Remember My Name Part 4

Elizabeth Sherwood stands still with fright, cluthing David Reardon's missing gold watch, that she had found lying on her bedroom floor. David is on the other side of her bedroom door, in possession of a gun. Elizabeth is terrified that she's locked in her appartment with someone that wants to kill her!

Slowly she moves towards her bedroon door and carefully turns the lock. Elizabeth feels momentarily safer knowing that at least David can't suddenly get into her bedroom. As she turns to move towards the bed her foot gets tangled in some clothing that the intruder had left lying on the floor. Suddenly she loses her balance and lands on the bedroom floor with a thud.

In the living room David hears the noise and calls out: "Elizabeth are you okay?"

For a moment Elizabeth hesitates before replying: "Yes I'm fine."

David is puzzled by the hestitation and calls again: "Are you sure? I heard a strange noise."

Elizabeth swallows hard, scared that David may be about to make his move. She puts her head in her hands not knowing what to do.

Concerned by the delay in response from his friend, David slowly moves closer to the bedroom door and calls out again: "Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth regains her composure and replies: "I'm fine David, really I am. Actually I was thinking that maybe I've blown this whole thing out of proportion. I shouldn't be asking you to stay the night. It's okay for you to go home. I'll be fine."

David doesn't understand the change in his friend. He worries that someone has actually got into her bedroom and is holding her at gunpoint making her say that she wants him to leave: "Well if you just come out so I can see that you are okay, then I'll leave."

Elizabeth becomes alarmed. She'd hoped David would just leave but now she realises that she's made him suspicious, which means he won't go. "No David it really is okay and I'd like you to leave."

Suddenly Elizabeth gasps with fear when she sees the handle on her bedroom door turning.

David hears the gasp and becomes even more concerned as he turns the door handle back and forth realising the door is locked: "Elizabeth I'm worried about you. Why is the door locked? I heard a thud and I just want to know that you are okay. Please open the door so I can see for myself."

Elizabeth rushes over to her bedside table and quickly picks up the phone that sits on the table. However as she places the receiver to her ear she can tell there's no dialling tone. After they'd phoned Lydia, David must have cut the phone lines some how.

Elizabeth frantically looks around her bedroom looking for another way to escape but she knows that the door is the only way in and out apart from maybe the window. Although she is on the 10th floor maybe she could escape down the fire escape. Quickly she moves towards the window and starts to open it.

David hears the noise and thinks the intruder is trying to take Elizabeth out of the window. He bangs on the door: "Elizabeth let me in right now, or I'll........"

Looking at the gun in his hand he continues: "I'll, shoot the door open. I just want to see that you're okay."

Elizabeth realises there's no way she can get out onto the fire escape and down before David shoots his way into the room. Suddenly she stops and shakes her head with the madness of the situation: "David, what are you doing? Why are you in my apartment? Why won't you leave me alone? How dare you threaten to shoot my bedroom open, I want you to leave!"

David is surprised by the tone of her voice and the questions: "I'm here to help you. I heard a noise and thought that you were being attacked and just want to see you're okay. You wanted my help, remember?"

Elizabeth shakes her head: "Yes I remember but I don't remember inviting you into my bedroom, so I want to know what you've been doing in here?"

David is confused: "What do you mean, what I've been doing in your bedroom? I've never been in your bedroom!"

Elizabeth laughs loudly: "Oh really, then what is your watch doing in here? I've just found it, the one with the inscription from your father. You'd lost it, remember? Well I've found it sticking out from under my bed!"

David is even more confused: "But how did my watch get into your bedroom?"

Elizabeth shouts: "Oh stop playing innocent David, this whole terror campaign is your doing, isn't it?"

David is shocked by his friends outburst and woundedly asks: "You think I've been doing this to you?"

Elizabeth is surprised by the hurt tone in David's voice and for a moment suspects she's made a mistake but then she remembers David is an actor and could easily be faking what he's feelings. However rather than acuse him again she just lists the facts: "Well you've lost your watch and it's mysteriously turned up in my bedroom. Explain that!"

David still feels hurt by Elizabeth's accusation and thinks for a moment: "Well I guess someone could have planted it there to make it look like it was me."

Elizabeth thinks for a second and realises that David's explanation could be true. Then she remembers that at the restaurant when she got the call, where no one was there, David was at the restaurant with her talking to Lydia so he couldn't have made the call. Elizabeth starts to feel like she's been foolish and jumped to all the wrong conclusions. Slowly she moves to the bedroom door and unlocks it. Turning the handle she slowly opens it and sees David sat on the sofa looking forlorne. Elizabeth hesitates: "Erm...."

David looks up at her, his face showing the hurt he feels by Elizabeth's accusations. Suddenly he stands up and walks past Elizabeth straight into her bedroom, looking around for any signs of an intruder.

Elizabeth is puzzled: "What are you doing?"

David sighs: "I'm looking for the intruder?"

Elizabeth is even more puzzled: "What intruder?"

David turns to look her directly in the eye:"The one that I thought must have you held at gunpoint forcing you to acuse me of trying to terrorise you, but I can see there's no one. So all those words were your own, no one was forcing you to acuse me. You really believe it!"

Elizabeth feels guilty and can tell this isn't David acting, this is him really feeling hurt. She quickly apologises: "I'm sorry David.... I guess... this whole situation has me on edge. When I found your watch, I just assumed that you must have been in my room and dropped it there. I guess I put one and two together...."

David interrupts angrily: "And what came up with Five!"

Elizabeth apologises: "I'm sorry David, I really am. It's just...."

Again David interrupts and snaps: "What? It's just that you don't trust me?"

Elizabeth squirms: "Of course I trust you."

David laughs: "Oh yes I can see how much you trust me and how much our friendship means to you. At the first sign of trouble you think I'm the one terrorising you. Sending you notes, making phone calls, following you and threatening to kill you. You think I'm capable of those things?"

Elizabeth sighs: "Look I'm sorry okay. I don't know what else I can say. Momentarily the evidence pointed at you and I was scared. Do you know how it feels to have someone wilfully try to hurt you? To have someone threaten to kill you and have no idea why or even who they are?"

David shakes his head slowly: "No"

And Elizabeth continues: "Well it's terrifying. Totally terrifying and maybe I haven't been thinking rationally because of that but I am sorry. I really am."

David takes a deep breath: "Okay, well maybe I'd better go."

Elizabeth feels realived and nods in agreement.

David puts his gun back in his jacket pocket as he prepares to leave: "Are you gonna be okay?"

Elizabeth wants him to go but at the same time feels scared of being alone: "I hope so!"

David pauses for a moment: "Would you like me to drop you at Lydia's? I'm sure she'd be happy for you to spend the night there."

Elizabeth gives a weak smile: "Thank you, that sounds like a good idea and David?"

He turns to look at her again as she continues: "I really am sorry."

The next morning at Lydia Grant's appartment, Elizabeth stands in the kitchen talking on the phone.

Lydia walks in fresh from the shower, one towel wrapped around her body and another which she is using to dry her hair. As Elizabeth says thank you and hangs up the phone, Lydia asks: "Who was on the phone?"

Elizabeth replies:"Oh it was for me. It was Pierre from the restaurant, apparantly there is a production meeting today at midday, for the TV movie and they want everyone involved to attend."

Lydia nods until a thought strikes her: "How did they know to contact you here?"

Elizabeth shrugs: "I don't know I guess David must have told them, when they contacted him."

Lydia thinks the explanation sounds reasonable and asks: "What are you going to do about David?"

Elizabeth sighs: "Well, I guess I'll see him later at the meeting and grovel a little telling him how sorry I am."

Lydia laughs: "I'm sure he'll be fine now he's had time to think about it all, it was after all an honest mistake."

Elizabeth gives a weak smile: "I hope so."

They are interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. Lydia answers it: "Hello?"

The male voice on the line whispers threateninly: "There is no point in hiding, I know where you are!"

Lydia angrily snaps: "Well if you know so much you'll know that Lydia Grant, whom you're speaking to knows how to take care of herself and I've got the police tracing this call as we speak!"

Quickly the line goes dead and Lydia shakes her head frustradely.

Elizabeth is concerned: "What was that all about?"

Lydia looks at her: "Well Elizabeth, either I now have my own stalker or that was for you! He says he knows where you are!"

Elizabeth rubs her forehead with her hand and sighs: "But how could someone know I was here. There's only you, David and myself who know. Can you see why I thought it was David? There are all these little indicators that keep pointing to David."

Lydia isn't convinced: "Or they are trying to make it look like it's David to detract attention from themsleves. "

Elizabeth ponders: "So.. who ever it is also knows David?"

Lydia nods in agreement: "It certainly looks that way. What are you going to do today? Are you going to speak to the Police again?"

Elizabeth shrugs: "I don't really think there's any point. There isn't anything else I can tell them. No I think I'll go to the Library and try to get some work done. Hopefully it'll take my mind off things and then at the meeting I'll speak to my publishers about it all and ask them about organising some security."

Elizabeth can't believe what she is saying, security and body guards are for celebrities not ordinary people like her.

Lydia asks: "Do you want me to stay with you?"

Elizabeth shakes her head: "No I'll be okay, there will be plenty of people at the library. I just want to make things as normal as possible.

Lydia nods: "Okay well I'll just get dressed and I'll see you back here later?"

Elizabeth smiles: "Thank you."

Lydia sits in the teacher's lounge at the school of the arts, on a free period, telling Mrs Berg all about what has happened to Elizabeth.

Mrs Berg can't believe it: "Oh My, Who would want to do such a thing to Miss Sherwood?"

They are interrupted by David opening the door. He greets them and then turns to Lydia: "I don't suppose you're free for lunch are you? I need someone to talk to."

Lydia smiles, realising that David probably wants to talk about Elizabeth: "Sure, what time?"

David pauses for a moment: "Erm say midday?"

Lydia agrees: "Okay I'll see you at twelve."

David is just about to leave when Lydia suddenly remembers the production company meeting for Elizabeth's TV movie and asks: "David don't you have a meeting at twelve?"

David shakes his head: "No not that I know of!"

Lydia is puzzled: "It's just that Elizabeth had a call from Pierre saying he'd been asked by the production company to call people to tell them about the meeting. We assumed that you'd told him where Elizabeth was staying."

David again shakes his head: "I know nothing about it and haven't spoken to anyone about Elizabeth. You know it's probably my agent forgetting to tell me. I'll just use the phone in the lobby and give him a call to see what is going on."

As David leaves Lydia becomes concerned and turns to Mrs Berg: "I hope Elizabeth is okay?"

Mrs Bergs places her hand on Lydia's: "I'm sure she will be, Pierre is such a nice boy."

Lydia gives a weak smile.

Having finished at the Library where everything had been peaceful, Elizabeth decides to go back to her appartment to change ready for the meeting. As she steps out of the elevator, she smiles at two of her neighbours who are standing in the corridor chatting. As she walks down the corridor she sees a man standing outside her appartment with his back to her. From behind he seems to be middle aged and slightly over weight. She has the strange feeling that she knows who it is. The man drops something on the floor and bends down to pick it up. Elizabeth looks back down the corridor where her neighbours are still standing and slowly moves towards the stranger and calls out: "May I help you?"

The man is surprised by the voice and moving suddenly hits his head on the door. He calls out: "Ouch!"

Elizabeth notices on the floor is a red rose and a copy of her book which has fallen open. She can see hand written writing on the page and realises it's her own writing as she reads the dedication which reads: "To Quentin...." she realises that it is the book she signed for the strange teenager the other day but the man in front of her isn't the boy she signed the book for.

As the man turns around to face her Elizabeth's mouth falls open and her whole body goes cold with shock as she realises that she does in fact know the man outside her door. She calls out: "Mr Morloch? ... You're the one? You've been leaving the Roses?"

Quentin Morloch who had once been the vice principal at the school of the arts and Elizabeth's boss looks at her his faces reddens with embarrassment and he bends his head to avoid any further eye contact: "Gee... I guess you've caught me red handed!"

To be continued........

Part 5