Chapter 37: Cold

The process of getting all the DNA and fingerprints took little time, so Kathrina and Clarissa decided to return to the station. The result from the forensic team will not be out until the day after tomorrow. Therefore, what they could work on was looking for a clue regarding the old man in Marcella's diary.

If the killer knew Marcella had a little diary to record everything, they must be shaking in fear. Currently, the case progressed smoothly, making Kathrina breathe easier.

Sitting on her chair, Kathrina googled Dream Star on her computer. The first result was Marcella William's profile. It was not surprising since she was the most formidable artist in the company. Under Marcella, there was Xander Lowe, the CEO. Then the rest were small artists she had never heard of.

Kathrina clicked Xander Lowe's name. Instantly all the CEO's general information was shown on the screen. First, the man was almost seventy years old, which suited the term old man. After that, the history of the found Dream Star was explained thoroughly, then how he discovered a gem in Marcella.

Dream Star was founded almost ten years ago, and Marcella was the first artist in the company. Although the company was relatively new, surprisingly, they could get Marcella, a good resource from a big-name director. Marcella was only twenty when she first got the award for her acting career, and it marked her start of fame.

Kathrina could not fathom how Dream Star and Marcella managed to break through the entertainment industry in such a short period. She knew the entertainment industry was not easy, it was like a jungle, and the people in it had to fight every day to get a resource.

'These days, who does not use their connection?'

John's words rang in Kathrina's ear. Bringing her a new idea.

"Do you know Xander Lowe aside from the CEO of Dream Star?" Kathrina asked Clarissa, who sat before her.

"I know that Lowe's family is quite well off, but I never heard about Xander until he made his own company. Before Dream Star, he was never in the spotlight, unlike the rest of his siblings."

"What do you think he did behind the close door to get into his current position?" Kathrina's index finger stroked the side of her temple while thinking deeply.

"I don't know. Prostitution, perhaps?" Clarissa quickly added after she saw Kathrina's eyes that were so full of interest. "Well, these days, it's normal to provide sexual pleasure for an investor or director to get a job. Most of the new artists do that willingly."

What Clarissa said made Kathrina ponder for a moment. If she assumed that Marcella gave a sexual favor, then everything fell in the right direction. Based on the conversation with John, there was a clear hint that they used a back door.

Then the dirt of Dream Start. Was it prostitution? If Marcella tried to leak out the shady business in Dream Star, it surely would hurt the company. So, their only way to get out of the situation was to eliminate her.

"The motive fits," Kathrina exclaimed. "The catalyst for everything is Angela. Dream Star wanted to sign Angela under them, which angered Marcella since she knew how the company worked. She did not want Angela to be in the same situation as her, so she decided to threaten the company. But the company managed to think fast and choose to kill her instead."

"Make sense, but we don't have proof." Clarissa pointed out the lack of evidence on their hands. Kathrina's assumption was more than possible. It sounded like a real motive to kill someone.

"Just wait until the forensic team gives us their report. I am sure they have everything." Kathrina's orbs were shining like it was on fire. She was overjoyed that it was close to cracking the case.

The achievement of solving the case successfully could always bring her small happiness. It only indicated that she had done her best in her work.

Now, besides the Forensic team report, she needed information regarding FSS's alarm system. If they could uncover who asked to hack their system, then it would be strong evidence against the perpetrator.

'Maybe I should contact FSS?' Kathrina thought, but she brushed the idea off. After the whole incident with Arthur, her feeling was not settled yet. So it was better to ask Clarissa or the other people to contact them instead of her.

"Clarissa, can you contact FSS to ask for the development of their search."

"Okay," Clarissa agreed immediately.

While watching Clarissa make the phone call, Kathrina could sense her stomach started to cramp. It was her nerve acting again. The mere thought of something related to Arthur made her uncomfortable and unsettled.

Although Clarissa was sitting across from her, Kathrina could not hear anything since she was too engrossed in the weird and painful sensation in her stomach.

In less than five minutes, Clarissa ended the communication. Then the woman looked at her like she was a suspect in first-degree murder.

"What?" Kathrina asked with a defensive tone.

"Miss. Hills said Arthur Ford will give you the report himself."

Kathrina's changed color to pale, and it did not escape Clarissa's keen eyes. Clarissa squinted and asked. "Do you know him personally?"

"No. I just met him." Kathrina wanted to slap her mouth for uttering another lie in front of Clarissa. Why would he want to give you the report personally?"

Kathrina shrugged her shoulder, then answered, "I don't know. You should ask him the reason."

After saying that, Kathrina gathered her stuff. She was planning to slip from the whole integration process with Clarissa. "I am going home first." Then Kathrina walked fast, almost like she was running.

It was better to leave before Clarissa realized she was hiding something.

While on her way back, Kathrina could not stop thinking about what Arthur would say to her after giving her the file. After she slapped him, it felt awkward to see him again. Don't get her wrong. She did not regret the slap. Arthur deserved it. However, dealing with the aftereffect of her action was the problem here.

"Let's stop thinking. Focus driving if you don't want to cause an accident." Kathrina reminded herself. Then after that, she put the thought of Arthur at the very back of her mind. She would deal with the issue when it arrived and knocked at her apartment door.

***

You see, sometimes you could encounter something you totally despise at the wrong moment. Unfortunately, it happened when you were not ready.

In front of the elevator, Kathrina caught Arthur with a woman. Not his secretary. It was a stranger, and they behaved intimately. The woman's hand was on Arthur's waist, and she could hear the woman laugh from time to time, and Arthur's gaze was soft, like the woman was his treasure.

Kathrina wanted to shrink into the corner. Hide her ugly feeling and hope those two people won't notice her presence. But the thing about hope was, most of the time, it failed you.

The woman's eyes darted toward her, and Kathrina's body stiffened. "Aren't you going in?" The woman said with a beautiful voice.

At the same time, Arthur also looked at her, but his gaze was different. There was no trace of mischief or tenderness for her like he usually gave. The cold and empty eyes of his made Kathrina's heart freeze. She blinked several times like a fool for not believing what she had seen.

"Get in, Detective," Arthur said with a flat tone.

And Kathrina's heart dipped into the ocean.

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