The screams were even louder when I went into the hallway. I didn’t know what floor the person was screaming, so I went. Ditching the elevator because it would be too slow, I ran to the stairs. The screams echoed throughout the stairwell. They seemed to come from the floor below me. I rushed down the stairs toward the screams growing louder. When I finally reached the floor, the screams had died out and I could only assume she was beyond saving. Opening the stairwell door, I was greeted by a woman spread out on the ground, blood soaking in the carpet. The brownish carpet turning it a dark crimson red. Near the body was a crying woman holding the hand of the victim.

In front of me stood five people. Bethany, the front desk clerk that checked me in at the front. She looked half-awake and annoyed, almost as if she wasn’t too excited to be woken up again. There was a tall man next to Bethany. He wore a uniform with the hotel’s logo. He must have been the overnight manager. “Bethany, are you sure you were watching the cameras, and you didn’t see who did it on the camera?”

“I’m sorry Drake, I was busy at the front, working on designating the room service duties for the guest checking out. Tomorrow morning,” Bethany said.

“I saw the guest attendance. All the people that are staying are here. On top of that, only two guests are checking out tomorrow!” The manager said, shaking and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Don’t be so hard on her Drake, she’s doing the best she can.” A man in a janitor’s uniform said, standing in front of the door. As he walked over to the scene of the crime, there was a squeak that came with each step. Looking down at his legs, the squeaking leg was coming from his prosthetic leg. He was now standing near the women weeping, as she held the hand of the dead girl on the floor. “Looks like there’s a huge wound in her side, so it looks like the person that did this took some kind of organ.”

Bethany perked up with a with smile on her face “That’s correct Raj, that’s a cut to the upper right-hand portion of the abdominal cavity beneath the diaphragm. The murderer most likely took the victims liver.” she said. Everyone looked at her with an eye brow raised.

“How would you know that?” A man standing in a t-shirt and shorts said. He was leaning in the doorway and from where I was standing, I could see a little inside the room behind him. On the desk was a laptop that with the screen on and a notepad next to it with a pen on top of it.

“Oh, I thought Raj would have told you already, Cyrus. But I am studying to become a surgical nurse.” Bethany said with her face turning bright red.

“Uh, we may be brothers, but we don’t talk all that often. The only time we see each other is on holidays and when I have to drill down and finish my book. Which I was trying to do before these women screamed bloody murder.” Cyrus said.

“So, you saw who murdered Maggie!” The women said, still holding Maggie’s lifeless hand.

“Uh no, I was too scared I was going to get murdered by the liver stealer, so I just stayed in my room. I came out when the screaming died down and I heard the Drake and Bethany were talking outside.” Cyrus said. He unfolded his arms and pointed a finger at the women sniffling girl. “You seem to know the deceased party. Who are you and what is she to you?”

“My name is Vivica. I am a very popular cosplay YouTuber and Maggie here was my editor. We’re in town because there is a big convention in town. Maggie was editing the vlog we made today, and I was doing a stream on my laptop. I was completing a raid in Nightmare Chasers and had my noise canceling headphones on, so I didn’t even notice she left. I had to take a bathroom break, and that’s when I heard the commotion outside and when I came out of my room, I saw this tragic scene.” Vivica said, bursting out into more tears. Burying her face in her friend’s chest.

“Ah, I’m sorry for your loss,” Cyrus said, then he looked over to me. “So, what’s your story, boxer boy?”

I looked down and noticed that I had left my room without putting on any clothes. “Umm… I’m Tom, I came because I heard someone crushed cinnamon buns.” I said, pointing at the crushed cinnamon buns near the dead body.

Cyrus laughed so hard he griped the sides of his stomach and fell to his knees. “Wow, you're one weird dude! I think I will base a character off you in my next book.”

“Cyrus, this is no laughing matter because this woman was clearly murdered. We need to call the police.” Drake said as he walked over to Vivica. As he got closer to Vivica, Raj walked back into his room. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Vivica, but you will need to step away from the body. This is a crime scene now.” Vivica slowly backed away from her dead friend and buried herself into the manager’s body.

“I am going to call the police!” Bethany said as she ran to the stairs.

“Wait a minute, she didn’t call the police yet?” Cyrus continued to laugh “Man, I am just so inspired. I’ve got the premise now the supposedly incompetent front desk clerk stumbles across the murder of a woman and the man in the boxers is the prime suspect.”

“Brother, please be respectful,” Raj said, walking back from his room. He brought a blanket and placed it over Maggie’s lifeless body. “This woman was brutally murdered, and I don’t think her family would appreciate you putting her in a muder story.”

Getting up from the floor, he wiped the tears from his eyes. “Oh, don’t worry. All my books have a disclaimer on the copyright page that says all ideas and likeness of people are completely fictional, so they can try to sue for defamation, but it’s very unlikely they will win.”

“You're kind of a monster, aren’t you?” I said, shaking my head at Cyrus.

“Aye, but this monster is a New York Times bestseller for a reason.” Cyrus said, as he grabbed the door he closed it, “Good luck finding the killer. I have a book to write.”

When Cyrus shut the door, the bell of the elevator dinged. Bethany came running out of the elevator before the doors were fully open. “Hey guys, the police said they are sending out a detective and the crime scene unit in a little. But it’s going to take some time because of the storm.”

“Alright everyone, go back to your rooms and when the detective is here, we will meet in the lobby.” Drake said as he pulled away from Vivica. She sniffled and walked into her hotel room. Then he turned towards the out of breath Bethany and they walked to the elevator with Raj squeaking not far behind.

I looked down at the dead women. I understood there was an obvious problem with Drake’s plan. By the time the detective and police get here, the murder could have gotten away Scott free with a fresh liver. Before that happens, I need to solve this murder and fast.