[Chapter 389: Prime Suspect]
"What?"
"I'm the mastermind?"
In his office, Michael Ovitz's face turned pale as he read the opening report from Star Weekly. The article accused him of being the ringleader, summoning the heads of the Big Seven Studios to plot against Link, suggesting that the hit on Link was most likely his doing as well.
With a frown, Ovitz reread the article. In the end, he confirmed one thing: there had been a leak during the last internal meeting. Someone had deliberately leaked information about the meeting to the media to frame him and tarnish his reputation.
But he didn't understand one thing: what was their motive?
Framing him?
He hadn't done anything wrong, and without evidence, their attempt to pin this on him would be futile.
Was it just to damage his reputation?
...
Ding-ding-ding!
Ovitz picked up the phone, and he heard the voice of Michael Eisner on the line. "Mike, did you do this?"
"Of course not! I'm not stupid enough to pull something like this."
"Really?"
Ovitz could sense some disappointment in Eisner's voice, though he wasn't sure if it was about not guessing right or about not having gotten rid of Link.
"Mike, have you called Link? If you didn't do this, just call him and explain. Don't let this affect Disney's and Guess Pictures' future collaborations."
"I will. This won't have any impact."
Suddenly, Ovitz's eyes lit up. He had a hunch that the purpose of the article wasn't to frame him or harm his reputation, but to destroy the relationship between him and Link. No, it might have been more than that.
The person behind this didn't just want to undermine Disney's relationship with Guess Pictures; they also aimed to ruin the relationship between the Big Seven Studios and Guess Pictures, stopping any collaboration.
If the two sides couldn't continue working together, whoever benefited the most from this was most likely the culprit.
...
Ovitz hung up the phone, taking a moment to think before calling Link again. He had previously called Link to check if he was injured after the shooting, but they had only exchanged a few words since Link had been busy.
"Haha, Link, are you busy?"
"Yeah, I'm on set filming. What's up?"
...
At the set for Primal Fear, Link sat in the director's chair holding the script, flipping through it while he took the call.
He was in New York not just for the promotion of his new film, The Net, but also filming Primal Fear in Brooklyn.
...
The movie was based on William Diehl's novel, featuring a compelling murder case that occurred in Chicago. The victim was a respected Archbishop, Rushman, and the accused killer was a troubled youth named Aaron, whom Rushman had adopted.
Following the murder, renowned lawyer Martin Veil defended Aaron. During the investigation, it became apparent that Aaron suffered from dissociative identity disorder, transforming into a ruthless killer named Roy when pushed to unbearable pain.
As the investigation progressed, Martin discovered that Archbishop Rushman was a pervert who had adopted Aaron to satisfy his twisted desires, which led to Aaron's trauma and eventual breakdown.
Sympathetic to Aaron's plight, Martin put forth an exhaustive defense in the courtroom.
After a successful defense, Aaron was sent to a psychiatric hospital for observation and treatment.
At their parting, Martin suddenly noticed the sinister smile on Aaron's face. It struck him then that the timid and meek version of Aaron didn't exist; it was all just an act.
Main cast: Al Pacino as Martin Veil, Edward Norton as Aaron, Jodie Foster as prosecutor Janet, and Julianne Moore as psychologist Molly.
The film had a production budget of $42 million.
The plot wasn't overly complicated but demanded strong performances from the actors, and luckily, the lead performers delivered.
...
"Link, are you still filming?"
Ovitz was surprised by this. The guy had been shot in broad daylight and had nearly lost his life.
It had only been a day since the incident, and before the police could catch the culprit, he was back on set? Quite bold.
"Aren't you worried that the shooter might be hiding on set, waiting to take another shot at you?"
"Not at all! I'm a good guy. I haven't done anything wrong, so I'm not worrying about stuff like that."
Link replied casually.
Ovitz chuckled. 'You're a good guy? A man with dozens of girlfriends, playing with women's feelings? Besides being a womanizer, you haven't done much wrong compared to most people in the industry.'
"Link, did you see that report in Star Weekly?"
"What report? I'm really busy today, haven't had time to check the news."
Ever since the shooting, media coverage about him had been rampant. The reports were repetitive, and he stopped reading after skimming through a few mainstream newspapers to focus on his film.
"You didn't see it?"
Ovitz hesitated before mentioning the report about how he was portrayed as the ringleader and behind the attack on Link, expressing his frustration.
"Sounds reasonable. So, were those two guys your doing?" Link asked.
"Of course not! I swear to God it wasn't me. We're partners! I need you to solidify my position at Disney. Why would I do something like this?"
"Is that so?"
Link didn't believe Ovitz's words. Until the police completed their investigation, everyone was a suspect, and Ovitz was one of the prime suspects.
"Link, believe me, I'm not that kind of extreme person. I have a family, a reputation, and a significant amount in the bank. There's no reason for me to do this. Really. If you want, check out the Star Weekly report.
It stated that the assassination was ordered by the Big Seven Studios presidents, which is clearly absurd. They're trying to ruin our partnership. From this angle, it's those independent film company bosses who are most suspicious; they want to sow discord and profit from our quarrels."
Ovitz argued earnestly.
"There's some logic to that, but according to your theory, you guys would also be under suspicion. Who knows if you saw the assassination fail and intentionally set up this news to confuse everyone and divert the police's attention back onto the independent film companies?"
"This..."
Ovitz opened his mouth, unable to counter. Link had a point; if that report hadn't leaked from inside, why did it sound so authentic? And it also bore the hallmark of an insider's work.
"Link, you have to believe me. Although I envy you for being young, wealthy, and influential, I truly have no intention of harming you. I would only use legitimate means to reclaim what belongs to me. Assassinating you wouldn't achieve that aim."
"Michael, there's no need to explain. No matter who the mastermind is, this won't affect the collaboration between Guess Pictures and Disney."
"Alright, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."
...
After the call, Link continued filming. In the afternoon, he received a call from New York Police Department Chief William Bratton.
Since the incident, the police had conducted a massive manhunt throughout the city.
That morning, they had found a severely damaged body in the Bronx. After verifying the evidence, the bullet lodged in the victim's back matched the grooves from a Wallace handgun.
However, the body was too disfigured for them to identify the suspect or motive at this time.
It was confirmed that the shooter was a Black male, between 20-30 years old, with tattoos on his chest, etc.
They were also investigating the identity of another rider.
William Bratton asked Link if he wanted to look at the body.
Link didn't have time; he would send Wallace to check it out instead.
But thinking of the shooter being Black, Link recalled the trouble he had with Sean Combs, who had harassed him on set during filming and had even ended up in jail for a few weeks because of Link.
If the police had no leads, they might consider this angle.
Bratton thanked him for the lead and said that if there were any other suspects, to get in touch.
Link agreed.
"All teams, get ready!"
"Scene 43, take 1, starting!"
*****
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