God's Crooked Lines (Los renglones torcidos de Dios)

OUR LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN HOSPITAL 5 KM

Are you sure you don't want me to come in?

No. Someone might recognize you.

Everything will be okay. Thank you for your courage.

The one we've been waiting for.

The new patient has arrived. Everything is in order.

The signature of the provincial council officer,

her medical report, and her husband's signature authorizing her admission.

Good.

This came too.

TO SAMUEL ALVAR

Samuel won't mind.

It's from the doctor who referred her for admission.

"It is common for this patient to have an excuse for everything,

even if it means lying, which she does exceptionally well."

"Even if her lies contradict what she has said previously..."

...if she is caught in the act,

she will soon find an explanation for why she was compelled to lie before,

while now claiming to tell the truth."

"Do not underestimate her."

"Her intelligence is such

that naive people are easily deceived, including inexperienced psychiatrists."

"...inexperienced psychiatrists."

Luckily, you are neither of those things, Dr. Ruipérez.

What is your name?

Alice Gould.

- I see that's your maiden name. - I prefer to be called that.

Born where?

In Plymouth.

But I have Spanish citizenship. My father was English.

Tell me about him.

About my father?

We loved and valued each other.

Are they different, those feelings?

Yes. The first one implies affection.

The second one, mutual admiration and pride.

- Tell me about your mother. - She died shortly after I was born.

My father was my only family until I met my husband.

Are you happy in your marriage?

Heliodoro and I have always gotten along well.

It's been 16 years of shared tedium without complaints.

What does Mr. Almenara do?

He wastes my money playing poker and polo.

- No education? - No.

He says he studied law, but I don't believe him.

He's completely uneducated, poor thing.

- What about you? - Not me.

Sorry.

- I have a degree in chemistry. - Are you a researcher?

A kind of researcher.

SMUG, HATES HUSBAND

I'm a trained private detective.

- Do you know where you are? - An insane asylum.

We prefer to call it a psychiatric clinic... or hospital.

But do you know why you are here?

Yes, Doctor.

I've been lawfully kidnapped.

By whom?

My husband.

It says here you've tried to kill him on three occasions.

By poisoning him, using a substance that is undetectable with standard tests.

Your husband realized, reported it,

and Dr. Donadío decided to put you in here immediately.

None of that is true.

Tell me something.

Did you prepare the poison yourself?

- I wouldn't have known how. - Strange.

Since you have a degree in chemistry.

Tell me something, Doctor.

If I had to have surgery here on my ovaries, for example,

would you be doing the operation?

Of course not.

- Strange, since you are a medical doctor. - Different area of expertise.

So is mine, and I don't even work in the field.

- Don't believe a word of that report. - Should I believe you?

I'm not here due to sentencing. I wasn't charged before a court.

Nor did I confess something to the doctor that I did not do.

And I won't accept that I am ill, only lawfully kidnapped.

This is all a trap.

- Set up by whom? - By Heliodoro.

I have no reason to want to poison him.

I can't say the same for him.

Are you implying

that your husband tried to poison you?

Yes.

And what do you think was your husband's motive?

To become the sole trustee of my fortune, obviously.

Look, if I did try to poison him, why didn't he turn me in to the police?

To avoid giving you a hard time.

And to try to cure you.

If he'd reported me, a court-appointed administrator

would have kept him from using my assets.

It would make no sense for me to try to end my husband's life.

You have confessed to feeling great animosity toward him.

Well, Heliodoro is a fool, yes.

But let's just say his intelligence is inversely proportional to his beauty.

And I love beauty, Doctor.

I assure you, I have no reason to destroy such a splendid ornamental object.

PURE PARANOIA

- Oh, sorry. - It's fine, Montse. Come in.

Montserrat Castell, the center's deputy director.

She will guide you through the initial steps.

- Is there anything else? - Yes.

When will the director return?

In two or three weeks, when he's back from vacation.

But no need to worry. You are in the best of hands.

It's a large facility.

We have common areas that patients can use during the day,

including several acres of forest out back.

Despite being confined here, you will feel quite free.

The director has created manufacturing workshops.

He believes helping patients feel useful aids their recovery.

Modern psychiatry.

At ten o'clock, the cell doors close until the morning.

The world inside is governed by a very different set of rules.

I will do what I can to adapt, Montse.

I hope so.

Now you'll have to take the two most difficult steps.

My wedding ring too?

You can't have personal items in the cell.

Right.

What about cigarettes? Can I light my last one with my lighter?

THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS

We can't have books either?

- What harm can a book do? - I told you that you can't keep anything.

Please. Just one?

Pick the one you want.

This one.

SYNDROMES AND TYPES OF PARANOIA

I hope the other rule isn't as harsh as this one.

Open wide.

- Your underwear. - Excuse me?

Your underwear.

Crouch down.

Imagine you're in a field and you feel like taking a shit.

Here, put this on.

Hello?

Yes, she's still inside.

Getting changed.

Of course she needs to eat dinner.

Yes, all right.

We have permission to enter.

I can eat dinner with you before taking you to your cell.

I'm not hungry, thanks.

Ready?

Can you let us in, please?

One last piece of advice.

Once you get past that door, forget who you are on the outside.

Starting with your name.

What's wrong with my name?

Alice Gould. Beautiful but different. Too different.

In here, all of our patients are equals.

In the morning, they'll bring you some toiletries.

If you need anything, let me know.

Lights off.

WHO SENT IT? YOU KILLED HIM, NOT ME

Something must have happened in there, but the police won't listen to me.

Help me, Alice. Please.

I'll find out what happened to your son.

TRAGEDY IN THE DEL OLMO FAMILY

How the hell could this happen?

It was arson.

When I arrived, the cells were all open.

They got through to the main entrance.

Make sure the gate is closed.

We have to secure the area.

Samuel?

We have another problem inside.

Move aside. Let the director through!

What are you doing here?

You're going to need all hands on deck tonight, Samuel.

Get them all into their cells. Go on, get out!

Murderers!

Where are you off to?

- Please calm down. - That's enough now.

Come on. Shower time.

Come on, ladies. Get a move on.

Empty the bedpans, all right?

Let's go. Come on in.

The bedpan needs emptying. Come on.

Let's keep it moving. Hurry up in the tubs.

Come on, ladies. Let's go.

What's going on? Still half asleep, are we?

Come on, empty the bedpan.

The third shower is free. If not, you can brush your teeth.

All right, ladies. We don't have all day.

Right.

Come on, ladies.

Why did you come?

Where were you?

I'm not dead.

Excuse me. You are in my spot.

I didn't know we had assigned seats.

They make an exception for me.

Don't get up.

There's room for both of us.

And judging by the look on your face, the last thing you need is to be alone.

- They let you drink wine? - Yes.

Sitting in front of you is the strangest lunatic here.

I'm the only one who admits to it.