The Executioner Weeps by Frédéric Dard

He felt like she threw herself in front of his car.  He was driving back to his room late at night and she jumped in front of him just like a deer would.  He couldn't stop.  When he turns her over, he finds that she is still alive...

Pushkin Vertigo and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 28th.

He takes her back to the place he's staying and they get a doctor for her.  The doctor says she wasn't hurt badly and should be fine but she can't remember anything.  She doesn't know her name, if she was married, or where she came from.

Mr. Dard writes succinctly and without a lot of detail but his stories make you sit up and pay attention.  This could easily be made into a play that would shock you.

He comes up her first name.  He buys her another violin to replace the one he drove over.  He buys her clothes and soon they fall in love.  She still doesn't remember much.  She remembers the room she practiced her violin in.  He's caught between wanting to know and being afraid of finding out.

When his artwork can be shown in the US, he has to see if he can get her a visa to leave the country.  She has no passport or visa with her.  What he does when he gets to the city is see if he can find out about her past.  He should have just left it alone.

The ending is unusual and unexpected.  It's an ironic twist that will pop into my mind here and there in the future.  Mr. Dard wrote strong stories that capture you and make their point.  If you haven't read him yet, you should.