Death of a Friend

French Intelligence agent Jean Coquet (Geoff Cheshire) is driving in England when he falls unconscious. The car crashes and he is killed. Meres is sent to Dover to question French ferry workers who may have seen Coquet. One, Lambert (Barry Stanton) vaguely recognises a photograph of Coquet, but denies any particular knowledge.

Callan sees the photos of the crash, and tells Hunter that he was a friend of Coquet’s. Apparently Coquet’s bosses didn’t know he was out of France, and are sending one of their top men over to investigate. Coquet’s wife Francine (Ann Lynn) is also coming over. Callan returns to his flat, finding Lonely waiting for him outside. When they enter, they find the flat a shambles, having been searched. According to Lonely, a couple of men have been hanging around outside.

Hunter sees Coquet’s boss Flomard (Jerome Willis), but between them they cannot work out who might have killed Coquet. It may have been the O.A.S., or perhaps not. Either way, they both feel that while Francine is in England, the killer might come after her.

Hunter calls Callan at home and tells him to get over to Francine’s hotel. Callan departs, leaving Lonely to clear up the mess.

In Dover, Meres has been knocked unconscious whilst on a ferry, and is carried back to his office by Mason (Rex Robinson), one of the officials at the dock. Meres reports this to Hunter, as well as the fact that Lambert and a colleague of his, Messmer (John Devaut) have gone sick from work and disappeared. Hunter tells him to come back to London.

When Callan arrives at the hotel, Francine demands to be freed from this ‘prison’, but Callan shows little sympathy. While Lonely tidies Callan’s flat, there is a knock at the door, and a Frenchman (David Leland) bursts in, demanding to see Callan. Meanwhile, Callan has learned that Jean and Francine have been separated for a couple of years, and that Francine suspected Jean of being homosexual.

Lonely phones Callan at the hotel to tell him about the intruder, who asks Lonely to say that he is Marcel Latour, "the wife of Jean Coquet."

Callan carries on questioning Francine, determined to find out if she really loved Jean as she says she did. Room service arrives with an order of drinks, but it is Lambert, who knocks Callan out cold.

Latour is very nervous, and when there is a knock on the door, he draws a gun. It is Meres, who disarms Latour and beats him to the ground. Callan regains consciousness, believing that Francine has been kidnapped. At the flat, Meres escorts Latour out to take him to Section HQ, but in the street, a car passes and a bomb is thrown towards Latour. He is knocked to the ground by the blast.

When Callan arrives a moment later, Lonely reports what happened, saying that there was a woman in the car. Latour is taken to hospital where he is put into intensive care. Hunter reports the nights events to Flomard, and is bothered by the Frenchman’s lack of interest.

Hunter then joins Callan at the hospital where they hear what the dying Latour has come so far to say. He tells them that Jean was working to crack a new O.A.S. network headed by Flomard and Francine. Unable to tell his bosses, he trusted Latour with the information because Latour loved him, though the feelings were not reciprocated. Latour dies.

Back in Dover, Francine and Messmer try to board the ferry to France, but are stopped and taken to Callan and Meres, who have already apprehended Lambert. Callan gives Francine the choice: French justice or British. She opts for the latter.