"THESIS ON A HOMICIDE" "Go." "Left." "There you go." "Always with your left." "You're a bit soft today." "One, two." "Aim at the body, Bermudez." "Well done." "He drove me nuts about that electric guitar." "After only three lessons, now he wants the drums." "That's called abuse of right." "No, that's being a jerk for buying him everything he asks." "Are you coming tomorrow?" "What time is it?" "Early." "At 8:00." "Are you giving me one or do I have to buy it?" "What for?" "You're not reading it anyway." "But I might need it." "How many pages long is it?" "My nightstand is a bit wobbly." "I thought so the other day as your wife was putting her clothes back on, but then it just slipped my mind and I forgot to mention it." "It's the same every year." "All Cardozo cares about is for the syllabus to be covered." "Meanwhile, kids download everything from the internet." "Ask them what a legal act is, they have no fucking idea." "How's it going?" " You know why I'm still here?" " Because of the chicks." "Besides that." "Because I'm an idiot who still believes we should leave a better world for our children." "Let me set you straight because I think you're a bit off." "When you're 30, you work to get a position." "When you're 40, you work to make money." "And when you're 50 you work for prestige." "You did everything wrong then." "It's just that I have a complicated metabolism." "Uriarte?" "Here." " Villazan?" " Present." "Weinstein?" "That's me." " Yolis?" " Here." "Good." "I'd like to welcome you and clarify a few things." "There are several reasons to be here, but there's only one that's right." "If you come here to make contacts, you're in the wrong place." "Chronic students need therapy, not a postgraduate course." "I can't stand those who question everything, but those who don't question anything do not have a future as lawyers." "It's eight classes, eight weeks," "2,500 pages of compulsory reading, and over 3,000 pages of supplementary reading." "By the eighth class each of you will write a thesis on a topic you will decide throughout the seminar." "I'm sorry." "Excuse me." " Ruiz." " Yes." "Is everything all right?" "I've had a couple of eventualities." "What's paradoxical about eventualities, Ruiz, is that they can be avoided." "You just have to make room for them in your plan." "Well, I knew that eventually you'd be mad but I still couldn't avoid it." "Next time just leave your house earlier." "Take a seat." "Where were we?" "You were saying there's only one right reason to be here, but you didn't say which." "To take advantage of me." "Professor!" "Do you have a minute?" "Sure." "I hope you didn't get a wrong impression of me." "I just arrived in Buenos Aires and I'm still settling in." "No, thanks." "How's your dad?" "He's fine, thanks." "He asked me to say hi and he sends you this." " You're not opening it?" " I'm terrible at pretending." "If I don't like it, you'll be able to tell." "I'd rather open it at home." "I wanted to thank you for making room for me at the seminar." "It means a lotto me." "It was nothing." "And I'd like to invite you to dinner one of these days." "We'll see." "I have the car with me." "Can I give you a lift?" "It's not necessary." "Don't bother." " I wouldn't mind at all." " Watch out." "Besides, you could guide me." "I don't know the city that well." "Okay, sure." "How's your mother?" "I hardly ever see her, she travels a lot." "She also says hi." "Is she still running the Foundation?" "That and anything that will keep her away from my father." "Believe it or not, sometimes that's the only way to keep a relationship alive." "How are you, Cecilia?" "I'm fine, and you?" "Same as yesterday." "I see the books arrived." "Right." "What's this?" "A gift." "Ruiz Cordera sends it." "Felipe, remember him?" "Yes, of course." "Is he here?" "No, his son." "He came to attend my seminar." "He asked me if I knew anyone who could clean his place once or twice a week." "I gave him your phone number." "Okay, thank you." "It's a nice gift." "Yeah, great." "A sword of justice for a lawyer." "It's like giving the undertaker a toy coffin." "If you say so." "My white shirt?" "It's hung." "Shall I iron it?" "Please." "Professor!" "Sol." "Right." "It's been so long." " How are you?" " Great." "I heard about the presentation and here I am." " I'm glad." " But I was a bit late." "Not at all." "You didn't miss anything." "They're only now serving the wine." "Can you sign my book?" "Don't want to exchange it for a Harry Potter book?" "I have them all." "It's been so long!" "What have you been up to?" "I've been working at Carballo's office." " Really?" "Good for you." " For two years now." " What else?" " Well..." "Did you get married, do you have kids?" "No, far from it." "Actually, I broke up with my boyfriend not long ago." " Congratulations." " Do you mind?" "Actually, I do." "I'll go say hi to some friends." "Catch you later?" "Okay." "Great presentation." "Thanks." "It relates to what you were saying earlier:" "a judge doesn't deliver justice, he enforces the law." "The biggest scam in modern societies is making us believe that what's legal is fair." "The problem is that the laws and the concept of justice are established by a group of people who are only interested in holding their power." "My point is..." "I can crush a butterfly and wring it to death, and that's not illegal." "Now, if the butterfly belongs to some billionaire's collection," "I can go to jail." "It's not the act itself what's judged." "The law does not protect us from an aberrant act." "It only intervenes if that aberrant act threatens the will of the powerful." "No, thanks." "We live in anarchy and nobody seems to realize." "Every day somebody wrings a butterfly to death and no law can prevent it." "Interesting theory." "It's more than a theory." "Look, I have at least twenty arguments to prove you wrong, but I'd like" " to give you some advice, may I?" " Of course." "You're twenty..." " Eight." " Twenty-eight years old." "Try to get laid as much as you can." "The rest comes on its own." "Do you know what time it is?" "Around three or so." "It's half past three." "We talk some other time." "A judge never has direct access to the circumstances of a crime." "Before him, there are eyewitnesses, onlookers, the security guard in the corner, paramedics..." "Even the typist..." "I'm not exaggerating." "Sheet number 574 in the Lopez Paunero case." "It's in your handout." ""It can be inferred from the first test" ""that the phone found only a few feet from the body does not belong to the victim."" "It took more than four years for them to realize that instead of "phone", it should have been "bone"." "The judge who has to decide if a defendant is guilty or innocent does so groping in the dark." "Under those circumstances, what's the judge's only valid tool?" "The facts." "No, proving the certainty of facts is the goal of the judge, not his tool." "The repetition of testimonies." "That's not it either." "If that was the case then a lawyer would only have to get or buy twenty witnesses to say the same thing and case solved." "Details." "It's all in the details." "A judge undertakes a slow discrimination of what's contingent and what's essential," "and it's the details that tip the balance." "Sheet number 761..." ""The defendant testifies to visiting the building" ""on Charcas 3956," ""but he's unable to be specific about the time." ""He becomes knowledgeable of the circumstances and gives his testimony to the Police."" "There's someone lying in the parking lot." "What?" "There's a girl lying there." "Is she dead?" "It looks like it." "What do you reckon happened?" "Don't let any of these assholes get through." "Did you talk to the night guard?" "Talk to him." "Step back, please." "How's that going?" "Superintendent?" "Let him through." "Deputy superintendent still." "We know justice is slow." "Yeah." "Since when do lawyers arrive before the doctor?" "I have a ringside seat." "Of course." " What happened?" " What didn't happen." "She was beaten up, raped, cut and then murdered." "The works." "You knew her?" "Death to women like her." "DEATH TO WOMEN LIKE HER" ""Brutal murder in law school"" "Full name?" "Maria Laura di Natale." "Address?" "Independence Avenue 611, 8th floor, apartment 30." "Phone number?" "154..." "Wait here, please." "Some water?" "Thanks." "You don't have to do this now, you know?" "You can go home if you want." "I'd rather get it over and done with now." "Do you work here?" "No, I'm a lawyer." "But I don't practice." "Don't worry about it." "The deputy superintendent will see you now." "Thanks." "You'll be fine." "I don't think so, but thank you anyway." " Superintendent..." " Bermudez." "We went from never seeing each other to seeing each other every day." "I'll end up thinking you miss me, counselor." "There's some truth in that." "I see you redecorated." "There was a leak." " Coffee?" " I'll give it a pass." "May I?" "I think I know what you're here for." "I came to buy tickets to the annual ball." "We don't host it anymore." "The guys would rather go whoring." "No wonder." "Di Natale." "We hadn't had anything like this in a long time." "Is the preliminary report ready?" "Yes." "Death by suffocation." "She's got bruises and cuts all over her body." "The murderer penetrated her with a Tramontina knife and injected her with formol." "So we can't tell the time of death." "The body remains sort of preserved." "Who's in charge of the case?" "Your friend." " Hernandez?" " Yes." "Who would have thought?" "Nobody saw or heard anything." "It was late in the evening." "Everybody's in class at that time." " Or in between classes." " Maybe." "No fingerprints." "The guy used latex gloves." "We found one." "She was choked." "Right." "Using hands?" "No, with a scarf or something like that." "Who performed the autopsy?" "Robles." "Soft asymmetrical ligature mark, consistent with application of pressure with a soft material." "Slight ecchymosis." "Nothing else?" "What else do you want?" " Can I see her?" " No." "It's not like I owe you that many favors." "I'll owe you one now." "Di Natale." "The girl was wearing a thin chain around her neck." "Shouldn't there be marks?" "There could be, but it would depend on the pressure, the angle, the material of the chain..." "I'm no doctor, Robles, but it's just a matter of logic." "If someone squeezed her neck on a thin chain, she should have some sort of mark." "It might have disappeared by the time of the autopsy." "Or maybe the murderer put the thin chain after killing her." "That's why there's no mark." "It's a possibility, right?" "It is." "Nice gesture." "He kills her and then gives her a necklace." "What's the matter?" "Did you know her?" "No." "I don't think so." "I can crush a butterfly and wring it to death, and that's not illegal." "Now, if the butterfly belongs to some billionaire's collection," "I can go to jail." "It's not the act itself what's judged." "An act, no matter which, is a link in a chain of causes and consequences." "It's not meaningful in itself, rather it's part of a weave that has to be revealed because..." "Underline this:" "there's never chance in a criminal act." "I beg to differ, Professor." "Why not, Villazan?" "It's a habit of yours by now." "That's a teleological vision of the criminal act." "If we consider the facts in isolation, without causal links, we may infer that an act can trigger infinite number of..." "Yes?" "Laura di Natale?" "That was in Purmamarca, Jujuy." "Last summer." "Did she have a boyfriend?" "No." "Well, she was on and off with Claudio, a guy from work." "What's that Claudio like?" "A jerk." "Well, I don't know." "He had a girlfriend." "It was stupid." "Vale could choose anybody." "Your sister had a charm in the shape of a butterfly." "I don't think so." "Why?" "Nothing." "Can I keep this one?" "Sure." "I'll scan it and then I'll bring it back." "It's okay." "There's no rush." "What did your sister do?" "Vale?" "She worked at the café across the street from the school." "Besides that." "She had taken up aerial dance." "She would go twice a week." "She was really happy about that." "She wanted to go to Mexico." "She was saving up." "I had done some research on a couple of hostels for her." "You got along." "We did." "Vale was the best." "I don't understand how anyone could do such a thing." "Look..." "I need you to think carefully and try to remember anything that might be of importance." "A new friend, a phone number, anything." "If you remember anything that seems important to you, call me, okay?" "FIRST INSTANCE CRIMINAL COURT" "There's plenty of hypotheses, but nothing concrete." "Sworn testimonies were taken, her close circle was investigated." "There isn't much there." "She was from Junin." "Her parents still live there." "She lived here with a younger sister." "We checked e-mails, text messages, calls, nothing of relevance." "She had a boyfriend of sorts." "We're investigating him." "Someone she worked with at the café." "But if you ask me, I think she was picked at random." "Something was planned." "You don't load a syringe with formol and carry a Tramontina knife with you just in case." "The murder may have been planned, but the victim was circumstantial." "We could be dealing with a cult, some ritual murder, a serial killer..." "I don't know." "And you don't care much either." "Just as much as I care about the other 186 cases" "I'm in charge of." "What about you?" " Did you know her?" " I don't know." "She worked at the café across the street from the school." "I must have been there a thousand times." "Maybe she waited on my table once but I don't know." "Now it makes sense." "How's she doing?" "Monica?" "Fine." "A bit sleepy, though." "I'm sorry about the other day." "I didn't realize it was so late." " Can I take a copy of the file?" " You know you can't." " I could file an injunction." " You're not part in the case." "On behalf of the younger sister I could." "All of this for a girl you don't even remember if you knew?" "Alfredo..." "She was killed practically in front of my eyes." "I just want to know who did it." "I know you." "If you know something, don't keep it to yourself." "Otherwise, let justice run its course." "Right, justice." "I forgot about that part." "Okay." "Thanks." "Did you hear the rumor?" "Which one?" "You were right." "Cardozo will be kicked out." "The post is yours." "I didn't know anything." "I hope you don't forget all those times I let you punch the crap out of me just to make you happy." " Professor." " Gonzalo." "How are you?" "Fine." "Visiting the exhibition." " You like Picasso?" " Not much to be honest." "I was just killing time." "I'm meeting someone at the cafe." "I'm an unconditional admirer." "He's my favorite artist." "Do you have a minute?" "I'd like to show you something." "Sure." "This is Picasso's most important painting." "The Guernica is pure marketing spin." "It's for jerks who don't know how to look at a painting so they just repeat what other jerks say." "I understand." "Don't be fooled by its size." "It's a small painting but everything's there." "In the middle we see Christ crucified... barely recognizable." "To the right, Mitra," "Persian god adopted by the Roman Empire in the early years of Christianity, and next to him what appears to be an African ritual mask." "On this side of the painting we find the elements of torture:" "the nail in his hand, the Centurion's spear, the vinegar-soaked sponge that was applied on the wounds to multiply the pain..." "At the bottom, the soldiers play dice for Christ's clothes." "Can't you see?" "See what?" "Christ, Mitra, the bull, all the sacrifices." "Innocent victims sacrificed for the benefit of humanity." "Anyone could be the victim." "Man is a wolf to man, and no law can change that." "Everything's in the details." "You just have to know where to look." "It's like what you said about crimes." "Interesting, don't you think?" "Very interesting." "And much cheaper than the museum guide." "Doctor!" " Hi, how are you?" " How are you?" "I thought you'd quit." "Only one every now and then." "Were you waiting for me?" "No." "It was synchronicity." "Really?" "Do you have a minute?" "I could use your counseling." "Do you remember Ruiz?" "Felipe?" "Yes, of course." "His son is taking a seminar with me." "Little Gonzalo?" "Who would have thought?" "What's he like?" "Weird." "Really weird." " Full of himself." " Shy." "No, no." "I know the difference." "He's arrogant, conceited, he's above everything." "He takes after uncle Roberto, then." "Growing up, you were his idol, remember?" "Or were you his mother's?" "I thought that charge had prescribed." "It's been filed, that's all." "These?" "What do you think..." "for someone my age?" "Perfect for your mental age." "Trendy, youthful..." "What is it, Roberto?" "You call me at three in the morning, you turn up at my practice..." "What if I told you Gonzalo is a psychopath?" "Why?" "What's he done?" "Did you hear about that murder at school?" "I think Gonzalo had something to do with it." "Gonzalo?" "Don't ask me why." "I don't know." "There are some clues, details, that attitude of his..." "I think he killed her." "What you're saying is very serious." "I know that." "Did you tell Alfredo?" "No." "I don't have anything concrete, but I know he did it." "And I know he wants me to catch him." "It's like a game." "I know what you're thinking." "I didn't say anything." "The Latorre case was completely different." "I know how he thinks, I know what's on his mind." "I can't explain it, but I know him." "I know he did it." "You could be wrong, right?" " Hello." " Laura?" "What are you doing here?" "Well, someone has to pay the rent." "How are you?" "So so." "Do you want to talk about it?" "Okay." "You just have to know what to ask, how, and who." "I'm following the case." "I'll let you know if there's any news." "I told my dad about you." "He says you must be one of those ambulance chasers trying to get a slice of the action." "That's the way my old man talks." "And what did you say?" "That you had a nice guy face." "Is that good or bad?" "He was insufferable." "He didn't want me to leave." "My mom was crying." "It's only logical." "But to you Junin is okay only for a couple of days." "Any longer than that, it begins to smother you." "Does it show?" "A little." "Are you married?" "I try not to make the same mistake twice in a row." " Children?" " No." "And that's why you got divorced." "Aren't you quick at figuring people out." "I'm sorry." "I tend to talk too much." "Don't worry." "There's some truth in that." "I wasn't a model husband." "When she wanted to have kids I was too busy with my work." "And when I wanted, she was busy with another man." "That sucks." "There's nothing you can do about it." " You have to get back." " I'm coming." "Do you like Peruvian food?" "If there's no other choice." "Call me if you want and we'll go one of these days." "Okay." "Thanks." "For everything." "You've reached Monica and Roberto's." "We're not in right now." "Please, leave a message." "How are you, Cecilia?" "I'm fine, and you?" "It's a long story." " Can I ask you a favor?" " Sure." "With that meat in the fridge, why don't you make some schnitzels?" "The thing is I told the boy, Ruiz's son, I'd go by today." "What time?" "I said after midday, when I leave here, because he won't be in then." "If he's not in then he won't notice." "Just a couple of hours." "Okay." "I'll make you some schnitzels and some fritters." "Perfect." "You've reached Monica and Roberto's." "We're not in right now." "Please, leave a message." "THE STRUCTURE OF JUSTICE "From a lawyer to another"" "Good evening." "65,50." "Anything else?" "And these." "67 pesos." "It took me a while to find this place." "You drink whisky, right?" " I don't usually." " Get him a Blue Label." "Actually, I would have loved to be a musician, but I have no musical ear." "I guess the law allows me some control." "It's a way of putting the world in order, even if it's only an illusion, isn't it?" "Things are just the way they are, but they could very well be different." "There's some logic." "Logics is a human invention." "And don't get me started on morals." "But we need something, something fixed, a law." "That's the key." "We need it, but we don't have it." "That's why we end up inventing values, norms, beliefs." "We all have a thesis on what the world is or should be." "What's yours?" "My thesis is that there's no correct thesis." "No." "My thesis is that there's no way to tell which is the real thesis." "I don't know." "I need to phrase it better." "Why me?" "What did you come here for?" "Excuse me?" "You heard me." "Why come to the bottom of the world to attend a seminar taught by a retired lawyer?" "Well, I don't see it that way." "This is my country, and you've been a big influence in my life." "How long has it been, ten, fifteen years, since I last saw you?" "Even more." "How could I influence you?" "You were a kid." "Last time I saw you I was 9 years old." "It was my birthday." "I still have the pictures." "Sometimes there's no need to be present to influence someone." "My father told me more than once that you're a brilliant man." "I think for years you've been his nemesis, that sort of imaginary enemy you measure yourself against, to better yourself." "I couldn't even begin to compete with your dad." "Don't be modest." "I grew up hearing stories about you." "I don't know if I should tell you this." "When I was 15, my father took me for a DNA test." "He had doubts." "We never picked up the results." "My father's my father." "What else do I need?" "Speaking of thesis," "I started working on my end-of-seminar paper." "I thought about a case in Portugal that dates back a few years, but now I'm thinking about using the di Natale case as an example." "What do you think?" "I don't know." "It's still an open case." "But you have to admit it's a special case." "I'd never been so close to a crime scene before." "It's a weird feeling." "I can't just let it go." "There are hundreds of better cases you could use." "DEATH TO WOMEN LIKE HER" "I started working on my end-of-seminar paper." "I thought about a case in Portugal that dates back a few years, but now I'm thinking about using the di Natale case as an example." ""Murder in Portugal"" ""Young woman murdered in Portugal"" ""Maria da Silva, 25 years old"" ""Woman found on highway to Portimao beach"" ""Young woman found dead in Portimao beach"" ""found murdered and raped"" ""injected with formol"" "The cases are far apart, true, but the same modus operandi is repeated, a pattern in the selection of the victims." "They look just like his mother." "I mean the physical resemblance, yes." "You can't be serious." "Very serious." "Did you hear everything I told you?" "The insinuations, the provocations..." "Unless you think I made all this up." "I'm not saying that." "Some people are capable of this and worse." "Open your eyes." " What did you come here for?" " To get your opinion." "Medical or personal?" "It doesn't matter which." "I hate it when you put yourself on a different, detached level, to analyze, to judge..." "Get involved for once, get to the bottom of things." "Take it seriously for once." "What do you want from me?" "I brought you a case." "I want to know what you think." "It worries me to see you like this." "Leave me alone." "I'm not the case, he is." "Fine." "Let's see." "Both murders have a strong sexual component." "The victims are young attractive women." "There's high level of brutality on the bodies." "If I had to venture a profile based on these characteristics," "I'd say the murderer is the psychopathic type with perverse personality traits." "Both murders could have been committed by the same person." "Yes." "Or two people with similar psychological profiles." "And you think it's a coincidence that he was in both places where the murders occurred?" "You told me he lived in Portugal for three years." "How many murders occurred during that time?" "Hundreds." "How many murders are there in the world?" "What's the matter with you?" "You found what you wanted to find." "You want the world to fit your fancy, you want everything to be the way you think it should be." "Who knows why you're convinced that the boy is guilty." "And you'll only see whatever it is that confirms that." "We've known Gonzalo since he was born." "No, no." "We met him when he was born, which is not the same." "Fine." "You're a smart guy and you might be right." "I can't refute any of this." "But if all of this is true, you should let justice investigate." "Talk to Alfredo." "There's nothing Alfredo can do." "It's a challenge." "This is between the kid and me." "What is it you're really after?" "Seeing justice served or proving you're right?" "Just one more thing." "Could he kill again?" "Anyone who enjoys doing something, no matter how perverse it is, will repeat it sooner or later." "Thank you." "Here you go." "Thanks." "Did you read all of them?" "Sort of." "How's work?" "Fine." "I took up aerial dance." "I did." "There's a Fuerza Bruta show in a few weeks at "The Factory'." "I don't know if you'd like to go." "Is it one of those shows you have to stand the whole time, be covered with confetti and paste and lifted up on a harness?" "Something like that." "I think it might be too much for my sciatic nerve." "I pass." "Suit yourself." "That's you." "Yes." "Look at you." "Do you want something to eat?" "I could make some pasta with cream sauce... or without it." "No, thanks." "I already ate." "Any more news?" "Not much." "They're doing DNA tests, cross-referencing last month's calls, stuff like that." "They'll never catch him, will they?" "We have to wait." "I miss her so much." "I know." "I wish I'd shared more time with her." "Don't think about that now." "I still can't believe it." "Sometimes I feel like she's away on a trip and she'll be back any minute." "I'll get you a glass of water." "No, thanks." "I should go." "What was it you wanted to give me?" "I'll be right back." "This was your sister's." "It was among her belongings." "They must have misplaced it." "It was Vale's?" "Now it's yours." "Let me see it." "I thought you should have it." "Thank you." " Easy." " Are you okay?" "I didn't know you practiced boxing." "You know what it's like." "You need to know how to put up a fight." "Are you here to train?" "No." "I'm not good at sports." "Villazan told me you were looking for me." "Yes." "Let me get changed." "Year '86, Pineiro case." "Aggravated homicide." "Not very well referenced." "The victim was a weapon fanatic." "He had a collection of over 200." "His wife found him in his study with a shot in the head." "The lock hadn't been forced, there were no signs of a struggle, nothing was missing." "The murder weapon was on the floor." "It was one from his collection and it had his prints on it." "Angle of the shot and distance pointed at a suicide." "You said "aggravated homicide"." "You took away the suspense." "An important detail turned up during the investigation." "The guy was left-handed and the shot was triggered with the right hand." "Rookie mistake." "That's what they thought." " Professor..." " Hi." "Did they tell you about tomorrow?" "About what?" "We'll go for drinks after class to celebrate Carla's birthday." "The first round is on me." "Too many drunken lawyers." "That's not a good place to be." "You're coming, Spaniard, right?" "Of course." "I like that." "See you." "Where were we?" "The fake suicide." "Right." "There was thought of a hit man, someone who didn't know the victim." "That sidetracked the attention for a very long time." "Until the District Attorney thought, what if it wasn't a mistake and the person who killed him knew he was left-handed, and was only trying to confuse the investigation?" "Now it gets interesting." "Do you have time?" "Sure." "The axis of the investigation changed completely." "The murderer then had to know the victim perfectly well, enough to be let in his study, pick a gun from the collection, get close enough and shoot him." "In a nutshell, his son killed him." "He was sentenced to 20 years." "If he had used his left hand, he would have committed the perfect crime." "Shooting him with the right hand wasn't bad." "No, it was good, it was too good." "He went over the top." "He wanted the murder to be noticed, he wanted to leave his trace." "That's the worst possible sin a murderer can commit." "Arrogance." "I disagree." "I think lack of intelligence is." "They're usually the same thing." "If you're going to challenge an investigator to a silent duel, you can't underestimate his capacity." "Never." " Hi, how are you?" " Fine, and you?" "I'm sorry." "Gonzalo..." " Hi." " This is Laura." "Hi, how are you?" "Very well, and you?" "Fine." "Are you Spanish?" "Argentinean, with an accent." "Are you one of Roberta's students?" "Actually, I think I'm his favorite." "Here's your menu." "Hello?" "You were sleeping." "Roberto?" "Yes." "Did I wake you?" "No..." "Well, sort of." "What happened?" "Nothing." "I just wanted to check on you." "I'm fine." "Are you alone?" "Yes." "Why?" "I'm sorry." "It's a bit late." "I didn't realize." "We'll talk tomorrow, okay?" "Is everything okay?" "Yes." "I'll call you tomorrow." "Okay." "You can't smoke here." "I'm sorry." "Bye." "I'll call you." "Okay." "Bye." "Thank you for everything." "It's been a real pleasure." "There's no need for such formality, Villazan." " Thank you." " Congratulations." "Thank you so much." "Master..." "It's been a real pleasure." "Thank you." " Good luck." " Thank you." "Last chance, Prof." "Are you coming to the party on Friday?" "I don't think so." " THESIS ON A HOMICIDE" " There was a lot to be said," "I decided to narrow it down to the essentials." "I hope not to bore you." "I don't think so." "I'm very curious." "Do you know when you'll mark it?" "I'll be going back in a few days." "Really?" "So soon?" "I miss my home." "Besides, my work here is done." "And I also wanted to tell you I followed your advice." "What advice?" "That thing you said about getting laid as much as I could." "Hello?" "Yes." "Come on up." "Hi." "Shall I come in?" "Of course." "You look different." "You had your hair cut." "Yes, I changed it." "I didn't like it the way it was." "Was it his idea?" "Whose?" "Who told you to do it?" "Nobody." "Maybe not straightforwardly, but he manipulated you into doing it." "I don't understand." "I know you two are seeing each other." "What, you're following me?" "No, it's not like that." "I know what happened to your sister." "It wasn't by chance that she was murdered outside the school or on that specific day." "Absolutely everything was planned." "Everything." "Every detail." "The formol, the note, the charm she was wearing..." "Everything." "I don't understand." "Valeria was an experiment, some sort of thesis." "The murderer wanted me to find him." "Who?" "Gonzalo!" "No, it can't be." "Gonzalo saw that your sister parked her car outside the school." "He picked her, he decided she'd be his victim." "It wasn't his first time." "I know it sounds crazy but it's not, believe me." "He waited until the day of the class to have the perfect alibi and also so I would be there." "That was the challenge." "He left me clues, very subtle but very clear for me." "That's why you gave me Vale's charm." "I need you to help me." "What are you doing?" "Are you using me?" "No, it's not me." "Gonzalo is a murderer." "He's toying with you and me, he's toying with both of us." "I have a plan and I see it's working." "I need you to do your part." "Why are you doing this to me?" "Why would Gonzalo kill my sister like a beast?" "It doesn't matter why." "It matters to me." "You're telling me the guy I slept with murdered my sister." "It doesn't make any sense." "It's crazy." "It can't be." "Believe me." "I'm telling you because I'm sure." "He's a psychopath son of a bitch." "He's a murderer." "And he's enjoying this sick little game of provoking me and sleeping with you." "Think about it." "Think about it for a second." "Don't touch me." "Where's the restroom?" "In my bedroom." "At the end of the hallway." "Easy." " Are you feeling better?" " Yes." "I have to go." "It's important that you understand that Gonzalo's very dangerous." "Don't ever see him again." " I want to leave." " Trust me." "Don't touch me and let me go." " What are you doing?" " Let me go!" " What's wrong?" " Let me out." "Are you afraid of me?" "I just want to help you." "Put that down." "Do as I say." "Give it to me." "I talked to his father." "Monica told me about your theory." "Did you mention my name?" "I had to." "He says his son is a genius." "A brilliant kid, he said." "All parents think that way." "How long has it been since you last slept?" "I sleep." "Little but I do sleep." "I've been asking around, nothing official." "The kid has no records, not even a note for bad behavior at school." "I know." "He's a model student." "What do you have against him?" " This is personal." " Why you ask?" "I'm sure you already have the doctor's diagnosis, don't you?" "I don't care what issues you have with him, his mother or whoever." "You know what presumption of innocence is, right?" "I think so." "I'm asking because last time..." "This has nothing to do with the Latorre case." "I was wrong then." "I'm not now." "In compliance with article 256 of the regulation of the law 4794..." "We summoned him to amplify his testimony, that's all." "Don't worry." "I won't make you do anything to jeopardize your post." "I'm not worried about mine, I'm worried about yours." "The girl has already filed a report against you." "...under penalty of false statement as prescribed in article 275 of the Criminal Code and article 190 subsection 8 of the regulation of the law 4794." "Do you understand?" "Perfectly well." "You have the right to consult with a lawyer." "I am a lawyer." "Very well." "Full name?" "Gonzalo Maria Ruiz Cordera." " Nationality?" " Argentinean." "Mr. Cordera, you've been summoned to give testimony about the case of the rape and murder of Miss Valeria di Natale." "Were you a close friend or acquaintance?" "Did you have enmity, hatred or resentment manifested by facts known to both parties?" "Do you have any connection to the victim?" "No, I didn't know her." "Do you give your testimony freely?" "Yes." "Very well." "Are you aware of the facts of April 23rd of this year that took the life of Valeria di Natale?" "Yes, of course." "I follow the story in the papers." "Besides, I was at the school that night." "I don't remember the time exactly but I spent a long while in the reading room." "Did you see or hear anything that could be linked to the murder?" "I've been giving it a lot of thought." "I wish I could help with the investigation." "I understand any detail could be important, but I just don't remember anything significant." "I'm sorry." "Unusual movements, somebody who looked out of place..." "Nothing." "Anyway, I don't think it was an outsider." "Rather, I think it was someone who wanted to show off with the murder." "I don't understand." "I mean, it must have been someone familiar with the usual movements of the school, someone who'd walked around the place before, and even maybe had contact with the victim." "That's why he went unnoticed." "Besides, he probably has some knowledge of forensic medicine." "Take the detail of the formol." "I'm picturing a sadist, somebody who might keep a trophy of the murder in his house." "I don't know." "He was in my house." "The son of a bitch was in my house." "THE STRUCTURE OF JUSTICE" ""The law sets the limit, the judiciary system punishes whoever exceeds it, but Justice remains aloof, waiting for a new victim."" "Hi, this is Laura." "Leave me a message." "What did you do to her?" "What?" "What happened?" "What did you do to her, son of a bitch?" "Where's the sword, the knife?" " What are you talking about?" " I know you killed di Natale." "You fucking murderer!" "Coffee?" "He asked about you several times." "I don't want to see him." "For what it's worth, he's not the one who killed your sister." "You may come in." "Thanks." "How are you?" "Did you check?" "The girl's fine." "Nothing happened to her." "Did you check?" "Maria da Silva, murdered in Portugal in 2009." "The case was solved." "Antonio Barreto, a dock worker, was tried and convicted." "I got this from Interpol." "He didn't do it." "We found that Farmacity detailed purchase receipt for $67." "Do you want to know what he bought?" "Deodorant, tooth paste, tissue, two batteries and a pack of condoms." "That's not the right receipt." "He must have thrown it away." "What about the bookmark that turned up in my book?" "He was in my place." "The coins?" "He stole the keys from Cecilia." "You said it yourself that you went to the museum." "You get the bookmark with the entrance ticket." "Cecilia has her keys." "Nobody stole them from her." "And the coins..." "Who knows?" "It's typical of you." "He copied it from you." "And the sword, the letter-opener?" "I don't know." "We couldn't find it." "The kid didn't have it." "He did." "I saw it." "He had it in his hand." "Are you sure you saw it?" "I don't know anymore." "Valeria was killed by some random sick guy." "There's no conspiracy." "You don't understand." "You're a smart guy." "Try to see things differently." "Think for a second that Gonzalo didn't do it." "The kid was in your class when the murder happened." "He hooked up with the sister because you introduced them." "He wrote a thesis on the case because he wanted to impress you." "He admires you." "You can't see it." "You don't want to see it." "Gonzalo's recovering at the hospital." "He said he won't press charges." "He's a son of a bitch." "I'll have to excuse myself from the case for obvious reasons." "You still don't realize how much you've lost over this." "The sword, the letter opener." "I don't know." "We couldn't find it." "He had it." "I saw it." "THESIS ON A HOMICIDE"