It is pitch-black in the yard, but he has no intention of striking a light. If it remains dark, no one will see him. He switched his headlights off on the road outside. No one saw him open the gate and drive the car into the courtyard. Now the gate is closed again, and he has switched off the engine. He is safe here, no one can wander in or see inside. There might still be a few night owls passing the main entrance, but they won’t see what is happening behind the billboards.
He finds the keys even in the dark. The company has so many he simply took the ones that looked right and sorted them out before coming. He hasn’t used them in a long time, there have been no films shown here since Christmas.
The moon, his friend, finally appears from behind the clouds, sketching pale contours in the night. The lock is a little stiff, but the key turns. Slowly and carefully, so that the hinges don’t creak, he moves one leaf of the heavy steel door, which once served as an emergency exit, into the auditorium. Only now does he open the van. There she is, lying between empty film cans, peaceful in the moonlight that falls upon her face. It’s a shame he can’t film this moment.
He feels very close to her as he carries her up the six steps to the auditorium. Only once he has closed the door again does he switch on the flashlight. He has already assigned her a space, and it is there that he now carries her.
He doesn’t just lay her down. No, he makes a bed for her so that she looks more beautiful than ever. He pulls a little at her dress to arrange the folds, takes a step back and looks upon his work with satisfaction. That is what she is now: his work.
They needed too long to find the first. How long will they need this time?
He must tear himself away. He wants to be at home when the early risers emerge from their houses. He locks the door carefully as he leaves, and goes straight to the gate, checking the road before steering the car out. All is quiet. Not a soul nearby. He is satisfied with his work. In the car he removes his leather gloves.
Before he goes to bed he will open a bottle of wine and watch her films over again.