I was curious about who was interested enough in my best friend to come visit him...
But I'm not ready to join Gaston on the other side just yet.
Who Has the Black Notebook?
Sorry for spooking you like that.
It's fine, really.
To Gaston's soul...
May he rest in peace.
I found the rat you were looking for, Guillaume.
He's actually with an old acquaintance.
What? Why would he be hanging around Lupin?
What should I do?
Procure the package. Then, take him out.
Which one?
Both of them!
So did you know Gaston long?
No, we met in this inn, and wound up becoming drinking buddies.
How about you? How do you know Gaston?
Me?
You could say he taught me a thing or two when I was a nipper.
Well, "ultimately, life is little more than a series of partings."
"If nothing else, raise a glass in their honor."
That's what it says in the Bible.
Come now. That's not any piece of scripture I've ever heard of.
I'm not lying! I'm a man of faith, y'know.
See? That was the very page it was from.
No. It wasn't.
Nothing of the sort was written on that page.
Oh, really?
That's pretty impressive, though.
Knowing exactly what was on that page when you only caught a glimpse of it.
Being able to memorize something at a glance, as though you've taken a picture of it...
I guess that's what they call a "photographic memory," huh?
The hotshot investigator who could memorize everything,
from the state of a crime scene to the face of a suspect,
keeping everything on file in his mind so he could solve the case.
Camille Bardot.
You're kind of a celebrity among us thieves.
To think that someone who made a living remembering faces
actually has a face that's recognizable to a thief...
What a ridiculous state of affairs.
Well, you don't look like you used to,
so I wasn't 100% positive.
But my curiosity about this thing is killing me,
so I dangled some bait to see who'd bite.
And I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
I suppose I chose the right time to retire, Lupin.
So my face is in your files, huh? That's an honor.
Hello. Who is this?
It's been a while, Louise.
It's me. You know who.
Gaston?!
I would like you to deliver a message for me.
If a man in a blue jacket with a face that would look better on a monkey shows up—
Why don't you just cut the crap?
Oh, Lupin. Seems you completed the job I asked you to do for me.
I'm really looking forward to you delivering it to me.
Surely you're not thinking of refusing?
After all, you were paid in advance.
Albert, it's you, isn't it?
If that's what you believe, come and see for yourself.
I'll be waiting, Lupin.
Dammit.
Enter.
Jose and his men are making their move.
Most likely, under the orders of Director Guillaume.
Turning to a washed-up spy who reinvented himself as an assassin...
He must be desperate.
Jose's men are good at their jobs.
If Lupin falls into their hands...
I wouldn't worry.
Lupin has a knack for making himself scarce.
Go.
Get down!
What in the world was that?!
My car's out back. We can use it to get away!
A device that works as a universal smart key?
Must be convenient.
A tool of the trade.
When did the DGSE get so damn crazy?
It probably started out that way, actually.
The only person who'd do something this outrageous is Jose.
He used to be an undercover agent.
But after spending too much time in deep cover,
he ended up picking up a lot of bad habits.
Lupin
Doesn't he realize the whole reason I gave him a phone was for times like this?
And now, he doesn't even pick up.
The guy's a walking anachronism, after all.
You okay back there, Gramps?
I-I'm fine...
Sure doesn't sound like it.
Jump out at the same time.
One, two, three!
What?!
Gramps!
Sorry I dragged you into this.
No... I'm the one who got you involved.
What exactly do you know about the black notebook, Lupin?
Not a whole lot.
Though, if I were to guess, before the original was destroyed,
you memorized its contents, and got Gaston to make a perfect replica of it.
So you've figured it all out...
Seems like a lot of work went into it, but...
Why would you bother to make a facsimile of the black notebook?
I was a law enforcement professional for many years.
I know full well that, sometimes, you have to turn a blind eye
in order to keep the house of cards upright.
But the things in that black notebook...
It was my hope that, someday, when circumstances allowed,
everything in it would be made public.
Someday, huh?
I have a hard time believing it'll ever happen.
But before that day could come, someone realized we'd made a copy...
Guillaume from the Directorate-General for External Security, right?
Yes.
He started making demands, telling us to hand the replica notebook over to him.
Considering it's as good as the real thing,
he'd have a lot of bigwigs over a barrel with its potential for blackmail.
Guillaume will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Hiding it in the usual way would have just made him torture people until he had it...
So we hid it someplace he'd have no way of getting to it...
and then, told him as much.
After that, he stopped hounding you guys?
Lupin... What are you going to do with that notebook?
Nothing whatsoever.
But if I have to choose a course of action,
I might end up using it to slap Albert around a bit for saddling me with it.
I see...
So what do we do now?
We go see him.
The last guy I ever wanted to see again...
This bugs me.
What does?
We left Paris like it was no big deal, but now, we have to sneak back in.
It's like we're being guided somewhere.
Then, I say we graciously accept the invitation.
Lupin, it's a trap. You oughta know that.
And you ought to know that I'll use it as an opportunity to get the drop on him.
Usually, I wouldn't try to stop you...
But you don't seem your usual self.
You're hot under the collar, like you used to get when you were younger.
Does this Albert guy really—
No way. Are you serious?
Of course I am.
I mean, he's a real hunk. And a director at his age to boot...
He might even become the minster of the interior someday.
I've got bad news for you. Albert's already taken.
What? Really?
Some photographer who goes by the name of Tickey.
They've been together for a while now, from what I hear.
Oh, well...
And here I was, thinking I had a chance at the jackpot.
Tickey Pasco... That must be the guy.
Guess his taste in men hasn't changed.
If you don't wanna see him, why bother going?
It was so much fun!
Yeah.
Let's go again sometime!
You have one new message
Here.
M-Merci.
Good choice.
Are we celebrating something today?
More of a pre-celebration.
Albert...
I found this on the back of your suit.
The Saint Martin Hotel at eight o'clock...
Guess I'll have to take a rain check on the meal you made.
Are you going to be late?
No, it shouldn't take long.
Keep the soup warm for me.
Are you Mr. Albert d’Andrésy?
Yes, that's me.
I have a message for you. Here you are.
Newfoundland Bridge
Ever the romantic, aren't you, Lupin?
I've been waiting for you, Lupin.
I trust you've brought me what I asked you to?
Yeah, just like you wanted.
This whole stupid setup, though... Why drag me into this?
Didn't have the guts to steal it yourself?
Hardly.
But dirty jobs are best handled by dirty individuals, wouldn't you say?
You haven't changed one bit.
That attitude is what always screws things up for you.
You think I'll hand this over after what you just said?
I can always take it by force.
So theft is too "dirty" for you, but shooting someone in cold blood is fine?
Yeah, your hands must be real clean.
Why would shooting a sneak thief mean dirtying my hands?
What's wrong?
Surprised that the gun you thought you'd swapped out is firing live bullets?
You wanted to get the drop on me as payback for roping you into this...
And it's that attitude of yours that screws things up for you.
I didn't aim for your heart for a reason. Wanna know why?
Because I wanted you to witness my moment of victory.
Sorry, but I tossed the little toy you rigged my car with into the river.
I am Goemon Ishikawa.
Deceit begets deception, as the black notebook changes hands again and again.
With our knowledge of its contents, treacherous hands grasp for our necks.
I see. It seems our enemy is also not without skill.
Lupin, leave our assailants to my blade.
You must concentrate your efforts on settling your old vendetta.
Next Time: The Man Who Abandoned "Lupin."
The Man Who Abandoned "Lupin".
Unpleasant ties are hard to break.
And the bonds between men cannot be severed by a sword.