The Absent Voice (2024) s01e03 Episode Script

Happy birthday, Mommy.
We'll celebrate when I'm back.
Don't work too hard, Mom.
SOFÍA: Happy birthday.
HERNÁN: I love you.
That was approximately a year ago.
It still felt like we could do
something for him.
Do you know
who could be impersonating your son?
No.
And the countryside house stuff?
What could he be referring to?
(LAURA SIGHS)
What if the impostor hurt my son too?
What are you doing to find him?
Have you received any threats?
My husband is dead.
My son has disappeared.
Don't you think that's enough?
We've been losing precious time for days
with routine questions, insinuations
and accusations towards my son and me.
If my son turns up dead,
you will have to answer for it.
(DOOR SLAMS)
OLMOS: Cachila.
- Are you still here?
- CACHILA: Yes.
OLMOS: I thought
you were fishing in Chubut.
CACHILA: Don't rub salt in my wounds, man.
- Bermúdez?
- Taking statements. What do you have?
CACHILA: The evidence
she got from the yacht.
OLMOS: Did something come up?
Fingerprints. I checked the files,
but nothing conclusive came up.
Okay, I'll tell her later.
Your contribution is shitty,
Cachila, as always.
- (CACHILA CHUCKLES)
- (PHONE RINGING)
Sorry, is this from the Hontou case?
Are we colleagues now? I didn't know.
Do you want me to write you a report too?
Mom.
I'm on my way.
(MONITOR BEEPING)
(CELL PHONE VIBRATING)
Lucas - Missed call
New message from Lucas
Don't say anything
THE ABSENT VOICE
ALFONSO: He's out of danger.
III. COLECCIÓN
DOCTOR: A couple of days of rest
and he'll be fine. Don't worry.
Thank you, Alfonso. Thank you.
- Is Candela with him?
- SARA: Yes, he's with Candela.
So? What happened?
They tried to mug him and he fought back.
Well, that's what the guy
who brought him said.
Who brought him?
SARA: I don't know.
He left as soon as he was admitted.
- You don't believe that version, do you?
- SARA: Of course I don't.
(SIGHS)
Mom, you can't smoke in here.
I know. I quit smoking.
Holding it calms me down.
(SQUEAKING SOUND)
I want Bruno to move in with me.
Are you serious?
SARA: Mmm-hmm.
Since your brother's gone, Candela
isn't in shape to take care of him.
Since they're too attached to each other,
she won't be able to control him.
Don't you think the pills
you're giving Candela are related to it?
I mean, her delirium
her nightmares
Those pills don't have
those side effects, son.
You should know very well
that her behavior
is due to a traumatic situation,
something that has no closure.
Guilt, maybe.
(DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)
- How is he?
- He's awake.
- How are you?
- I need coffee.
- I'll join you. There's a machine
- No. Go, stay with Bruno. I'll go.
(MONITOR BEEPING)
(MAN COUGHING)
You'll have to increase your charm,
you're no longer pretty.
(STRAINED CHUCKLES)
Will you tell me?
The police will certainly come
talk to you.
I don't remember much.
I don't mean the mugging.
About your dad.
A patient they're investigating.
What do I have to do with that?
You saw him at the clinic
the day everything happened.
You were there, right?
- There was someone, but
- PABLO: What was he like?
Skinny, fat, tall, short, brunet, blond?
BRUNO: I didn't pay attention.
- (DOOR CLOSES)
- You didn't pay attention?
No.
PABLO: What did you talk about
with your dad?
I have to rest.
You know I love you, right?
Me too.
PABLO: Get some rest.
He was reading.
In the waiting room. He was reading.
Everyone reads in a waiting room.
Yes, but a magazine or your cell phone.
This guy was reading a book.
They asked me to go to the police station
to give a description.
All of this makes me nervous.
There's no picture in the medical records?
ROSARIO: No, it's not required.
I don't know if, once I'm there,
I'll remember anything.
I'll come with you. Don't worry.
(SIGHS)
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS)
IMPOSTOR: Everyone has a labyrinth.
JOSÉ: Everyone?
IMPOSTOR: Everyone.
Me too.
But, at least, I admit it.
My parents, on the other hand
JOSÉ ROUVIOT SESSIONS HH
Who do you think is healthier?
The one who recognizes
having a dark Minotaur living inside him,
or the one who doesn't?
JOSÉ: Look, Hernán,
the disease is not in the impulses,
but in what we do with them.
IMPOSTOR: I guess thinking like that
must be comforting.
For my parents too.
I do take charge of who I am.
Like in that painting.
In the end, you have to look straight
at your monsters.
"Monsters."
JOSÉ: Don't you think it's human
to want to show the best of ourselves?
IMPOSTOR: No, I won't ask to be seen.
New message from Pablo
Hello Cecilia
Can we talk?
(UPBEAT SONG PLAYING)
I'll have to go.
What happened?
The brother of the guy who killed himself
wants to see me.
- Rouviot?
- Mmm-hmm.
- Do you like him?
- What?
- Do you like him? Is he handsome?
- What are you talking about?
You're uncomfortable.
- I'm not uncomfortable, no.
- You're not uncomfortable?
But I must admit I did cheat.
I googled him. He's handsome.
If you like him, I can set you up.
Why don't you hide it a little?
Shut up. Stop.
- Come.
- What?
- I'll dry you off so we can get out.
- No, wait. Wait.
What's the hurry?
(SONG CONTINUES PLAYING)
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
(JAZZ SONG PLAYING SOFTLY)
(CECILIA EXHALES)
Rouviot.
- Good evening.
- BARTENDER: Good evening.
One whisky and another tonic for him.
BARTENDER: Of course, coming up.
(SIGHS) I'm listening.
I know you're investigating a book.
- That's confidential.
- Let's leave protocols aside.
I have proof that Hontou's death
and my brother's are linked.
What proof?
A book. I found it in his office.
I want to see it.
I want you to reopen my brother's case
and I want to join the investigation.
- As a consultant.
- Well
I want Platense to win a championship,
but things don't work that way.
This is a police case,
not your chance for personal revenge.
You investigated me?
I'll ask you a question.
When they talk about you
as a sort of super psychologist,
doesn't it embarrass you?
I mean, because that super psychologist
failed in the beginning.
You didn't see
that man couldn't be on the loose?
I made a mistake.
And your father?
Did he make a mistake
getting you that job in court?
Making mistakes is part
of the human condition, right?
Mmm.
Mainly when your family is involved.
Why do you feel threatened by me?
What makes you think I feel threatened?
You're worried about losing control.
It was hard for you to get it.
You set the rules,
you come whatever time you want.
There was traffic.
Yes, sure. You don't apologize.
You order your drink, order mine.
You take the control back.
Well, sorry for being courteous.
What I don't understand is
why it was so hard for you
to get a position in the police force.
- I guess you have a theory.
- PABLO: Yes, sure.
You took time off.
Could be a maternity leave, but no.
You're not a mother.
If you were,
you wouldn't have come running
- when you're off shift.
- (SCOFFS) Well
PABLO: The way you drink your whisky.
In one shot.
You want it to do something to you.
You're uncomfortable with me here. Huh?
Okay, that's it.
PABLO: You're engaged,
married, uncomfortable.
The thing is
why you took time off your career.
Maybe you became a widow.
(BREATHES SLOWLY)
I'm sorry.
No, I'll pay.
If you'll collaborate with me,
you can't hide anything.
PABLO: This is what we have.
In each crime scene, a monster book.
Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
The impostor thinks of himself
as a monster,
and he's letting
his destructive impulse reign.
Well, these are books
that could be in any household.
True, but these have been marked.
This bookmark belongs to the collection
and was in Hontou's mouth.
The Minotaur painting pointing exactly
to where one of the books was.
As I said,
the killer is sending a message.
There have been two deaths.
I think the message got through.
I'm not so sure.
The books belong to the same collection,
and it has six titles.
"Frankenstein, The Hunchback
of Notre Dame, The Invisible Man,
The Phantom of the Opera,
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde," and "Dracula."
Frankenstein is the third book
in the collection
and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde is the fifth.
For now, we know
he's not following the order of the books.
There might be four more victims,
and we haven't found them yet.
What are you saying?
That we have a multiple murderer?
Apparently, the killer has a bond
with his victims.
He has a signature, a motive.
With that profile, I'm almost sure
this is not a multiple murderer,
but a serial killer.
Which would be a problem.
Why?
Because we have less time to find him.
A multiple murderer can kill
his whole life.
A serial killer
accomplishes his goal and disappears.
If we don't find him now,
we'll lose him forever.
(OSCAR SIGHS)
GOLDEN EAST COLLECTION
(WATER SPLASHING)
All good?
Something you want to tell me?
Like what?
CANDELA: I don't know, whatever you want.
Like what, Mom?
You don't have anything to tell me?
No, Mom.
I don't have anything to tell you.
Who's Lucas?
A friend.
And what's the thing you can't tell me?
I don't know what you mean, Mom.
- No?
- BRUNO: No.
You don't know?
I don't know.
Okay.
Okay.
Mom! Mom!
What are you doing?
Mom! What are you doing?
CANDELA: If you can't tell me the truth,
don't worry!
- Don't worry! I can find out myself!
- That's my room! My stuff!
No! You lost all privacy privileges
the moment you came home
with a busted face, Bruno!
(TENSE MUSIC BUILDS)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
ROSARIO: He looked like a regular guy.
Shy.
And he wore a hoodie.
He hid his face.
He wore glasses.
Like this?
Ordinary ones.
Ordinary like this?
Yes. I'm sorry, it's what I remember.
Don't worry.
CECILIA: Do you know him?
No. Who is he?
A friend, an acquaintance,
anyone you know?
No.
(HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING)
Look at him, please.
Do you have one without the hoodie?
CECILIA: Focus on this one.
Does it ring a bell?
SOFÍA: How can I say this? No.
This man is impersonating your boyfriend.
(SOFÍA SCOFFS)
SOFÍA: Are you kidding?
Who would want to be Hernán?
Your boyfriend's in danger.
Don't cooperate,
he can end up like his dad, or worse.
Take a good look,
because this isn't a joke.
Who sold you this?
Did he also sell to Hernán?
(TRAIN HORN BLARES)
(DOGS BARK DISTANTLY)
We'll ask a couple of questions.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING IN STEREO)
Does he ring a bell?
No? He didn't come here?
(WHISTLES)
Estrella.
They're looking for him.
Have you seen him?
Maybe.
There was a guy with a hoodie and glasses
around the corner.
He used to buy for Hernán.
CECILIA: How long ago?
A week.
THE FIRE BETWEEN US
CECILIA: Rouviot.
VICTIM: LUCÍA URIOSTE
Repeats "The fire between us"
"The fire between us"
(CELL PHONE RINGING)
Bruno, hello.
She fell asleep less than an hour ago.
You won't believe how she was.
(SIGHS)
Fuck.
- What was she looking for?
- BRUNO: I don't know.
- I'm afraid Dad's death drove her crazy.
- No, not crazy.
This is an anxiety crisis.
You could help out a little.
- So this is my fault.
- No.
But you could stop lying,
help a little, collaborate.
- Want to know what really happened to me?
- Yes, I do.
Can you keep a secret?
I can.
- I'm fighting.
- Huh?
I go to a place where all kids my age go,
and we fight.
- Where?
- Why do you want to know?
If I can't stop you, I need to know
- where to find you when they kill you.
- It's a sport, Uncle.
No one will kill anyone.
- Where, Bruno?
- BRUNO: In Barracas.
There's a club there
called The Chicken Coop.
Fighters are called "The Little Roosters."
PABLO: They call you "Little Roosters"?
And you think that makes you special?
All through life,
people try to purge pain.
Take it out of their bodies
through fluids.
Vomit, tears, semen.
Blood.
Like yours.
Like Dad's.
(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)
Bruno,
your dad didn't kill himself.
What do you mean?
They're investigating a patient,
the one I told you about.
Did anyone tell Mom? Grandma, anyone?
PABLO: For now, we won't say anything.
- Until things become clear.
- You're only telling me now?
- PABLO: I'm sorry.
- (SCOFFS)
- Come here, hey.
- BRUNO: Let me go!
- PABLO: Hey.
- (BRUNO SNIFFLES)
(BRUNO CRYING)
EVIDENCE
Hey, Daddy. Take me for a ride?
I'm looking for a girl called Estrella.
No, babe, she only comes here to get high.
She doesn't stop here.
She's with the Piranhas.
- PABLO: The Piranhas?
- Yes.
THE HUNCHBACK
OF NOTRE DAME
Working overtime?
DARÍO: (CHUCKLES LIGHTLY)
Pablo, what's up?
Yes, every day. I have no choice.
I need information.
Whatever you can find
about a gang called the Piranhas.
Will you let me know?
Yes, sure.
OLMOS: Do you like seeing my face?
- CECILIA: What?
- Do you like seeing my face?
- No, not really.
- OLMOS: Well, even better.
So, you don't get used
to getting good news.
- New fingerprints?
- OLMOS: No.
CECILIA: What's the good news?
OLMOS: What do you see here?
- An ink stain.
- Open your email.
We put chemicals on the stain,
and look what came up.
LEMOS INSTITUTE
You're so gonna miss me here.
(POLICE SIREN BLARING IN DISTANCE)
(SOFÍA CLEARS THROAT)
- Are they here?
- No clue, honey.
I'm not your secretary. Go look.
(INDISTINCT CLAMOR)
(THUD)
CALL ME
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC BUILDS)
(MUSIC FADES)