RamÃ³n, a respected philosophy professor, has kidnapped Laura, a psychiatrist, and claims to be a serial killer. While taping their conversation in his basement, he forces Laura to play word games and psychoanalyze him for her freedom. Intercut with this plotline, Ramon is interrogated by the police for Laura's disappearance. As both conversations progress, it is revealed that Laura is RamÃ³n's ex-wife, who accused him of spousal abuse during their divorce hearings.
RamÃ³n toys with Laura, sometimes changing his stories to appear harmless, then reaffirming his murderous intentions. At one point, he claims that he has lied about his murders in order to force her to admit that her accusations of abuse were false. He continues to express romantic interest in her, and Laura offers to have sex with him for her freedom, but RamÃ³n cannot perform. Ultimately Laura admits to lying during their divorce hearings, but only to save him the humiliation of the truth: that she has discovered his affairs with male students.
During the interview, RamÃ³n admits that he kidnapped Laura in order to scare a confession from her, but his story does not always match up with the events portrayed. He claims that he and his wife are engaging in a cat-and-mouse game, which she has won. When police secretly inspect his home, they discover a doctored telephone message that RamÃ³n has made from the recordings in his basement. The message makes it appear that Laura has faked her death in order to frame RamÃ³n for her murder. The police believe the recording and release RamÃ³n.
When RamÃ³n returns home, he watches a video of the final chapter in his conversation with Laura. On the video, RamÃ³n admits to his affairs with male students and fatally stabs Laura. He fondles Laura's body and begins undressing her before turning off the camera.
What do police find when they secretly inspect his home?
doctored telephone message