Some things are just out of your hands. Benjamin sighed, glancing back at Sophia's apartment before heading out.
After waiting for what felt like forever, he finally snagged a taxi. As he hopped in, he gave the driver the address and thought, maybe it's time to buy a car. Being a teacher and relying on taxis was a pain.
Driving? Oh, that's a walk in the park for Benjamin. Dude's been cruising around since he was abroad, like it was his daily dose of fun. Got his license at eighteen, but now that he's back home, he's keeping it low-key for a bit.
So, he hops in a cab and heads to Crystal Shore Lake, this super scenic spot packed with tourists.
Once he gets out, he strolls over to his dad's company office, staring up at the skyscraper, feeling all kinds of feels. His dad's gone now, left behind this massive company that's currently on pause. Benjamin just wants to check it out.
The company's on the 36th floor, 'cause his dad started his biz at 36 after leaving the hospital, signing a ten-year lease here. Benjamin's been here a few times, but his memories are kinda fuzzy.
As he heads upstairs, he pulls out the key to unlock the office door, only to find it already open. Instantly on high alert, he notices everything inside is neat and tidy, and all the employees are on leave.
No one should be here, right? He thinks maybe a thief snuck in. He steps in and locks the door behind him, moving cautiously.
Inside, he hears a noise coming from the office. Quietly, he follows the sound. The office door's open, and just as he's about to rush in, he hears a woman crying. He's stunned.
What the heck is going on? Who's this chick? Why's she bawling in his dad's office?
Peeking in, he spots a woman in her mid-thirties sitting in his dad's old chair, crying. Despite her age, she's still got it, looking pretty put together.
She notices him and looks up, asking, "Who's there?" Benjamin doesn't hide. Since he's been spotted, he steps forward. The woman frowns, thinking for a sec, then asks, "You must be Benjamin, right?"
"Yeah, that's me. And you are?" If she knows his name, she's probably not a thief. Plus, who cries while robbing a place? And she's decked out in designer clothes, not exactly thief material.
Hearing his response, Amelia rushes over, choked up, saying, "It's good that you're back!"
Then she hugs him, sobbing softly. Her body presses against his, and despite himself, he gets a little flustered, even though he knows she doesn' t mean anything by it.
Amelia, lost in her grief, doesn't notice. She holds him for a bit, then lets go, wipes her tears, and forces a smile. "Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Amelia, a friend of your dad's!"
Benjamin checks her out, thinking, Isn't my dad married to Ava? Who's this other woman? He's getting more and more confused.
"Aunt Amelia, do you know how my dad passed away?" He doesn't trust her right away and starts grilling her.
Seeing his caution, Amelia quickly explains, "I was the one who called you, Benjamin. Aunt Amelia's not who you think. I've known your dad forever. We were high school buddies. I know about him and Ava too. It's a long story. How about we sit down and talk it out?"
Benjamin suddenly had a lightbulb moment—Amelia was the one who broke the news about his dad's death. No wonder her voice rang a bell! But back then, his brain was too fried to connect the dots. The shock of it all just wiped his memory clean.
Amelia and Daniel were high school buddies who almost hooked up, kinda like Benjamin and Sophia. The twist? Amelia never had a thing with Benjamin's dad. Now, she's divorced and flying solo.
Amelia handled Daniel's funeral but had to bounce right after 'cause of some urgent stuff. She came back this time to pay her respects.
"Aunt Amelia, hang tight, I'll be there in a sec!"
Benjamin also wanted to snoop around his dad's company for any clues.
Amelia nodded, "Alright, Aunt Amelia will be waiting for you downstairs!"
With that, Amelia strutted off, her hips swaying. Benjamin couldn't help but notice her butt was even more eye-catching than Ava's, sparking some naughty thoughts.
But that was just a fleeting moment. Right now, he had bigger fish to fry. Until he got to the bottom of his dad's death, he couldn't chill.
Benjamin walked into his dad's office, scanned the room, and plopped down at the desk, deep in thought. If his dad was offed, there had to be some breadcrumbs left behind.
The cops had already combed through the place and found zilch.
If the killer was someone his dad knew, like a buddy, there wouldn't have been a struggle. Maybe they caught him off guard and shoved him from behind. Benjamin frowned, trying to figure out the slickest way to push someone down the stairs without leaving a trace.
In the end, Benjamin figured the perp had to be a friend or someone his dad trusted, hence no struggle. Maybe they were chatting by the window when the push happened.
"Who would his dad have met in the office before he died?" Benjamin mulled it over. His hand absentmindedly tugged at a drawer, but it was locked. He tried two others, which opened easily, but they were just full of books and boring paperwork.
Why was this drawer locked? Benjamin hunted for the key on the desk but came up empty. So he rummaged through his dad's bookcase and found a key stashed in a book. He quickly tried it on the locked drawer, and bingo, it opened.
Excited, Benjamin opened it, but it was just as empty as the other drawers more company docs. Then he spotted a business card at the bottom.
"Liberty Law Group, Associate Lawyer, Henry Martinez. Who the heck is this guy?"
Benjamin picked up the card and gave it a once-over. Did his dad have some legal beef? Why would he keep a lawyer's card in the drawer?
After racking his brain, Benjamin couldn't crack it. He decided to pocket the card and head downstairs to see if Amelia knew anything about this Henry Martinez dude.