The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe

Milan hatches a plan to discredit his chief Toulouse in order to position himself to take over the Counter-Espionage department. He aims to undermine Toulouse's authority by manipulating events and public perception. The objective is to remove Toulouse from power without exposing Milan's own role in the scheme.

A French heroin smuggler, arrested in New York, claims the operation was a secret mission approved by the French Counter-Espionage. The accusation instantly feeds a damaging narrative that taints Toulouse's reputation. Toulouse cannot prove Milan's involvement, leaving him politically exposed.

Toulouse hatches a plan to unmask Milan by drawing him into a covert trap. He arranges for a supposed master spy to surface, hoping Milan will bite. The trap relies on a room filled with hidden microphones to expose Milan's machinations.

Perrache is sent to Orly Airport at 9:30 AM the next morning as part of Toulouse's ruse. Milan listens in, believing Perrache has gone to meet the master spy who will expose Milan. The timing and location are chosen to trap Milan and entangle Perrin unknowingly.

From among the travelers, Perrache randomly selects François Perrin, a violinist distinguished by his mismatched shoes. The choice seems arbitrary but places Perrin at the center of Milan's dangerous game. Perrin's ordinary life suddenly becomes a magnet for espionage.

Milan launches a relentless pursuit of Perrin, treating him as a potential conduit to larger secrets. Perrin, a non-spy with no real knowledge, is dragged into a string of bizarre, near-disastrous episodes that he narrowly survives. The pursuit deepens Milan's paranoia and widens Christine's ominous presence in the plot.

Perrin's distinctive shoes make him stand out, turning an otherwise ordinary musician into a conspicuous target. This quirk accentuates the absurdity and danger of the chase surrounding him. The detail underscores how random chance pulls Perrin into a deadly espionage web.

Christine is ordered to seduce Perrin and greets him at her apartment door wearing a demure black-velvet dress before revealing a backless surprise. The encounter escalates into a charged affair watched by Milan on a monitor. The seduction ties Perrin more closely to Christine while muddying loyalties.

After the tryst, Milan orders Perrin's elimination, and Toulouse plans to let the hit proceed to conceal their tracks. The move demonstrates how far Milan will go to preserve his position. Perrin becomes a pawn in a deadly game spanning rival agencies.

Perrache refuses to recall all agents, choosing instead to attempt to rescue the innocent Perrin. His stand marks a rare moral moment in a world built on treachery. The defiance escalates the crisis and tightens the noose around Milan and Toulouse.

Maurice overhears a recording that captures Perrin and Paulette in a torrid moment, which he misinterprets as Paulette's affair with a florist. The revelation shatters him and drives further chaos as relationships fracture. The misunderstanding compounds the spiraling plot and personal betrayals.

Christine defects from Milan's group to Perrin's side, drawn by growing affection and sympathy for him. Her defection shifts loyalties and complicates Milan's grip on the operation. The new alliance between Perrin and Christine intensifies the stakes for everyone involved.

A climactic volley of shoot-outs claims lives on both sides of the espionage war. Milan dies only after finally hearing the truth from Perrache, his face softening into a smile as he passes. The truth logic finally collapses the elaborate façade that fueled the entire operation.

At Orly Airport, Perrin wheels a large Louis Vuitton steamer trunk with Christine hidden inside as their escape unfolds. Their destination is Rio de Janeiro, signaling a dramatic shift from accidental target to fugitive couple. Toulouse watches the departure on a monitor, acknowledging the ongoing surveillance over Perrin.

Toulouse, having observed Perrin's departure, tells Perrache to contact Perrin when he returns, remarking that 'he handles himself pretty well.' The closing line frames Perrin's escape as a hard-won, if uneasy, victory. The story leaves Perrin and Christine on their uncertain new path.