Of course the show was reporting on the murders when Emma arrived on set, ready for her own segment. It was all the media seemed to be talking about these days, so she really should have expected it. But that didn't stop the nerves from kicking in as she listened to the anchors explain what little they knew to the public, and the advice that had been issued from the FBI to anyone with information.

Thankfully, over the years since she'd signed with Sony Music, Emma had gotten better at putting on a brave face. So when she was called on to the set, ready for her interview, she walked on confidently, with a smile and wave for the audience and cameras.

"It's lovely to see you again," Jennie greeted, as she leaned in to press a kiss to Emma's cheek, before inviting her to take a seat. "How are you?"

Inside, Emma's mind was screaming, I'm scared and alone and I don't know how to cope. But instead, what she said was, "I'm good, thanks. It's a beautiful day in Los Angeles, and I know there are some fans outside waiting to say hi when I'm done here. So it's all good. How are you?"

She tried her best to listen to whatever it was Jennie was saying, but Emma's mind was reeling once more. Agent Jones had suggested that whoever was behind the attacks could have once been a loyal fan of hers. He could be in the small crowd of people outside waiting to speak with her, and she would never know it. How was she ever expected to interact with her fans normally again, knowing that one of them was a serial killer?

She reached for the glass of water that had been set on the small table for her, in an attempt to cover her nerves, and shake off those unwelcome and intrusive thoughts.

"So, tell us about the album," Jennie encouraged.

At least this was something Emma was good at. She liked talking about her music. She just wished interviewers would focus on that more than on other aspects of her life. "It's um, it's a little different to what I've done in the past," she admitted. "It feels more mature than my last album, and I'm really proud of how it's turned out. For me, it's a musical representation of the changes I've been through since recording Wake Up Call."

"And you have the title track from the album releasing this Friday, with most experts predicting it will chart in the top three. How does that kind of support feel?"

"It never really stops feeling surreal," she chuckled. "I hate to admit this, but I'm the kind of music listener who only buys what interests me. So I purchase lots of singles and very few albums from my favorite acts. I hardly ever pre-order anything. Knowing that I have fans who believe so much in me that they're willing to place pre-orders before they've even heard the music, is just astounding. I feel really lucky to have so many wonderful people in my corner."

"That truly does sound overwhelming," Jennie chimed in, although Emma assumed that the woman had no idea how astounding and humbling that kind of support could be. "Are you doing anything over the weekend to celebrate, assuming that the track does chart well?"

Emma laughed a little awkwardly. In the past, her team had insisted on throwing parties for her to celebrate landing the Billboard top spot. But this time around, nobody had suggested any kind of celebration, and Emma wasn't in the mood to create her own. "No, not this time," she replied diplomatically. "We're preparing for a world tour, so most of our efforts have been focused on making that as fantastic as it possibly can be."

"Of course. You're beginning that in May, right? Tell us a little more about what we can expect to see."

These were the types of questions Emma much preferred to answer. While she had a whole team of people who were busy planning the tour to perfection, she had been involved in every single stage of that process, and she knew it well. Performing on stage, while terrifying, was also electrifying. It was her favorite part of her job, unlike the countless repetitive interviews she was expected to give.

"Yes, our first date is the eighth of May, in Glendale. From there we have fifty-eight dates spanning North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, ending in November in New Zealand. A lot of work has gone into the shows, so we really hope the fans enjoy them as much as we've enjoyed preparing for them."

"Doing that many shows, does it ever get boring or lonely?" Jennie pressed.

Emma chewed on her bottom lip for a moment as she thought through her answer, before she gave it. "It never gets boring. Even though the set list is the same for each show, every one is different. The fans all give each stadium a different feel and atmosphere to perform in. That's what I love most about the tours. You never really know what's gonna happen until you're up on that stage. Of course, there are always moments where you feel lonely. I think that applies to every human being, regardless of what they're doing in life. But I'm blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful team of people who help keep me from feeling too homesick. And I enjoy travelling, so that's an added bonus to the tours for me."

"Of course."

Jennie nodded her head as if she could possibly understand what performing to hundreds of thousands of people felt like. Emma doubted that her comfortable job as a talk-show host, based in a television studio, felt anywhere near the same way.

"Before we let you go, I just have to ask… is there anyone special in your life right now?"

Emma had known the question was coming, even though it wasn't on the preapproved list. It had been asked at pretty much every interview she'd ever given, since splitting up with her ex, Graham. And while she and Graham had remained good friends, Emma wasn't at all interested in getting back together with him the way the media seemed to be.

"Nope. Not right now." She fixed what she hoped was a pleasant smile onto her face, as she explained, "With the release and tour dates fast approaching, I don't have time to eat some days, let alone to date anybody new. I just want to focus on my career right now. When I meet the right person, I'm sure it will be at the right time."

"Well, that's about all we have time for today. Thanks for joining us, Emma. I know you have a busy day ahead of you." Jennie turned her attention back to the camera in front of her, reeling off the information about Emma's album release and tour dates, before giving a quick rundown on what was left for the program.

Emma waited patiently until the director called cut on their section before making her escape as calmly as she possibly could.

"That went well," Ariel told her, handing over a bottle of water for Emma to take a sip from.

God how she wished it was vodka.

"The fans outside are waiting to see you, so we'll stop there for a moment so you can sign and take a few pictures, and then it's off to the next appointment."

Emma swallowed back everything left in the bottle, hoping that if she pretended hard enough that it was something stronger, it would give her the confidence to face those fans like she used to. Because right then, she couldn't stop wondering if one of them was out there killing people in her name.

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