Chapter 84: Beverly Hills Detective
Parking the car at Jodie Foster's cottage's doorstep, Kate suddenly found herself resembling Eddie Murphy in "Beverly Hills Detective."
"Well, at least I'm prettier than him. And I can wear high heels"
Miss Detective was struggling to maintain her enthusiasm.
Jodie Foster's villa, while not overly spacious, still held its charm amid the grand mansions nearby. Nevertheless, it was a villa in Beverly Hills, and Kate knew her FBI salary wouldn't even cover a fraction of the price.
"That darn wealth"
Muttering to herself, Kate proceeded to enter the crime scene.
Yes, Jodie Foster's home was indeed the crime scene, news that would surely send nearby paparazzi into a frenzy. Their only regret was that no one had been killed.
"Following Hinkley, Foster has another obsessive fan"
Jeff, a seasoned reporter who had followed Jodie Foster's career for years, thought to himself.
Jeff wasn't a paparazzo; he worked for the Chicago Tribune and maintained a professional demeanor. Since Foster's rise to Oscar fame, Jeff had been responsible for covering her. While he didn't shy away from important stories, he maintained a gentlemanly attitude toward less significant events.
This approach had earned him favor with Foster and occasional interview opportunities. And in return, Jeff had chosen to keep certain peculiarities in the Shadow Queen's life under wraps until someone else discovered them.
Now, his primary concern was Jodie Foster's safety.
Earlier that morning, while the reporters guarding the cottage were half asleep, a scream suddenly pierced the air. They were jolted awake as Jodie Foster and her assistant dashed out, barefoot and clad in pajamas, seeking help, and the reporters realized a major scoop was unfolding.
"Please, help us!"
Miss Shadow Queen's plea was straightforward, but the male reporters, who were normally eager to thrust their microphones in her face, hesitated. After all, it was challenging for them to focus on their work when following a beautiful woman like Jodie Foster.
Especially at this moment, with the actress still in her pajamas, appearing visibly frightened and vulnerable, their restraint was tested.
"No wonder Hinckley tried to assassinate the president after watching her in 'Taxi Driver'"
Such thoughts ran through many minds.
"Jodie, what happened?"
A group led by Jeff and reporters who had a good rapport with Foster gathered around, this time not being very gentle when snapping photos.
But Jodie Foster remained silent, looking lost and fearful, as if unsure what to say.
"In the house..."
Her assistant Anna began but struggled to find the words.
"There's..."
She, too, seemed overwhelmed by fear.
"Let's go see for ourselves"
A few younger reporters, whom Jeff saw as paparazzi, eagerly volunteered to investigate. Whether it was chivalry, a desire to impress the beautiful women, or merely a bid for headlines, Jeff couldn't say for certain.
Of course, it could be a mix of all those motivations.
With that in mind, Jeff followed.
From both a reporter's and a friend's perspective, he was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Jodie Foster's villa, while not extravagant in its interior, exuded warmth. The main hall was adorned with movie posters from Jodie Foster's illustrious career.
Well, that warmth might have been slightly overshadowed by the posters from movies like "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Taxi Driver." After all, those posters weren't the coziest of decorations.
And now, these ominous posters had been splattered with blood-red paint.
"L-O-V-E?"
Jeff pronounced the smeared letters, "Love? Looks like another dangerous stalker!?"
The moment his gaze fell upon the long table in the living room's corner, his pupils contracted sharply. There lay a pool of dark red blood that hadn't yet congealed, with what appeared to be a sizable chunk resembling a cow's heart at the center.
"Innards! Human?"
For a seasoned social news reporter like Jeff, this possibility crossed his mind for the first time.
"Ah ah ah ah ah"
It seemed even reporters specializing in sensational news had their limits.
Recalling the scene at the time of the incident, Jeff furrowed his brows. "Jodie won't be too shaken by this, right?"
Though she'd been slightly disturbed during the Hinckley incident, this time it seemed more direct and violent.
This was undoubtedly another sinister incident.
Jeff had already relayed the news to the Chicago Tribune headquarters as soon as it happened and was now on the scene to interview the FBI agents who had completed their investigation.
Of course, these Hoover agents were never very media-friendly, but Jeff still hoped they could apprehend the perpetrator swiftly.
Not just as a reporter, but as a friend of Jodie Foster. That's what he truly hoped for.
***********
Kate was unaware of the diligent reporter who was covering the crime scene.
Upon arrival, she promptly directed the forensics and medical examiners to look for clues, but their findings left her at a loss.
"This is indeed a human heart. Based on initial assessment, it hasn't been severed long ago, and"
The black forensic doctor before Kate spoke and then swallowed hard.
"Judging by the condition of the incision, it's possible the heart was cut while the person was still alive."
"This..."
Even though Kate, as an FBI agent, had encountered numerous heinous criminals, this revelation still took her aback.
The forensic doctor continued, "Preliminary assessment suggests the incision doesn't appear typical of an ordinary knife. Further analysis is needed for the specific murder weapon."
It was a perplexing but somewhat revealing discovery. The forensic department's search results were a letdown.
"Did you find any new fingerprints or footprints aside from the ones belonging to the original occupants?"
Wearing gloves could prevent leaving fingerprints, but this stalker—or, rather, murderer—was exceptionally cautious.
Kate felt frustrated, but there was little she could do.
"If this continues, it might become another unsolved case, right?"
The series of cases in Vinales Valley remained unresolved.
Even if not for the FBI, for the sake of her career, Kate needed to come up with a plan.
"Since the heart was taken from a living person, there must be a corresponding body. Let's begin with finding the corpse."
Kate pondered, "However, we need to eliminate another possibility first."
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