Fantasy Game: Infinite City

Chapter 535: Death of Fabulon (1)

10 minute later.

An older model Meteor sedan, shielded by the rain, swiftly and quietly entered the hotel's underground parking lot. As soon as the car entered the entrance, the gates closed. Bodyguards from the agency above drove up several RVs and blocked the ramp to prevent unruly paparazzi or fanatical fans from sneaking into the hotel.

The car stopped near the entrance to the employee passage. Many people were already waiting there, some of them were senior executives of the hotel, and some were agents of the agency who had used their connections to notify the police.

"The director didn't elaborate on the phone. What happened here?"

A man in his thirties stepped out of the driver's seat. He looked bleary-eyed and sported a long, untidy stubble. He looked like he'd been called in while resting at home. He wasn't even wearing anything underneath his coat; he must have been in such a hurry to make the call that he hadn't even had time to change. After exiting the car, he immediately approached a senior executive from a brokerage firm and a member of the hotel management staff. From the tone of his conversation with both, it was clear they were all acquaintances.

"It's a big deal. Let's talk about it upstairs. I'm sorry to call you up so late, Frank. Who is this?"

One of the hotel executives pointed to a woman who had just gotten out of the passenger seat. Compared to the slovenly Frank, she was clearly dressed more formally, in a tracksuit. A holster at her waist held what looked like a custom-made, large-caliber pistol, not a standard police weapon. Her hair was a bit messy, and she was wearing no makeup, suggesting she had received the news on short notice and had little time to prepare. Even without makeup, she looked striking, comparable to some celebrities. However, she didn't exude a coquettish air, instead possessing a masculine aura that was more appealing to women. She carried a small bag on her back, which seemed to contain a number of tools.

"This is no small figure, let me put it this way, her last name is Morgan."

"Morgan...Oh! You're Chief Lugosi's daughter, right?"

"Just call me Liz."

Frank fished out a pack of crumpled cigarettes from his pocket, took out one, straightened it, and put it in his mouth. While looking for a lighter to light it, he continued to talk to others.

"Don't be fooled by Liz's youth and lack of experience. She's a veteran of several major cases, and she's also a semi-forensic expert. She's also a good marksman. She's a promising talent."

It was obvious that Frank had a good relationship with the chief's family. His words of praise for Liz were not an act, but came from the heart, as if he were praising his own family. However, Liz obviously did not like this kind of flattery. Frank searched for a long time but could not find his lighter. He thought he had dropped it somewhere. Liz found a lighter in her pocket. It was the lighter that fell from Frank's pocket on the seat when he got off the bus. Liz handed the lighter to Frank. After lighting the cigarette, Frank finally stopped praising Liz.

"Wake up first. When you get up there, try to smoke less. If there are guests who smoke, the smell of cigarettes might be an important clue. Don't confuse the smells."

"Don't worry, I can still tell the difference between different brands of cigarettes. Did the director tell you the details?"

"Mike Fabron is dead, it appears to be murder."

"What?! Fabron..."

After hearing the name of the deceased, Frank's voice rose several degrees of excitement. However, seeing the hotel executives and agency executives around him who were hesitant to speak, Frank immediately restrained his excitement. He knew that it would be best not to leak this matter before there was a result.

"I'm sorry... Is Fabron really dead?"

"Yes, if the news of Mike's death were to get out, it would cause a huge uproar and stir. That's why we asked you to come and investigate first. If, as a last resort, the news of Mike's death is leaked, we hope to give a response as soon as possible to avoid causing huge pressure from public opinion."

"How is the scene? Has anyone vandalized it?"

"Probably not, but we'd better go up and talk. Although we have sealed off the hotel, this is really not a good place to talk."

"Well, let's go."

Frank took two deep puffs of his wrinkled cigarette until the tip began to feel hot. He then opened his mouth, spit out the remaining half of the cigarette, exhaled the smoke, and stomped out the butt. Only then did Frank and Liz follow the other senior executives into the elevator to the staff passage.

"Ding."

After hearing the elevator's beep again, Frank and Liz looked up at the floor. The number on the electronic display screen in the elevator was 21.

Following the hotel staff and the agency, Frank and Liz soon arrived at an area on this floor. It looked like an upscale restaurant with a stage, a piano, and several musical instruments placed on chairs in the corner. They were all related to jazz. The deceased, Mike Fabron, was an outstanding and well-known jazz singer, beloved by people of all ages. He was handsome, and even time hadn't diminished his charm. Nearing sixty-five, Mike remained energetic. Although his voice had changed somewhat, the vicissitudes of time made his singing more resonant and touching the soul.

Mike Fabron's body was lying next to the piano on the stage, with a kind smile on his face and no obvious external injuries on his body. Frank was very familiar with this smile. Since his teenage years, influenced by his family, he has been a fan of Mike Fabron. He has been to many of Fabron's concerts. The smile on his face usually appears when he finishes singing the last word of his famous songs. For his fans, this is a signature gesture of Fabron.

Frank shook his head, expressing regret over Fabron's death. He knew Fabron had been a good man. His on-stage demeanor remained unchanged in private: a genial, energetic old man. However, as a detective assigned to investigate the case, Frank's professionalism was naturally strong. With a sigh, Frank immediately composed himself and began asking questions related to the case. Meanwhile, Liz, with her forensic expertise, pulled various specialized forensic tools from her backpack, approached Fabron's body, and knelt beside it to begin an examination.

"This looks like a restaurant with a stage, but where are all the tables and chairs?"

"After the celebrities checked into the hotel, they generally stayed on floors 21 to 23. This restaurant is usually only open around Christmas, so there aren't many other tourists there. It just so happened that most of the celebrities performing at the opening ceremony were singers and dancers, and this restaurant was spacious enough, so several of our agencies discussed it with the hotel and temporarily moved the tables and chairs from the restaurant to use it as a practice stage for the celebrities. The hours of use were agreed upon, and anyone not yet in the scheduled time generally wouldn't enter while others were practicing. Unless they were personally invited, we all had a good relationship, and the performance styles and age ranges varied, so coordinating the schedule was easy."

"Mike... When did the deceased die? Who was the first to discover the body?"

"Dina was the first to discover the body. She and Mr. Fabrown were going to perform a song together at the opening ceremony of this football match. During rehearsals, Mr. Fabrown and Dina often called each other."

"Between the time Dina discovered the deceased's body and the time we arrived at the hotel, did anyone else enter this restaurant?"

"Probably not. After Dina's cry for help resounded throughout the floor, you know, as a young singer known for her high notes, Dina's voice is very penetrating. Our hotel security, her agency's bodyguards, and Mr. Fabrown's security manager immediately rushed to the restaurant. After learning from Dina that Mr. Fabrown... had passed away, we immediately sealed off the restaurant and prohibited anyone from entering or leaving. After all, it was a homicide, and we knew the seriousness of the matter. However, when confirming Mr. Fabrown's condition, Dina said she had attempted CPR and artificial respiration on him. When our security personnel rushed into the restaurant, Dina had not yet stopped providing first aid."

"How's the news blocking?"

"We immediately cordoned off floors 21 through 23 after the incident. Thanks to Dina's voice, the other celebrities living on those floors should have been aware of the situation, but the news never spread beyond those floors. Everyone was sensible and understood the seriousness of the situation, so they stayed in their rooms and didn't leave. Except for Dina. As for the other floors of the hotel, there were many ordinary guests, so to avoid causing panic, we didn't cordon them off. However, our surveillance system recorded everyone entering and leaving the hotel during that time, and we have someone stationed in the monitoring room. You can review the footage at any time if necessary."

"Dina didn't stay in her room? What happened to her?"

"It seems he sprained his wrist while performing CPR on Mr. Fabrown. He is currently being treated in the infirmary on this floor."

"Could you please bring Dina over here? We need to question her."

"Okay, I'll go inform Miss Dina right away."

The hotel staff immediately went to the infirmary to inform Dina as Frank requested.

"Frank, you stay here and question them. I'll go check the surveillance and notify everyone else. We need to question everyone." After finishing the inspection, Liz took off her gloves, looked up and gave a few instructions to Frank, the agency staff next to her, and a hotel staff member who stayed behind.

"Okay, I'll make arrangements right away."

"I have absolutely no knowledge of forensic medicine. Are you sure you want me to stay and watch?"

"You're more talkative than I am, and are more suited to gentle questioning. Others are also more willing to communicate with you."

"Okay then, do you need me to call a few reliable colleagues to help?"

"Being not."

"Okay, then go and come back quickly."

"Ah."

Liz gathered her forensic tools and put them back into her backpack, handing it to Frank. Then, guided by a hotel staff member, she took the elevator to the surveillance room on the 10th floor. On the way to the elevator, she encountered Dina and her bodyguard in the hallway, heading to the restaurant. Dina's wrist was red and swollen, and she was holding an ice pack in her free hand, cushioning the swelling. Her arm was still shaking slightly, not the kind of lingering fear, but rather the reflex of someone who hadn't exercised for a long time. It seemed Dina had been performing CPR on Fabron for quite some time. Her lipstick was smudged, and when she examined Fabron's body, she had also seen a lipstick mark of the same color on his lips, suggesting that he had been receiving artificial respiration.

Liz hadn't made any excuses for not interrogating Dina. Frank was indeed better than she was at this. Although he might seem like an academic novice now, he was actually the best detective in the police department, able to find crucial clues from subtle details. It was just that his questioning methods were unconventional, and if she were around, he might be hesitant and not perform well. Liz believed that professional matters should be left to professionals.

"Are all the surveillance records from the time the incident occurred still there?"