Chapter 12: The Play

"Bang!"

A gunshot echoed from the laptop's speakers as Murphy watched the screen. The two black men jumped into a car and left, not hurried or panicked like novice robbers.

This was the video Murphy had edited from last night. With the police just announcing a $100,000 reward, handing over this video could very likely secure him that money.

Adding the $30,000 he had already received, Murphy would earn $130,000 from this single news video!

For an average person, this is a fortune, but for Murphy, who dreams of making a mark in the film industry, it was hardly enough.

Human greed knows no bounds, and Murphy was no exception. He wanted more.

Thus, in his plan, he never intended to hand the video over to the police. Instead, he aimed to direct a good show himself.

After careful consideration, Murphy had crafted a suitable script framework, chosen excellent lead actors, and was ready to act as director and cameraman. All he needed was a suitable location, and the filming could begin.

This was an incredibly rare directing opportunity, one that even Steven Spielberg and James Cameron wouldn't have!

Sitting in his chair in front of the laptop, Murphy watched the video repeatedly, memorizing the appearance of the two black men and their car. For the realistic play he was planning, these two were the perfect protagonists.

This would also be Murphy's first self-directed and produced film.

Murphy was extremely cautious. He didn't want to mess up his first directing opportunity because the price of failure could be his life!

When the video showed a close-up of the car, Murphy paused it, freezing the frame on the car's rear where the license plate was clearly visible.

Noting down the license plate number, Murphy opened Google and searched, eventually finding the relevant official website for California. As he had told Kara Faith earlier, in this information age, with just a license plate number, one could find plenty of information.

Seeing the vehicle registration information on the screen, Murphy smiled. This information might not be accurate; the car he saw last night could have been stolen by the black men. But this whole affair required some luck. No one could guarantee the play would unfold exactly as the director envisioned.

Finding the people from last night would be great, but if he couldn't, Murphy could pretend to remember the license plate and provide it to the police, aiming for the reward.

After firmly memorizing the information, Murphy completely deleted the video and his browsing history, patiently waiting.

As the sun set and darkness enveloped Los Angeles, the hidden side of the City of Angels emerged, with crimes and violent individuals starting to become active.

Murphy also moved under the cover of night.

Driving a black Ford, like a ghost, he left downtown Los Angeles and soon arrived at Bennett Road in West Hollywood. The houses here were nestled among tall trees, primarily consisting of single-family homes, forming a typical American middle-class neighborhood.

This area wasn't as chaotic as downtown nor as serene as Santa Monica Valley. The community roads had many passing cars but maintained a sense of order.

Murphy slowed down, his eyes scanning around, searching for the address he wanted.

After circling the area for over half an hour, Murphy finally saw the address he had found online. It was a white single-story house with a flat lawn in front and a neat iron fence by the roadside. Parked beside the iron fence was a black car.

Having watched the video so many times, Murphy recognized it immediately—it was undoubtedly the same car from last night.

Driving past the house, Murphy circled back and parked nearby, focusing intently on the house and the car.

So far, luck was on his side, and everything was unfolding as planned.

The two black men from last night seemed reluctant to part with the car, or maybe they thought they had been discreet enough, leaving the car parked brazenly by the roadside.

Of course, judging by the police and TV news, they were quite safe.

Murphy was sure the two black men wouldn't expect a lurking serpent ready to strike.

However, Murphy couldn't be sure if the car was still in the hands of the two men, so he had come to test his luck, with plenty of patience.

In the past year, fate had played a colossal joke on Murphy, making his life incredibly tough. Perhaps it was time for his luck to change.

Such thoughts flashed briefly in Murphy's mind. While encountering last night's events had some element of luck, it was mostly due to his boldness and carefulness in seizing any opportunity.

Under the cover of night, Murphy waited in his car for nearly an hour. Finally, the door of the single-story house opened, and a man in a white striped jacket stepped out.

The man was tall, muscular, and bald, his dark skin blending perfectly with the night.

"Is the show about to start?"

Murphy's lips curled into a smile as he recognized the man from the video.

The man exited the yard, habitually looking around. After confirming nothing unusual, he got into the black car, started it, and drove away slowly.

Once the black car had driven a short distance, Murphy followed, maintaining a cautious distance. On the road, with other cars around and the distance between them, the man didn't notice the tail.

Following a possibly armed killer took guts, but Murphy was careful, always keeping enough distance to avoid detection.

The man didn't seem to notice Murphy, stopping once to refuel at a gas station before heading to the outskirts of Beverly Hills, stopping in front of a gray single-story house.

Murphy parked a hundred feet away, glanced at the camcorder mounted on the passenger seat, feeling an urge to start filming. After all, he had installed the mount for on-the-go filming.

After a few seconds of consideration, Murphy decided against it. It wasn't time to film yet.

The black car stopped in front of the gray house. The man remained in the car for about two minutes before another person appeared from the house. Murphy's eyes locked onto him.

Though the distance and lighting weren't ideal, Murphy confirmed from the man's appearance that he was the second black killer from the video.

"Today's luck seems really good!"

Seeing the second, slightly heavier black man get into the car, Murphy muttered to himself. So far, things were going smoother than he had anticipated.

As the self-appointed director and cameraman, Murphy wouldn't let the two lead actors act alone. Once the black car started again, Murphy followed from a safe distance.

The plot was unfolding even more smoothly than expected, yet Murphy hadn't started filming. The camcorder on the passenger mount remained off.

At this point, Murphy was even calmer. To capture the most exciting footage, he needed not only great direction and actors but also the right location and backdrop.

Currently, those conditions weren't met.

After hitting the main road, Murphy kept a bit more distance. Not being a professional, he nearly lost the black car at a red light but managed to find it again after a turn. The black car had slowed down, the passenger gesturing towards roadside restaurants, seemingly looking for a place to eat.

They were now in Beverly Hills, surrounded by chain restaurants with large transparent glass walls, allowing clear views inside.

Murphy hoped the car would stop and the two men would go in to eat because these restaurants were perfect locations for the scene he wanted to direct.

Just as they were about to leave this restaurant-lined road, the car suddenly turned into a small alley on the right, catching Murphy off guard. Given the close distance and the potential danger, he didn't dare follow and continued driving straight.

Passing the alley, Murphy glanced over and saw the black car parked with the two men getting out. He quickly sped up and, after driving a short distance, made a U-turn and returned.

The two men had entered a chain pizza restaurant on the alley side. Through the transparent glass walls, Murphy saw them ordering food. He quickly parked across the street in an optimal filming spot.

Looking at the camcorder, Murphy instead took out his phone.

The two men had sat down, seemingly ready for a meal. Murphy, sure they wouldn't leave soon, opened his phone and dialed three numbers—9-1-1.

As the director, he was about to call the police, bringing the other major player into the scene!