worried they would never find a husband.
So, one night they intoxicated their father and slept with him.
Two groups were born of this incestuous union:
the Moabites and the Ammonites.
- Why is that relevant? - Think about it.
For the first ever Harvesters, Lot was a sort of model.
- How so? - As I said before,
their bloodline is the most important thing.
They believe they embody a separate species, a divine essence.
And they practice incest to preserve that divinity.
They, like Lot's grandchildren, are born of consanguinity.
Four centuries of incest isn't a motive for murder.
Let me finish.
To me, it seems as though
they particularly identify with one of these groups:
the Ammonites.
Why those in particular?
Because the Ammonites worshipped a particular god:
Moloch.
The missing fragment is of his hideous face.
In Hebrew, his name is spelled MLK.
Melek.
- Weren't children sacrificed to Moloch? - Precisely.
Does the Bible say how they were sacrificed?
They were burned.
Sick bastards. They burn their own children.
It's not possible. We've never had any missing children.
Remember the death certificates. They only sacrifice those with defects.
They're not God's flesh, just the residue of their lineage.
Take these and find a way in. Call Kirsch. Put out all the fires.
- I'm going to find Camille. - OK.
Chauveron to HQ, send units to the Ungersheim vineyards.
Get back!
Stay back, I said!
Get back!
Stand back!
Search every building on this farm! Turn every room upside down!
Stay back!
Watch out!
Search every last building!
Sir, please calm down.
- Anyone in there? - No, just coal!
- Commissioner! - Yes?
You need to come see this.
Where's Camille?
No child shall be sacrificed tonight.
Killing their fathers was the only way.
I know she was with you.
Do you have children?
No.
Jean was to be sacrificed tonight.
Joseph promised me he wouldn't kill our son.
It's wrong to say, but...
I always loved Jean more than my two angels.
Or he always needed more of my love.
A mother's love for her child is the last line before our Lord.
So, even if Jean is condemned,
he will live until God's chosen day.
Yet all these years you've sacrificed the children of others?
Samuel and Joseph believed that the purity of our race
came at the price of our pure-blood unions.
So each year we burn our waste.
These malformed children,
they enable other specimens to be born that are more...
successful.
Why did you kill Beaucarne?
He prepared the children on the day of the sacrifice.
You were his assistant.
Did you anaesthetise them first?
My mission is accomplished.
The three demons who led our people are dead.
No child shall be sacrificed this year or ever again.
Where's Camille?
Her soul will be offered to Moloch.
It's the best place for her.
Camille!
Camille... Camille...
It's over, it's OK.
You're OK.
It's over. It's over.
It's over.
Subtitles by MehrAzar