Chapter Nine
Another One Bites The Dust
Roger Corman, the executive at Sunrise studios arrives home from a long day's work. He placed his brief case down on the sofa in the living room and went over to his desk. Taking off his blazer, Roger pressed a button on his answering machine. There five messages. One was from Roman asking what he should do about the police investigating the murders. The second was from his wife, she said she wouldn't be home until the morning on her way back from a business trip. Roger smiled realizing he had the house to himself. The third message was from the owner of the studio requesting to meet with Corman in the morning to discuss how to handle the police in the investigation of Sarah Darling's murder not to mention the murder of Cotton Weary and his girlfriend. The fourth message was from Corman's doctor concerning his meds. Corman is currently on heart medication and needs to take his pills. He figured he'd get them in the morning. The last message was from John Milton. John said that history maybe coming back to bite them in the ass. He needed to watch his back. Roger frowned. He didn't know what that met but it was a warning. He figured the warning had to He shook his head and turned the machine off then went to sit in the chair. He began sorting through his mail as he always did this time of he evening.
Nothing out of the ordinary, just bills and a letter from a family friend. Being an executive at a film studio is no easy feet for a man like Roger Corman but the man has seniority. He's been working at the studio since he was twenty five years. He's sixty now and well respected. He and John Milton have been friends for thirty-five years. Both came up in the industries and the sixties and seventies were their favorite time periods. Everything back then was so free and easy. John had been producing films and Roger's got a high paying position at Sunrise studios. He and John had worked on plenty of projects together and partied like rock stars. Roger recalled one party that got out of hand. A young up and coming actress claimed to have been assaulted but no charges were filed and she ended up disappearing. Roger was a lucky man. So was John. It was his party this happened at.
Roger had never been a fan of horror movies but since he was Milton's best bud, he'd be there for him. It was Milton who came to him with the idea to film the movie Stab based on the Woodsboro murders. Something about this project told Roger to leave it alone and not touch it but he couldn't help himself. John also pushed for this movie to happen so Roger went along with it. Since the filming of the first stab movies, Roger has had this eerie feeling that something bad was going to happen. Well after the first two films, nothing bad happened but the studio pushed for a third one and Roger knew it would turn into a franchise. The other two directors dropped out and the studio decided to hire a new director, Roman Bridger.
Roman had been a protégé of John's and was his assistant for some time while going to film school. Roman got his big break when John asked him to be the director of Stab 3. Roman jumped at the chance. Roger wasn't fond Roman but would see this project through. About a month into filming Stab 3, Cotton and his girlfriend are murdered and now one of their actresses Sarah Darling is murdered. They would have to deal with the police in their faces until this case was closed. Question is would Stab 3 ever get made?
Roger was shook from his thoughts when the phone on his desk rang.
RING! RING!
"Hello." Roger greeted.
"Uh, hello." An Anonymous person on the other end.
"Who's this?" Roger asked.
"Hi, may I speak with Mr. Corman please?" The Anonymous person asked.
"Speaking, who is this?" Roger asked a little annoyed that someone would call his house.
"Hi, Mr. Corman I'm doing a report for school on the Stab movies and was wondering if I could get a few comments from you. I know it's late and I apologize for disturbing you but I really have to get this report in by tomorrow or I'll fail. Can you help a student out?" Anonymous person asked.
Roger didn't respond at first. He wasn't buying this for a second but decided to play along. This could be some reporter trying to squeeze information about the murder investigation and what the studio's plans are.
"Sure why not?" Roger said smiling.
"Thank you. With there being three murders, how is the studio handling things?" Anonymous person asked.
"We're doing everything we can to keep things as normal as possible." Roger answered without giving up any real information.
"Ok. And how are the actors handling the situation?" Anonymous person.
"They're fine from what I can tell." Roger answers again.
"Ok. And how about you?" Anonymous person asked. "How are you handling things?"
"Fine I guess. This has nothing to do with me so I'm not worried." Roger asked.
"How were you guys were able to find actors to portray the real survivors?" Anonymous person asked.
"Casting calls. They do wonders." Roger told the person.
"Has anyone heard from the real survivors?" Anonymous person asked.
"I'm sorry I don't have any information on the real survivors." Roger said.
"Hmmm. That's interesting." Anonymous person said.
"Why's that interesting?" Roger asked.
"Well, you being the studio executive, one would think you'd have inside information." Anonymous person said on the other line.
"Sorry pal. I'm not privy to that information." Roger said. Then a metallic sound can be heard. The anonymous person's voice changes.
"Roger, Roger, Roger." Came the voice of Ghost Face. Roger recognized it immediately having seen the stab movies. "I'm shocked you don't have an inside track on the survivors. I mean after all you play a big role in what happened to Maureen Prescott."
"Who is this?" Roger asks.
"Wouldn't you like to know." Ghost Face taunts.
"I'm calling the police." Roger said.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Besides, they'd never make it in time. You'll already be dead." Ghost Face taunts some more.
"What is it you want?" Roger asks more alert. He looks around his living and the back window to see if he can spot who's calling him. He thinks this is some sort of prank.
"You and John Milton have made millions off the stab movies and Sidney Prescott, didn't you? You two did well for yourselves even after everything that has happened."
"What are you talking about? Those were movies. I personally didn't want to do it but John was persistent." Roger said.
"Spear me the blame game Corman. You're just as guilty as he is. This whole thing wouldn't have happened if you had kept it in your pants. If you two didn't party like your shit didn't stink, Maureen might still be alive along with all the other victims." Ghost Face said to him. Roger was shocked. He realized whoever this person is over the phone knows about his past.
"Who is this?" Roger asks once again.
"Someone who knows your secret. Someone who how this all began. One night, a party takes place and things get out of control, a woman gets harmed and no one does anything to help her." Ghost Face taunts.
"Stop." Roger says putting his hand to his mouth. "Stop it."
"Aww what's the matter Corman, you finally have a conscience?" Ghost Face asks.
"What do you want?" Roger asks.
"To play a game." Ghost Face says.
"I don't have time for games." Roger said firmly.
"You better make time for this one cause you're running out of it. The game is simple. Answer right, you live, answer wrong you die." Ghost Face said. Roger is clearly frightened but tries to keep his composure. "I normally asks a series of horror questions but I suspect you don't know the horror genre so I only have one major question. Who raped Rena Reynolds?"
"Who?" Roger asks. He pretends as if he doesn't know who she is but he clearly does.
"You know who I'm talking about. You were there at that party all those years ago Corman. Come on one question. I only need one answer. Who raped Rena Reynolds?" Ghost Face demanded to know.
"There were so many people back then. I don't even remember a Rena Reynolds." Corman lied.
"You're a bad liar Corman. That was a wrong answer." Ghost Face said angrily then hanging up the phone.
"Wait! Shit." Roger curses. He begins to dial 911 but hears and noise and drops the phone. He spins around to see what the noise was. Roger sees that his front door is open. Confused, he swears he had closed it behind him when he came in. He picks up his golf club holding it like a weapon while heading towards his front door. He opened it to see if there was anyone outside but no one was outside. He sighs closing the front door. Suddenly from the distance Ghost Face appears behind Roger. Roger puts the golf club down by the door. Ghost Face raises the knife poised to strike Roger who doesn't realize Ghost Face is behind him.
Ghost Face plunges the knife into Roger's back. Roger screams out as he stumbles forward towards the living room. Ghost Face is right behind him. He stabs Roger again in the back. Blood pores out of Roger's back. Roger falls onto the couch. Ghost Face grabs Roger and turns him over to face him. Ghost Face speaks into the metallic recorder.
"You knew who Rena Reynolds was. You there when the night she was raped." Ghost Face.
"I didn't do anything." Roger said.
"That's right, you let him do it. You must pay for your crime." Ghost Face said raising the knife up high.
"No, please." Roger pleads but it's too late.
Ghost Face stabs him seven times to his death. Blood gushes out of Roger Corman as he lays dead in his home on the couch. Ghost Face disappears without behind seen.
To Be Continued !