When Emily woke up she awoke to a teddy bear, sitting on her bedside.
She had almost manage to forget the incident with Carter, but the teddy bear came as an unhappy reminder. Firstly she didn't know how anybody would have been able to get into her room, yet alone close enough to put it on her bedside. And secondly, the teddy didn't have a head.
That was no nice gesture, so much was clear. Engrossed by the misfit teddy she threw the "corpse" in her basket and dressed for the day. Splashing cold water in her face didn't help to get the bad thoughts and feelings out of her mind. Her room had been locked, so how did the teddy get in?! Again she put her head under the stream of water, swallowing a bit and coughing in the progress.
Quickly she typed a message to her friend Michael, the one who got her the part as a movie director. After her trip to LA and her encounter with Ian Emily had changed her lifestyle, she had started a school for directing and shooting movies, made new friends – not many tough – and aimed at new life goals. Yet it hadn't been much different. Yes, she had gotten rid of her ex-boyfriend and she had her amazing LA trip and her fling with Ian in her mind, but as soon as she had been in the routine of her new directing school she fell back into old schemes, staying in, reading books, keeping a low profile. She was liked, she knew that, but nobody particularly wanted her around. Sure, at the same time nobody seemed to mind, and she was always invited to parties. Yet if she left early no one would question her or even notice.
Whereas everybody of her class had gotten into some projects, some minor, some a little bigger, she had finished school with no chance of getting a job at all. No movie producer wanted her – and how should they, they didn't even know she existed. If not for Michael Emily would now be unemployed. Michael, being famous, crazy, extremely outgoing and having impact on many people managed to get her into this movie.
Her phone rang, Michael called her back. "Hey!", she said, smiling. "why are you calling? I told you I'm fine, thanks!"
Michael seemed concerned. "Emily, you are not fine, don't lie to me", he said politely "You are directing a high profile movie with some b*tches of actors, you are probably stressed out of your mind, aren't you?"
Emily sighted. "You are right", she said, although he wasn't. It wasn't the actors and the pressure that stressed her anymore. It was the death threats that kept coming. She didn't want to disappoint him tough or scare him. She was thankful he got her the part, more than thankful. Quite frankly Emily didn't understand what he liked about her, she herself didn't seem to find many likeable things about herself.
"Stay calm Emily", he said and Emily could almost hear his smile. "It's going to be alright, I promise! I know you can do that"
"Michael", she started, intending to tell him everything, but then she checked her watch and let out a squeak of shock "I gotta go!"
Michael didn't seem to mind and let her off the phone. Quickly Emily collected her things, closed the apartment door behind her – making sure she locked it properly – and ran down the stairs.
When she opened the door to the current set she nearly vomited.
"What is that?" she gulped and pointed at the director's chair.
The few actors on set looked at her bewildered.
"What?"
"That", Emily pointed at the chair and now they saw as well. Someone had put the head of a teddy bear on it, smeared it with ketchup and made it look like a battlefield.
"Take a break", one of the actors suggested. "It's okay, I understand"
Thankful to for once have received understanding she left the set. Emily knew where to go. Without hesitating anymore she went straight to Ian's flat and knocked.
Ian opened in his bath robe, looking confused.
"Emily!", he exclaimed. And then frowning: "What are you doing her?"
Emily took the head of the teddy bear out of her bag and showed it to Ian. "This has to stop!" she said abruptly.
Ian looked at her and shrugged. "I don't know what you are talking about"
"The threats" Emily answered. "The people following me, whenever I leave the set, the dead stuffed animals – this is not the first, Ian! It. Has. To. Stop!"
ian still looked blank.
"I am sorry if I hurt your ego or whatever but please grow up, please leave it just there, slap me right now if you must but stop that!", Emily finally yelled.
"Look", Ian said "I am upset about how you behaved to me, I do hate you, but I am a little to old for doing stuffed animal –revenge plans"
Emily waited.
"And I am not wanting you dead Emily. I don't like a lot of people. And still don't go around killing them off one after the other. Don't make yourself something special"
"So you didn't do it then?", Emily asked flatly.
"No" Ian said annoyed. "I didn't do that. But who knows who else you pissed off"
With that he shut the door in her face.
Emily felt faint. She hadn't been too afraid before because she had thought she knew where all these threats came from.
Another thought came to her mind and she knocked again on Ian's door.
"What?" he yelled when he opened.
"Was Carter your doing?" she asked.
"Carter who?" Ian replied.
"I don't know, I just know his name is Carter", Emily said. "Is he your friend?"
"I don't know any Carter", Ian said. "Bye Emily", with that he closed the door again.
Emily went back to her apartment.
She looked at her phone for a while, dialing at Michael, but before he could take the call she hung up. There was another number that popped in her head. She knew the number without having to look it up.
"Sherlock Holmes" a voice answered. Emily took a deep breath, then she started to talk.
