Chapter 43: 43:Another Maniac Fan?
And so, he decided to experiment and live wilfully for once.
After dropping off Celina, Evan called his lawyer, Abhijeet, who had already arrived in Bombay a few days earlier to prepare for the case, to discuss the detained man.
Next, Evan went directly to the police station.
He felt that the matter wasn't as simple as it seemed.
First, he felt that this wasn't the work of Suri fans because he had concealed his face with the mask from his home to the airport. Unless someone had been tracking him closely, it wasn't possible to identify him.
The first attacker claimed to be a drugged psycho, but when the police apprehended him, the man appeared fine with no symptoms of drug use.
So, it looked like a preplanned attempt.
Now another question arose, who was behind this person?
Was it really Suri, or someone else?
As Evan entered the police station, he was greeted by a sense of urgency and activity. Officers rushed back and forth, some were on the phone, others huddled over desks with stacks of paperwork. Evan approached the front desk, where Officer Shekhar, who was in charge, gave a brief.
"Mr. Evan," Shekhar greeted him, "I've been briefed about the incident at the airport. We're taking this matter very seriously."
Evan nodded, appreciating the officer's prompt response. "Thank you, Officer. I'm here to assist in any way I can to help with the investigation."
Just then, Evan's lawyer, Abhijeet, walked into the station, his demeanor composed yet focused. "Evan, glad you made it," Abhijeet said, joining them. "I've been in touch with the authorities, and they're willing to cooperate."
Evan nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to Officer Shekhar. "Officer, I'd like to speak with the accused, if possible. I need to understand why he targeted me and if there are any connections to this incident."
Shekhar nodded, gesturing for Evan to follow him.
"Since we have caught him, all he is saying is that he did this because you are harming Suri Barret."
Shekhar gave a brief report about their findings till now.
They made their way through the bustling station to a holding area where the accused was being held. The man sat slumped in a chair, subdued yet with a hint of defiance in his eyes.
Evan approached him cautiously, trying to gauge his intentions.
"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Evan inquired, keeping his tone calm yet firm.
The man looked up, his gaze meeting Evan's for a moment before averting his eyes.
"Go ahead," he muttered, hoarsely.
"Tell me, why did you attack me?"
"Answer him, otherwise you will face third-degree treatment," Shekhar shouted from the side.
The man shivered a bit and spoke, "I did because his bastard family harassed my Goddess. Assholes like him should die and be fried in boiling oil in hell.'
'What the fuck?'
Evan screamed inwardly and looked at Officer Shekhar, "Sir, is this guy a maniac?"
"We investigated his background. He dropped out of school at the age of 12, has been fined for breaking traffic rules and drunk driving, but we haven't found anything shady, nor is there any medical certificate indicating his mental illness."
Hearing this, Abhjeet's eyes narrowed and he signaled something to Evan and Shekhar.
Shekhar then stepped forward and slammed a stick on the table.
"You claim to be a fan of Miss Suri. Then name one of Miss Suri's films."
"Girl of Chaos...One Night of Love, a hundred days of woes..." the man stuttered.
"Do you know just those? Say more...since you are a big fan of hers, you must know at least 10 to 15, right?"
"Th...That..."
The man's lips quivered for a moment. He tried to come up with some more movies but... except for the recent two, he didn't know any other.
"You don't even know her hit movies, yet you claim that you are her die-hard fan. Stop bullshitting and tell me who ordered you to do this," Evan demanded, probing for any information that could shed light on the motive behind the attack.
With this, he completely cut Suri off the scene. She no longer needed to do anything that might vindicate her, leaving his parents as the only ones who could be behind this.
These fuckers were capable of doing anything. Maybe they planned to use this pawn to harm him and then use some other means.
Evan had already been tracking those two smartphones, but he hadn't uncovered their insidious plan, which meant they had a secret number and bank account.
"There is no one behind me. I did it on my own accord," the man replied.
"Shut up!" Shekhar roared fiercely and then looked at Evan.
"Leave this bastard to me. There is a hint of conspiracy that could even harm the big actresses. I am sure the Senior officials won't let this go," saying that Shekhar looked at the man with a grin.
"As for you...I will make sure that you rot in the prison for at least two years."
Before leaving, Evan bent to the man and whispered while Abhijeet pulled Shekhar, giving him a set of instructions.
"I don't know who gave you the guts to do this, but do you think they'll really clean your ass? Believe me, it's already good that they don't clean you to death.."
The man shivered for a moment and gave Evan a horrified look and was about to say something when Shekhar gagged him.
With an evil smile, Evan eyed the man and spoke coldly, "You don't need to name the preparator…I already know that person…Just rot and die here with those false hopes."
"Hmm….Hmmm….Ahahah!"
The man wanted to speak, but Shekhar stuffed a gag in his mouth, choking the man, eliciting a thumbs up from Abhijeet.
After the brief interrogation, Evan thanked the officer and his lawyer before leaving the station, his mind swirling with unanswered questions…
'It's those two….with no way to get out, they even resorted to this.'
Evan felt his heart burning with anger with an inexplicable emotion.
On his way, he saw Abhijeet contacting someone, " Evan, we should publicize this matter. We can draw public sympathy and improve your image. At the same time, it will also deter people with ill intentions against you."
After making some arrangements, Abhijeet looked at Evan, "Sir how will you go?"
"I will take a taxi."
"Don't bother. I will give you a lift."
Evan nodded and followed Abhijeet to his car. It was an Audi A4, which impressed Evan.
"It's a nice car…I wish I would have one…" Evan muttered.
"I am sure you will, maybe more than just one," Abhijeet chuckled, observing Evan's gaze.
Taking a seat, Abhijeet stared at Evan for a moment and spoke, "Evan, I have a simple suggestion."
"From the interaction, I can sense that you have an inferiority complex. Not in the negative sense, but you are underestimating yourself."
"Believe me, when I say this: someone in your position who has reached this point, you are one of the best men of your age. You should be more proud of yourself and be more confident."
Evan paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Thanks, sir. I will remember your words."