Chapter 45: Death and Disgrace

[Chapter 45: Death and Disgrace]

The video finished playing, and Edmond, Suzy, and Julian exhaled quietly, relieved.

Edmond and Suzy came from headquarters at the Park Center, where Suzy worked in media relations. She knew all too well that this incident could spark a huge media uproar. The press had been focusing on the LAPD.

Yet these two videos were enough to quell the storm and put Robert Downey Jr. on the hot seat! She also noticed that the angle of the filming was particularly clever. It captured the entire shooting incident while keeping the focus firmly on Robert Downey Jr. This made viewers feel like he had it coming.

The same situation could be portrayed in completely different ways depending on the filmmaker.

Suzy leaned closer to Edmond and whispered a few words in his ear. Edmond's expression shifted noticeably as he glanced at Hawke with a smile and asked, "Can we get a copy of that video?"

Suzy immediately pulled a flash drive from her bag. "I'll get you a copy." Hawke took it from her.

Once the video was copied, Edmond still had some doubts and directly asked, "Have you been following Downey around?"

"I've been filming him for a few days," Hawke replied as he opened his laptop folder, pulling up photos and videos one by one. "Here's when he went to Tracy Gym, here he is at the Wing Chun dojo on Victory Street, and here's a shot from the Viper Room..."

Edmond inquired further, "Why were you following him?"

"These are part of my job," Hawke stated, pulling out a newspaper from a little while back, placing it on the coffee table, and pointing to the headline. "I shot this story, but please keep it confidential. I'm worried about potential trouble."

He added, "And about today's video, please don't disclose the source."

Suzy responded, "We're the LAPD. We know the news laws and absolutely won't leak the video source."

Hawke was more or less sure about the LAPD's position, so he stood on the same side: "I just got to L.A. less than a month ago. A lot of the time, I felt like a headless chicken. I finally got a solid lead and figured digging deeper could find more stories. I've seen reports about Downey over the years; a guy like him not getting embroiled in scandal is about as rare as not needing food or water. I always thought he'd eventually mess himself up completely."

Thinking of Downey's many misdeeds over the years, Edmond nodded slowly and suddenly fixed his gaze on Hawke. "Did you call the cops?"

"Call the cops? I didn't notify anyone," Hawke replied, taken aback.

Edmond, with over a decade of experience in the force, felt that the person in front of him wasn't lying.

Hawke was confident because he truly hadn't called the police.

Edmond nodded and queried, "There wasn't just Downey in the car, was there?"

Hawke said, "Yes, Downey had a driver, but he stayed in the car the entire time. I didn't manage to film him."

He shrugged, adding, "Even if he did get out, I wouldn't film him. The driver has no news value; I wouldn't waste even a second on him."

Edmond agreed with that point.

Seeing that he wasn't asking more questions, Suzy hurriedly asked the crucial one, "Did you hand over the video to Fox?"

Hawke replied, "I gave exclusive rights to the 11 o'clock show, 'Midnight Entertainment.' I signed a contract."

He understood why they were asking: "During the negotiation for the rights, I made a serious statement to the show about my reporting angle and position, requesting they must report from a factual standpoint. They promised that and put it in the contract."

Suzy tentatively asked, "Can I take a look at the contract?"

Hawke found it and said, "Please don't take any pictures."

Suzy quickly skimmed through it, confirming it was as he said. "Thanks."

Hawke's presence made things easier for the LAPD, as the formerly tangled situation became clear.

Edmond suggested they take their leave, and just before leaving, Suzy handed Hawke a business card while asking for his contact information. "If something comes up later..."

Hawke smiled, "Feel free to call me anytime."

...

As the three LAPD officers headed outside to their car, Suzy asked, "Chief, what about this matter?"

Edmond said softly, "The higher-ups have made their stance clear. Downey fired on the police, and he had it coming."

Having brought in Downey three times in recent years, a fourth time would surely ruin him completely.

Suzy nodded, took off her hat, revealing her brown hair tied in a bun, and said, "Take me to Fox Television Center."

Julian immediately drove them to Century City.

Suzy rummaged through her contacts and found the 'Midnight Entertainment' crew, quickly getting in touch with Megan Taylor.

The two hit it off when they met at Fox Television Center.

The report from 'Midnight Entertainment' would be firmly against Downey, delving into his dark secrets. Suzy would serve as the liaison, providing first-hand information about Downey's previous three arrests and facilitating cooperation from the LAPD for the crew's interactions with the female officers of the LAPD.

Both sides had mutual interests to pursue.

...

On the other side, Hawke had just sent off the LAPD when there was another knock at the door. He went to open it.

Frank entered uninvited, glancing around in surprise. "You weren't taken away?"

Hawke closed the door. "The LAPD came to seek assistance, not to cause trouble. Sorry to disappoint you."

Frank was blunt as he opened the fridge, grabbing two beers and tossing one to Hawke. "You guys in your field are all the same -- doing anything for so-called press freedom, and a fair number of you end up in prison."

Hawke popped open the beer, took a sip, and sat on the couch. "On the contrary, I'm all about following the law. That's why the LAPD came to me for help, and I assisted them."

Frank sat on the other side, acting wise beyond his years. "You did the right thing. Don't mess with them casually. In a sense, when you tick off one LAPD officer, you're ticking off the entire LAPD."

He warned, "In this town, the LAPD is the biggest gang. Even the FBI has to give them some respect. What you're doing is going to attract their attention."

Hawke took that in. "I'm just a small fry trying to make a living in L.A., so I wouldn't provoke them."

Curious, he asked, "You claim to have been a big shot in Hollywood. Let me ask you, why was Robert Downey Jr. arrested three times in the past few years?"

Frank casually remarked, "Simple. Downey irritated some big player in the LAPD. There're plenty of drug users in Hollywood, but why target him? It's probably something shady in his personal life. So, buddy, don't mess with big names. Those so-called Hollywood stars are just toys for the real big shots."

Hawke understood that part: "I'm not stupid."

Frank, with a hint of artiness about him, said, "I am lonely. I finally met a new friend. I don't want to attend his funeral or visit him in prison one day."

Hawke shot him the finger in response to this pretentious statement.

After finishing one beer, Frank stood up to leave. "I'm off, heading back to sleep. Who knows, maybe I'll run into my star ex-wife in my dreams."

Hawke was done with this pretentious jerk, channeling Edward's tone: "That dream of yours must involve your ex-wife with her boy toy, cozying up under your wedding photo."

Frank spent half the night fuming over that remark.

...

Around 11 PM, Hawke switched on the TV and tuned into Channel 11, where 'Midnight Entertainment' aired as scheduled.

Tonight's episode featured just one topic: Robert Downey Jr. suspected of drug possession, trafficking, and assaulting a police officer, shot dead in the street.

The two videos Hawke had filmed played out, sealing the narrative for public opinion.

Media outlets that had expressed sympathy or questioned the LAPD swiftly changed their tones, and mainstream media united in their condemnation of Downey.

The following day, countless dark secrets about Downey emerged, and Downey Sr. wasn't spared either.

The Los Angeles Women's Organization stepped in, claiming Downey had intentionally attacked women and repeatedly threatened to kill "her."

Some women even mobilized to sit in front of Downey Sr.'s house in protest.

Even some industry insiders in Hollywood jumped on the bandwagon, leaking various damaging information about Downey Jr..

Public opinion was completely manipulated.

The deceased star was nailed to the pillar of shame.

When one was alive, there were possibilities for public relations and chances for redemption.

But dying in such a disgraceful manner meant everything ended there.

Even if Downey Sr. stirred up a ruckus, it wouldn't make much of a difference.

LAPD had their eyes on him; for a stubborn old addict like him, it was too easy to find incriminating evidence.

Downey died in disgrace!

Taking this opportunity, 'Midnight Entertainment' produced several follow-up episodes about Downey.

They not only stripped Robert Downey Jr. bare but also collaborated with the LAPD to launch a wave of publicity, making that female officer a star in her own right.

*****

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