“ohmygod。” Jenny said she sat down across from Cesare and said again, "Oh-my-god!" ”

Instead of sneering at her frivolity, Chesa's face tightened more than ever, while Jim closed the door and made a place for himself at the table, "yes, I see what you mean, oh-my-god, that's the only word that can be used to describe this." ”

Cesare, Jim, Mary, and Jenny - this is everyone in the United States who knows about this at the moment, and it is also the core team of Jenny, Judy is not present, of course she can be trusted, but the fit with the team is not so high, after all, she has too many customers in her hands, and although Jenny is undoubtedly the most important one, she is not the only one that matters.

"Now let's go through the facts," Cesare said, turning his hand over to look at his watch, "we still have ...... An hour to make up your mind, once the decision is made, there is no turning back. ”

“yes。” Jenny said she buried her face deep in her hands, her fingers crawling up through her hair, almost moaning. "Come on, come on, torture me again." ”

"Half an hour ago, we hired two private investigators, we called Tom and Jerry," Jim said, apparently Cesare had put the matter in his hands. "Call me and they found Sheff in an unoccupied apartment on the outskirts of London. Cohen's body, they took some pictures, and the preliminary judgment was that Sheff should have been dead for about ten days, if it wasn't for the cold weather, and he was wearing the coat he last appeared in the surveillance camera, it would have been difficult for them to even tell that the body was Shef. Cohen. ”

He hesitated, then looked at Jeanne inquiringly, "Have you seen the picture - Cesare, should we show her?" ”

Before Cesare could reply, Jeanne rushed to say, "Show me, I want to see—don't treat me like a porcelain doll, Jim." ”

Jim still looked at Cesare until he nodded, then he twisted the laptop screen in front of Jenny's eyes and opened a photo in the email. - Mary glanced at it, immediately twisted her head to the side, and made a few disgusting sounds, even that Jim and Cesare's faces were not very pretty: although it is now easy to see murder scenes in American dramas and movies such as "CSI", that kind of picture is in any way comparable to the impact of real photographs, and any murder scene, no matter how frivolous, is more disgusting and frightening than the carefully arranged scenes in film and television.

Jenny was no exception, of course, and as soon as her eyes fell on the screen, she felt the urge to jump up and run away, but instead of being able to do so, she had to force herself to accept and analyze the information in the photo: it was an empty apartment, a blurred face......

She covered her mouth, suppressed the feeling of vomiting, skipped over the details of the dead man, and turned her eyes to the bloody words on the side of the corpse - someone had been stained with blood, and a few lines of somewhat illegible words were written on the corpse where Sheff had begun to swell: "The new movie is good, like your redhead style, like my gift?" ”

Jenny really wanted to vomit, she pressed down on the lid of her notebook, closed her eyes and gasped a few times, barely suppressing her gaffe, anyway, what she saw now was enough for her to understand the situation.

"This man was the same person who broke into our house at the time," she affirmed, "except for the handwriting—of course, I'm not an expert, but the tone was similar." ”

"The pattern of crime is almost the same, except that Sheff died and suffered a lot," said Jim, "and Tom and Jerry thought it was him venting his anger - he might have been very angry with Sheff for violating your privacy, and for trespassing into your home, which might have made him feel like his territory had been violated...... However, the rest of the criminal methods are the same, including writing on the corpse, and there is what you said, the tone of the words is very similar, and there is no subject in the two messages, so it can be initially considered that it is a person. ”

Although the break-in incident caused an uproar at that time, the police still controlled the specific facts of the case very tightly, mainly for fear of triggering copycats, making it more difficult to solve the case and causing more instability. Therefore, the only people who know the methods used by criminals are Jenny's team, the American police and the murderer.

"Ohgod," Mary said, covering her face, "ohgodohgodohgod-"

"Let's not think about security for now," Cesare said in a calm tone, with a very clear intention to calm people's minds, "and the problem we have to solve now is that the detectives are eating late near the apartment, waiting for our decision - they are very good insiders, very thoughtful, very professional. So they didn't rush to the police, and they are still waiting for our decision. ”

"What did we decide?" Mary asked blankly, "What else can we do now but call the police?" ”

She looked left and right for a moment, then covered her mouth and gasped harshly, muttering, "Oh, deargod......"

"It's a decision we have to consider," Cesare said, without a hint of expression on his face, "in a week, you're going to pass the torch, and in half a month you're going to the premiere, and maybe you're going to Venice in August, and that's all scheduled itinerary – the cost of canceling these trips is almost impossible for you to afford, let alone next year's Avatar, and we're still thinking about the Oscars at the end of the year, if we call the police—"

He didn't say any more, but the meaning was clear: if they called the police, it would be all over.

It's one thing for Sheff to hack into her home for news, but it's another thing to get killed by her crazy fans because of this. Although his status is not comparable to that of President Reagan, it is still a very bad and vicious incident anyway. So bad that Jenny wasn't even sure if "Iron Man" would be released as scheduled - maybe, but it would certainly take a hit at the box office, and of course she would have to stay away from the public at least -

"How long was Judy silent after Reagan?" She asked.

"Seven years," Cesare replied quickly, "seven years." And Hinckley didn't assassinate the president in order to 'give Judy a blow'. ”

That's exactly what Jenny worries about: assassinating the president in order to attract attention and assassinating the paparazzi who are against her in order to make celebrities angry, the two feel very different, the former Judy will still be a victim of public intuition, and the latter is very difficult to say. If this incident hadn't happened to Jenny herself, as a bystander, she would certainly feel that the star who was involved was very unlucky, but she would also think that she had better avoid the limelight for the time being, at least before this crazy murderer was caught, don't make any big moves, otherwise, if her movie loses at the box office, and this murderer goes to kill her enemy, the starring role of the box office champion in the same schedule, what should I do? It seems that personal careers should be put aside in front of human life, not to mention Jennifer. Jefferson must have been quite rich in the eyes of the public.

Even if she didn't say any of this, and simply counted the impact of the Sheff affair as one-seventh of the Reagan affair - she would have to be silent for at least a year, and the price for Jenny - yes, almost unimaginable!

"Let's not talk about your career yet," Jim said, his tone tinged with slight anxiety, "That's not the main problem, I've always been a little uneasy about your crazy fans, Jenny, yes, I've counted some of the posts in your forums, and you can clearly see that after the break-in, the number of extremist posts has increased significantly, I've tracked down some IPs, and it's safe to say that you definitely have more than one crazy fan, and they're all encouraged by the break-in, you know what I mean?" If this comes to light—"

"After the assassination of Reagan, Judy . . Foster became the biggest fan haunter, and just a few months after the assassination of Reagan, she received another death threat, and the person actually came to the show with a gun," Cesare added, "and she's been receiving a lot of harassing emails over the years, and of course there were mail bombs sent by her fans three years ago." John. Hinckley made so much noise that her fans were greatly encouraged, and it could even be said that there was more impetus to make trouble. So we also have to take into account your personal safety after the police are called, and after the media intervenes. ”

Jenny banged her head on the edge of the table with a muffled thud, but now, as if she had been completely overloaded, as if she had completely short-circuited, she calmed down, "So, it's our luck that our people found the body first, otherwise it would have been irreparable." My acting career, our company--big dreams haven't reached the point where I can thrive without my performances-"

Mary had a frightened look on his face, Jim was constantly wiping his sweat, his face, his hands, his neck, his whole body was sweating, and Cesare looked like - Jenny didn't know how to describe it, but he did look very serious, serious to the point of even a little scary.

"So the only thing to do now seems to be to cover it up." She concluded, "Really? For our own benefit—"

She swallowed, "The law? ”

The word hung in the air, looking heavy, and the unasked words fluttered in the air with it: Are we really crazy to this point? Are we really selfish and bold enough to do that? No matter how many excuses there are, this is a trampling and undermining of the law and the bottom line - this decision is like an extremely heavy fall, although it seems reasonable, Jenny still feels that she, and indeed the whole team, will pay a very heavy price for it.

"First of all, vandalism is not a felony," Cesare said, who appears to have thought it through, "and the motive for the conviction is that it would prevent the police from tracking down the real culprit, but, given that neither the American nor the British police have any idea of what this person is doing, and I don't think the victim has any chance of finding the killer if the victim is not an important person like Reagan -- basically, our detectives have about the same information, if not less, but you can see it, They were the first to find the body, and they had the leisure to go out for a night and wait for our decision. So, I really don't think that doing so would hinder the administration of justice, and I think we should agree on this: withholding information from the police will not hurt the late Shef. Cohen's interests, on the contrary, may harm his interests by providing information to the police, after all, this case will certainly not avoid the media's involvement, and this is not only a warning to the murderer, but also interferes with the detective's convenience in solving the case. ”

It's always easy to justify yourself, and Jeanne has to admit that the whole thing is as clear as Cesare was trying to do after the break-in. Of course, logically speaking, any citizen should choose to believe in the police and justice, but the fact is that after a few years, the police did not catch the murderer at all, and even let him run to England to kill a person. It can be seen that the police are not the representatives of justice in this matter, on the contrary, they should be regarded as a stumbling block to justice, at least a pig teammate.

Once the police are called, the news will definitely leak to the media, and Jenny will start to pay a high price for the events for which she has no responsibility because of the media violence, she has become a big man in seven years because of the blind obedience of the public and the strong propaganda ability of the media, and it will also fall from the peak of her career overnight because of these two factors, and it is difficult to say that there is even a chance to get up again. The promotion of "Iron Man" and "Avatar" will deliberately ignore her, and Monroe, her Monroe, the elaborate finished product that she has spent so long and so much effort to make, may not have a chance to be released publicly. Big dreams, the crystallization of her dreams and long-term plans, the company that she cultivated at the expense of her personal interests, will lose most of its bargaining chips and initiative in business negotiations - all because a madman is obsessed with her and wants to dominate and harm her by all means.

This feeling of resentment and injustice was even stronger than fear, and Jeanne felt like a diligent farmer who had worked so hard to produce a little fruit, and now, a scoundrel - not even a robber - was taking advantage of the loopholes of her own conscience and the rules of society, and was triumphantly trying to rob everything. He relied on his own shamelessness and madness to take her and destroy her.

Under the domination of this emotion, it is difficult for a person to control himself, and against the surge of emotions, Jenny thought: Do you think you are crazy and shameless enough to be strong enough? Do you think others can't do anything about you? Don't be stupid, I have too many ways to make you not get what you want, I have too many ways to ruin you and your dreams, you want to make a name for yourself in order to gain my favor, even at the cost of your life - then I will let you die silently, let you die unwilling to die, yes, you kill someone, but no one will know, no one will care, you will die like a bug -

Suddenly frightened by her own thoughts, Jenny took a breath of cold air and returned to reality, looking left and right, as if she were asking for help from someone - and she did need some help -

Still, both Mary and Jim seemed to be a little self-absorbed now, and in the end, Jenny's eyes collided with Cesare, who still looked so serious that all personal feelings seemed to be shunned by him, but Jenny had a feeling that she and Cesare were both thinking of the same thing now—their conversation about the intruder a year and a half ago, about Karen, about the bottom line, about the private detective—and she knew that now, Cesare and she were back before that choiceOnly this time, the form they face is more severe, and the choice seems to be becoming more obvious and urgent.

All multinational corporations have a number of functional departments......

There are some things you have to know about, but you can also choose not to ask, because luckily, Big Dream is a company of two people.

Either way, the choice is yours.

She and Cesare looked at each other for a moment, the blue eyes of the other were emotionless, and Jenny didn't know what kind of expression she was experiencing, she hesitated to speak, but when she opened her mouth, she realized that she was not ready at all.

"You remember my words," Cesare broke the silence suddenly, maintaining eye contact with Jenny in an unwavering tone, "Big Dreams is a two-man company, Jefferson, and I'm not only your partner—but also your agent." ”

Mary breathed a sigh of relief at his suggestion, but Jim was startled and stopped talking, and Jenny took in the reactions of the two men, and thus knew more clearly what Cesare's choice meant.

There is no precedent, at least not in the case she knows, this matter is different from dealing with drugs for celebrities. Addiction, prostitution. Disputes are not even the same as dealing with fights and homicides for celebrities, and she has no way of judging how much responsibility the agent should bear in this matter, but there is no doubt that the stakes are high, and now Cesare is telling her that he is willing to carry it, that she can get out, and that she can even pretend not to know if she wants to—literally, and if she goes out now, even if the East Window incident happens in the future and this conversation is brought to court, it will not prove anything. Can't hold her accountable.

And this made Jenny finally make up her mind.

"But Big Dream is a company of two people." There is no doubt about it, she said, "We should face all of this together." ”

She turned her head to look at Mary, "Go out, Mary-Jim, if you want." ”

Mary's face turned pale, and it seemed that she was not hurt by her lack of trust—no, she was frightened by knowing of Jenny's intentions.

"Jane—" she said almost pleadingly, "you—this is a murder after all!" ”

"These are two murders." Jenny said unfazed that once she had made up her mind, she would not allow herself to be deterred. "One is over, one is cruel, the murder of me is still going on, and what we are going to do, if I am to say, can be classified as justifiable self-defense."

She was full of confidence and boldness, almost cold, but it seemed to give Jim some encouragement, his back straightened, his expression less panicked, and in fact, he was quickly returning to his work.

"You'd better go out and wait, Mary." "This matter has nothing to do with you—as Jenny said, this is Big Dream's business, and it should be handled by Big Dream's partner." ”

Cesare was silent, and Mary looked around, her expression extremely complicated, and after a while, she gritted her teeth and said with determination. "Nope."

She clasped her hands, lifted her chin, and said stubbornly, "I'm going to stay—I want to stay." ”

Jenny exchanged a few glances with Cesare and Jim, then nodded, "Okay, if you want." ”

"We don't have much time, you have to leave for the consulate in twenty minutes." Cesare looked at his watch again and said remindedly, "Now that we understand the disadvantages of calling the police, I must remind you, Jenny, that covering up this matter is by no means once and for all, it can suppress the crisis at this moment, but it does not mean that the crisis will not come back in a more turbulent posture one day." ”

Jim said, "Chesa, if you're worried about Tom and Jerry—"

"No, I'm not worried about the two of them, they've been in this business for more than a decade." "As far as I know, a lot of big companies have approached them to solve problems, and I'm not worried about them extorting anything or leaking information." Either way, it's not serious – they never let themselves go too far into the line, they put themselves in danger. Stealing, breaking into homes...... These misdemeanors don't matter to them or to the company, and even if they're in trouble, they don't have to blackmail customers into asking for help. And even if they did, we wouldn't be the first customers they found, and there were so many big companies ahead of us, not to mention that they knew how close we were to Disney...... They won't be a problem. ”

It seemed a little unnecessary to say so much, but such a detailed explanation somewhat calmed Jenny's mood and made her regain some security, and she couldn't wait to ask, "So what will be the real trouble?" ”

Needless to say, Mary had probably just regained her senses and was not in a position to offer any constructive advice. Jim was slightly better, but reasoning was not his specialty, and Jenny had the feeling that everyone was now relying on Cesare, and that his composure and 'erudition' had become the backbone of the whole team: as long as Cesare was there, the train would not derail, and there would never be any problems that could not be solved.

"Murderer." Cesare said, pursing his lips, and for a moment he looked like a deep sculpture - he paused for a moment before he said, "Now we have a few options, first, we let the detective leave the scene and not report it to the police, it seems that Scotland Yard is almost impossible to catch Shaff before he is completely rotten, because it is very obvious that a journalist who has absconded on bail for six years is not very harmful, and they have hardly paid much attention to it." ”

This is exactly what Jenny is thinking: it's already April, and the temperature in the UK will rise soon, and the body may be found after it decomposes, but the bloodstains can't be preserved until then, so the possibility of this case being related to her is not too great. If she was lucky, the body was found rotten and unrecognizable, then the matter had nothing to do with her at all, and to be precise, the team including the detectives did not break the law, they just didn't say it, and they didn't really do anything.

"But in this case, it is risky after all, because this time he used blood to leave words, and even changed him into a white T-shirt that was not stained with blood." "The Rumilo reaction is going to make it impossible to hide, and if anyone thinks of doing this experiment, it's all over, so we can't let them go, we've got to let them take the garment so they can have a little more clue to follow." ”

No one could argue with him, and Mary might be searching for a rumino reaction, but Jenny's knowledge in that area was enough for her to understand what Cesare was talking about, and she nodded, "Okay?" And that means—"

"It means that even if we catch the murderer, we can't send it to the police to prove that he is the murderer of Shef." ”

"Yes, if we don't testify, he'll only be in prison for a few months for the misdemeanor of breaking into a house, which won't help at all, and if we testify against him, we'll be digging our own grave, not only will the crisis we want to avoid erupt, but we'll all be prosecuted for obstruction of justice." "So, once we decided to cover it up, then we couldn't let him get caught by the police...... And we've got to catch him, as soon as possible, because it's still risky to let him wander around. ”

"You mean, the kind of risk that someone would want to kill Jenny?" Mary seemed to be trying to make a joke, "Is she at risk of dying at any moment?" ”

Cesare's icy eyes moved to her face, "No, I'm talking about the risk of him claiming responsibility for Shef's death. ”

There was a sudden silence in the room: although none of them were police officers, the murderer's personality was quite obvious, he liked to sensationalize, otherwise he would not have made such a dramatic 'beheading' death threat, and if Shef's body was found and the police did not mention his existence for a long time, it is really hard to say whether he would write a letter claiming that he was a crazy fan who had intimidated Jennifer and would be responsible for the case.

Even, if you think about it deeply, if Shef's body has not been found for a long time, will he return to the scene of the crime, and then find that the information he left behind has been erased, and do even more crazy things in a rage?

"I see what you mean, it's not a perfect choice." Jeanne said that she commanded her emotions - panic or anything else - to stay where you need to be and not to come out and stir things up, "but we can only accept these risks - we have no better choice." ”

"Of course, even if he comes out and claims responsibility, we're not likely to be caught up in the trouble of destroying the scene, and we're a little suspicious at best," Jim added, "It's still a good deal to say - at worst, it's just a crisis, so we can at least have some hope, and if we're lucky, we'll be able to get out of it and save our ass, and maybe even get some good." ”

"Benefiting from this black swan event?" Jenny wrinkled her eyebrows and said tiredly, "I didn't dare to dream of that, and I was overjoyed to be able to keep myself—Mary, we should go, and we can't keep the consul too long." ”

Several men stood up, and Mary lowered her head and began to pack up, and Cesare said, "Jeanne—do you understand what I say?" We can't let him get caught by the police. ”

Jeanne looked at him for a moment, and she felt that Cesare's eyes seemed to waver—the mask he had placed on his eyes, the disguise, seemed to be shattering, as if he was a little unsure about the decision, as if he somehow wanted her to oppose it—

His gaze evoked her emotions - before her sensuality could fight back, Jenny lowered her head, broke the eye contact, and said clearly and numbly, "I know what you mean, Cesare—and it was a decision between the two of us. ”

#

“…… So, you will be the 35th baton to run across the San Francisco Bridge with the torch in hand," said the Olympic official who came from San Francisco at the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles and smiled at Jennifer Murphy, the biggest torchbearer in the American leg of the torch. "Then we can get some really valuable pictures -- yes, you're going to run over in this pose, it's beautiful, and of course, you're going to have to do some alterations......," Jefferson said.

"So?" Jennifer put on a few poses in good spirits, and her professional and beautiful running posture immediately attracted the applause of the officials, "That's right, it must be very vigorous to run over like this!" You're so smart. ”

Although this is a bit overly enthusiastic, but for her heavyweight American movie star, the hospitable Chinese behaved more courteously, of course, it is also very reasonable, it is rare that Jennifer does not seem to get carried away by these compliments, she should also laugh together, apologetically said, "If I can, I would like to stay a little longer, but the new movie is about to be released, and I am too busy." ”

"Of course, of course, your willingness to be the torchbearer is already a great support," the Consul General hurriedly shook hands with Jennifer and said goodbye, he had a very good impression of this modest and low-key star, and of course, it also had a lot to do with his own love of movies, "I believe this will be a good story, and I am very much looking forward to seeing you in San Francisco." ”

Being able to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay as a torchbearer is indeed a great honor for ordinary people, and it also means that Jennifer Fernando Torchbearer. Jefferson, a very popular movie star in the United States, will stand on China's side in the upcoming public opinion war, which is excellent news for the consulate that has already received some news, and even some relevant departments in Beijing have made instructions to pay special attention to the introduction of Jennifer. Jefferson's films, including about her upcoming appearance at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, were also included in the promotional materials, and whether or not to promote them was considered as appropriate, and of course, her seats were placed in areas with a better view, more center, and closer to the dignitaries. Jefferson is well deserved in return.

"Thank you, thank you," I don't know if it was his delusion, Jennifer. Jefferson seemed to be extremely familiar with Chinese social etiquette, and there was no sense of cultural difference in communicating with her, and when they reached the door, Jennifer stood and said, "No need to send it, I can get in the car myself." On the one hand, he made a blocking motion, which is the standard posture of the domestic master to stay.

"Then I wish you good results in your new movie," the consul general also took advantage of the situation to stop his steps: although the other party has a special status, foreign affairs etiquette must be observed, and he is really not suitable to send too far. "Have a nice day, too."

Jennifer. Jefferson laughed happily and shook the consul general's hand again before briskly walking to the door with his assistant and makeup artist. The Consul General stood in the doorway, staring at her back, mentally thinking about how he should phrase himself in some phone calls: the other party was so knowledgeable and interesting, and it also made him look at the blonde woman even higher, it seemed that she was by no means the kind of nouveau riche who rose to the sky, on the contrary, Jennifer. Jefferson is a very educated, knowledgeable person, who can be said to be extremely high-quality and has a great value for cooperation, not to mention that she can still treat her collaborators so happily and patiently in such a busy schedule, and even more amiable than her assistants, which shows how rare she is......

What the Consul General didn't know was that almost as soon as he got into the car, Jennifer. The smile on Jefferson's face vanished without a trace, her expression almost as terrifying as that of her assistant with a calm face, and the atmosphere in the car was unusual, the silence was no longer pleasant, but full of unknown tension. Neither Jenny nor Mary took out their phones, but instead looked straight ahead, their thoughts sinking into a corner.

It wasn't until the car drove out of the consulate that Jenny broke the silence.

"By the end of the year......," she whispered, however, after discovering how weak her voice was, she quickly turned up her voice and increased her strength, "At the end of the year, I will give you some shares of Big Dream, which may not be as much as Jim'......"

Mary shook her head.

"No," she said, "it's just, don't." ”

"Mary," said Jenny softly, "I'm not buying you—"

"I know." Mary glanced at her, "But I'm not doing it in return. ”

"Ok......" said Jenny, knowing that she had better not ask again—that any more question might hurt Mary's feelings—but she couldn't help but wonder, "and why are you?" ”

"Loyalty." Without thinking, Mary said, "Friendship ......"

She thought about it, and her tone was a little uncertain, "Sense of justice...... I don't know, the most simple sense of justice, I hope the bad guys will be punished, and the good guys won't be implicated......"

Her voice lowered, but quickly firmed, "If this does not correspond to the law and social reality, then the law is wrong, and the reality is wrong." ”

Jenny looked at Mary, and she couldn't help but smile and stretched out a hand to Mary, "Oh, dear Mary. ”

Mary took her hand and turned to look at her, her still somewhat fleshy face looking very serious.

"And sympathy," she said, looking at Jenny almost compassionately and tenderly, "yes, and sympathy...... Remember what I said to you? How much I envy you...... And I'm not at all now. ”

"In fact, if I had to choose, I would rather pay anything than be you...... You're so lonely and helpless, Jane, you've carried so much weight, but the world is still pouring a storm on you, and I'm just- I can't do anything, but I still want to give you a little support. ”

In the rickety car, Jenny looked at Mary, at the unbridled sincerity on her face, and she slowly smiled into a smile.

"Thank you, Mary," she said, "but you are wrong, I am not alone, I have you, I have Cesare, I have Jim...... I know that no matter what happens, I can count on you. ”

The clouds that hung over the carriage, the confusion, the fear—the multiple fears, doubts, the guilts—slowly faded, and the two girls looked at each other for a moment, as if they were both a little embarrassed, and they withdrew their gazes in tacit agreement, and Mary erupted into a series of somewhat nervous laughter.

"I think we'll have to wait for that boot to hit the ground for some time to come—I'll have to make some appointments at my psychiatrist," she said in a gossipy tone, apparently trying to adjust the mood, "what about you, Jane?" ”

Jenny hung her forehead and looked out the window at the slowly changing scenery, and when she heard Mary's inquiry, she nodded and leaned her head back in the chair.

"Yes," she said, "I need you to help me with Maggie. Johnson made an appointment there......"