Thesis on a Homicide Page #2

---

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 a**holes 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 caf

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 COUR 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 caf.

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 caf

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,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes