Odile & Odette, the big new novel by Kloster.
Thank you very much.
-Thank you. Thanks. -Here, here please.
-Kloster! -Go back, please.
A moment, please.
Excuse me.
Kloster, Luciana is waiting for you on the third floor mezzanine.
It's about Valentina.
If you don't want a scene, you better go.
All right.
-He'll sign in a moment. -Thank you.
Organize this. I'll be right back.
An autograph?
All right.
We'll have a short break and organize the book signing.
Kloster! Could you sign…?
-Kloster, a picture, please! -Not now.
Kloster, one moment. El Metropolitano. Just a picture.
-Hey! Hands off! I'm working. -No pictures.
Esteban! How are you?
How are you doing?
What about you? I thought you got fired.
No. I mean, yeah. I'm here for another reason.
Because Andrés told me you had trouble with--
Kloster!
-Kloster! -What happened?
-Excuse me! -Kloster!
Kloster!
NETFLIX PRESENTS
BASED ON THE NOVEL THE SLOW DEATH OF LUCIANA B
BY GUILLERMO MARTÍNEZ
12 YEARS EARLIER
"The old monk took comfort
from the conclusion that the murderer must belong to a different species."
"An evil being,
rejected by the human race,
with a visage as horrifying as the mutilated bodies of his victims."
"He was ruthless."
"His murders…"
Scratch that last part. Start over.
"He was merciless."
"His actions stunned like the headlights of a car on the road,
and, all too late, his victims realized
they had become a frightened hare,
incapable of anything other than waiting for the fatal denouement."
"The old monk...
...recalled his tenure as a prison chaplain,
where those sentenced to death…"
Luciana, where are the prisoners' letters?
Here.
I separated them from the other readers.
Are you done?
No, we still have a while to go, princess.
I'll finish here and go play with you, all right, Pauli?
All right.
Bye.
I looked up the poisonous mushrooms.
My mom is an expert.
Every year she makes a mushroom pie for Dad on their anniversary.
He hates it, but she doesn't know that.
This one is edible,
and this one is poisonous.
This is the cap,
the ring,
the stem,
and the volva.
They're almost identical. The only difference is the volva, here.
Here.
They look like button mushrooms,
so you have to look at the volva
because it could have detached or fallen off.
Thank you very much.
-What's this one called? -Tini.
And what are they?
-Sisters. -They're sisters?
-I like that. -Do you have siblings?
Yeah.
I've got a sister your age named Valentina.
I've got an older brother, Ramiro, and my eldest brother is Bruno.
-I don't have any! -Chatterbox.
How about you let Luciana go home?
No!
-No? -Can we play with my dolls again?
-Sure, anytime. Ciao, Pauli. -I love it.
Sorry I took so long to rescue you.
-It's all right. I like being with Pauli. -Don't feel obligated.
I'm always so embarrassed when you have to stay late.
We should have a playdate with my sister Valentina sometime.
They're alike.
Until next week.
Bye.
Doesn't it need a little more?
-Yeah. -So we cover it.
-Like this? -Right.
-Throw with both hands. -Very good.
-There it is. -There's a little hole.
That's better.
Now we put it in the oven, so when you come out…
Your bath is ready, princess.
Yeah!
Are you coming, Daddy?
I'll be right there.
Pauli! Dirty clothes go in the hamper.
Yep!
There we go!
Good, very good.
-Look at you fly! -Daddy, look how high I can jump!
-You're gonna fly off. -I can touch the sky.
Okay, keep doing that. Yeah.
-Let's see how you fly. -Yea!
Almost like you've got wings.
Yeah.
You're beautiful. Give me a kiss.
I love you.
I love you, Dad.
What? I didn't catch that.
-I love you, Dad. -I love you too.
PRESENT DAY
Please, I ask that you're careful with what you report
so as to keep the community calm.
We cannot confirm nor deny any theories
nor any connection with the other fires.
Careful with your reports. There are a lot of rumors,
and we're investigating…
Rey?
I'm almost done.
-What did Ramoneda say? -We talked, he doesn't know anything.
Hurry up. Management got pissed off after last week.
-You'll get it before nine. -Okay.
It's tea.
Have it by nine.
PRIVATE NUMBER
Hello?
Esteban Rey?
That's me. Who is this?
Luciana Blanco. Do you remember me? I was your assistant.
Yeah.
Yeah, like ten years ago. How are you?
Twelve years.
I need to see you. Urgently. It's about Kloster.
About Kloster?
You don't know, do you?
Nobody knows.
But what happened with Kloster?
Not over the phone.
Can you come over and we'll talk?
Now?
Yes, now. Can you come?
-Who is it? -Esteban.
Hi.
"He kissed her mouth…
...and felt her give in,
and her lips opened to answer his kiss."
"He held her tightly
and then felt her tongue seek his."
Is that the end?
Not really, but the next part is a little explicit.
Kloster dictates worse things.
Worse, or better?
-You won't tell me what he's writing? -I can't tell you.
Coffee?
Sure.
Come in.
Thanks for coming.
Sorry for showing up out of nowhere.
It's fine.
Sit down.
Do you want a drink?
-No, I'm good. -Sit.
Kloster became famous publishing a novel he dictated to me.
But you know that.
I wanna talk about something no one else knows.
I thought the punishment had been enough, but the deaths continued.
What deaths?
My family's.
Who is killing them?
Kloster.
I need your help.
Kloster is murdering your family?
One by one for more than ten years.
I haven't been able to stop him yet.
No one believed me, but now it's different.
This time I can get ahead of him. That's why I need your help.
Esteban,
I saw him again today.
He was right by the nursing home where my mother is. She's next.
How do you know he's targeting her? Couldn't it be a coincidence?
My mom being in a nursing home at 58 with neurological damage
is because of him.
There are no coincidences around Kloster.
Mm hmm.
I need you to write my story.
Write it?
Yes.
And publish it.
When we met,
you told me that Kloster was a mysterious, secretive writer.
-Yeah. -Right.
After he started killing my family, he's seen everywhere. Why?
I don't know.
It's the perfect alibi.
No one can fathom the idea that a celebrity could be a murderer.
Of course.
Yes.
I can't just write anything in the newspaper.
I can't help you.
I didn't call because you're a famous journalist.
I called you because you've got a score to settle with Kloster.
Who is it?
Mercedes, it's Luciana.
Come in.
Thanks.
-Hi. -Hi.
-Hi, Pauli! -Hi. I'll be right back!
Pauli, we're about to go. Where are you going?
I'm coming! Just a minute!
It's our girls' day out.
Here!
-Is it for me? -Yeah.
-That's nice. -It's the four of us.
This is Mom, Dad, me, and you.
I love it. Thanks.
Now, Luciana has to work with Dad.
-Let's go. -Bye.
Bye.
EXODUS
What an interesting edition. Where did you get it?
-My Dad, he's a pastor. -Uh huh.
I brought it because it might have another take on the lex talionis.
It's basically the same thing.
Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth
isn't about doing to the aggressor what they did to the victim,
but instead seeks to…
generate a punishment equivalent to the suffering inflicted.
Oh.
For example, my wife.
She was a ballet dancer
until a careless driver
fractured her tibia and ended her career.
To honor lex talionis,
it wouldn't be enough to break the driver's tibia.
Because the suffering he caused Mercedes
by destroying her career goes beyond the fracture itself.
I like your explanation.
Mercedes really was a ballet dancer?
She was part of the permanent company of the national ballet.
My sister wants to be a dancer.
-I talked to Esteban. -Esteban?
Esteban Rey, the other writer.
Esteban Rey hired you? How did he find you?
I think it was Campari.
I don't think so, Campari's very reserved.
Then, someone from the publisher,
because he said he knew you.
I know who he is, but I haven't met him.
That's weird.
He sends material often.
Is it good?
I think I read one of his novels once.
I don't remember the name.
But he won't stop sending me things.
I don't know how he writes so much.
Esteban is quick.
But he doesn't have your talent.
Where were we?
"He pressed down on Elena's neck."
"He pressed down on Elena's neck…"
Semi-colon.
"…intending to prolong the magical twilight between life and death,
then eased off enough so that a lungful of oxygen
allowed her to continue her futile struggle for survival."
"His gaze was…
lost on the blemish on Elena's arm,
where the snake had left a deep scar
in the shape of a coin."
I've got a scar like that.
Here.
This one.
What are you doing?
What do you mean?
Did I misunderstand? You kept giving me signals.
Signals?
-Yes, signals. -What signals?
I can't believe it.
-Where are you going? -I'm leaving.
Luciana.
-Will you stop? -That hurts.
Because you won't let me open… Can you just stop moving?
Dad will take it off.
No, I will take it off.
You're mean.
Paula, please? Will you let go?
-No. -Let go of my hand.
What's wrong?
Princess!
-Daddy. -Yeah, come here.
Don't be scared.
It's Mom.
Take her to her room!
It's all right.
-She's unbearable! -Wanna go to your room?
All day!
-Come on. -I don't want Mommy.
How about you give her a bath?
We thank you, Lord.
Bless this family always
and any who might be suffering in their home. Amen.
-Amen. -Amen.
How was your first day as a resident, Bruno?
Good.
We toured the hospital and met the doctors.
-Great. Did they give you those scrubs? -I bought these.
Honey!
You were coming later.
We finished early.
-I'll get you a plate. -I'm not eating. Thanks, Mom.
At least sit down with us.
I have a stomachache.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Was it something at work?
No. I can't find my notes. Where are they?
-You had trouble with Kloster. -No. I'll get through it. It's nothing.
I won't be working with him again.
But what happened, Lu? You were so happy.
It was nothing, really.
But I'm not going back.
I swear I'm trying.
But sometimes I can't control myself.
Calm down, darling.
I'm trying.
And then she looks so small and I can't understand why I did it.
You did very well to get back home right away.
These things take time, that's what the psychiatrist said.
We'll go out tomorrow, all three, have a good time,
and Pauli will forget it.
You've got work tomorrow, and Luciana's coming.
No, Luciana won't be working here anymore.
Really? Why?
She did bad on her last exams,
and her parents want her to focus on her studies.
That's weird, she didn't even say bye to Pauli.
She probably didn't know how to.
It's not just about the severance.
The guy hired you under the table, so you have to demand all of it,
social security, pensions, etc.
So, advance notice…
vacation days, bonus, Law 24013…
a fine for Article 80…
Lu, tell the counselor he tried to kiss you.
Yeah, but it was nothing.
Sexual harassment in the workplace is a serious issue.
Was it one time or several?
Just one time.
-Are you sure? -Uh huh.
There weren't any malicious comments, or any physical contact…
No, it was just a kiss. It wasn't violent.
Well, if it's like that and there are no witnesses,
it's your word against his.
And it'd just be the workplace claim.
Let's see.
That's a lot of money.
It's not what he'll pay, it's what we'll ask for.
Usually, after mediation we'll reach a compromise,
but if we include the sexual harassment lawsuit,
he'll want to settle quickly.
And that works in our favor.
Here, at the bottom…
signature, name, and ID number.
Don't worry, I'll prepare the claim later.
What happened to you was awful.
But I can't publish it.
I can't accuse him of murder without proof.
Who'd believe me?
You're not listening.
Write that I'm accusing him.
I doesn't matter if they say I'm crazy,
doesn't matter if they believe me.
If they try me, I don't care.
I need people to talk about this, to make it public.
Imagine the media scandal if someone else in my family dies.
He wouldn't risk it.
He has much more to lose than me.
And you.
No, I'm sorry, but I can't.
What do I gain making enemies with someone so powerful?
He's already your enemy.
What do you mean?
I don't think you became a journalist because you wanted to, right?
Eh?
You think he didn't see your piece after what happened to his family?
Why do you think no publisher will answer your calls?
-Even Campari ignores you. -That was a long time ago.
You care. Or you wouldn't be here.
-Hi. -Valentina, my sister.
-Esteban, a friend. -What's up?
I'll walk you out.
Valentina doesn't know anything.
She was young when this started.
I want to protect her.
She doesn't know what it's like to be afraid.
Are you gonna help me?
I'll think about it.
THE SLOW DEATH OF LUCIANA B.
If he's not here in five minutes,
I'll consider the mediation finished.
Okay.
Either he's not taking us seriously or he has bad counsel.
In any case, this allows us to go straight to a trial.
How much do you want?
Including legal expenses, 1,862,000 pesos.
But that's just a reference figure.
You can wait for your lawyer to get here.
I never had such a short mediation.
All right, girl, go cash that check.
I've never seen him like that, Mom.
Probably because of what happened.
What happened to him?
His wife and daughter passed recently.
It was tragic.
MOM - DAD - ME - LUCIANA
Here, Lu. She's a dancer.
Thanks.
Come here.
Don't cry.
Valen, go with Mom,
I have to talk to Lu.
Come on, go.
I'll be down soon.
Yeah, Dad.
Mom told me that you don't want to go to the beach with us this summer.
I know it's not that you don't want to share the family vacations.
There's something you have to figure out first.
And I understand that that
is between you and God.
Come on, Val!
-Wait, I'm coming. -Come on.
-Valentina, don't go too far, honey. -I'll be back.
Did you register for your college classes?
Yeah, Dad. I start in March.
Honey, you can put in a catheter but not a straw.
Fine…
You do it, Mom.
-Did you eat them all? -Yeah.
So what's this?
Eveything okay, Rami?
All good, Dad.
There's just one dude that's going in too far.
But I saw him get out.
I'm sure one of these days I'll have to go in and save him.
What, no mate for me?
There's no water left. Who's going?
-Your turn. -No.
I'll go.
Thanks, Lu.
Thanks.
You could've gone.
But she wanted to.
Lu, just stop with this guy, please?
Why would he be here?
A guy like that goes to the Caribbean.
It was him.
You're obsessed.
Get your foot off.
Luciana, don't you think it's too big a coincidence
that he'd happen to come to this beach?
That's it, I don't think it's a coincidence.
I told him we have a house here.
Why would he come here just to mess with you?
You didn't even cash the check.
You let him get away with it out of pity.
I've been saving up for a bike for years.
What about you?
-Ramiro, that's not funny. -I didn't say anything.
She doesn't think it's funny.
-I didn't say anything. -She doesn't think it's funny.
Fine, I get it, but it's not my fault if she takes it the wrong way.
It's the truth.
Look how nice I made this part.
Right. Look, the water's coming.
Does this look okay?
And we'll save the castle like this.
I wanna go.
Carry me!
Come on.
-There's too much sand! -Close your eyes.
-I'm scared. -Don't worry.
-Hi! -Rami!
Ramiro!
-Come here! -I'm going.
Hold on tight, Val.
Calm down, Valen. Calm down, honey. It's over now.
-Do you want to play with the kids? -Yes, Mum.
Go, go on.
Where's Ramiro?
He was making sure nobody's in the water.
Nobody should be left. Why hasn't he come?
Relax, he's doing his job.
Call an ambulance!
Did someone call an ambulance?
Not long ago, I told my daughter
that true faith is not what we have when everything is good.
It's what we keep even when terrible things happen.
And we keep that faith
with the conviction
that, though we may not understand it,
God always has a plan.
It was an accident, honey.
God will help us find peace.
Hell of a story.
So?
So, we publish it.
This is a bombshell.
You're nuts, Rey.
You can't publish something like this.
You have to double-check the facts first, document everything,
corroborate the information, verify the deaths…
All right. I'll do it.
And Kloster, of course.
I'll get him.
Oh, you don't say.
If I get Kloster, you'll publish it?
Cultura's writers have been after Kloster for six months.
We offered him the cover, a special, anything he wanted.
Nothing, no way.
If I get you a testimony and Kloster's version, you'll publish?
If you get Kloster,
I'll fight the board to get you the cover, Rey.
That's a promise.
LIFEGUARD DROWNS
Hello?
Esteban Rey?
Who is this?
It's Campari.
It's been a while, Campari, how are you? Thanks for calling back.
You drove my secretary crazy. What do you want?
I want to interview Kloster. For the newspaper, of course.
Forget it.
I'm in touch with Cultura for after his book is out.
Please, tell him it's about Luciana Blanco.
He'll understand.
Campari, are you there?
We'll publish the story.
I'll ask and call you back.
Thank you.
Let's fucking go.
What is, to you, the essence of a thriller?
Not the events, of course, not the succession of corpses,
but the conjectures,
the possible explanations.
Reading between the lines.
The infernal calculations and hesitations prior to every act.
Day of the Dead is radically different.
It's brutal, it's crude but at the same time beautiful.
It surprised all your readers.
Why the change?
How did Kloster change?
Let's say I found a different muse.
What does that mean?
Did you know that Henry James biographers
point to a change in style
after he began to use an amanuensis?
In Henry James's writing…
-Hello. -Do you know what day it is?
Tuesday?
It's Mom and Dad's anniversary.
Shall I put them on so you can talk?
Thanks. I owe you one.
-Mom. -Hm.
Phone.
-Hello? -Hi, Mom.
-Happy anniversary. -Thanks, honey.
That makes how many years?
Well, 31 now.
Wow.
-How are you doing? -Good.
We went foraging for mushrooms with Valen,
and now I'm cooking.
Honey, I miss you.
I miss you too. Put Dad on.
All right, I'll put him on. Bye, honey.
It's Lu.
-Hello. -Dad.
Happy anniversary!
Thanks, honey. It's good to hear your voice.
How are the exams going?
Good. I read all the Methodology material. I still have Analysis left, next week.
We miss you over here.
When are you coming?
Eh… I don't know. We'll talk about it.
Is there anniversary pie?
Yes, seems like there will be,
but your siblings said they're both fleeing.
The cowards…
-Dad. -I gotta go, your sister is calling.
All right. I love you. Bye.
Bye.
The essence is in the internal psychological analysis of the characters.
"Fiction competes with life," Henry James said.
If fiction can create life,
it can also create death.
Hi?
Luciana, Mom and Dad are ill.
What happened?
I don't know, I'm in the ambulance to the hospital.
-Come right now. -Where?
Central Hospital.
-I'm going. -Okay.
-Bruno, right? -Yeah.
Use it like this. Press every six seconds.
-I'll get an IV on your dad, okay? -Yes.
Okay, keep the count.
Where are they? How are they?
They're treating Mom. Her liver is shot.
What happened to them?
-Poisoning. -And Dad?
No.
Was it…?
Was it the pie?
Yeah, maybe.
It might've been.
It was him.
It was Kloster.
No, Luciana, not right now.
It was Kloster. He knows about Mom and Dad's anniversary pie.
Kloster knows about the beach house.
-He's taking revenge. He never forgave me. -Luciana, calm down, please.
-Now's not the time. Calm down. -It's never enough.
Calm down.
Nurse!
-Calm down, breathe. -What happened?
-I need a psychiatrist now. -What can I do?
-Breathe.
FOR SALE
What is it?
I wanted to see the house.
You'll have to call the real estate agency.
I'm a friend of the owners.
Yeah?
I'm a friend of Luciana's. Luciana Blanco.
Oh.
How's Luciana doing?
Rocco, easy!
Well, she's holding on…
Dealing with her baggage.
And what baggage, right? Hm.
And what happened to her parents…
It was weird, right?
Hm.
What do you think happened?
It's baffling.
I have a hard time believing she messed up.
She knew a lot about mushrooms.
Maybe it was the girl.
I don't know.
Sometimes things go wrong.
Yes?
Registered letter for Mr. Kloster.
He's not home.
Can you receive it?
Yes, of course.
FROM LUCIANA BLANCO SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINT
Mommy!
Mom.
Can you hear me?
Mommy!
-What? -Can I go take a bath?
-Go on, I'll be right there. -Yeah!
Mommy.
Mommy!
I want to play dolls with Luciana.
She can't, Pauli.
Why?
She stopped working here.
No! She didn't stop.
I said she can't, Pauli.
-Will you let me wash your hair? -No.
I want to see Luciana!
I said no.
-But why not? -Because you can't.
Mom, I want to see Luciana!
I said no!
CONTEMPORARY BALLET BUENOS AIRES NATIONAL THEATER
Hello!
Mercedes.
Darling.
Mercedes…
Pauli.
Honey…
No.
Pauli.
No!
Honey.
What did you…?
I'm on duty tonight.
-I'll be back tomorrow. -All right.
Hm, this is delicious, Lu.
-You like it? -Hm.
-So? How's high school? -Good.
-Did you make friends? -No.
They think I'm dumb.
Luciana takes me, waits for me after school…
I'm the only one who doesn't eat out. How can I make any friends?
Valen, Lu worries about you. She's protecting you.
From what?
I can't even go to ballet alone.
All my friends go on their own.
So how's practice going?
The recital should be soon. What will it be?
Swan Lake.
That's great.
Let me know in advance
so it doesn't overlap with one of my shifts.
Can I buy tickets already?
You don't have to.
This year,
dads and brothers are invited.
So you think you're romantic?
Huh?
Here you go, lover boy.
Have your letter back.
Did you think I wouldn't find out?
Yesi is mine, get it?
Yesi is mine, man!
Freeze! Stay there.
Police. Hey!
CENTRAL HOSPITAL
Get on the ground!
Move. Let me.
Don't move.
What a mess.
-All right, go. -I'll take care of it.
-Help Benítez. -Sure.
Did you call the judge?
No response. He must be asleep.
Jeez…
The family's over there.
All right, keep trying, wake him up.
Yeah.
-Could we have a moment, please? -Yes.
I'm Prosecutor Ramoneda. I'm in charge of the case.
Did you catch him?
Yeah.
Seems to be a crime of passion.
The suspect claims your brother was having an affair with his wife.
My brother wasn't seeing anyone.
There are some letters detailing the affair…
No. If my brother was going out with someone, I'd know.
Who are they from?
They seem anonymous.
We'll look into it.
What we don't understand is how he broke out of jail.
He was a prisoner?
Yes.
Serving a 25-year sentence for homicide.
Kloster.
What?
It was Kloster.
It was him. He wrote to prisoners. He's been killing my family for years.
First it was my brother Ramiro, then my Dad…
It was Kloster.
Kloster, the writer?
Yes, the writer. I was his assistant.
Promise me you'll look into him.
Yes. We're not ruling out anything. Don't worry.
-Are you okay? -Yes. Sorry.
Do you need anything?
Miss.
Let's go.
Stop.
-What's up, Esteban? -What's up?
Your boss still breathing down your neck?
No, I got it under control.
No news about the fires.
I'll call as soon as I get anything.
No, I didn't come for that.
-What? -Do you remember the Bruno Blanco case?
Bruno… Yeah, what a mess of a case.
It seemed simple and ended up complicated.
Yeah, because of the sister accusing Kloster, the writer.
No. The sister? It wasn't that.
The murderer was in jail. He went out to steal with help from the guards.
The entire Penitentiary Service board came down.
-It was a mess. -Counselor.
-Yeah? Thanks. -You're welcome.
-Great. -And what about Kloster?
Kloster? I went to see him. Poor guy, really.
Lost his wife, lost his daughter,
and that crazy woman Luciana wouldn't stop harassing him.
-Oh, yeah? -Yeah.
She came by constantly, made all kinds of scenes.
She wanted me to arrest him no matter what. Unbearable.
The case even turned political.
Me, dealing with the Minister of Justice,
and this woman who insisted I arrest Kloster.
But wait, listen.
Then there was nothing that linked Kloster to the murderer?
-Nothing. -Nothing?
Nothing…
Actually, that crazy woman, Luciana.
I gotta go, Esteban.
LUCIANA
Do you have any news?
Sort of.
They say the Chinese mafia might be behind the fires.
That they want to lower the property prices to buy them.
But it's just a rumor for now.
Hm.
Ramoneda's also got nothing.
It's a mystery.
Rey!
Here.
I don't know how you did it.
Campari says Kloster is waiting for you tonight at his home.
Let's go!
What did I say? Didn't I say I'd get him?
Good luck. Don't mess it up!
I have my charm!
Never doubted you.
Who is it?
Esteban Rey.
Who?
Esteban Rey.
So?
What do you think?
What do I think?
It would be a marvelous case report.
Who could've thought a woman so smart could reach such heights of madness?
In any case, I'm not surprised. She was always manipulative.
Why do you say that?
Shielded behind her innocence, she enjoyed seducing.
Anyone would've paid with a divorce
the price of playing her game.
In my case, the price was higher.
So, you think she was responsible for your tragedy?
That's what she believes.
Entirely too late, a useless attempt to apologize
for her absurd accusations.
Do you really think she could predict what would happen?
I can't be sure of that.
For years, I tried to imagine why she'd make up these stories against me.
And why do you think that is?
One of three reasons,
madness…
cruelty…
or guilt.
Guilt?
Are you surprised?
The daughter of a pastor attempts a seduction,
it goes wrong
and tears apart a family.
For someone as religious as her,
it sounds like it deserves divine punishment.
Don't you think?
How do you explain the murders?
Murders?
I know only of one, and the culprit's been caught.
What makes you think there were more?
Luciana says she saw you on the beach when her brother Ramiro died.
Was it a coincidence you were there?
No, on the contrary, there was a reason for that.
I knew Luciana would spend the summer there.
I'd just lost my family
and it didn't seem fair she would enjoy the summer
after what she did.
I wanted to remind her.
Ramiro died from a cramp while trying to save a mysterious swimmer
that never turned up.
And Luciana wants to believe that mysterious swimmer was me.
A precise, surprise hit on a person in the middle of the sea,
no witnesses.
You flatter me.
A man my age,
in my condition,
against a trained lifeguard in his twenties?
If I wrote that in my novels, they'd laugh in my face.
So Ramiro dying the summer you showed up on that beach
is a coincidence.
Or divine justice.
After all, he drowned,
just like my daughter.
Divine justice.
I thought you were agnostic.
Did you convert?
There are things beyond religion that I had to learn to believe in.
What about her parents' poisoning?
You knew about the anniversary mushroom pie.
You even used it in a novel.
Yes. At that point,
that novel had been read by over 500,000 people.
So the similarities with your novel are also a coincidence.
Bruno's murder…
has a perpetrator.
Luciana thinks you instigated it.
She says you wrote to the killer
so he would believe Bruno was having an affair with his wife.
Luciana managed to have a prosecutor investigate that hypothesis.
Do you know what he found?
Yes. Nothing.
But you wrote to prisoners.
I often write to my fans,
and I assure you they come from many walks of life.
Another coincidence.
Hm.
Anyway, there's something that does work against you.
The numbers.
While, taken separately, the accusation is feeble,
if we look at all the deaths together…
it seems a little suspicious, right?
Because a tragic death in a family can be bad luck,
but since she sent that registered letter,
her two brothers died,
and her father, and her mother is bedridden.
And you…
even if it's indirectly,
have something to do with all of those deaths.
I'm sorry, but those are too many coincidences.
"The whole is more than the sum of its parts."
You like numbers.
You sent me something.
You sent me a novel. What was it called?
Randomness.
Randomness, exactly,
where you write almost exclusively about the topic of chance.
But you never bothered to toss a coin.
What do you mean?
You know very well that if you toss a coin a hundred times,
the result tends to be an even split between heads and tails.
Is that right?
That doesn't mean that every time you toss a coin
it will alternate between heads, tails, heads, tails…
In fact, most events happen in imperfect streaks.
So all these deaths were just a streak of bad luck.
I don't see why not.
After all, Luciana lost three family members
over the course of ten years.
I lost two on the same day.
Which was very painful.
And the media coverage did nothing but prolong that pain.
Do you want to completely understand
the damage Luciana caused?
Come with me.
When I met Mercedes,
she was a ballet dancer with a bright future,
until a traffic accident ended her career.
It was awful, and it took a lot for her to come out her depression.
Then she became pregnant with Pauli,
and she thought everything would change.
That she'd found something more important than her own life to live for.
I thought so too.
But no.
After the birth,
she fell into a pit of depression again.
I had to institutionalize her.
And I took care of Pauli until she was five years old.
When Luciana started working with me,
Mercedes had already recovered.
But her psychiatrist warned me…
that her psyche would always be in a fragile balancing act.
"Cracked crystal" were his words.
As long as no one moved it,
it would stay in place.
But the subtlest movement
could send the whole thing crashing down.
Dad!
Look how high I can jump!
I can touch the sky. Yeah!
I always have energy, I never run out.
I love you, Dad.
Dad!
Look how high I can jump!
I can touch the sky. Yeah!
I always have energy, I never run out.
I love you, Dad.
-Luciana broke that crystal. -Dad.
Look how high I can jump!
I can touch the sky. Yeah!
And she condemned Pauli to this ten second prison forever.
Dad!
Look how high I can jump!
I can touch the sky. Yeah!
I would've put this business with Luciana behind me years ago.
But she insists on reminding me over and over.
Did you know her brother had to commit her to an asylum
due to her obsession with me?
And now Luciana sends you,
who attempted to get my attention for years.
Sending your manuscripts,
harassing my publisher,
hiring a girl with no other merit than just being my assistant.
I understand now, Rey.
Your admiration became envy.
And that envy, resentment.
Because you had to be full of resentment to write what you wrote.
Now if you'll excuse me…
I have another important interview.
For a school assignment.
Very good.
-What's up? -Hi.
You're coming tonight, right?
I'm almost sure.
Look who's here.
Just make something up.
I'm going. See you.
-All right. -Bye, girls.
-Bye, Dani. -Bye, Valen.
-Hello. -Hello.
We're gonna go see Mom, remember?
Yeah.
Camila invited me over to do a Literature assignment.
-All right. I'll take you. -Okay.
Well done, Lali, good.
NURSING HOME
Here, Mom.
Remember that Valentina finishes high school this year?
Did you ask her?
Lu wants me to go to college, but I want to be a dancer.
It's a very competitive setting.
Yeah, but I want to dance.
You have to have options, Valentina.
…the heart.
Right.
That's right, Mommy.
Listen to my heart.
Well, visiting hours are almost over. She has to go have dinner now.
Bye, Mom.
Bye, Mommy.
Give me your hand.
Oh, God.
Will you walk me to Camila's?
Or I can go alone. It's fine.
Luciana.
Lu!
I can go, it's fine.
I'll go alone. Luciana.
Lu.
No, I'll walk you. Come on.
Hello?
Esteban Rey?
That's me. Who is this?
Luciana Blanco. Do you remember me? I was your assistant.
Yeah.
Yeah, like ten years ago. How are you?
Twelve years.
I need to see you. Urgently. It's about Kloster.
About Kloster?
What's this?
Here.
Stop bringing stories no one cares about.
It's not even good for a neighborhood piece.
-How did it go with Kloster? -Good.
When are you turning it in?
Give me a couple of days so I can format it better.
You're quick, Rey.
I talked to the board. They expect a lot.
Bring me a draft tomorrow so…
There's another fire!
And it looks like they got him.
Who?
The Chinese arsonist.
I'm on my way.
Don't lose focus on the Kloster piece.
Can I go through? My grandmother's inside.
Excuse me, press.
-Go in. -Thanks.
What happened?
It started downstairs. Nursing home on the top floor.
The old folks asphyxiated.
They retrieved about 20. There's still a lot more inside.
It didn't have anything to do with the Chinese mafia.
Just a psycho on a bike with a jerrycan full of gasoline.
-Can I ask some questions? Just one. -Not now.
Did you start the other fires?
Dante, we're ready.
Go ahead, you got your escort.
Do you believe me now?
Still think it was a coincidence Kloster was here?
If you'd published what I told you, my mom would still be alive.
Your mom? Your mom was here?
Luciana!
KLOSTER INFERNO UNLEASHED
KLOSTER'S DEATHS
KLOSTER: FROM OSTRACISM TO FAME
I'm here.
"'Kloster, from ostracism to fame,'
by Esteban Rey."
"However, this family tragedy has brought enormous fame
to the previously elusive writer."
-That's from more than ten years back. -Wait.
Listen, it goes on.
"Kloster, during his media raid,
doesn't hesitate to remind again and again of his sad misfortune,
hoping to provoke interest for his banal literature."
You're scum, Rey.
How could you write that about a guy who lost his daughter?
I don't know where you got that.
It was a magazine that barely sold.
It's been ten years.
I don't know what's between you and Kloster, nor do I care.
But you can't use the newspaper for your personal vendettas.
Luciana's story isn't about that.
No. You made me look like a fool in front of the board.
They must think I'm an incompetent who can't control the writers,
that any intern has free reign.
But there's a silver lining to all this.
I won't see your face anymore.
So go.
Stop by Human Resources, they're waiting for you.
ODILE & ODETTE KLOSTER
I'll have to ask you to leave.
There are hidden shapes in streaks…
patterns of causality in chance.
Camila, stay for dinner?
Yeah, thanks.
Can she stay over?
Yes.
Let your parents know, please.
I'll call them now.
Shut up.
Lu doesn't let me read anything from him.
If she finds out I interviewed him she'll kill me.
Kloster liked your interview.
Shut up.
He said no one should see it, it's not for sale yet. Stop.
Stop laughing, dumbass.
What is it? Did you get burned?
I'm okay.
I talked to my mom, we're okay.
-I have to go. You mind if you eat alone? -It's fine.
Don't go out.
Take care, okay?
…the famous writer,
presenting what he considered the most personal and polished
of his novels.
The critics already call it his most incredible,
most gripping work.
The launch is happening simultaneously with the French,
German, and English editions.
Odile & Odette is on its way to being a publishing success.
We'll have the pleasure of hearing Kloster himself
narrate the first chapter.
I'm sorry.
I tried to publish it, but it didn't work, I couldn't.
It doesn't matter.
I need you to do me a favor.
I can't do anything else, Luciana.
I'm done. They crucified me at the newspaper.
I need to talk to Kloster. Today. You know how to get to him.
I can tell you exactly where he is.
But I think he has a busy day today.
I have to stop him, Esteban.
Valentina is the next victim.
I have a press pass.
Excuse me, please.
Excuse me, I have a pass. Yeah.
No, I have a pass.
-Press? -Yeah.
-Go in. -Thanks.
It's a private event. Tickets and ID only.
"…the code of Hammurabi…
laws that, almost 4,000 years ago,
the god Marduk handed the king of Babylon
and that, since then, dictate the life of men,
are not enough."
Eye for an eye,
tooth for a tooth,
life for a life.
Lex talionis
speaks about the human aspect
of justice that seeks the balancing of harm.
In Odile & Odette,
revenge is not in human terms,
but in divine.
In Genesis, God warns us that whoever kills Cain
will receive a sevenfold punishment.
But the Bible does not refer to a literal quantity.
Or a scale that might seem exaggerated. No.
The biblical texts refer to the wrath of God
as the manifestation
of divine justice.
In this new novel,
revenge…
justice,
is complete.
And perfect.
I need to talk to him.
I'll get him up. Stay here.
Odile & Odette, the big new novel by Kloster.
Thank you very much.
Kloster.
Excuse me.
-Back, please. -Kloster!
-He'll sign soon. -Kloster!
Kloster!
-God bless you. -Kloster.
Luciana is waiting on you on the third floor mezzanine.
It's about Valentina.
If you don't want a scene, you better go.
Kloster, over here, please.
A picture.
Just a step back, please.
Thank you, you're very kind.
We'll have a short break.
Kloster! Could I get an autograph?
A picture, please!
Kloster, from El Metropolitano.
Just a picture.
Hey! Hands off!
I'm here.
You've had your perfect revenge.
What more do you want?
I have no more suffering to give.
I already felt for myself the suffering I caused you.
Only I get to make that call.
How much longer will you punish me?
What do I have to do to end all this?
That's in your hands,
not in mine.
It always was.
The only one who can end this…
is you.
Esteban! How are you?
How are you doing?
What about you? I thought you got fired.
No. I mean, yeah. I'm here for another reason.
And Valentina?
How do I know you won't do anything to her?
I swear on the memory of my daughter
that nothing bad will happen to Valentina.
Kloster!
Why are you here?
No!
Excuse me.
Let me through, man.
Excuse me.
Dude, what happened?
She's with me.
I'm very sorry.
Thank you.
Could you wait outside? I'll be right there.
I still don't know if this was a wicked, perfect plan
like in your novels,
or if it was just a streak of bad luck.
A bit of both.
She could be your daughter.
She could.
Pauli would be her age today.
She's a minor.
She'll be 18 next week.
And she doesn't seem to mind the age difference.
We have something in common that's stronger than prejudice.
We both lost our families.
You're a murderer,
a monster.
A murderer?
A monster?
You sound just like Luciana.
I'd be careful if I was you.
You could end up like her.
Subtitle translation by: Ivan Cukier