Chapter 79
Everyone's eyes snapped to Chris on stage.
Decked out in a killer costume, the stage lights made him look even more handsome, and every move he made oozed charm. Even Sophia, who usually didn't care about looks, couldn't help but whisper, "He's prettier than most women."
Henry smirked, a teasing glint in his eye, and half-joked, "Especially compared to some women."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than he caught Sophia's death glare.
His heart skipped a beat, remembering the trouble his loose tongue had gotten him into before. He clammed up immediately, guilt flickering in his eyes.
Just then, a loud, dull noise shattered the lively vibe of the banquet.
"Bang!" The sound cut through the chatter, and Sophia's nerves went on high alert. With instincts honed from years on the force, she instantly pegged it as a gunshot!
Why would there be gunfire at such a swanky event?
Driven by her cop instincts, Sophia quickly turned to look behind her.
But the dim lighting in the hall made it impossible to figure out where the sound came from.
With her view blocked, Sophia's confusion deepened.
Before she could wrap her head around it, a louder noise followed, leading to an unbelievable scene.
The crystal chandelier hanging above Chris started shaking violently and then suddenly crashed down.
In that moment, time seemed to freeze.
When Sophia turned back, the sight made her heart skip a beat.
The massive chandelier had fallen right on Chris, pinning him down completely.
The sound of the chandelier shattering echoed through the hall, mixed with the gasps and screams of the guests.
Chaos erupted instantly. Women screamed, men shouted, and people scattered in all directions, the scene descending into utter chaos.
As a pro cop, Sophia quickly got a grip. She shouted, "Henry, control the scene! Don't let anyone leave. Call the cops and get them to send backup. Also, notify Frank!"
Her voice was firm and cut through the noise, reaching Henry loud and clear.
"Got it," Henry responded, knowing the urgency. He rushed towards the security team, dialing the police station as he went.
Sophia swiftly pulled out her badge, holding it high, and shouted to the panicked crowd, "Everyone, calm down! I'm a police officer. Don't panic; we'll handle this!"
Her voice brought a sense of calm, and some of the guests started to settle down.
Without wasting a second, she quickly walked over to Chris, carefully crouched down, and checked his breathing and pupils.
She placed her fingers gently on Chris's neck, feeling for any signs of life.
After a moment, she slowly lowered her hand, her expression turning deadly serious. She said solemnly, "He's dead.""What! How could this happen?" The crowd instantly buzzed with horror.
Everyone started talking at once.
A guy in a suit frowned and shouted, "It must be because the chandelier was old and poorly maintained. This hotel is so irresponsible, causing such a major incident. They should be held accountable!"
A slightly overweight middle-aged man chimed in, "I think Chris was too arrogant. Maybe he pissed someone off and this is payback."
"Coming to a banquet and ending up in such a disaster—what terrible luck!" a young woman complained, her face filled with dismay.
Among them, some sighed. A woman in a fancy evening gown dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief and said regretfully, "I can't believe Chris died so young. It's such a shame."
Ignoring the chatter, Sophia methodically pulled out disposable gloves from her bag and carefully put them on, ready to start a preliminary investigation of the scene.
When she saw the main hook of the chandelier lying near the body, her brows furrowed deeply, filled with doubt.
A question popped into her mind: why did the killer choose to shoot the chandelier's main hook instead of just shooting Chris directly? If the goal was to kill Chris, shooting the chandelier wasn't the best choice. Why?
Sophia couldn't figure it out, but her years of experience told her now wasn't the time to dwell on these questions. The priority was to gather evidence.
She carefully placed the scattered chandelier hook into an evidence bag, handling it gently to avoid damaging any potential clues.
Just then, Henry hurried over to report, "I've coordinated with the hotel's security. Fortunately, everyone here has registered their visit. We can cross-check the guest list later."
"Did you call the police?" Sophia continued to observe the scene, not looking up as she asked.
Henry nodded, seriously saying, "It's all arranged. They're on their way."
As he spoke, he noticed the gloves on Sophia's hands and couldn't help but show a surprised expression, saying, "What kind of weird stuff do you carry in your bag? Gloves? Evidence bags? Who brings these to a banquet?"
"I packed them on a whim, and now they're useful, aren't they?" Sophia replied casually, her face still serious, not relaxing despite Henry's teasing.
Pointing to the bag in her hand, she analyzed seriously, "Based on the scene, we can confirm three things. First, the chandelier's fall was caused by human action, evident from the damaged main hook. Second, the killer is still here. In such a short time, they couldn't have escaped easily. Third, the method of killing was shooting the chandelier's connecting hook with a handgun."
Suddenly, Sophia seemed to realize something and decisively said, "We need to search everyone here. The killer hasn't had time to ditch the weapon. We must find them quickly before they slip away in the chaos!"