Controversy - Author Bell - Part 2

Controversy - Bell

Official Journal: File #---16. Part 2

   The doors of our vehicles gave a good thunk that resonated off of the stone steps in front of the giant building. The wet glass panes glimmered with the sunlight, nearly blinding Ivan's dark presence. Though the sun was a rare joy, the other detectives felt uncomfortable with the light and moved to get indoors.  The lightweight doors spun when I pushed on them, and they opened up into a massive ground floor of Stanton's financial building.  Polished floor, articulate paintings, comfortable furniture, and expensive vases holding roses all displayed the wealth that this man possessed.  Across the ground floor, a secretary busily typed into a computer behind the desk.  As we walked up, a security guard approached us from behind and kept a careful and suspicious. Ivan and Scout both eyed him back, but he did not budge. Sionne gave my arm a tug and whispered into my ear, "I don't recognize these guards, they're definitely outside help. Be careful because I won't be able to stop them if you start up trouble.

   I nodded to her approached the desk. Sionne gave a low cough to gain the attention of the studious woman. She looked up, paused, and gave a quick smile.  "Welcome to Stanton INC. Do you have an appointment?"

   "No," I responded first, "but I would like to arrange one with Mr. Stanton please."

   "Oh" she said, eyeing us and obviously judging. "Well, he is out of town at the moment, and you must be requested by Mr. Stanton in order to arrange an appointment."

   "First off," Ivan interrupted, "we're not some street scruff. We're the DDS- that's Deinsport Detective Service- and we need to see him now. We promise to act like gentlemen, but we can't make the same promise if we have to get a warrant to talk to your boss up there."

   "Well," her eyes dodged to the computer, obviously a bit nervous and taken back by Ivan. "I'll have you know that we can most likely make an appointment with Mr. Stanton, but he is out of the building on vacation until next Friday."

   "When can we arrange an appointment then?" I asked.

   "Since Mr. Stanton has his upcoming company party, it will be about four weeks."

   "Four weeks!? What kind of time do you think we have?" I blurted. The security guard did not look too happy with me. He whispered something into his shirt collar, most likely calling for backup. "We have a case going on, and your boss is connected to the woman lying on a table in a morgue!"

   "I can assure you that Mr. Stanton is not involved in any wa-"

   "You don't have the authority to say that." Ivan stated bluntly. Scout moved up to the desk, taking some unusual initiative. 

   "Look, can we meet with the guy sooner, or are we going to have to get a warrant to go talk to him?"

   The woman chuckled with a devious grin.  "If you think you can get a warrant to meet with Mr. Stanton, then you all are a hopeless lot. Now, I am actually busy beyond shooing away street scum, and the guard behind you would like to help you out."

   I could almost feel Ivan's muscles and teeth tensing, but I put a hand on his chest to control him. "Thanks, we'll be leaving without the help." I gave a stern look to the guards, and we all left.

   When we left the building, the clouds blocked the sunlight once again. However, they seemed duller than before, transfixed on making our luck even more dreary. We decided to drive to a small sandwich shop a few blocks away from our shaggy office. The place had a unique 70's vibe, and it had its share of sketchy quirks. The owners have us a small discount though, so we frequented the shop during long days at work. We arrived, took a seat at a table inside, and sat quietly for a second, not quite sure of what to do.  "Well," Sionne began to stammer. "that was a bust." Ivan scoffed and leaned back in his chair, arms folded as he fiddled with the front brim of his concealing hat.  "But, I'm sure I can work my contacts to receive a warrant. Maybe even before the day of the party."

   "I know I can break into security." Scout added.

   When I sighed, the rest of the people looked at me with surprise, except for Ivan; he still had his hand over his face. "Not that I want to discourage plans, but honestly, some of those guards in there won't care about warrants. They're not cops; they're mercenaries or hired security."

   Ivan pointed at Sionne. "You're the only real cop. You could get in with a warrant, but Bell and I would get overrun by guards before we even hit the red carpet." He pounded his pointer finger into the table as if it were a guard squashing one of us.

   The group threw around ideas for a while. Miss Harrow could deputize Ivan and I, but that would also require a good amount of training, paperwork, and time that we didn't have. The party was the best bet of getting close to the only lead on the case, yet it would have security and a whitelist to get into the door.

   "The only way any of you are getting in there is if you enter incognito with someone else who has proper access into the party." Sionne deducted.

   Scout pondered as she stood and paced with her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets and her head looking down towards the checkered ground.  She looked up and stopped, probably cultivating an idea in her head. "Maybe..." she spoke out softly. "A reporter. They have access to all sorts of areas with media passes. If we could pass you off as a media crew-"

   "Scout, we're not reporters, nor are we affiliated with any news network." Ivan hummed in a frustrated tone. "We would need to become affiliated with a reporter of some kind." His covered head dipped towards the ground for a moment, then lifted towards Scout again. "Do you have anyone in mind?"

   She looked around, then pointed towards the door behind me. "Her."

   I turned around and saw a fashionable woman walking into the shop with a burly cameraman behind her. She had direct eye contact with me, and I stood to greet her.

   "Mr. Bell, we've heard that you and the DDS have taken up responsibility for solving the case of Barbara Stanton. We're interested in working with you to provide coverage to the people. Have you prepared a statement?" I took off my hat and wiped my head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening, our luck had been running dry, and now this. In my disbelief, I have the first statement that I could conjure in my head.

   "Well, I'll be damned."