Basic Instinct: Was Catherine REALLY in Control?

Okay, let's talk Basic Instinct. I gotta say, first time I saw it, I was purely focused on the, uh, obvious aspects. But rewatching it as an editor, my mind's buzzing with how tightly constructed the whole thing is. Verhoeven might be a provocateur, but the pacing is deliberate, the tension relentless. It's a damn good thriller, putting aside the controversy for a sec. And Sharon Stone? Forget about it... iconic. But my theory is this: Catherine Tramell wasn't just a suspect playing mind games. I think she orchestrated the whole damn thing, down to the smallest detail, to basically become Nick Curran's obsession. Think about it: every move she makes, every taunt, every revelation (or perceived revelation) is perfectly designed to push him further down the rabbit hole. The ice pick murders, the possible lesbian relationships, the book mirroring the events... it's all bait. Smart, calculated bait. I rewinded the interrogation scene a dozen times, looking at her micro-expressions. Stone's performance is subtly brilliant. She SEEMS to enjoy the power play, but there's also a cold detachment, like she's merely observing an experiment. The way she deflects, redirects, and turns the tables on Nick is insane. The whole "flash" moment... was it even real? Or just another carefully calculated distraction? Did she plan for everyone to stare? I think she did. That sequence is a great example of how the film plays with perception and misdirection. In the end, whether she committed the murders or not almost doesn't matter. What does matter is that she completely controlled Nick, and by extension, the narrative of the film. She's a puppet master from frame one, dictating our experience and leaving us questioning everything. It's a real power move of a film, and its all possible bc of how tightly everything is wound together. But I keep coming back to that ice pick under the bed... was it just misdirection? Is it too obvious? I'm still not sure. What do you all think? Did she REALLY get away with it, or did she want him to find the ice pick just to keep him hooked?