Antonio (Tony) Falcone (fahl-KOHN), at thirty-three years old, stands at the center of a legal storm as he faces trial for allegedly poisoning his wife, Gisèle. Tony, a businessman with a thriving enterprise in the sale and repair of agricultural equipment, prides himself on his accomplishments. Yet, despite being a family man who values his wife’s homemaking, taking his daughter to church, visiting his aging father, and enjoying family vacations by the sea, Tony’s life is marred by infidelity. He indulges in numerous fleeting affairs, treating them as casual and devoid of commitment. This attitude persists even during his passionate entanglement with Andrée Despierre, a liaison he initially considers purely physical. However, as Andrée’s obsession grows, she embarks on a fatal mission, resulting in the deaths of both her husband and Tony’s wife, subsequently leading both lovers to life imprisonment.

Throughout his interrogation by officials, Tony’s character unfolds as one detached from deep introspection, lacking self-awareness of his motives and emotions. His affair with Andrée lacks profound emotional connections, yet her misinterpretation of his casual desires as reciprocal leads to tragic outcomes. Tony’s failure to articulate his internal conflicts highlights his passivity, allowing the investigation to uncover layers of truth he himself cannot fully comprehend. Ultimately, his tangled web of affairs and the consequential trial reveal a man struggling with the consequences of his actions.

Andrée Formier Despierre (ahn-DRAY fohr-MYAY day-PYEHR), the daughter of a local hero, Dr. Formier. She lives with her mother in the chateau in Saint Justin. They are proud provincial bourgeoises who have fallen on hard times; it is obvious that she marries Nicholas Despierre for money. Andrée is a tall, attractive woman, with dark hair that contrasts with her white, translucent complexion. Revealing her sexual aggressiveness, she initiates an affair with Tony Falcone. During their eight meetings at the Hôtel des Voyageurs in the blue room, she expresses intense sexuality and possessiveness. She wants Tony to leave his wife and marry her. After Tony makes it clear that their affair has ended, she sends notes reminding him of their relationship. Driven by passion, she poisons both Nicholas and Tony’s wife, Gisèle. She is arrested for the first murder, but Tony is arrested for his wife’s death. At his trial, she brazenly states that his passion for her is as strong as hers is for him, and that he intended to get rid of Gisèle in order to marry her. She is triumphant when the jury sentences both of them to life imprisonment: She interprets the sentence as their means of remaining together forever.

Madame Despierre, the most respected and wealthiest citizen of Saint Justin. A mean-spirited woman who always dresses in gray, she spends most of her time working in a grocery store, one of her many properties. She grudgingly retires, however, when Andrée, her son Nicholas’ wife, comes to work at the store. She reveals the depths of her malicious nature during Tony Falcone’s trial for the murder of his wife. Although he is innocent of poisoning her, Madame Despierre tells the court that only Tony had the opportunity to put strychnine into the jar of plum jam. She lies because she wants both the guilty Andrée and the innocent Tony to be punished for her son’s death.

Gisèle Falcone (zhee-ZEHL), Tony’s wife, embodies quiet devotion and introversion, thriving as a housewife devoted to managing the household and assisting Tony with business accounts. After moving from Poitiers to Saint Justin, she remains an...

Françoise (frahn-SWAHZ), a sturdy peasant woman in her early thirties, has long been employed in cafés and hotels since the age of fifteen. Working at Vincente Falcone’s Hôtel des Voyageurs, she boldly propositions Tony, leading to a brief affair that highlights the transient and uncommitted nature of Tony’s numerous extramarital liaisons. Françoise’s audacity stands in stark contrast to the deeper, more tumultuous connection Tony shares with Andrée, encapsulating the casual and fleeting elements of his indiscretions.