Being a Star (Isn't Easy)
Chapter Twenty-Four
THE NEXT MORNING
Everyone was crowded around in Ezra's hospital room, the doctor having just
left. The door opened and two men walked in. "I'm Detective Horath," said the
older of the two. Pointing to a short man with black hair, he added, "This is my
partner Detective Vallin. How are you this morning, Mister Standish?"
"Alright, thank you. Granted that everything heals, I should be returning home
in a few days. What can I do for you, Detectives?"
Detective Vallin spoke up. "We need to ask you a few questions." Ezra just
nodded, so Detective Vallin continued, "As you all know, we have the stalker,
Mister Fien, in custody."
Everyone in the room nodded, and Detective Horath picked up the talking. "Mister
Standish, do you know a Mister," opening a small black notebook Horath looked at
a page, "Carl Hinley?"
Ezra's forehead scrunched up as he tried to place the name. After a minute, it
came to him. "The producer? I met him a couple of times, right before the
attacks started. The first time was at a party, at Meg Ryan's house. We just
chatted for a few moments.
"The second time was at a premiere party for Vin Diesel's last movie. We talked.
He asked me out, but I turned him down. He wasn't my type, and something didn't
feel right. Why?"
Detective Vallin answered, "Mister Fein is saying that Mister Hinley hired him
to start stalking you. That Mister Hinley arranged for your bodyguards to not
help you out when you got mobbed at your last signing. They were each paid two
thousand dollars.
"He's claiming that he was paid ten-thousand dollars to arrange the attacks on
you, the threatening letters, etc. But, he said your tires getting shot out was
all his doing. That he fell in love with you and was trying to save you. That he
knows you love him, too, and wanted him to put you out of your misery."
Everyone in the room was shocked. "Misery! What misery? Ezra was fine until the
attacks started," said Josiah.
"Why? Why did Mister Hinley hire him to scare me? Was he supposed to kill me?"
asked Ezra.
Detective Horath sighed and nodded. "Yes. But, Mister Fein claims that he
couldn't. But, then, he realized that you would want him to. That you wanted to
be able to wait for him. Plus, he wouldn't collect all of his money until the
deal was complete.
"As for why Mister Hinley hired him, Mister Fein says that Hinley was obsessed
with you. That you pissed him off when you turned him down. He says that Hinley
sits for hours, just listening to your CDs and watching your movies. He said
that Hinley was a weird obsessive freak."
"Hinley's a weird obsessive freak? What about him?!" JD exclaimed.
"Ez, are you okay?" Vin asked his lover, who looked like he was in shock.
After a pause, Ezra gave a slight nod. "Yes. It's just a lot to take in. I mean,
it's not every day that one finds out that they have two CRAZY DAMN
STALKERS!"
"Ezra, you need to calm down," said Nathan who had noticed that Ezra's heart
rate was rapidly increasing.
Ezra glared at him, then took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry for my outburst."
"It's alright, Ezra. Anyone would freak out," said Buck.
Ezra gave him a slight smile in thanks, then looked at the two detectives. "What
happens now?"
"Well, we'll go and take Carl Hinley in for questioning, while we get a warrant
for his house. We have to find proof of what Fein is saying. But, off the
record, I think Hinley's guilty and he will be arrested."
"Can you let us know what happens?" asked Chris.
"Certainly," said Detective Vallin.
"We'll be going. Get some more rest, Mister Standish," said Detective Horath.
"Thank you, Detectives," said Ezra.
After the detectives left, Ezra shook his head in disbelief. "Carl Hinley. I
can't believe it. I felt that something was off with the man, one of the reasons
why I never worked in a movie that he produced, but I never dreamed that he was
this far gone."
"Nobody did," stated Inez.
Ezra nodded. "I just can't believe that everything happened just because I
turned down a date with the man."
"Well, at least you can say that you never do anything halfway," said
Chris.
"Yeah," chimed in Rain, "you ended up with two obsessed men. Most people only
have one."
Rain's comment did what she intended and broke the tension in the room. Everyone
looked at each other and burst into laughter, much to the curiosity of everyone
out in the hall.