In France, the lonely and reclusive tailor Mr. Hire is an antisocial middle-age man that does not like people. When the young Pierrette is found murdered in his neighborhood, Mr. Hire becomes the prime suspect of the detective assigned to investigate the case. Mr. Hire usually stalks his neighbor Alice from his window during the night and sees her encounters with her boyfriend Emile. When Alice accidentally sees Mr. Hire, she surprisingly visits him and he discloses that he is in love with her. Further, he tells that he had witnessed Emile killing Pierrette, but he had not told the police since she would be considered accomplice of the murder. Mr. Hire invites Alice to travel with him to Lausanne, Switzerland, and leave Emile behind.
—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil