Words: challenge, sound, combination, arise, card, thigh, red.
Amos Berenson was sitting facing Abel Adler in the semi-dark interrogation room, waiting to hear an answer from him.
"Well, don't you want to say something?"
Abel, who looked sick from sitting on a chair and not drinking water or eating for a long time, answered in a weak voice:
"I do not have anything to say."
"I knew from the beginning that interrogating you would be a challenge."
And then he leaned forward a little and stared at Abel's half-open eyes and puffy eyelids.
"You'd better start talking soon. Otherwise new problems will arise for you."
Abel grinned.
"I always welcome new things."
"Listen. In the pocket of the victim's clothes they found the same card you always gave to your prospects."
"And that's a good reason to condemn me?"
"Not only that. The victim, Talia Berg wrote about you in her diary, how you met and how she always felt threatened by you."
"These are not good reasons either."
"She fell in love with you and stayed by your side even though she knew you were going to kill her to avenge her father. She hoped she could change your mind. She thought love could overcome hatred. "
Abel said with a confused expression:
"That's bullshit made up by your mind. I've never even met this woman, let alone had a story with her."
Amos started dragging his long nails across the table, from one end of the table to the other, repeating this movement over and over. Abel clenched his teeth and said:
"Stop."
Amos smiled.
"The combination of tiredness, hunger and thirst and the sound of fingernails dragging across the table is unpleasant, isn't it? But I have to tell you, it's going to get even worse."
He got up and left the room and Abel wondered what he had planned for him. The moments when he was waiting for Amos to return, worry was eating up his being, and for him it felt like centuries.
Finally Amos returned. He had a long metal wire in his hand, and Abel paled when he saw it.
"What are you going to do with that wire?"
Amos said cheerfully.
"You'll soon find out."
and came to him. Abel, who had forgotten that he was firmly tied to the chair, shook his body quickly and tried to get up. Then, in an anxious tone, he lined up the words one after the other.
"I don't know what you want to do, but please don't."
Amos said sarcastically.
"But you said you welcome new things."
And he tied metal wires around Abel's thighs and tightened them, tighter and tighter. Abel screamed in pain and blood flowed from his thighs and reddened his white pants.
