The Skin - Chapter 2 - Above

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00:00:04: The following podcast contains strong language and adult

00:00:07: themes and is intended for mature audiences.

00:00:12: Listener discretion is advised.

00:00:23: Heinke Digital presents The Skin, Show Me What Lies Beneath.

00:00:31: An audio book podcast by Christian Heinke.

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00:01:16: Chapter 2, Above.

00:01:25: As Detective Helen Louisiani stepped

00:01:27: through the tall Rococo-style wrought iron gate

00:01:29: into the driveway of the River House,

00:01:31: she was nearly run over by a speeding police car.

00:01:35: She wasn't a very tall woman, but this hadn't

00:01:37: happened to her in a long time.

00:01:39: She jumped out of the way just in time.

00:01:42: The driver honked and gesticulated angrily.

00:01:45: But when he noticed the police badge

00:01:47: pinned to the lapel of her black coat,

00:01:49: he slowed to a walking pace, eventually

00:01:52: parking at the edge of the courtyard

00:01:53: next to the other cars.

00:01:55: From a distance, Helen recognized the unmarked limousine

00:01:58: of her colleague, Davis, and at the same time

00:02:01: heard the rattle of a helicopter.

00:02:03: She looked up.

00:02:05: The TV station logo was too far away to see.

00:02:08: So the vultures are already circling, she thought.

00:02:11: I have to hurry.

00:02:13: Once inside the spacious lobby, she

00:02:14: had to show her badge three times.

00:02:17: Yes, I am a small woman, she fumed inwardly.

00:02:20: Yes, my voice sounds like I'm not

00:02:22: old enough to order a beer.

00:02:25: Yes, I made it to Homicide.

00:02:27: Thank you.

00:02:29: Finally, she reached the elevators.

00:02:31: What floor, she asked one of her uniformed colleagues.

00:02:35: Her high-pitched voice echoed in the lobby,

00:02:37: sounding even more unnatural.

00:02:40: But the young man either didn't hear her or simply ignored her.

00:02:44: Then Helen realized why.

00:02:46: He was green in the face.

00:02:48: He was holding a crumpled handkerchief.

00:02:51: She wasn't expecting a pretty sight.

00:02:53: 14th, he said, a little shy when he

00:02:56: caught her gaze, but her mind was elsewhere.

00:03:00: 14th.

00:03:02: Of course, she thought, and stopped in front

00:03:04: of the open elevator door.

00:03:06: For someone like her, who couldn't stand elevators,

00:03:09: this was clearly the wrong city.

00:03:12: Are you all right?

00:03:13: The policeman asked when he noticed her hesitation.

00:03:17: Helen grinned and licked her lips.

00:03:19: Everything's fine, she replied.

00:03:21: Then she turned and walked to the door marked staircase.

00:03:27: Despite her sore calves and labored breathing,

00:03:30: Helen felt fine when she reached the penthouse.

00:03:33: She was agile and tough.

00:03:34: Helen had even run the city marathon twice

00:03:37: in a respectable time.

00:03:39: Wow, she exclaimed.

00:03:41: She certainly wouldn't be claustrophobic here.

00:03:44: Helen couldn't remember ever seeing an apartment

00:03:46: this big in Manhattan.

00:03:48: As she walked through the rooms, she

00:03:50: passed one wonder after another.

00:03:53: A dressing room the size of her own apartment in Jersey,

00:03:55: filled with women's shoes.

00:03:57: Hundreds of women's shoes.

00:03:59: Lined up like cars in a parking garage.

00:04:02: Well, if her partner Davis's brief phone call was correct,

00:04:06: the owner probably wasn't going anywhere.

00:04:08: Clothes and accessories took up five other rooms

00:04:11: in the city palace.

00:04:13: This is more like a warehouse than a penthouse,

00:04:15: Helen thought.

00:04:16: She reached the pool.

00:04:18: Reflections of water danced on the ceiling.

00:04:21: Guests had the luxury of a hot tub

00:04:23: and the convenience of a steam sauna.

00:04:25: The whole nine yards.

00:04:27: Not bad, she whistled through her teeth.

00:04:31: Davis, who had been standing by the bloodstained glass

00:04:33: door leading to the terrace talking to a guard,

00:04:36: only now noticed Helen.

00:04:38: He walked over to her.

00:04:40: Glad you could get here so quickly, he said mockingly.

00:04:43: He was already wearing rubber gloves.

00:04:45: She clenched hers.

00:04:47: I tried, OK?

00:04:49: He nodded sympathetically.

00:04:51: You should get over it.

00:04:53: She knew what he meant.

00:04:54: Her claustrophobia.

00:04:56: I'm here, aren't I?

00:04:58: She replied irritably.

00:05:00: She wasn't in the mood to argue with him right now.

00:05:03: She had claustrophobia and vertigo.

00:05:06: So what?

00:05:07: So is she, she asked.

00:05:10: Davis realized she was changing the subject and nodded.

00:05:13: Mia Wong and her lover, Victor Adams.

00:05:16: Shit, Helen swore loudly.

00:05:18: That explained all the fuss.

00:05:20: She could tell by the narrow look on Davis's face

00:05:23: that he had guessed what she was thinking.

00:05:25: He looked even more tense and tired than usual.

00:05:28: Did somebody tell Chief P, she asked.

00:05:31: That was what they called her boss, Chief Phillips.

00:05:34: Yes, I've already spoken to her.

00:05:37: As soon as we're done here, I'll give her the details

00:05:39: for the press conference.

00:05:40: I was thinking 11 o'clock.

00:05:43: Sounds good.

00:05:44: The city's press policy had changed,

00:05:46: especially with such a high-profile victim,

00:05:49: and especially about this case.

00:05:51: If they hadn't given the pertinent information

00:05:53: to the media themselves,

00:05:55: the intrusion on the journalists would have been unbearable.

00:05:58: They willingly fed the boa before it put them in a headlock.

00:06:01: It only worked when the investigators

00:06:03: delivered results fast enough.

00:06:06: But in this case, it wouldn't be a problem.

00:06:09: Is this her apartment?

00:06:11: She asked.

00:06:12: No, it belongs to Victor Adams.

00:06:14: He's some bigwig at a media company, Davis explained.

00:06:18: Was, Helen corrected him.

00:06:20: And do we have a knife again?

00:06:22: Yes, a kitchen knife.

00:06:24: Staff?

00:06:25: Had the day off.

00:06:26: Apparently they wanted to make themselves at home.

00:06:29: And where is it?

00:06:31: In the bedroom, on the bed.

00:06:33: And you're sure he's our guy?

00:06:35: No doubt.

00:06:36: The method and the arrangement of the body are the same.

00:06:39: But why, she asked.

00:06:41: We may never know.

00:06:43: Let's be glad it's over.

00:06:45: Glad isn't quite the right expression, don't you think?

00:06:48: Davis shrugged.

00:06:50: You want to see him?

00:06:51: He's in there.

00:06:52: Helen thought, then shook her head.

00:06:55: No, I want to see her first.

00:06:59: Mia Wong's torso leaned against the railing.

00:07:01: Her thin, endless legs stretched out.

00:07:04: Helen's gaze shifted to the disfigured body,

00:07:06: and she had to swallow.

00:07:08: This spot offered a breathtaking view of the East River

00:07:11: and the Queensborough Bridge, tall and tall.

00:07:14: Damn it.

00:07:15: She had to pull herself together.

00:07:18: She had already lost one battle in her fight

00:07:20: against the phobia today.

00:07:22: And that was enough.

00:07:24: She forced herself to focus on the dead, mutilated supermodel.

00:07:28: Helen had seen many deaths in her long career,

00:07:30: including horribly mutilated victims.

00:07:33: But now she understood why the young officer

00:07:35: had thrown up in the lobby.

00:07:37: It was a rare sight.

00:07:39: All right, she thought.

00:07:41: The obvious first.

00:07:43: Like Inez Diego, Victor Adams had used a knife

00:07:46: to rip the skin off his girlfriend Mia Wong's body.

00:07:49: It lay torn around the body like wet wrapping paper.

00:07:53: Signs of a violent struggle indicated

00:07:55: that Mia had been conscious during the procedure.

00:07:58: At some point, she had lost the strength to resist,

00:08:01: and the killer had been able to finish his gruesome work

00:08:04: in peace.

00:08:05: Only then had he slit her stomach.

00:08:08: Helen stumbled.

00:08:10: The wound on her stomach is different from the one

00:08:12: he made on Inez Diego.

00:08:14: Davis bent over the body.

00:08:16: You are right.

00:08:17: I didn't notice that before.

00:08:18: It's all covered in blood.

00:08:20: Helen took a step toward the body and felt dizzy.

00:08:23: Damn it, she hissed and grabbed Davis's wrist.

00:08:27: Would you rather go inside?

00:08:29: He looked at her worriedly.

00:08:31: No, I'm fine.

00:08:33: Now the railing was between her and the yawning chasm.

00:08:37: She sighed.

00:08:38: This wasn't her day.

00:08:39: She examined the shockingly mutilated body.

00:08:43: She is so thin, she thought.

00:08:45: Even in photographs and on television,

00:08:47: the models looked thin.

00:08:49: But like this in reality, the woman's body

00:08:51: looked emaciated and as light as paper, just skin and bones.

00:08:56: And her clean-cut boyfriend, Victor,

00:08:58: made sure that when she died, only the bones would be left.

00:09:02: Well, at least the bastard can't do any more damage,

00:09:06: Davis remarked soberly.

00:09:08: That's true, Helen muttered, still looking at Mia Wong's

00:09:11: body.

00:09:12: But he still has those arms.

00:09:15: She felt Davis's hand on her shoulder.

00:09:17: Don't blame yourself, Helen.

00:09:19: We've only been working on Inez Diego's murder for a week.

00:09:23: We hadn't even considered Victor Adams a suspect.

00:09:26: And yet he did it, 100%.

00:09:29: He grinned.

00:09:31: She had known Davis for four years

00:09:33: and knew exactly how to interpret that.

00:09:35: We caught him in the act?

00:09:37: She asked incredulously, raising her eyebrows.

00:09:40: He nodded.

00:09:43: Davis led her into the bedroom.

00:09:45: He took a remote control from the nightstand

00:09:47: and showed it to Helen like a magician showing

00:09:48: a prop before a magic trick.

00:09:51: Well?

00:09:52: Helen asked impatiently.

00:09:54: Watch this.

00:09:56: He pressed a button.

00:09:57: A gasp escaped her lips as the picture frames on the walls

00:10:00: suddenly came to life, leaving her

00:10:02: in awe of their clever disguise as flat screens.

00:10:06: They all showed the same thing, a video that obviously captured

00:10:09: different camera positions in this room.

00:10:12: The video showed Victor Adams lying in bed.

00:10:15: Mia Wong emerged from the adjoining bathroom.

00:10:18: She was wearing an almost transparent negligee.

00:10:21: She lay down on the bed with Victor and kissed him.

00:10:24: He hugged her.

00:10:25: His hand slipped under the thin material.

00:10:28: Helen turned and looked around the room.

00:10:30: She saw no cameras at first.

00:10:32: But using the rapidly changing angles of the video as clues,

00:10:36: she recognized half a dozen small holes

00:10:38: in the ceiling and walls.

00:10:40: Davis grinned.

00:10:41: Cool, huh?

00:10:42: They used to use mirrors.

00:10:44: This is all the rage now.

00:10:45: Six cameras, six angles, switching one at a time.

00:10:48: Picture changes every five seconds.

00:10:50: You won't even find a clip like that on cable TV.

00:10:53: Who needs it?

00:10:55: Helen shook her head.

00:10:56: I find it odd, to say the least.

00:10:59: But it's very useful to us.

00:11:01: Davis pointed to one of the umbrellas.

00:11:04: Here it comes.

00:11:05: Helen looked again.

00:11:07: Victor Adams kissed Mia Wong, whispered something in her ear,

00:11:11: then got up and left the bedroom.

00:11:13: Mia Wong collapsed on the bed.

00:11:16: Helen swallowed.

00:11:17: They were now watching the last minutes of this woman's life.

00:11:21: Like many crime victims, Mia had no idea what

00:11:24: was about to happen to her.

00:11:26: Run away, Helen screamed in her mind.

00:11:29: But the opportunity had already passed.

00:11:31: Someone had already skinned and killed Mia Wong.

00:11:34: Victor Adams had returned to the bedroom and into the frame.

00:11:37: He was holding a large knife.

00:11:40: Mia Wong had a questioning look on her face.

00:11:43: What are you doing?

00:11:44: Helen read her lips.

00:11:46: Hey, what?

00:11:48: Then Victor Adams stabbed her.

00:11:50: Mia turned to the side, and the knife grazed her shoulder.

00:11:53: She screamed.

00:11:55: Blood spurted from the gaping wound.

00:11:57: Mia jumped out of bed and ran out of sight of the cameras.

00:12:00: Victor got up and followed his girlfriend.

00:12:03: He was completely calm and seemed emotionless.

00:12:06: Davis fast-forwarded the footage.

00:12:08: The camera records no change for half an hour, he explained.

00:12:13: That wasn't entirely true.

00:12:15: There was a small change as the blood on the sheet dried quickly.

00:12:19: The darkness grew, approaching pitch black.

00:12:22: Then Victor Adams came back into view.

00:12:24: He was covered in blood from head to toe.

00:12:27: He sat on the edge of the bed and began cutting himself with the knife.

00:12:31: He would switch hands, cutting with his right and then his left.

00:12:35: Then he would lie down and open his wrists with two quick vertical cuts.

00:12:39: He spread his arms.

00:12:41: The blood seeping from his veins drew an arc across the sheets.

00:12:45: Victor Adams closed his eyes.

00:12:47: A few minutes later, the rising and falling of his chest slowed and

00:12:51: then stopped.

00:12:52: He was dead.

00:12:54: That's it, Davis murmured.

00:12:57: I don't know about you, Dave, Helen said after a while.

00:13:00: But I need a break now.

00:13:01: By the time they reached the 36th floor,

00:13:06: Davis was lighting his second cigarette.

00:13:08: He held the door open for Helen as they stood at the entrance to the roof.

00:13:13: She looked out.

00:13:14: From here, the Queensborough Bridge resembled the pale spine of a skeleton.

00:13:20: Helen shook her head.

00:13:22: I'll stop here if you don't mind.

00:13:24: He didn't mind.

00:13:25: He handed her the cigarette without a word.

00:13:28: They stood there for a while, smoking in silence.

00:13:30: What do you think?

00:13:33: He finally asked.

00:13:35: Helen stared into the distance.

00:13:37: I don't know.

00:13:39: None of it makes sense.

00:13:41: But we have the perpetrator on tape.

00:13:44: Let's wait for the DNA analysis.

00:13:46: That will only confirm it.

00:13:48: You know that.

00:13:50: It was him, Helen.

00:13:52: But why?

00:13:53: What reason would a man like Adams have to do such a thing?

00:13:57: We've had similar surprises before.

00:13:59: Yes, but this one is different.

00:14:01: It's too smooth.

00:14:02: It's too perfect.

00:14:03: He didn't even blink when he hurt her.

00:14:06: A person doesn't just tick off and then behave so precisely and

00:14:09: without scruples.

00:14:11: Okay, Helen, let's set aside the obvious facts.

00:14:14: Tell me what your instincts tell you about what happened down there.

00:14:17: Helen shook her head.

00:14:18: I don't know, Davis.

00:14:21: I just don't know.

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00:14:25: Thank you for listening.

00:14:27: To learn more about Heinke Digital Audiobook Podcasts and

00:14:30: its author Christian Heinke, please visit Heinke.digital.

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