Chapter 10: Behind the Spotlight (3)
1686 Words
After a brief meeting reviewing all the evidence, the SCIU team still couldn’t find anything unusual. They had no choice but to continue issuing summons to the relevant witnesses for further cooperation.
The police had already questioned everyone necessary before ruling the case, yet SCIU repeated the entire investigative process from the beginning, and still, everything hit a dead end. No new leads emerged.
In addition to Nathan’s relatives, manager, and a few close friends, this time SCIU also summoned Eliza Crane, the young woman who claimed to be Nathan’s girlfriend and the one who had initiated the uproar that forced the LAPD to reopen the case.
Eliza Crane was only twenty-two, blessed with the kind of beauty that drew attention at first sight. Her eyes were large and expressive, carrying a wit and cunning far beyond her years.
But no matter how worldly she seemed, she was still just a young woman in her early twenties. Sitting in a police interrogation room for the first time, she couldn’t help feeling restless and afraid. Especially with two striking men across from her, one radiating overwhelming authority, the other sharp-eyed and incisive, as though he could see straight through any façade, her unease only deepened.
Alex flipped through a few pages of the file on the table, then lifted his head. His voice was calm,
“Miss Crane, when was the last time you saw Nathan?”
Eliza pressed her lips together, her gaze wavering for a moment. She glanced at the man beside Alex, then back at Alex as if weighing something. Finally, she answered softly,
“Over… over a month ago.”
Sensing that the gap sounded far too long for a couple in love, she quickly added, “He’s a famous actor, so he was very busy. We didn’t have much time together.”
“But Nathan Greer’s manager, Liam Hemsworth, claimed that Nathan didn’t have a girlfriend. Do you have any proof that what you’re saying is true?” Alex pressed.
In truth, Nathan’s manager had said the following: “You know how actors are, playboys by nature. Nathan didn’t have a steady girlfriend. Most of his relationships were casual, plenty of one-night stands. His private life wasn’t something I managed. Honestly, I don’t even know who Eliza is.”
“Of course I do,” Eliza nodded firmly, her voice rising with conviction.
She then unlocked her phone, pulled up a few photos, and held them out for Alex and Adrian to see.
“He was a celebrity, so we rarely went out together. That’s why there aren’t many pictures of us. Just these few.”
Alex skimmed through them, then shot Adrian a look full of reluctant frustration. Because on the screen, though the photos did show the two of them together, one person was always asleep.
That’s right, the “evidence” Eliza provided were bedroom photos of herself with Nathan. More specifically, selfies of Eliza smiling happily beside Nathan while he was asleep. Both of them were unclothed, though a blanket covered what needed to be covered. Their hair was messy, their faces a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. There was no mistaking what they had just been doing.
“Miss Crane, these photos aren’t enough to prove that the two of you were in a relationship. At best, they only suggest you were casual bed partners.” Alex cut straight to the point without the slightest courtesy.
Eliza’s face flushed red, though it was unclear whether from anger or embarrassment.
She quickly pulled up another photo, this time a selfie of her holding out her left hand, showing off a dazzling diamond ring.
“This is his engagement ring. He even promised to buy a new house for our wedding.”
Alex frowned. A handful of random, out-of-context photos like these being presented as evidence, he couldn’t tell if Eliza was truly naïve or just pretending. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, resisting the urge to slam the table and walk out. But he was no longer the hot-headed young cop who used to get into fights with civilians over disagreements. Now he was the leader of SCIU, with the future of his entire team resting on his shoulders. He no longer had the right to be reckless.
“All right, Miss Crane,” Alex said in a low, steady voice. “Let’s assume what you say is true. On what basis do you claim that Nathan Greer’s death was murder and not suicide?”
“Do you really need to ask?” she shot back. “I was his girlfriend, I knew him better than anyone. Nathan was a positive, forward-looking man. He had fame, money, and a clear plan for his future. Why on earth would he kill himself?”
Even as she spoke, her pupils darted around, the guilty flicker in her eyes impossible to hide.
Alex let out a derisive laugh. “You’re his girlfriend, yet you didn’t know he’d been battling depression for eight years? Seems Nathan’s fans knew him better than his so-called official girlfriend.”
Eliza opened her mouth, about to defend herself further, when Adrian - who had been silent the whole time - suddenly curled his fingers and tapped lightly on the table.
“Miss Crane, according to what you said, you’ve been dating for over a year, correct?”
“Yes. You can check the timestamps on the photos. They’re scattered from last year up until now. The most recent one was just over a month ago.”
“Nathan Greer was a public figure. Being in a relationship with him must’ve come with plenty of hardships for you, didn’t it?”
At once, Eliza’s expression shifted. She bit her lip, the corners of her eyes reddening as if she had endured a great deal, and Adrian had struck right at her sore spot.
She said, “Dating a celebrity isn’t easy. But what can I do? I loved him.”
Adrian showed no inclination to play along. He pressed on with the same detached calmness,
“In the past, Nathan Greer had legal disputes with an ex-lover. That would naturally make him extremely cautious in any future relationship. If what you claim is true, that the two of you maintained a long-term relationship, then surely he would’ve signed binding legal agreements with you, both to protect his interests and to avoid further complications. Wouldn’t he?”
“W-what? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Eliza’s face drained of color. She stammered, eyes darting away from Adrian’s steady gaze.
Unmoved, Adrian continued in the same even tone,
“Those agreements would’ve specified the amount Nathan Greer was willing to provide for you, along with the obligations you had to fulfill. For example - prohibitions against making the relationship public, against leaking images or information about him, against initiating contact, and even clauses regarding an unplanned pregnancy. Isn’t that right?”
With every word Adrian spoke, Alex’s expression as he looked at Eliza grew more complex.
Eliza’s face turned ashen. She stammered, “Y-you… what are you saying? Do you want me to sue you for slander?”
Adrian’s voice remained steady, but each word stripped away another layer of Eliza’s defenses.
“At this point, we have the right to summon Nathan Greer’s attorney to cooperate with the investigation. Do you think we’d find something in his possession? A sponsorship contract, perhaps, or some kind of friends-with-benefits agreement?”
Eliza’s face had gone pale. She stood, snatching up her handbag as if to leave.
Adrian did not rush, speaking with unhurried ease:
“If we uncover proof that you weren’t Nathan’s lover, we have every right to charge you with obstruction of justice, for deliberately providing false evidence, wasting police resources, and misleading the investigation.”
After all, Eliza was only twenty-two. Faced with the pressure Adrian exerted, she truly was intimidated.
Trying to conceal her guilty conscience, she lashed out even more aggressively.
“So what if we weren’t lovers? I loved Nathan, and I couldn’t accept you people reaching a careless verdict like this. All I wanted was justice for the dead. On what grounds can you sue me for that?”
With that, she stomped her heel hard against the floor in a show of defiance, then stormed out of the interrogation room.
She had come here to “cooperate” with the investigation, but since the police had no grounds to detain her, they could only let her leave.
Back in the office after the interrogation, Alex hadn’t even had the chance to sit down when Lucy rushed over with an update from social media. Scrolling on her phone, she frowned.
“Look at this,” she said, holding the screen up for the others.
On i********: was Eliza Crane’s latest post. The photo showed her standing before the Los Angeles Police Department, hair carefully styled, outfit elegant, and her expression tinged with just the right amount of melancholy, as if she had just endured a deeply emotional interrogation. The caption beneath read:
“Came to the police department today to cooperate with the investigation into Nathan’s death. I hope the truth will soon come to light. He was the most wonderful person I’ve ever met. I believe justice won’t let the guilty go unpunished. #JusticeForNathan #MissYou”
Alex glanced at the screen, scoffing. “Fast. Not even ten minutes since she walked out of the room.”
“She sure knows how to steer public opinion,” Elijah sneered.
Lucy scrolled down to the comments and read them aloud:
“Stay strong, girl!”
“Nathan was lucky to have someone like you.”
“If not for you, this case would’ve been buried forever under the label of suicide.”
“LAPD is useless.”
The post hadn’t been up long, but interactions were skyrocketing, rivaling those of any A-list celebrity in America.
Leaning back in his chair, Adrian let the corner of his lips curve slightly.
“For Eliza, this uproar is far too valuable, isn’t it?”
- Writer
