Chapter 172: Too Reckless
[Chapter 172: Too Reckless]
"The Zachary Police Department successfully identified the suspect through video footage from near the crime scene. Using data from the Louisiana prison system, we pinpointed the suspect as 31-year-old Edward Washington, a black male with multiple prior convictions, who had served two years in prison..."
"The officers eventually located the suspect's residence and moved in to make an arrest. Upon entering the home, they discovered that the suspect was already dead. Preliminary medical examinations indicated that he had died from a drug overdose, leading to cardiac arrest, with the time of death estimated to be over 10 hours earlier. Inside the suspect's house, officers found numerous illicit items, including blood-stained gloves and a five-inch knife. DNA tests confirmed matches with the victim in this case..."
"There were no signs of foul play, and the technical team had examined the suspect's phone but did not discover any indication of a third party involved in the case..."
"This afternoon, the Zachary Police Department held a press conference to address the public's many questions..."
...
Ryan turned off the television.
Taylor and Erica exchanged glances, neither of them expecting things to turn out this way.
"This is terrible!" Taylor rubbed his forehead.
The bad news: everyone suspected Ryan to be the mastermind behind it all.
The good news: Ryan couldn't be convicted in any way, since he hadn't done anything.
In short: Invincible.
...
New York, East Hampton, at a mansion.
In a bedroom, a black couple was struggling; the man emitted heavy breaths, powerful like a beast. The woman was bound, her eyes wide as she looked towards the person sitting on the sofa.
That person held a glass of drink, watching the liquid swirl, mixing well with the air for a better taste.
"Sean, stop!" the woman yelled.
But Sean seemed more interested, not showing any signs of stopping.
Then a phone rang.
...
"The suspect is dead? I knew it; this guy was bound to die, no doubt about it. This kid really knows how to handle things!" Sean Combs hung up the phone and dialed another number.
"What did you find out? Clean? No traces left? Aren't you the one who claims there's nothing you can't find in the whole country? Hang up."
...
"He put out several singles under your label, and you don't know anything about him? Are you an idiot? ... Just an ordinary guy? Look in the mirror, does anyone see what an ordinary guy looks like? ... Any updates from the local gangs in Florida? Attended any community events? ... That's not what I need!"
...
Sean hung up the phone, feeling dejected and waved his hand dismissively.
"Enough, you're useless," he said, tossing a few bills on the floor.
The man quickly rushed over, picking up the money, thanking Sean profusely.
"Get lost, and don't let me see you again," Sean replied.
At this point, the woman managed to free herself from her bindings and rushed to the bathroom.
...
Sean continued making calls.
"Usher, are you busy? Did you see the news? This guy really has some serious connections. I think we need to get to know him, don't you? I also heard he's already collaborated with Lil Wayne; we need to act fast.
Didn't you say he just wanted to open a nightclub with you? Now this seems much more important.
Well, give him a call. I don't mind; it's just a nightclub after all. Do as he says, and wait for your news." Sean hung up.
Then he drained his drink in one swoop.
...
After a while, the woman stepped out of the bathroom, silent as she got dressed.
"Cassie, get ready. We're heading to the Grammys," Sean stood up.
"Do you still think of me as your girlfriend?" Cassie complained.
"Of course, you know I enjoy certain... scenes," Sean grinned, going over to comfort his girlfriend.
This special habit had been present since his girlfriend was Jennifer Lopez.
...
Los Angeles, Interscope Records headquarters.
Jimmy Iovine, wearing orange-tinted glasses, was on the phone.
"Stephanie, I just personally called Kenneth Ehrlich (the producer of the Grammy Awards). Your hot time is too late, and the live performance lineup has already been locked in, unless something unexpected happens with a confirmed program. How's the Hot 100 single chart looking? Good, that's it." Jimmy hung up the phone.
"What were we talking about?" Jimmy asked his secretary.
"The guy who was about to leak news about Ryan is dead, and the killer is also dead. This case has turned into a headless mystery; no one can determine the truth."
"I got it." Jimmy nodded. For him, the ideal situation was for Ryan to get busted for 'hiring a hitman,' completely destroying his reputation.
But he didn't expect him to have cleaned everything up so well. Perhaps... had he considered everything before acting? All who were in the know would have to...
Too reckless!
"Today is the deadline for member voting; you need to finalize the voting list." The secretary continued.
Every year, the Grammy voting body, "The Recording Academy members," had around 12,000 people, with over ten thousand exercising their voting rights, mostly from the record industry. As a high executive in the music business, Jimmy certainly had the qualifications to vote.
He pondered, "Who did I vote for the Best New Artist previously?"
"The Jonas Brothers."
"Call John Ehrman's secretary and tell him the Jonas Brothers are out of luck this year."
"Then let's cast the Best New Artist vote for Ryan Rivers." Jimmy said. He hadn't wanted to do this; Ryan was in direct competition with Lady Gaga, who was under his label.
After thinking it over, he decided to change his mind.
...
Santa Monica, at the start of Route 66.
Beneath the famous 66 Route sign, Ryan and Taylor posed for a picture. Both were in full disguise, and passing tourists had no idea these were big stars.
Apart from Erica, there were three bodyguards standing in a triangle formation. The bodyguards were in plain clothes, blending in seamlessly with the crowd of tourists while occasionally scanning the surroundings.
The two tidied up briefly and snuck out of the hotel, acting like a regular couple just wandering around the city.
Taylor looped her arm through Ryan's as they strolled over to the dock railing, snapping a few pictures together. Ryan sent one of the bodyguards to buy two hot dogs.
"How's the new song coming along?" Taylor removed her mask, snuggling against Ryan, gazing out at the ocean.
"You know I always work quickly." Ryan took a big bite of the hot dog, chewing happily.
Ryan had completely gotten the hang of AVICII's "Super Saw" technique, using it to transform piano tones. The results were promising.
The only problem now was finding a female singer to replace Beyonce's voice from Hymn for the Weekend.
Ryan figured only a well-known black female singer could capture that "African musical" flavor.
He shared this concern with Taylor.
"If I remember correctly, Leona Lewis received three nominations. Didn't you collaborate with her before? How about working together again?" Taylor suggested.
Leona's success the previous year had her invited to the Grammys.
"I think that's a solid idea," Ryan said, finishing off the rest of the hot dog.
"Look at you eating like a child." Taylor raised her hand, wiping the sauce from the corner of Ryan's mouth.
That maternal instinct: seeing everyone as a child.
Her innocent action caught the attention of two girls nearby.
...
"Milla Jovovich! Oh my God, it's really you! I can't be seeing this wrong!" one of them screamed.
"Uh... you mistook me!" Taylor replied, feeling a bit helpless.
Those two did look somewhat alike.
Without waiting for a response, the girls rushed over for autographs.
"Wow, you look incredible for your age!"
I'm only 19! Taylor huffed slightly, scribbling a couple of meaningless strokes on the paper held out to her.
Ryan tugged Taylor away but noticed quite a few people were now staring in their direction.
"It's really her, the one from Resident Evil!"
"No, you all have it wrong; this is Linda Evangelista. How did she lose so much weight and look so young?!"
Ryan laughed, pulling Taylor away quickly before anyone truly recognized her...
*****
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