She Died Famous

by Kyle Rutkin

  The Blog of Kaleb Reed

  (Continued)

  The light of the chandelier reflected off the growing pool of red. Flashes of light lingered in my vision. The sound of the gunshot rang in my ear. Blood poured out of Barry’s mouth. Crimson stains flowed across the floor, running to the soles of my shoes. Barry keeled over, his eyes staring back at his killer. He opened his mouth to speak, gurgling. Behind the smoke of the gun barrel was a steady hand and blue determined eyes.

  Kelly stood proud as the final sliver of smoke faded into nothingness. A man stood next to her, dark hair, shaved head. Scar under his left eye. Noah Tash.

  “What the fuck, Kelly!” Noah screamed.

  Kelly stared at me; the gun still pointed at Barry. “I knew you would come.”

  More blood gushed out of Barry’s mouth.

  “You fucking bitch,” he slurred, clutching his bleeding stomach.

  “You will never hurt her like you hurt me,” Kelly shouted.

  She pulled the trigger again.

  POP.

  The recoil jerked her body back.

  Barry’s eyes went wide, and more blood poured from his mouth.

  Again.

  POP.

  Blood spattered. The bloated body landed on the marble with a thud.

  Barry was dead.

  Silence.

  Stillness.

  Noah paced with his hands atop his head. “What the fuck! You crazy bitch!” he shouted.

  Kelly gazed down at the body of her manager.

  Satisfaction.

  Remorse.

  Confusion.

  Her eyes were darkening.

  Finally, she looked up at me, grinned. “Kaleb, I’d like you to meet Noah.” She pointed the gun at him. “My treacherous ex-lover. I’ve invited him here tonight so he could watch our enemy fall. And what happens next is up to you, Kaleb.”

  “How long?” she asked Noah, her gun pointed at his chest. “How long were you sleeping with her?”

  “Get that fucking gun away from me,” he yelled.

  “It’s time for your atonement, Noah.”

  “Barry was right. You’re a crazy bitch!” Noah screamed. “Put it down.”

  Kelly cocked the hammer.

  Noah’s hands went up. “Fine. Fine. Okay. Fuck.” He took a deep breath. “After she came back from New York.”

  “Why?” Kelly asked through gritted teeth. “You could have chosen anyone. But you chose her.”

  Noah chuckled. “Wait, you don’t know?”

  “Know what?” The gun began to tremble in her grip. Blood was running across her shoes.

  “You still think I came to the investment dinner to find you, don’t you? Oh, Kelly, you were so obsessed with all this bullshit.” He pointed to me. “So obsessed with that twisted fucking book. You never saw your best friend double-crossing you.”

  Bob was moving around the room, his hat tilted low. He walked behind Noah, holding up his finger. “Listen. You need to know the truth.”

  Noah laughed. “Don’t you see? She sent me. Your precious Lizzy was the one who found me. She came to my club and asked me for my help. She paid me to go to the dinner and find you. To pretend like I had come to apologize. To start our relationship back up. She used me to get to you. Just like Barry. She wanted me to control you. Manipulate you. Force you to back off. All she cared about was protecting her precious little show. She didn’t care about you. She was protecting herself. She even knew about your mom. She and Barry were working together.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “But you know what?” Noah smiled, his certainty building. “I started to enjoy using you again. I liked watching you spiral downward. And I think you liked it too. Kill Barry for you? You think you’re worth it? I’m not like this crazy asshole.”

  The gun shook in Kelly’s hand.

  Noah paced around her. “You know, I only came up with the idea to sleep with Lizzy after you invited this asshole into your house. I wish I could say it was difficult.” He shook his head. “She was almost as easy as you were at sixteen. So naive. So innocent. Hopefully, she won’t turn out as batshit crazy and stubborn as you. She’s in the car right now, waiting for me.”

  Kelly’s eyes closed. A tear rolled down her cheek.

  Noah moved closer. “But it’s not too late,” he whispered.

  The gun lowered in her hands.

  “There you go, Kelly. Give me the gun. It’s not too late for us.”

  Bob moved closer to me. I glanced down at my gun on the floor. I could feel my hands start to pulse with power. “Steady, steady.”

  Noah moved closer to Kelly. “I know you still love me. I was your first. That’s why you won’t hurt me.” He was almost touching her.

  “Steady,” Bob said.

  Here it comes.

  Rage.

  Spots of red.

  Noah stopped, holding his hand out to her. “So what are you going to do?”

  A grin stretched across Kelly’s face. “What I planned, silly.”

  Noah took a step back, eyes wide.

  Kelly tossed me her gun.

  “This is my story, Noah. And in this version, there are two heroes. I’ve done my part. Now my solider will do his.” She nodded at me, then gazed back to Noah. “Lizzy won’t be safe until you’re gone as well.” She moved up the stair, then stopped, turned. “And you’re wrong,” she said, “you were hardly my first.”

  Noah and I locked eyes. Two predators in the wild. We both watched Kelly ascend the steps.

  “Don’t fall for her shit, man,” Noah said. “You’re a pawn. She’s using you. That’s what she does. You don’t think I got the same proposition? But I wouldn’t do it. That’s why she went out and found you.”

  “He couldn’t do it because he is weak.” Bob’s voice came from behind me. My finger curled around the trigger. “You’re stronger than him, Kaleb.”

  But I’ve been here before.

  “Finish this,” Bob ordered. “Do it now.”

  A scream rang out from upstairs.

  Noah met my gaze. “Kill me or save her.”

  “Do your fucking job,” Bob shouted. “She gave you a chance at redemption.”

  Music began playing upstairs.

  I aimed the gun at Noah’s heart.

  I wanted this.

  I wanted him to pay.

  “Pull the trigger.”

  I closed my eyes.

  Kelly screamed again.

  My eyes jolted open. My gaze moved up to the tower. A sudden force struck me. Noah pinned me down. The gun flew out of my hands. We wrestled, rolling through puddles of blood. I put my hands on his neck, squeezed. His forehead smashed into my nose. I released. He grabbed me, flipped me over. He was choking me, his eyes full of rage. My own reflection staring back. Kelly screamed again. I looked up. Noah’s hands still wrapped around my throat.

  Then I saw her.

  A thin blonde girl, slowly climbing he steps. Lizzy was going to the tower.

  Jez: Lizzy and Noah were careless. I caught them kissing outside her house. Do you want to see the pictures?

  Lizzy: I had to do something. One day Kelly was going to regret destroying her legacy. Yes, that included her best friend’s career. That’s why I messaged Noah. I sent him to that investment dinner.

  Jez: There was no satisfaction in showing Kelly the photos. But she handled it with such grace. As she cried, she told me that AJ must have felt the same way. It was poetic how she said it. How strong AJ must have been to watch the girl he loved return to the enemy every night—to watch Alice choose evil over love. And yet, AJ never gave up on her. His love was too strong. That’s when she turned to me and said, “I want to be that person.”

  Lizzy: Okay. Fine. I was jealous of her. Noah told me I was special. That I was just as beautiful as Kelly. I wanted to believe it. I wanted to believe that I was just as good as her. But it wasn’t true. He’s always loved Kelly. Everyone loves her. I will never be loved like that.
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br />   Jez: Kelly wrote, directed, and produced her final act. You see what she wanted you to see. The world is reading what she wanted you to read. She conquered death. Look what is happening! Look at the mania she ignited—a headline befitting of a real princess. Her final masterpiece.

  Lizzy: I was angry when Kelly texted Noah to come over. That’s why I went along. Then I saw Kaleb’s car pull up. I heard the gunshots.

  Jez: I was four hundred yards away from Kelly’s mansion that night, hiding in the bushes. Lizzy was so pathetic, cowering in Noah’s car, shaking. She winced when she heard the gunshot.

  Lizzy: You don’t think I’ve done this before? You don’t think I know what it’s like to walk in and see your best friend lying in a puddle of her own blood? To hold her pale, lifeless body? I know what that’s like, and I couldn’t go through that again. I couldn’t save her again. I just couldn’t.

  Jez: It wasn’t until the second gunshot that she opened the car door.

  Lizzy: I don’t remember leaving the car. I was under some spell, some enchantment. I don’t remember walking up those stairs. Or stepping over Barry’s body. I don’t remember walking past Noah and Kaleb. I just remember her screams. That music.

  Jez: I guess it comes down to—who do you believe?

  Lizzy: When I walked in the tower room, Kelly was cutting herself, screaming. She was gone. It was madness, and I was terrified. She just kept shrieking, asking God to give her gifts, slicing away at her flesh as her music played in the background. But then she saw me, and she stopped. She ran over and reached her hand out, blood dripping down. I flinched at her touch. I couldn’t help it. She scared me. But then something unexpected happened. She grabbed my hand with real strength, and for a second, there was clarity, and I saw my best friend. I saw her. The sweetest girl in the whole world. The one who took me under her wing on my very first day on set. My best friend. And with her hand in mine, she smiled and whispered. “It’s your time to shine, Lizzy.” Then she told me to go.

  Jez: Did Lizzy do it? Oh, that’s an interesting theory. It’s plausible. In her jealous rage, Lizzy finally snaps, shoving Kelly off the balcony. But I’m afraid I don’t know what actually happened in that tower, detective. Kelly wanted it this way.

  Lizzy: How can you even ask that? I didn’t push her. You have to believe me. But what I did was worse. Far worse.

  The Blog of Kaleb Reed

  (Continued)

  My head pounded from Noah’s fists. My shirt, my arms, my hands were all soaked in blood. Somewhere in the distance, sirens screamed. Noah released his hands from my throat. He glanced to the tower, then scampered away. I picked myself up off the bloody floor. Reached for the bannister. Stumbled up the steps. When I made it to the tower, familiar voices stopped me in my tracks.

  “What have you done?” Lizzy cried.

  “I did this for you,” Kelly’s voice was mumbled, muted.

  “You’re scaring me, Kelly.”

  “I did all this for you,” Kelly pleaded. “All for you. I love you, Lizzy.”

  “No. Stop.”

  “Stay by my side. Stay with me. I love you.”

  “No. I have to go,” Lizzy’s voice got louder. “I have to go.”

  “Lizzy, please,” Kelly cried. “I love you.”

  Lizzy ran from the tower, looking at me with frightened eyes. Blood covered her shirt and jacket. She didn’t speak. She was in shock. Her face was pale. Her body trembled. She ran past me without saying a word.

  I walked into the room. The song was on full blast. Kelly wasn’t on the bed. I went straight to the bathroom. There was a bloody knife on the floor. I picked it up, wheeled my head around. The curtain gently blew in the breeze. Soft sobs rang from the balcony. Her naked body was perched on the ledge. Kelly was staring at me, the night sky and stars behind her. There were gashes across her chest and her blue eyes were blank.

  But she was still alive.

  She put her hands around her exposed breasts, leaving red, bloody imprints on her skin. Whimpers. Soft tears. Her lips quivered. Blood dripped down her arm. Her hair was wild, thrown to the side. Her eyelids drooped. Her small body swayed back and forth. She was fading. But not gone. It wasn’t too late.

  “Come down, Kelly.”

  She didn’t respond.

  I reached out my hand. This was my chance to make amends. I couldn’t fail, not again.

  Her eyes opened, stopping me in my tracks.

  “Please, come down.”

  “I knew you’d come,” she managed to say through the hysteria. I could barely make out the words. “Write our story,” she whispered. “Free yourself.”

  “I’m not leaving without you.”

  “Please protect her,” she cried.

  “I will.” I inched my hand back toward her. “Come down.”

  “Make sure she’s okay,” she struggled to say. “Make sure she’s safe. Make sure evil doesn’t hurt her. Promise me, Kaleb. Promise me!” she screamed, sending knives into my gut. But I wouldn’t give up hope. I still believed we could fight this. Our story wasn’t over. The ending wasn’t set. We could be free.

  “I promise, Kelly. I can’t lose you, not you, not now.”

  Just for a second, her eyes flashed. Cobalt blue. I saw the real her. The one I loved. She whispered, “I told you I would break your heart.”

  She reached out for my hand. Our fingers touched, one last time. I tried to hang on. A small grin formed in the corner of her mouth. Her eyes closed. Hands folded into her chest.

  Darkness.

  The Real Kelly Trozzo

  TheInsideJuice.com Interview 2019

  TROZZO: May I ask you a question?

  INSIDEJUICE: Fire away.

  TROZZO: Notice the painting above us, a depiction of the tale of Andromeda. Usually, I like to ask people which one they identify with, the hero, the damsel, or the monster. But considering everything I’ve just shared with you, I’d like to ask, which one do you think I identify with?

  INSIDEJUICE: It’s hard to tell. I feel like you’ve contradicted yourself so many times.

  TROZZO: Exactly. That’s the beauty of all this…We are all complicated, broken creatures. I’m the damsel who submits to the monster. The princess who seduces the knight in shining armor. I’m the monster that lives within. The enemy that gives our champion a purpose. And I’m the hero that will rise above it all. The woman who will control her own destiny. The princess who slays her own beast. I will break the chains of the people I love. And because of that, I won’t be just another girl who died famous. My story will be written in the skies.

  The Real Alice

  New Mexico, 2015

  I picked up the gun off the warm dirt. The last ray of sun dripped away from the horizon. I stared at the edge of the cliff. Alice’s husband was gone forever. There was an emptiness. A hollowness in my soul. A void. My heart was still beating wildly. What do I do? Where do I go? A raspy voice rattled in my thoughts.

  Leave.

  My heartbeat slowed.

  Go.

  Where?

  Anywhere.

  I threw the gun into the ravine.

  The car door slammed.

  The open road.

  Find solace.

  Find the blank page.

  Write.

  Do something meaningful.

  Find me in the wilderness.

  I looked to the passenger seat. It was empty. I put my foot to the pedal and drove. I rolled down the windows. Mile after mile of desert.

  Go north.

  Further and further. I was going to a place I had always dreamed of. Eventually, my hands stopped shaking. My mind felt clear and lucid. Like something had fallen away. A strange sense of freedom. Temporary lightness. I had done it. Bob had honored his promise. He had left. He was gone.

  Or so I hoped.

  The Blog of Kaleb Reed

  (Continued)

  Three days after Kelly’s death. Detective Donaldson took a seat at the interrogation table. Defea
t was written on his tired, droopy face, his low sagging eyebrows. In a few minutes, my lawyer would arrive and our visit would end. They had no choice but to release me.

  He reached for his pack of cigarettes. It was empty.

  “Just my luck.” Donaldson shook his head. “You know after this, we can’t help you, Kaleb. I hate to say it, but you’re safer in here. You have no idea what’s happening out in the world. It’s madness.”

  I didn’t say a word.

  There was only one place I wanted to go.

  Into the abyss to finish Kelly’s masterpiece.

  “Oh well, you’ll find out soon enough.” Donaldson gave a half-grin. “You know, when I met you, I was certain we had our man. Covered in blood, shaking in your car, mumbling her name. I thought we caught a lucky break. Thought I’d crack you on the first night.”

  He looked off in the distance, thinking. “Oh well. Guess I’ll have to keep investigating, right?” He chuckled.

  I didn’t respond.

  He leaned back in his chair. “You know, I did some digging. Read an interesting missing person’s report about a man in New Mexico. Case remains unsolved. Local police didn’t seem to care too much. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

  I didn’t respond.

  “It’s funny. Your ex-girlfriend lived in that town with him for a bit. I got a hold of the transcripts when local police interviewed her. She was convincing. I’ll give her that. Her husband was a gambler, heavy drinker, couple of domestic abuse charges on his record. Who was going to miss him, right?”

  Donaldson smiled, picking up a copy of my book. “Man, you sure painted a picture in this thing. If Kelly Trozzo had never found it, I wonder if your dirty little secret would have surfaced.”