"I think dismemberment is an art form. Scratch that; I don't think it, I know it. So let me rephrase my statement. Dismemberment is an art form. Nay, it is the purest form of art. You may be wondering what I mean by "art," but isn't this the same society that considers anything to be art so long as it is deemed the least bit convoluted. You take a picture of a person from the slums in a black and white filter, that's art. I throw paint randomly at an empty canvas, that's art. I tape a banana to a wall, that's art. Well, I think that's a load of crap. I'm sure you were expecting me to say bullshit but you are recording this right? I may be a "murderer" but I'm not a heathen. I know when to be polite. Now where was I?"
"Ah! Yes, an art form. I consider the human body to be art in its highest form. A tapestry of life. A series of machines, organic machines, working in tandem for their survival. Truly spectacular. It's not convoluted nor is it "deep", it's simple and majestic. Truly God's best work. Tell me Mr. Detective, do you believe in God? What I mean is do you believe in a god? Personally, I believe in a higher power but not necessarily a god. You may be wondering what religion has to do with an of this but that's where you're wrong, it does have something to do with everything. That's how our society is shaped, around a specific religion."
"See in most of them they tell the story of creation. Moreso the creation of man and in all of them it is said that man is one with the deities. Made in God's image as the Christians say. The human body proves our divinity. Consider its layers, its structure. It appears seamless, yet beneath that surface, it's a network of complex systems barely tied together. Now that is what I call art. But it's not just about the religious aspect of it, there's also the physical aspect. We do live in a material world after all."
"What I mean by the "physical" aspect is the anatomy of it all. The biology behind it all. The science behind it all. For science deals with the material world not the spiritual. Did you know that the human body is made up of eleven interconnected systems each with a specific function essential for maintaining overall health. Truly marvelous! I seek to understand all those systems, how they work, how they are made, how they correlate. And the best way to do this is to take it apart, piece by piece. The best way to understand a machine is to break it apart, and as I mentioned before the body is a machine. And so, I tore them apart limb by limb, tendon by tendon, ligament by ligament. All for the sake of understanding the workings of the machine."
"I know what you're thinking. You think I'm sick, that I'm a psychopath, that I'm a stain in the fabric you call society, that I should be locked up, never to see the light of day again. And you may be right, but riddle me this do you think I'm alone? Do you seriously think no one else will be inspired by what I've done? That nobody will appreciate my art? Because I know it will. Someone out there will continue my work- and finish it and it will be magnificent. So go on and lock me up for life, but that won't stop my movement. The work of an artist is to inspire and I know I have. So, prepare yourself for the completion of my magnum opus." He said as he stared me down as if trying to get a glimpse of my soul. I stood up from my chair. My legs had started to go numb from all the sitting, but at least I finally got his statement.
"You think you're some kind of genius, right? Some sort of savant, but all I see is man too afraid own his humanity. You think it's art, but it's just fear wrapped up in metaphors and quotes you think make you smarter. But here's the thing, if you were smarter than us, we wouldn't have caught you. So, thank you for confession, I'll make sure it's filed right next to your delusions." I said as I left the interrogation room. I walked to the roof of the precinct and lit a cigarette. As I stood there my breath visible in the cold winter air, I gazed upon the city I grew up in and smiled. The bright lights strained my eyes a bit and the scent of the ocean mixed with the smoke was relaxing. I looked down at the streets and seeing civilians going about their lives not knowing that a dangerous individual would no longer haunt them brought a smile to my face.
"At least the cold streets will be a bit safer this winter." I thought to myself as I exhaled releasing the smoke, I had been holding in. It did come with a cough though, maybe I should listen to my friends and quit smoking? "I'll quit when the cold dies down a bit, but until then I need to keep myself warm with something." I put out the cigarette and walked back into the precinct. I had a job to do after all.