dmims Chapter 539: Death of Fabulon (5)
Chapter 539: Death of Fabulon (5)
Frank and Liz returned to the idol group's residence on the 21st floor. This time, the two questioned each member of the idol group individually. The other three obviously did not notice anything unusual about Martina, and Martina did not talk to them too much about the Fabron case. Naturally, they would not hear any secrets from Martina.
"Martina seems a little nervous. Is there something she hasn't said? Think about it carefully. Maybe she accidentally said something that you didn't notice."
"No, Martina has a bit of stage fright. She gets a little nervous whenever she's in a crowd, but she's very professional. Every time we perform, she manages her nerves. That's probably why Martina was so nervous. This opening ceremony is the most high-profile event we've ever attended. Martina is usually very strict with herself, so it might be the pressure. I don't believe she has anything to do with this case."
"Relax, we're not accusing Martina of anything. We're just investigating the case and want to solve all the mysteries. We treat everyone this way, not just Martina."
Judging from the similar attitudes of the other three girls, Martina had a good relationship with them. So when Frank deliberately showed that his statement might be directed at Martina, the other three girls showed displeasure. It was this attitude that made Frank and Liz realize that these three girls really knew nothing.
After questioning the other three, it was Martina's turn. Her expression had improved considerably since entering the room, though the subtle movements of her hands and legs revealed she was still a bit nervous, trying to suppress her nerves. Frank was certain she was hiding something.
"Ms. Martina, when did you learn about Fabron's death?"
"What? Haven't you asked this question before?"
"I know we're asking repetitive questions, but please cooperate, Ms. Martina. We'll question everyone a second time, including your three teammates. We'll question them in order of floor, so you'll be the first in the second round."
"Ok."
"May I ask when you learned of Fabron's death?"
"More than three hours ago, I received a message on my phone from the hotel asking us to return to our rooms first."
"Where were you before and after the incident?"
"Around seven o'clock, we used the restaurant on this floor to rehearse. However, we were already familiar with the pieces for the opening ceremony, so we just went through the process a few times and stopped rehearsing. We left the restaurant around seven-thirty. At that time, Rose (one of the band members) was playing with her phone and showed us a funny pet video, so I saw the time on her phone. After leaving there, we went our separate ways. Rose and Lily went to the swimming pool on the 17th floor of the hotel, Jamie went back to the room to rest, and I went to the cafe on the top floor of the hotel. We stayed there until a little after nine o'clock, probably before nine-twenty."
Fabron's death coincided with Adenauer's arrival near the hotel, at 35:40 PM. Adenauer entered the underground parking lot and the hotel via the stairwell at 20: PM. Frank and Liz arrived at the hotel ten minutes later, at : PM. It took about minutes for Dina's cry for help to spread from the restaurant to the news. Therefore, the hotel's notification to the celebrities to return to their rooms was sent out around the same time as Frank and Liz's arrival.
This was a bit peculiar. The hotel sent the message to all celebrities around 8:50, but Martina said she stayed at the café until after 9:00. This meant that after receiving the message from the hotel, she didn't immediately return to her residence, but stayed outside for over half an hour. Frank and Liz were now concerned about Martina's actions during that time. After all, they were certain Martina was hiding something, and it was likely that this time spent outside had occurred. Whether it was connected to Fabron's death was uncertain, but they at least needed to find out before making any conclusions.
"The hotel's notice for everyone to return to their rooms was sent out around 8:50, yet you stayed in the cafe until after 9:00. Can you explain why, Ms. Martina?"
"The hotel's announcement didn't mention the reason, so I thought it wasn't a big deal. After all, our agent or other staff didn't tell me anything, so I didn't go back. It was only later that Jamie called me and asked why I hadn't gone back. That's when I learned from her that there had been a murder in the hotel, and that's when I left the cafe."
Frank smiled when he heard what Martina said. Perhaps because of nervousness, Martina said the wrong thing. When Frank asked other people before, he learned a small detail about Martina, but she herself obviously deliberately concealed this fact.
"Ms. Martina, I asked you before when you knew there was a murder in the hotel. You said it was when you received the notification from the hotel, right?"
"Yeah, what's going on?"
"But the hotel's notice didn't explain the reason, and you only found out about the murder after receiving a call from Jamie. According to what you said, you probably only found out about the murder when you left the cafe around 9:00, not around 8:50 when the hotel sent the notice, right? You admitted it yourself, didn't you?"
Martina was stunned for a moment when she heard Frank's words, but she quickly tried to fool him.
"Maybe I remembered the time wrong. Jamie should have called me after receiving the information from the hotel."
"That sounds reasonable, but it assumes you actually received the hotel's message and Jamie's call. According to our previous inquiries with Jamie, she called the other three of you before the hotel sent the message. She stayed on the 21st floor, and we can confirm this through surveillance. So she must have known about the murder earlier than anyone else. Even Lily and Rose, who were staying in the swimming pool on the 17th floor and didn't have their phones with them, received Jamie's call around :. Why did you get Jamie's call only after o'clock?"
"I.."
"Of course, I also asked Jamie why I couldn't get through to you. She said your phone was turned off and unreachable until you returned to your apartment on the 21st floor around 21:23. Lily, who was watching from the door, saw you exit the elevator. Your conversation with them after returning to your room suggests you already knew about Fabron's death. The hotel only notified the celebrities living on floors through to return to their rooms and also posted guards on the access to those three floors. No one except those responsible was allowed to leave. So, aside from the celebrities and staff in the hotel chat group, no one else in the hotel had any way of receiving the notification. This was the only way. Furthermore, the chat group didn't mention Fabron's death. If your phone was turned off before the hotel's announcement, how did you receive the hotel's message and learn of Fabron's death?"
"I..."
"Ms. Martina, when we questioned your other three team members, they clearly stated that no one informed you of Fabron's death when you returned to your room and spoke with the other three. However, your conversation revealed that you had already known the news. We checked the surveillance footage, and after you left the 21st floor and returned to your room, you only spoke with the waiter in the cafe. It's impossible for the waiter to know the inside story of the case. So you either learned the inside story through some special channel, or you are closely related to the case. You should be aware that the case we are handling is a homicide, and the deceased Fabron has a great social impact. If you continue to hide any secrets, it will be difficult for us to avoid linking you to the murderer."
"I'm really not the murderer! Mr. Fabrown's death really has nothing to do with me!"
"But you didn't refute the fact that you were hiding some information, did you, Martina?"
Frank's relentless barrage of questions, coupled with his increasingly escalating tone, left Martina no time to think. She was drawn into the rhythm of Frank's conversation. Martina, already nervous from the detectives' questioning, now faced with the prospect of being named a suspect, quickly became overwhelmed by the pressure, leaving her unable to hide what she had previously concealed. She became anxious and hysterical.
"Fabron's death really has nothing to do with me! Can't you check the hotel's surveillance? I wasn't nearby the entire time, so I have an alibi!"
"Just because someone wasn't at the scene doesn't mean they can't be the murderer. There are actually quite a few ways to kill someone and still maintain an alibi."
"But it really has nothing to do with me! I don't know what's going on!"
"Calm down, Martina. You look more like someone who's been caught red-handed and is furious."
"But it really wasn't me! It really wasn't me! What do I have to say for you to believe?!"
Under Frank's constant pressure, Martina felt extremely wronged, her emotions showed signs of collapse, and she burst into tears. She tried to explain to Frank that she really had nothing to do with Fabron's death, but Frank on the other side seemed determined to believe that Martina was lying and didn't listen to her explanation at all.
"Okay Frank, get out of here. This is very unprofessional. Presumption of guilt is the only way to be clear. Have you forgotten that?"
"Fabron's death must be related to her, otherwise she wouldn't keep avoiding the topic."
"I didn't! It really has nothing to do with me! I really don't... Wow~~!!"
Martina's psychological defenses were completely shattered, and she broke down in tears. Just as Frank was about to continue questioning, Liz suddenly became angry.
"You go out first Frank, I'll ask."
"It must be her! I..."
"Get out Frank."
"what?"
"I told you to get out!!!"
"You are a softie!"
"boom!!"
Frank was obviously angry at Liz's attitude and slammed the door and left. Liz stood up, walked over to Martina and handed her some tissues.
"Detective Miss Miss, it's really not me!"
"I believe you. Ignore that brainless guy. Calm down first."
Liz's gentle demeanor was a stark contrast to Frank's aggressive demeanor. Martina, now in tears, clutched Liz's arm like a lifeline, sobbing and trying to explain to her that she had nothing to do with Fabron's murder in the hotel. Liz didn't rush to question her, but comforted Martina. Only after her emotions had calmed down did she resume her conversation.
"I believe you have nothing to do with the Fabron case, but you did hide something, didn't you? Of course, I'm not saying there's a connection between the two."
"Um.."
In contrast to Frank, who was irritable, eager for quick success and didn't listen to her explanations, Liz, who was gentle, soft-spoken and good-looking, naturally made Martina feel very reliable. She admitted to Liz that she had indeed concealed something, but still emphasized that this had nothing to do with the cause of Fabron's death. Liz also expressed that she believed in Martina.
"Frank is a pig who's always eager to achieve success and is very rigid. He relies on evidence for everything. I know a girl like you wouldn't be a murderer, but if you want to get rid of Frank's paranoid insistence, I hope you can tell me what you haven't said. That way, with evidence, Frank will stop staring at you, right?"
"Okay... okay... I'll tell you everything..."
The gentle Liz quickly won Martina's favor. With Liz's intentional or unintentional teasing, Martina soon recovered from her emotional breakdown. However, under Liz's deliberate guidance, Martina still did not let go of Liz's hand, and even leaned close to Liz's arms. Martina did not realize that Liz's behavior was not in line with the normal standards of a detective.
after a while.
Liz and Martina walked out of the room. Martina held Liz's hand, which showed that she trusted Liz very much. She even hid behind Liz when she saw Frank smoking in the corridor.
"Don't worry, I'll tell him the truth and he won't bother you anymore."
"Thank you... Miss Liz."
"This is what I should do. You should go back and rest first."
"it is good.."
Martina quickly returned to the room where the other three band members were, and after she left, Liz immediately walked over to Frank.
"How's your question?"
"Martina is new to society and was frightened by you. It took her a little longer, but she's already asked all the questions she needed to."
"Then it's your turn next time?"
"I'm not suitable for playing the good guy, you are."
"Okay, let's get down to business. What exactly is Martina hiding? Does it help our case?"
"I'm not sure, but the case we're going to handle today might not be the only one involving Fabron."
"You don't mean to say..."
Liz took the half-smoked cigarette from Frank's hand and took a deep drag.
"It's possible that more than just Fabron died in the hotel."