Fantasy Game: Infinite City

Chapter 537: Death of Fabulon (3)

After Fabrown's body was taken away, Liz and Frank were freed and no one was left to guard the body. They also checked the restaurant again but found no useful clues.

"If the autopsy results for Fabron come out and confirm that poisoning was committed, then it is very likely that Fabron consumed the poison before entering the restaurant."

"I just asked Fabron's bodyguard, and he said that after Fabron entered the restaurant, the singing and piano music continued intermittently for about half an hour. During this time, no one else was near the restaurant except Dina, who arrived later. How is your investigation of the surveillance video?"

"It's consistent with what Fabron's bodyguard said. During the time Fabron was in the restaurant, apart from his bodyguard who went in to check it out, and Dina who later entered the restaurant, no one else approached the restaurant."

"Could it be that there's someone hiding in the restaurant? Someone got here before Fabron and the bodyguards?"

"The last people who used the restaurant for rehearsal were that idol group, the ones that have become very famous recently. However, they left an hour before Fabron arrived at the restaurant, and the number of people was correct. But we can ask them first, maybe they noticed anything unusual."

"We can also investigate Fabron's room first. Perhaps he ate something unusual before going to the restaurant."

Frank thought carefully. If Fabron's death was indeed caused by poisoning, then at least the poison would have taken effect for a long time, giving the person who poisoned Fabron ample time to sneak in and seize the evidence after he left the room. Examining Fabron's room now probably wouldn't yield any clues. It would be safer to question the last group of people who entered the restaurant.

"Let's ask the last group of people who entered the restaurant first. Maybe they heard or saw something."

Frank and Liz immediately headed to the idol group's room. They were the only residents on the 21st floor. Their performance style was different from that of other idol groups, and all four of them possessed gifted singing voices. Since their debut, they'd been incredibly popular, and their popularity was still rising. They'd originally shared a room, but since they were the only residents on the 21st floor, they'd seen Fabron in the hallway and greeted him. They'd also seen Dina, the second group to discover Fabron's death. Dina's cries for help echoed through the restaurant, and the four of them, who were on their way to the 15th-floor cafeteria, happened to pass by the restaurant's entrance. Fabron's bodyguards, Dina's bodyguards, and their manager were the first to rush in. They were the second group, and of course, the first of the celebrities, besides Dina, to learn of Fabron's death. Fabron's death had frightened the four young women, so they gathered in one room.

"Detective, miss."

"Don't be nervous, we are just asking a routine question."

"Ok."

“About the restaurant...”

Liz conducted the majority of the interrogation. Frank remained silent, observing the four girls' movements and expressions through Liz's questions, trying to determine if they were lying or hiding something. Frank's assessment was that the four girls were telling the truth to Liz's questions, though one of them, the English-Spanish girl named Martina, seemed to be hiding something.

"Martina, right?"

"Yes, do you have any other questions?"

"Do you remember anything unusual between the time Fabron was found dead and now? Even the smallest detail could be a crucial clue. Think carefully. We desperately need help, any assistance. It would help us quickly uncover the ins and outs of the case, and you would be free sooner, free from confinement."

"I... don't remember anything else... I'm really sorry."

"Relax, there's no surveillance here, and we're not recording anything. We won't tell anyone else what you know and cause you any trouble. You do have some things you haven't said, right, Martina?"

"I'm sorry, I really don't remember much."

Frank's questioning made Martina nervous. She noticed that Frank began to tighten his grip on her fingers and his tone became anxious, as if he were under some kind of threat. This behavior made Martina afraid to reveal what she had been hiding. Strangely, the other three girls in the group seemed completely unaware of this. They had all been together all day, so why was Martina the only one to notice something unusual? This was quite suspicious.

"Okay, thank you for your cooperation. Please don't leave the room for now. We may question you later."

"Okay, Detective."

Frank decided to change his strategy and question all four people at once. Martina wouldn't reveal the information she was hiding, so to avoid suspicion, Frank and Liz decided to question the others first, wait until they were more relaxed, and then question each person individually. Perhaps then Martina would reveal the information she was hiding.

The next person to be questioned is a well-known pop singer, but he's the subject of considerable public controversy, primarily due to a suspected plagiarism incident involving his music. While both parties involved have addressed the issue, explaining that the incident never occurred and was merely a malicious smear campaign, their respective fans remain dissatisfied with this claim and are using it as a pretext for a relentless feud. Interestingly, the singer involved in the same incident happens to be from the same company as Fabulon.

Upon meeting Frank and Liz, the pop singer was incredibly cooperative and answered all their questions. Frank understood why. After all, the previous incident had generated significant public attention, having only just recovered in the past month. If news of Fabron's death were to spread, conspiracy theories would undoubtedly swirl, accusing him of murdering Fabron out of a grudge stemming from the incident. He had finally resolved the plagiarism scandal, but if he were implicated in a murder case, his future would be in tatters.

However, after careful questioning, it was confirmed that he had neither the time nor the motive to commit the crime. He lived on the 23rd floor of the hotel, farthest from the restaurant. At the time of the incident, he was livestreaming from his room, chatting with fans. The livestreaming platform he used was a well-known one, which automatically recorded the livestream and was easily traceable. This served as his alibi. Furthermore, he was unaware of the murder in the restaurant on the 21st floor until his agent told him to stop livestreaming.

"Is this to confirm whether I have leaked the situation in the hotel? I can guarantee that I haven't! After my agent asked me to turn off the live broadcast, I immediately did as she said. Her tone was very serious, and I turned off my phone directly. I will not leak what happened here."

He wasn't concerned about Fabron's death, more concerned about whether it would affect him. While he lacked sympathy, it was understandable, considering he had his own issues. This man lacked the time and motivation to leave his room after arriving at the hotel. Due to its distance from the 21st-floor restaurant, he was the only one not to use it as a practice area. The hotel security footage Liz had seen supported his claims, effectively eliminating him as a suspect.

Next up were three people, one of whom was a rapper who was completely unaware of the murders at the hotel. After all, he had passed out drunkenly two hours before the incident and hadn't woken up yet. When Frank and Liz went to his room, he was still sound asleep, and the room reeked of alcohol. Hotel surveillance footage confirmed that he hadn't left his room since returning from the 15th-floor restaurant, leaving him no time to commit the crime. Frank's investigation revealed that the rapper was a quirk in the industry. Unlike other rappers, he wasn't a "Flying Leaf Boy" and had never clashed with anyone. He even had numerous friends among artists and groups he'd never met. He also owned a charity dedicated to helping people with ALS. Aside from his alcoholism, he was a genuinely kind person. Although he wasn't acquainted with Fabron, he held him in high esteem. Therefore, he had no motive, and his suspicions were ruled out.

The second person was an R&B singer who also lived on the 23rd floor. Rumors circulated that he had close ties to the Mafia, but he hadn't responded to any of the allegations, and no one had filmed any evidence. Frank knew, however, that he did have ties to the Mafia. He didn't participate in any of the organization's activities, but he did provide seed money for some of its legitimate business ventures. In return, the Mafia would help him deal with scandals, jealous threats, and malicious slander. Frank knew this because he knew this person. Although Frank hated to admit it, they were indeed very familiar with each other.

"Frankie! (Frankie is a more intimate way of calling Frank, usually people who know him well would call him that) I didn't expect you to be in charge of this case this time! How long has it been since we last saw each other? A year?"

"Don't try to get close to me, Penny. And was your head hit by a flower pot? Didn't we just meet last month?"

"Oh, yes, last month. That Enzo thing. Sorry to trouble you, Frankie, but Enzo is really an idiot."

"Okay, let's get down to business. What do you know about Fabron?"

"You should know Frankie very well. It has nothing to do with me. You know the old man likes Old Mike very much. I heard that the two were golf buddies when they were young. It seems that they were still in contact until the old man passed away."

"Could it be that Fabron..."

"Hey, don't overthink it. Fabron hasn't participated in any activities within the organization. The old man keeps his personal and professional affairs very separate. Apart from some people who have business dealings with him, few people know that he is the boss of the organization. Fabron naturally doesn't know either. He always thought he was just a real estate businessman."

"I'll investigate this when I get back. First, let me tell you about you. What were you doing when the crime happened?"

"Writing lyrics. My new album is still short of a title song. The music is already decided, but the lyrics haven't been finished yet. There are always some parts that I'm not satisfied with. I've been revising the lyrics in my room. Oh, and I went out once. There was a problem with the shower in my room's bathroom. It kept leaking. The sound of the dripping water made it impossible for me to concentrate on thinking about the lyrics, so I went to the front desk and asked someone to come and fix it for me. I took the elevator directly to the first floor. The surveillance cameras in the corridor and the elevator must have captured me."

Frank looked at Liz, who nodded. The surveillance video that Liz had seen before did prove what Benny said.

"Why didn't you call the front desk to fix it instead of going down there yourself? And even if you didn't want to call, you could have asked your agent or bodyguard to go. What was your purpose in going there yourself?"

"You know my Frankie. First of all, I didn't bring my agent with me this time. My bodyguard is also a very dedicated guy. There's no way I would let him do such trivial things..."

"Get to the point, Beni."

"Well, the receptionist at the hotel is a girl who suits my taste, and her figure is also... You know where this conversation is going, right?"

"So it's all about picking up girls, right?"

"Yes."

Benny raised an eyebrow at Frank and tilted his head towards the bedroom. Through the crack of the open bedroom door, Frank could hear the sound of water coming from the bathroom.

"So right Frankie!"

Beni lowered his voice, raised his thumbs, and looked very satisfied. Needless to say, Beni also had an alibi, especially after Liz walked into the bedroom and saw the woman taking a shower in the bathroom.

"Okay, I'll ask you something later. Remember, don't leave during this time..."

"I understand Frankie. Besides, I don't want to leave even if you asked me to."

"So you're not going to write lyrics anymore?"

"How could that be? But you have to relax when you need to."

"You'd better not cause any trouble and let those dirty guys clean up your mess."

Frank pointed in the direction of the bedroom, and Benny naturally understood what Frank meant.

"Don't worry, no one who works in a hotel of this level is a fool. Besides, I'm very generous, Frankie."

"You are so rich, why don't you help me buy a house?"

"Sure! What kind do you want? I'll have someone do it right away."

"Forget it. I don't want anything to do with the Mafia. Save your money for girls."

"Look, I really bought it for you, but you still don't want it."

"Don't go out if you have nothing to do, Beni."

"walk slowly."

If you don't know Benny's identity, you might think that the two of them are very good friends based on his cooperation and his attitude when talking to Frank. But in fact, in some ways, this is true. Frank and Benny have known each other for much longer than he has been a policeman.

"How on earth did you two meet?"

"Oh, that's a long story. Miss Liz, Frankie and I have been together since we were little..."

"Shut up, Penny. I have other people to ask."

"Okay, sorry Miss Liz, Frankie's been acting like a child again. How about we talk to each other sometime?"

"She's Lugosi's daughter."

"So what? Isn't this more...Okay Frankie, I'll shut up. I don't want to be hit with the butt of your gun."

Seeing Frank's face becoming increasingly gloomy, Benny reached for the pistol at his waist and wisely shut his mouth. Frank would not shoot him, but he would most likely hit him with the butt of the gun, which would not be very comfortable.

After giving Benny a middle finger and the other party giving him a middle finger back, Frank and Liz left Benny's room, preparing to question the last person, and then went to question Martina alone.

"You seem to have a good relationship with that Beni?"

"We've known each other since childhood. We're... life-long friends."

"You think highly of Beni, do you have connections with the Mafia?"

"Come on, Liz. You know my situation."

"Okay, let's get back to business. Who's next?"