Martin Vargas interview #3

Sunday, October 31, 2021 – 10:00 a.m.

Martin Vargas is the actor representative on the Yoknapatawpha Players' board and a lead actor in the "Zombie Escape" production.

Detectives Beckwith and Magee spoke with him again at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants

• Detective P. Beckwith
• Detective J. Magee
• Martin Vargas

Detective Beckwith: Mr. Vargas, you are being held in connection with Scott Bryant's death. You have been read your rights. Do you understand them? 

Martin Vargas: Yes.

Detective Beckwith: Do you still wish to talk to us?

Martin Vargas: You mean without a lawyer?

Detective Magee: Yes.

Martin Vargas: Lady, I'm Martin Vargas. I don't need lawyers to protect me. I did nothing wrong.

Detective Magee: That's fine then. I'll take your full name and address for the record once again.

Martin Vargas: Martin Emilio Vargas. I live at 1001 Inverness Lane, Apartment #2, Oxford.

Detective Beckwith: Okay, Martin. We're expecting an autopsy report to come in within the next couple of hours, and we believe that report will say Scott wasn't killed by a falling piece of the set.

Martin Vargas: What's that have to do with me?

Detective Magee: You've already admitted you were in the area where Scott died and that you picked up a razor-wire-wrapped club from that area.

Martin Vargas: A prop … with fake razor wire.

Detective Beckwith: With your fingerprints on it.

Martin Vargas: It was my prop weapon. Of course, my fingerprints would be on it. I never denied using it during the play.

Detective Magee: It also had human blood and tissue on it. How do you explain that?

Martin Vargas: It had fake blood on it. Scott applied blood to all the prop hand-to-hand weapons.

Detective Magee: This time, the blood and tissue were real.

Martin Vargas: You had it tested?

Detective Beckwith: That's how we know. So how do you explain that? 

Martin Vargas: Someone was backstage and killed Scott before I even picked up that club.

Detective Magee: Like who?

Martin Vargas: Remember, Heath was back there.

Detective Beckwith: Higher than a kite.

Martin Vargas: What about Denis? I saw him lurking around backstage when everyone went to help Scott at the end of the play. He could've easily been backstage the entire time. He should be here taking these questions, not me.

Detective Beckwith: Did you see Denis at the warehouse prior to the end of the show?

Martin Vargas: No, but that doesn't mean he wasn't there. I can't believe y'all haven't talked to him. I told you he hated Scott for causing Ginny's suicide. Isn't that enough for you?

Detective Magee: We talked to Denis. He admitted to having words with Scott after Ginny's death.

Martin Vargas: Ha! "Having words," he said? More like "having fists." 

Detective Magee: You witnessed them firsthand?

Martin Vargas: The aftermath. Denis got his butt kicked.

Detective Magee: When was this?

Martin Vargas: A day or two after Ginny's suicide.

Detective Beckwith: What details do you know about the fight?

Martin Vargas: I was coming into the warehouse for rehearsal about six weeks back and saw Denis scurrying out to his car in the lot, trying to cover his face.

Detective Magee: Why?

Martin Vargas: Because it was all busted up, and he was embarrassed about it. Anyway, he took off in his car in a hurry. I went inside the warehouse, and Scott was there in the lobby. I said, "What the hell was that about?"

Detective Beckwith: What did he say?

Martin Vargas: He said something like, "Denis had it coming. He won't shut up about Ginny." I said, "So you beat his face in?" And he said, "You could say that."

Detective Beckwith: What did you say?

Martin Vargas: Nothing. I laughed. It was funny. He laughed too. Damn, how would I know Denis was going to kill the guy later? This whole thing is messed up.

Detective Magee: We don't know that Denis killed Scott.

Martin Vargas: Damn, lady, and why would I kill him? I don't have a reason in the world to do it. 

Detective Beckwith: From what we hear, you and Scott and Anna weren't on good professional terms. We hear that you were already losing your starring roles to Kyler Birdsall and one step away from losing your job to Nathan Daughtery. 

Martin Vargas: Well, that's total bull. Without me, the entire troupe would collapse. Who do you think the people of Oxford come out to the theater to see? It sure as hell isn't Birdsall. I don't see anyone asking for Daughtery's autograph. If Anna had me fired, she'd be slitting her own throat. 

Detective Magee: Well, that was an interesting turn of phrase.

Martin Vargas: Don't read anything into it. Point is, Anna can't afford to have me fired. I know it. She knows it. Maybe Anna and Scott and I sometimes had creative differences, but they always came to see that I was right, and they were wrong. Then things went on the way I wanted.

Detective Beckwith: Always?

Martin Vargas: Always.

Detective Magee: Did any of these "creative differences" lead to physical confrontations?

Martin Vargas: No, these were professional differences, not personal ones. Who's feeding you all this crap anyway? Denis himself, no doubt. He did! I can see it all on your faces. Convenient for Denis to blame all the stuff he did on me. You need to talk with him.

Detective Magee: We will.

Martin Vargas: Then I can go. Great, we'll see you later.

Detective Magee: You're not going anywhere until we say so, Mr. Vargas.

Martin Vargas: What? After all you have on Denis?

Detective Beckwith: If you need water, it can be provided.

Martin Vargas: I got things to do.

Detective Beckwith: They'll wait. And so will you.

Interview ended – 10:17 a.m.