Don't Scream (Complete)

Chapter 9

Eli Bensworth 

Eli loved the way the engine of his year-old Sedan purred as he smoothly shifted gears and parked in an empty lot. Patting the steering wheel, almost as if to say 'Wait here for a mo'', Eli got out of his car, Rhonda behind him. They'd parked in the carpark of EDITORIAL DELIGHTS, a large skyscraper in the thick of the city and also what used to be Kevin Crowle's place of work. 

"You really think one of this guy's colleauges bumped him?" Eli asked as he and Rhonda walked toward the elevators that would take them up to the surface. 

"It's possible. Besides, we ought to be thorough with this investigation," Rhonda replied matter-of-factly. 

With a metallic ding, the doors of the elevator parted and let Rhonda and Eli in. 

"Which floor?" Eli asked. 

"Top. I did a little research on the guy while waiting for you to get your ass over at the crime scene," Rhonda said. 

"Are you ever going to let that go?" Eli said in exasperation. 

"You know I will. Eventually. But for now, I'm holding it over your head." 

The same metallic ding came over the intercom, announcing that they'd reached the top floor approximately 32 seconds later; the elevator doors once again opening to deposit Eli and Rhonda out on one of the most hectic workplaces he'd ever come across. 

Working in the SFPD, Eli had his fair share of hectic when it came down to the workforce. But apparently, EDITORIAL DELIGHTS had the mettle to screw him over. 

Across the cubicle-packed office, there were doe-eyed interns, huddling by their desks and trying to go unnoticed by the boisterous extroverts milling about, shoving and jostling each other roughly as they lined up for the coffee-maker. 

Right in front of the paper-shredder, there was a huge commotion as two brutish looking loud-mouths grappled with each other for a stapler. By the restroom, a tall broomstick-thin woman was shoving another into a potted plant. Meanwhile, the big boss was oblivious to all this, apparently. There was a large, translucent glass door at the end of the office and Eli could see the silhouette of a man sitting at his desk. 

"This is crazy," Rhonda mused, looking at the mess that the office was in. 

"Come on, follow my lead," Eli said, noticing Rhonda roll her eyes in his peripheral vision. 

The two of them kept to the walls, crossing swiftly across the office to the room at the end, with the large door. Before they made it there, however, someone stepped forward and blocked their path. 

"Whoa, there. What do you two think you're doing?" asked the perky, tall woman that now blocked his and Rhonda's path. 

"Police business. Do not interfere," Rhonda replied curtly. 

"Uh, no. As personal secretary for the boss, I have every right to interfere. Besides, the two of you, police officers or not, have no right to be here. Why are you here, anyway?" the woman asked. 

"A man died last night, Miss Stone, and this was his place of work and as of now, this is a routine investigation. Just stay out of our way unless you have information to offer us pertaining to the case," Eli said monotonously, noting the secretary's nametag displayed prominently on her blue blouse. 

"Who's these two?" 

Another man, white and in his early twenties, stepped up to Miss Matilda Stone. He was dressed in a brown vest, white linen shirt and shaggy brown pants that seemed out of place.