"Can you tell me his name?"
"Unfortunately, I promised him that I wouldn't tell anyone without his permission."
Luke pressed on, "What about the female lead?"
"I have never met the female lead either; it was all narrated by the male prototype. He said that not long after he went to prison, the female lead died.
I didn't dare ask how she died.
You know, he is a dangerous person, and I didn't want to anger him."
"Why did the movie screenplay change the ending for the female lead?"
"That was producer Rossi and director Bell's idea, mainly Bell. He thought the ending of my novel was too cruel. He doesn't understand the audience at all. Audiences like twists. No wonder his movies always flop.
This guy will never have another chance."
Luke said, "Mr. Romit, I've read your work, and it's very well written.
But I have a question about the scene where the female lead hangs herself.
The description of her suicide is very detailed, including her clothing, makeup, actions, emotional state, but it curiously lacks any mention of her standing on an object like a stool."
"So, did the female lead commit suicide, or was it murder?"
Romit's tone was confident, "Suicide."
"I remember you wrote that the clean floor reflected the pitiful woman's reflection, so where was the object she stood on when she hung herself?"
Romit laughed, "You are a policeman; you should be good at analyzing. What do you think?"
Luke analyzed, "If she didn't stand on anything to hang herself, it's still possible. The female only had to jump up, grab the rope, and loop it around her neck.
But I feel that this doesn't match the character of the female lead in the book—it's a bit contradicting."
Romit nodded, "Regarding your point, actually, many people have asked me about this, and many fans have even written to inquire whether it was murder or suicide? There were all kinds of guesses. Some people even suspected that the female lead's death was a dream of her own.
The actual reason is... I forgot to write about the stool."
"Yes, the publishing house was rushing me at that time; I was always rushing to meet deadlines, and there were some minor logical flaws. It's not a big deal; it's that simple. As for the fans' various speculations, they are just overreading.
Many fans have more imagination than I do, and oftentimes, they have guessed the real murderer by the middle of the book, which can be awkward."
"One last question, you've written many detective novels, if you were to deduce and design, who do you think is the real murderer of the substitute Abu Gela?"
Romit smiled, "I know you suspect me. Yes, if I were writing this plot, I might also write myself as the ultimate boss.
If Lucas was really dead, then most of the people in the film crew of 'The Vanishing Lover' could benefit.
But Lucas faking his death not only ruined his own reputation, it also caused indirect damage to the movie.
The only one who might benefit is me, the author of the novel.
You guessed right, I've been getting non-stop calls about reprints of the novel these days.
This incident has brought more heat and fame to my works.
From a benefit perspective, I indeed have the qualification to be set up as the murderer."
At that moment, the black assistant served the coffee.
Romit picked up the coffee, raised his cup in a toasting gesture, took a sip and continued, "But theory and reality are ultimately different. For instance, I don't lack money, although several of my books have gone into reprint, it hasn't impacted my life.
I'm already old and won't live much longer; my money is enough for me to live comfortably for the rest of my life.
By the way, I used the money I made from writing to buy some original shares of Google."
Luke suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore; he picked up the coffee, took a sip, "The taste is really good, thanks for the hospitality."
Romit said, "Wright, could you see off these two detectives for me?"
Luke stood up, "I forgot to bring a copy of 'The Vanishing Lover'; could you sign it for me next time we meet?"
Once in the car, Little Black looked at Wright standing at the gate, started the car and said, "I don't like Romit Bull, the old man definitely has a motive.
Among the people I know, there's no one who would complain about having too much money.
First, the substitute for the male lead was buried alive, and now the female lead has been staged as a hanging, just like in his original novel—it's hard to believe he's not involved.
Even if he didn't do it himself, it could have been done by someone close to him, like a fanatical fan."
As he spoke, Little Black seemed to remember something, "Right, do you remember the real-life prototype of the male lead in his novel he mentioned? That drug dealer—could he have been released from prison, could he not want his and his lover's story adapted into a film, so he killed both the male and female lead?"
Luke firmly said, "You're analyzing well; that's indeed a possibility, but what we need now is evidence."
The survey team had new forensic results.
The survey team's Mary also attended the early meeting of the homicide squad.
Mary held a forensic report, "Everyone, after continuous work day and night, we have the results of several samples.
First, regarding footprints, Luke found some very faint shoe prints inside the victim's wardrobe, barely a sixth of a complete shoe print, not enough to form effective forensic evidence.
Secondly, the forensic doctor found male genetic material inside the victim, and we have completed DNA sample comparisons, identifying the owner of the genetic material."