Bab 165: Chapter 165: A Gripping Reality, A Pretender Detective
[Chapter 166: A Gripping Reality, A Pretender Detective]
A Hollywood girl was missing, and only Hawke knew that this was the third case.
The first two incidents occurred at Super Star Training School, while this one came from a film crew.
Behind it all lay a name: Ackerman Films.
Jacqueline had taken two photos of herself with Kristen from her rented apartment. Hawke immediately cut the photos, returning the half with her in it.
Edward drove back as Hawke looked over the materials in his lap.
He was well aware that the situation related to Ackerman Films but felt utterly powerless; it was infuriating.
After a moment of thought, Hawke called Campos and then went to visit his bank safety deposit box to retrieve the files of the two missing female students from the acting class, placing them together.
...
Roughly fifteen minutes later, they met in an underground parking lot.
Campos handed Hawke a file folder, saying, "Here's the information on Paris Hilton's boyfriends from the past five years."
Hawke tucked it away, then put on gloves, handing over the fingerprint-removed photos and data to Campos. As Campos slipped on gloves, he received everything, and Hawke instructed, "You should personally run this over, print out the data again tonight, and send it to Fox News."
Campos accepted and organized the information.
Hawke recalled a woman who initially wanted to take him down, saying, "Fox News has a morning show called Fox & Friends, hosted by Gretchen. Check her email and send her the data."
"Gretchen! Got it," Campos said, exiting after a quick call, leaving Los Angeles disguised as a tourist from Mexico, heading towards Las Vegas.
...
As Edward drove out of the parking lot, he asked, "Boss, do you think Gretchen will cover it? Will she investigate?"
"I'm not sure," Hawke pondered before responding, "People in the news business often have a strong curiosity. The Hollywood Jewish influence is part of a deep blue entity. Fox has gained notoriety in recent years; if these two collide, it will certainly be spectacular."
Edward added, "And we can mess with that bad woman Gretchen too."
Hawke replied, "Let's hope she possesses the adventurous spirit of a journalist."
In this world, even in America, not everyone considered the pros and cons first. There were still some idealists out there.
Hawke wasn't sure if Gretchen had this adventurous spirit, but he acknowledged she was an ambitious woman.
The risk was high, but the opportunity was too.
Hawke understood how Fox operated. They could give it a try; even without immediate action from Fox, news leads like this would be archived. One day, someone might decide to investigate.
...
Once back at the office, Hawke noticed Frank was giving a class to Caroline.
This guy had experience managing multiple crews and an abundance of operational knowledge.
Hawke stepped into the office and opened the file Campos had sent over, examining the information inside.
It detailed a list of Paris Hilton's boyfriends whom she had dated for over a month in the last five years.
Some names were public, while others circulated only within elite social circles.
Paris Hilton was currently thick as thieves with Britney Spears, frequently making tabloid headlines.
Although the wild trio still lacked Lindsay Lohan, they were already gaining considerable notoriety.
Hawke carefully scrolled through the photos in the file. His mind drifted to the "Paris Tonight" video he had seen more than once.
The male lead had appeared on it several times.
Hawke quickly recognized a familiar face alongside the corresponding details.
The man was Rick Salomon, thirteen years older than Paris Hilton. He was a semi-amateur actor as well as a professional poker player, residing in Las Vegas. His background wasn't particularly solid; his father, Old Salomon, had previously served as vice president in a Warner subsidiary film company but was fired a few years back.
Despite this, he wasn't hard on the eyes and had a gift for gab. He had dated multiple famous actresses, with his ex-lover list including not just Paris Hilton but Pamela Anderson as well.
Rick Salomon had already broken up with Paris Hilton, apparently initiated by her, and the split was quite unpleasant due to financial disputes.
Hawke scrutinized the photograph, recalling it distinctly -- it was indeed Rick Salomon.
This guy had a video tape.
Hawke picked up his phone and called Campos, stating, "Rick Salomon. Once you wrap up the documents over there, try to make contact with him. I've heard he has a tape of him and Paris Hilton. Try to buy it from him."
...
After hanging up, Campos found a place to park. He retrieved Rick Salomon's material and noted that he had been living in Las Vegas.
As luck would have it, Campos was headed to Las Vegas as well, so he'd make a detour to check in on him.
...
Meanwhile, Hawke received a call from Erica.
"The villa in Silver Lake is finally renovated!" Erica sounded excited. "Want to head over to check it out after work?"
Hawke agreed immediately, "Sure thing, I'll head there directly after my shift."
Erica said, "I just ran into a tricky case; I need to process some paperwork, and then I'll be on my way."
The Silver Lake community was closer to the detective bureau.
Hawke decided to leave early, driving his armored Mercedes towards Silver Lake.
...
After experiencing the Mule Gang's nighttime gunfight, Silver Lake dramatically transformed. The previously semi-closed community had turned fully gated, with several security personnel patrolling the entrance.
Many surveillance cameras dotted the community's exterior.
Hawke drove along the main road leading to the lakefront villas and noticed security vehicles patrolling.
Advance precautions had been set in place, preventing a recurrence of the previous gunfight.
He silently complained, arriving in front of Erica's villa.
The surrounding wall was taller, topped with electric fencing, and the covert surveillance camera he and Erica installed still operated.
The property management company was genuinely renovating the villa's exterior.
Beyond the electric fencing, cameras similar to the ones at the perimeter of the community had been added.
Hawke used the remote to open the gate and drove in.
The driveway sported newly replaced granite.
At the villa entrance sat a brand-new red Mercedes G-Class. Erica stood beside it, looking as if she had just arrived.
Her long hair was pulled back, her sharp features suggesting confidence; her leather boots and form-fitting pants emphasized her toned legs -- she resembled a powerful cat ready to spring.
Hawke parked next to the G-Class. They got out and shared a passionate kiss.
After a moment, they began exploring the villa's courtyard together.
The lawn had all been replaced, and the bulletproof glass upgraded.
The walls and sculptures, once riddled with bullet holes, had been retained as per Erica's request, preserving their original charm.
Erica's aesthetic was certainly unique.
She took Hawke's hand and led him to a nearby stone sculpture, tracing her fingers over the bullet holes. "This is a special experience worth commemorating. We must leave some marks behind."
Hawke chuckled, "By the way, I brought some guns from the office. Let's put a few in every room of the villa."
Suddenly, Erica had an idea: "I've got a great suggestion! We should build an underground shooting range in the basement. Practice shooting above and below ground."
"Good idea." Hawke took her hand, leading her, "Let's go try it out."
Once they entered the villa's foyer, without reaching the basement, their jackets hit the floor with a thud.
An intense shootout began.
...
After some time, they emerged from the basement back into the foyer of the villa.
Hawke, having exerted most of the energy, slumped onto the sofa, gasping for air, while clothes lay strewn across the room.
Erica picked up clothes as she approached him.
She handed him his pants and shirt while slipping back into her outfit, then headed to the entrance to retrieve their jackets.
Picking up Hawke's jacket, a photograph slipped out.
Erica quickly snatched it up, glancing at it. The picture featured a stunning blonde girl, likely around eighteen.
Most critically, Erica recognized her.
She couldn't pretend she hadn't seen it. After a moment's pause, she entered the room with Hawke's jacket, purposefully saying, "A photo fell out of your jacket. It's a girl."
Hawke replied, "A girl's photo?"
Upon hearing this, Erica relaxed and handed the picture back, asking, "Who is she? She looks beautiful."
Hawke accepted the photo, recognizing it as the one Jacqueline had provided.
He had brought it along intending to show Erica, stating, "A news tip from a source. The girl in the picture is Kristen Johnson, a small actress from Hollywood who went missing a few days ago -- no sign of her whatsoever."
Erica took the photo back, examining it closely.
Hawke continued, "The source mentioned that Kristen's mother rushed to Los Angeles from out of town and reported her missing."
"Yes, the report was filed." Erica explained, realizing Hawke was connected to the case. "The case is currently at the detective bureau, under my team's jurisdiction. Kristen's mother, Bryce, has been pursuing us, demanding we find her daughter."
Hawke inquired, "Have any leads come up?"
Erica shook her head, adding, "Do you remember the serial missing persons case I mentioned last year? About all those young, beautiful girls going missing?"
"Vividly," Hawke recalled sharply, since the detective bureau shelved those cases after he had mentioned the missing students from the acting class.
Erica asked, "Does your news source have any clues?"
Hawke contemplated before saying, "Perhaps. It might be complicated. I recommend you stay hands-off, as it was last time."
Erica understood immediately, "Are you suggesting Kristen is linked to the serial missing persons case?"
"It seems highly likely..." Hawke proceeded to share the developments Jacqueline uncovered, along with the disappearance connected to Matthew Broderick.
Erica's family had connections in politics and business. Her grandfather had been a senator. From Hawke's explanation, she deduced a conclusion: "There's evidently a powerful hand behind these disappearances."
Hawke mentioned, "I suspect it's connected to the Ackerman family."
"Don't suspect; they're undeniably involved," Erica asserted decisively. "The Ackerman family's operations are primarily rooted in Hollywood, a part of the deep blue establishment."
She was clear-headed, and the moniker "Gripping Detective" was more about the gripping than the detective skills, as Erica didn't seek justice or truth.
*****
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