Slipping into the shadowed confines of the rest area, Ethan was met with a chorus of apologies from the press conference organizers. Their words, tinged with urgency, barely registered in his mind. He had other matters to attend to. With a brisk, detached demeanor, Ethan retreated into the dressing room. There, he shed the guise of his formal suit, reverting to his own attire—a subtle transformation back into his true self. A brief, but cordial exchange with his assistant was the only interaction he allowed before he vanished through the door.
Ethan was acutely aware of the media frenzy brewing outside the main entrance of the hotel, a tempest sparked by the earlier chaos. Anticipating the swarm of journalists hungry for a scoop, he opted for a more covert exit. Slipping through a side door, he made his way to the parking lot, his steps purposeful and discreet.
Yet, Ethan didn't hasten to leave. Driven by an unresolved curiosity, he circled back to the hotel's grand entrance. He needed to see for himself the aftermath of the spectacle—a girl had ignited a storm at the press conference, and now he sought her out amidst the chaos.
His suspicions were confirmed. The entrance teemed with entertainment journalists and throngs of fans, their attention fixed on the hotel's doors. But the girl, the catalyst of it all, was nowhere to be seen. It seemed she had vanished just as quickly as she had appeared, escorted away by security into the anonymity of the city.
Ethan wasn't troubled by her absence. He knew that her brazen act at the press conference wasn't without purpose. She had intended to etch her image in his memory and to feed the ravenous appetite of the media with a tantalizing story. It was only a matter of time before this incident would be splashed across social media and online platforms, becoming the day's sensational headline.
But the media's portrayal of the event was of little concern to Ethan. His thoughts lingered on the mysterious girl, wondering about her next move in this high-stakes game of intrigue.
Ethan's solitary life unfolded in an upscale residential area, in a house he had secured with the winnings from his appearance on the TV show "Mastermind" two years prior. His family, living in a different neighborhood, felt like a distant memory. His father, a bank manager, and his mother, struggling with Alzheimer's, were like strangers to him. A caregiver tended to his mother's needs, while Ethan grappled with a sense of alienation that haunted him even in his own reflection.
The world around him felt foreign, his parents unrecognizable. He was a stranger in his own life, forced to pretend that everything was familiar, everything was as it should be. It was a charade that threatened to unravel him.
On the brink of losing himself to this turmoil, Ethan's attention was captured by a program named "Mastermind." They were recruiting individuals with unique skills for a competition. It was an opportunity—a chance for Ethan to confront the maelstrom of his existence and perhaps, find a semblance of truth in the chaos.
The grand prize in the finals loomed like a beacon: three hundred thousand dollars. The stakes were high, but the competition was unexpectedly sparse. The show, lacking widespread appeal, had attracted a motley crew of contestants. Among them, Ethan stood out, his path to the finals marked by an absence of the dramatic twists typically expected in such contests.
For Ethan, this competition was more than a game; it was an escape. An escape from a life filled with strangers wearing the faces of family, from parents he couldn't recognize as his own. The relief he felt was palpable, a brief respite from the gnawing sense of alienation that shadowed his existence.
Yet, he understood this was a temporary haven. Running from his parents, from the life that felt so foreign, wasn't a viable solution. Acceptance, he knew, was the key. Accepting them, accepting himself, but such reconciliation was a journey, not a destination to be rushed towards.
The night found Ethan parking his car in the garage and ascending to the 28th floor of his building. His rented apartment was modest, a typical two-bedroom space with a living room. One of the bedrooms had been transformed into a study, which later morphed into a workspace for his role as a "case consultant" for the LAPD.
Stepping into the workspace, Ethan was greeted by the remnants of his previous life as a consultant. The walls, plastered with photographs, served as a silent testament to his past. Corpses, evidence, faces of people - each picture a story, a case solved, justice served. But now, they were relics of a chapter he had closed when he shifted his focus to acting.
Methodically, Ethan removed the photographs, sealing them in a cardboard box. These weren't mere images to be discarded carelessly; they belonged in the police department's evidence room.
Task completed, he settled on a cushion in the corner, his phone in hand. Scrolling through his sparse contacts, he found Matthew Taylor, a detective in the LAPD's Criminal Investigation Division. Their history, built on cases solved together, made Matthew the obvious choice for what Ethan needed next.
The phone rang, piercing the silence of the room. Matthew's voice, familiar yet distant, echoed through the line. "Ethan, what made you think of calling me?"
"I just wanted to ask if there have been any particularly grisly murder cases in the city recently," Ethan inquired, his voice steady. The chaos at the press conference, the girl who had been at the center of it all - Ethan was convinced there was more to her actions. This call to Matthew was the first step in unraveling a mystery that was far from ordinary.
The night air was thick with tension as Ethan held the phone to his ear, listening intently to Matthew's words. "Yes, there have been," Matthew's voice crackled through the line, bearing news of a dark turn in the city. "A doctor was one of the victims, but the details are sketchy. The Major Crimes Unit is on it, and I've only caught snippets of information," he admitted.
Ethan, once a frequent collaborator with the police in solving crimes, had taken a step back, immersing himself in his acting career. Matthew's remark about Ethan's recent detachment from police work hung in the air, but Ethan was focused, his mind racing with questions.
"There's more than one victim, isn't there?" Ethan pressed, bypassing Matthew's jest.
"Indeed, two victims so far," Matthew replied, his tone growing serious. "Both cases seem to be linked to the same perpetrator. The first was a doctor, and the second, found just the other day, remains unidentified. You might want to talk to the head of Major Crimes if you're digging deeper. Just a heads-up, he's not as laid-back as me."
Ethan thanked Matthew and ended the call, his mind awash with thoughts. He moved to the window, gazing out at the city's nocturnal dance of lights. The words of the girl at the press conference echoed in his mind: "While you revel in fame, two lives have been savagely claimed, and the killer roams free." Matthew's revelations had just confirmed her haunting message.
Ethan sensed that the girl would seek him out, her motives undoubtedly entwined with these gruesome events. But Ethan was not one to wait passively.
He opened the window, letting the cool night breeze cleanse his thoughts. Then, settling back on the cushion, he reached for his phone again. This time, he contacted the assistant from the press conference, requesting the list of media attendees.
Armed with the list, Ethan fired up his laptop and began the painstaking task of vetting over two hundred entertainment reporters. His diligence paid off when he uncovered a discrepancy: one reporter had provided a fictitious company name, a dead end in the sea of information.
Ethan's eyes narrowed as he scribbled down the name linked to the fake company.
Ethan's gaze was fixed on the piece of paper, "Nancy Teagan" scrawled across it in his own hand. He rose from his seat, pinning it on the wall of his workspace. Stepping back, he folded his arms and studied the name, his mind weaving through the web of possibilities.
The scene at the press conference replayed in his head, the girl's words echoing with newfound significance. Nancy Teagan – her name was not just another in the sea of media faces; she was an anomaly, a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.
Ethan had long harbored suspicions that despite her guise, she was no ordinary entertainment reporter. The recent murders, shrouded in secrecy and untouched by media speculation, were known to only a select few. Yet, Nancy's words at the press conference betrayed an intimate knowledge of these grim events, a knowledge that extended beyond the public narrative, perhaps even beyond what Matthew, his contact in the LAPD, was aware of.
Ethan's train of thought led him to a critical realization. Nancy wasn't just any journalist; she was deeply entrenched in the investigative scene of Los Angeles. In a city where the news cycle was dominated by entertainment, only two major newspapers still committed to the rigors of investigative journalism. The California Morning News, with its focus on the everyday struggles of people, and the LA Insider, renowned for its legal and crime reporting.
Among them, the LA Insider stood out. Its journalists often moved in close circles with the LAPD, collaborating on a range of projects from interviews to legal education initiatives. This proximity to law enforcement provided them with a unique vantage point, a gateway to information on ongoing investigations.
Ethan's eyes narrowed as he pondered the name on the wall. "Nancy Teagan," he muttered, a theory crystallizing in his mind. "Could she be an LA Insider reporter who infiltrated tonight's press conference?"
It struck him then – Nancy had the means to reach him through her police connections, a straightforward path. Yet, she had chosen a dramatic and unconventional approach, making a spectacle at the press conference. It was a deliberate act, designed to capture his attention in a way that no ordinary interview request could.
Ethan's fingers danced across the keyboard of his laptop as he navigated the digital maze of social media, in pursuit of the LA Insider. It didn't take long for him to locate the official account of the newspaper, along with the personal accounts of its editors, reporters, and distributors, each bearing the mark of certification.
His attention was captivated by the "LA Insider reporters" section, where he methodically clicked through several profiles. Then, on a page titled "True Crime Time", he halted. A selfie stared back at him, its subject unmistakably the girl from the press conference.
Delving deeper into Nancy's social media history, Ethan unraveled her journey. She had joined LA Insider as an intern after college, her dedication eventually earning her a permanent spot. Her passion for detective work was evident; she relished the role of a law reporter, embracing the adrenaline of investigations and the pursuit of justice. This was more than just a job for Nancy; it was a calling.
A curious detail caught Ethan's eye. Nancy's account, "True Crime Time", was not only following him but had engaged with his posts. The likes traced back two years, to a time before Nancy's graduation and Ethan's stint on "Mastermind". She had been tracking his career for longer than he had realized.
Ethan pondered the connection. Was this longstanding interest the reason behind Nancy's dramatic approach at the press conference?
With a plan forming in his mind, Ethan opened a private message to Nancy. He selected a photo from his phone, cropping it strategically to reveal just a third of its contents. Attaching the mysterious snippet, he sent it to Nancy along with a succinct message: "Tomorrow morning at eight, I'll be here."