The Night of the 12th

During the night of 12 October 2016, a Grenoble police unit hosts a retirement party for their captain and celebrates the promotion of Yohan Vivès to replace him. The gathering brings a festive mood as colleagues toast the future leadership. The celebration provides the social backdrop before Clara's murder disrupts the night.

In Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Clara Royer says goodbye to her friends, then is approached by a masked assailant who calls her by name, douses her with lighter fluid, and sets her on fire. The attack unfolds in the dark as she walks home. The act marks the beginning of a major investigation.

In the morning, Yohan and senior detective Marceau discover Clara's charred body in a nearby park and inform her parents. The discovery triggers the early stage of the inquiry. Investigators begin tracing Clara's recent contacts and relationships.

Wesley Fontana is questioned and admits a sexual relationship with Clara, but says she pursued him despite his girlfriend, who provides an alibi. The interview introduces a thread of Clara's romantic connections the detectives will pursue. The sense of uncertain alibis begins to complicate the case.

Marceau and Loïc question Jules Leroy, who reveals a casual sexual relationship with Clara and giggles about the way she was killed. The interrogation highlights the difficulty of separating rumor from fact in a high-profile case. Investigators note potential motives without solid evidence yet.

Gabi Lacazette is brought in; he admits writing a rap about setting Clara on fire after learning of her infidelity, though he insists he is not a violent person. Detectives keep an open mind while assessing his claims. This adds another suspect dimension to the case.

At the police station, Yohan receives a disposable lighter delivered anonymously inside an envelope. The cryptic gift deepens the mystery surrounding the killer's identity. It raises questions about who knows more than the investigators can prove.

One evening, Yohan and Marceau visit the crime scene and meet Denis Douet, an older man who says he found the lighter nearby and claims to be one of Clara's exes. His story adds a conflicting thread to the suspect pool. Investigators begin testing Denis's tale against the evidence.

The next day, Yohan questions Nanie again; she omits Denis from the list and tearfully declares that Clara was killed because she was a girl. Her emotional response underscores the emotional and gendered dimensions of the case. The detectives sense the investigation may hinge on social dynamics as much as facts.

Clara's father yields a bloodied T-shirt found at her makeshift memorial and hands it to the detectives; the shirt belongs to Vincent Caron, who had an affair with Clara. His girlfriend Nathalie defends him and provides an alibi. The discovery adds a concrete physical clue to a case built on timelines and testimonies.

After listening to tapped phone conversations in which Vincent is verbally abusive toward Nathalie, Marceau goes to his apartment and physically attacks him until Yohan arrives and intervenes. Marceau is subsequently transferred. The incident escalates tension within the investigation and the department.

Nearly three years later, an investigating judge asks Yohan to reopen Clara's case. Yohan expresses his frustration that the killer hasn't been identified and that many men questioned seem capable of the crime. The stalled investigation weighs on him and shapes his approach going forward.

As the third anniversary approaches, the judge suggests placing a camera in a fake gravestone at Clara's grave to coax the culprit into exposing themselves. The plan shifts the investigation from questioning suspects to provoking a slip from the killer. It signifies a pivot toward observational evidence.

Yohan and Nadia stake out Clara's grave at night; the footage reveals an unidentified young man singing by the grave, and Nadia identifies him as Mats, who created an online memorial for Clara. The identification focuses the search and reveals Mats's fixation on the victim. The stakeout confirms a new lead tied to Clara's online presence.

Mats is taken into custody; investigators learn he was admitted to the Chambéry psychiatric hospital at the time of the crime and that he became fixated on Clara after reading about her murder. He claims to have met Clara at the Chambéry hospital, linking his actions to his mental state. The arrest marks a potential turning point in solving the case.