Dark Illusion: A Psychological Thriller Novel

by Moison, Dana V.

  Gloria hadn’t come back to see her at the hospital, not even once. Actually, even after Kelly had returned home, the two acted as strangers. Kelly’s mother had never again asked her to deliver her famous oatmeal cookies to Gloria’s house.

  After she’d moved to the East Coast, Kelly thought she would be able to put the past behind her. She’d risen to the top using her talent and tenacity, but Gloria had soared even higher, and received infinite fame and admiration thanks to her looks alone. Some things never change, Kelly thought bitterly. She had been so naive as to think that if she would only ignore Gloria’s existence, then she could overcome what that bitch had done to her – but twenty years had passed and she still had not forgotten. She couldn’t, nor wouldn’t, let her get away with it.

  If only Vicky knew what she was about to do today, she would be so proud.

  CHAPTER 44

  Rob and Sharon could finally see the little lodge at a distance. Sharon was fiddling with the car window, raising and lowering it, up and down, over and over.

  Soon this whole nightmare will be over . . .

  “You’re driving me nuts!“ Rob exclaimed.

  “Welcome to the club. If you spent one minute inside my head, not only would you open the window, you’d jump through it, too!“

  Rob did not attempt to argue. He could not imagine what it would feel like to be chasing after the person who had nearly shot you dead.

  Well, almost.

  “Hang in there, we’re getting closer.“

  A few minutes later, they’d already parked on the dirt road behind the decorated wooden structure. They crossed the front porch that looked out over the green landscape, heading straight to the doorway.

  “After you,“ Rob gestured with his hand.

  Sharon knocked firmly on the door. Her patience was about to run out.

  The door was opened by a young, amiable woman who welcomed them inside.

  “Hello, how may I help you?“

  “Where is Gloria McIntyre?“ Sharon demanded.

  “Excuse me? Who are you?“ she asked in a slightly agitated tone.

  Sharon had officially run out of patience. “Listen to me, it’s a matter of life and death–“

  “New York Police Department,“ Rob intervened and presented the woman with his badge. “It’s an urgent matter. We would appreciate your cooperation.“

  Libby’s face turned pale. “Tom, get over here! It’s urgent!“ she called to her husband.

  “So where’s Gloria?“ Sharon repeated, this time a bit louder.

  “I’m sorry. She’s already left.“

  * * *

  How many hours can you be stuck in a car? Gloria wondered. Luckily for her, Andy was with her, and even better, he was the one driving.

  “I know that my preference not to drive is fulfilling every chauvinistic expectation out there, but I really don’t understand what’s so fun about it.“

  “That’s why opposites attract,“ he laughed. Andy, unlike Gloria, loved the feeling of the wheel in his hands.

  “Really? What else are we opposites at?“

  “I like being behind the camera and you love being in front of it,“ he suggested.

  “Is that all you’ve got? Lame!“

  “I’m a glutton and you’re always watching your weight. You’re an exercise freak and I’m a PlayStation addict. I love hiking and you’re a city girl.“

  Gloria turned to Andy and smiled.

  “I’m young and you’re . . .“

  “Don’t you dare finish that sentence!“ she exclaimed.

  “You wanted me to tell you what else we’re opposites at, no?“

  Gloria turned away from Andy and gazed out the window. “Okay, fine, you win,“ she surrendered. “I’ll just have to take your word for it.“

  * * *

  “What do you mean she’s already left? Where to?“ Sharon demanded.

  “She and Andy left a while ago for a meeting with their editor. I think her name is Kelly.“

  Sharon fists clenched. We’re too late.

  “Do you have, by any chance, a phone number where we can reach them, or the address where they’re headed? Anything will help.“ Rob took command as he noticed that the stress from the last few days had started to take its toll on Sharon.

  Tom entered the room. “What is going on in here?“

  “It’s the police. They are looking for Gloria. They say it’s a matter of life and death!“

  “Do you happen to have the address where Gloria and Andy are headed?“ Rob asked again.

  “No. But maybe Arthur, her agent, does. Could you please explain to us what’s going on here?“

  “I can’t specify, but we have reason to believe that Gloria McIntyre’s life is in danger.“

  “I’ll go get Arthur,“ Tom said as he ran upstairs.

  * * *

  In less than an hour they would arrive at Kelly Danes’ house. Gloria was thirsty for a nice glass of wine and some news from the outer world. This had been the longest period of time she had spent without her cell phone. Somehow, Andy made it look insignificant.

  Too bad she hadn’t met him sooner; her phone bill could have been dramatically reduced.

  “Hey, you’re up?“ Andy asked, stroking Gloria’s hair with one hand, while the other one remained steady on the wheel.

  “Yes. I was just daydreaming,“ she smiled.

  “Are you hungry? We can stop somewhere and grab a bite to eat.“

  “No, never mind. We’ll probably have dinner with Kelly after we finish reviewing the pictures.“

  “Are you sure you can last until then? It will take a few good hours.“

  “I’m good at delaying gratification,“ Gloria boasted.

  “Oh really? I wouldn’t brag about it, if I were you.“

  “You would have already stuffed your head into an extra-large bucket of fried chicken if you were me.“

  “Probably,“ Andy flashed his dimpled smile.

  “God forbid. You are so unhealthy. I’ll have to teach you how to eat right,“ Gloria chided.

  “My mom has been trying to do the same thing for the last twenty-five years. I still won’t touch Brussels sprouts.“

  “They’re not that bad.“

  When you have to maintain flat abs, you can’t afford to dismiss low-calorie food.

  “Come on, it’s just us now. They’re absolutely terrible,“ Andy complained.

  “Well, perhaps.“ A tiny smiled slipped out of her lips.

  “Could it be that I’m winning twice in a row? Watch out, Miss McIntyre.“

  “One more word and I’ll make sure that we eat Brussels sprouts with every meal!“

  “I don’t think that gourmet restaurants serve Brussels sprouts,“ he teased.

  “They do when your name is Gloria McIntyre, so perhaps you better watch out.“

  “. . . And what a knockout! The crowd is going wild for Raging McIntyre!“

  “You can be such a fool sometimes!“ Gloria laughed.

  “A fool in love.“

  The butterflies in Gloria’s stomach were fluttering.

  “Then I guess I’m quite the fool as well,“ she smiled.

  * * *

  Fifteen minutes after they had arrived, they turned back to their car and started over.

  The phone numbers Arthur had were the same ones they’d already tried calling and were still unreachable, but he had managed to provide them with priceless information: the current address of Miss Kelly Danes’ summer home.

  Ironically, Rob and Sharon had to drive back almost the entire route they’d already driven in order to get to their new destination. Sharon would have burst into laughter if she hadn’t already been on the verge of tears. It turned out that Gloria McIntyre, along with the photographer, Andy Swain, had left about an hour before Sharon and Rob arrived.

  We must have passed by them along the way, Sharon realized as she watched the curvy road leading them through the familiar view.

 
They had to pick up the pace. Rob slammed his foot down on the gas pedal in an effort to minimize the gap between them, but it still wasn’t enough to catch up with them.

  Sharon just hoped that it wouldn’t be too late.

  CHAPTER 45

  The red dot on the GPS display flickered as a constant reminder of where they were destined. As if they could forget.

  Once again, they had to be caged inside their rental car on their way to Kelly’s summer home. Rob may have transformed their small Toyota into a speedy race car, but time was against them, and they still faced another hour of driving.

  At least Rob can focus on driving, Sharon thought bitterly. She felt helpless, and she hadn’t felt that way since . . .

  Well, since Kelly had shot her and left her bleeding to death.

  I have to do something. I can’t go on like this.

  She took out her cell phone and dialed.

  “Who are you calling?“ Rob asked.

  Sharon ignored him. “Hello. Can I get Miranda Whitesporte’s number in Winslow, Arizona?“

  * * *

  The smooth wine slid down Kelly’s throat while she listened to classical music. She closed her eyes and gave in to the marvelous melodies that filled the room, and pictured herself at Carnegie Hall. Kelly felt as if she were on top of the world. Soon enough any remnant of her former loser self would be erased, and she would finally get her big win.

  Kelly looked around her. All of this splendor was nothing compared to what would transpire here in just a matter of time. She glanced at her expensive, custom-designed watch. The princess was running late, of course. She had not expected that the novice photographer would allow her to do so, but unfortunately she was well aware of the strong influence Gloria McIntyre possessed over others, especially if they belonged to the opposite sex.

  In the meantime, she could use the opportunity to unwind. She took another sip of wine and closed her eyes, relishing its rich flavor, when suddenly the doorbell interrupted her enjoyment. Now her eyes were wide open.

  You always had such perfect timing, Gloria . . .

  * * *

  Sharon was staring at her cell phone, unaware of Rob’s demanding looks. They were supposed to arrive in about half an hour, but she felt trapped in another time zone. Sharon could not believe how meaningful a twenty minute conversation could be. She was still trying to absorb all the details. Sharon felt as though after months of working to put together all the missing puzzle pieces, they had finally come together to form a clear picture.

  It had not been easy telling Miranda that her daughter was a murder suspect, and in order to clear her doubts, Sharon had told her about Kelly’s attempt to kill her. She had also revealed Kelly’s plan to go after none other than the international model Gloria McIntyre. She’d needed to make Miranda understand and cooperate as quickly as possible, and it worked. Rob, who had only heard bits and pieces of the conversation, did not understand what it was about.

  “Sharon, what’s going on?“ he demanded.

  She finally put the phone down and looked at him. “You are not going to believe this.“

  * * *

  “Hi, Kelly! I’m so sorry we’re a little late. It was a long drive and we got a bit lost along the way.“ Andy thought that in this case a little white lie would benefit everyone.

  “It’s not a big deal, really. It gave me a little more time to relax after my flight,“ Kelly smiled, giving off a fake warmth.

  “Hello, I’m Gloria McIn–“

  “Of course I know who you are, dear. Come in.“

  The couple followed Kelly into the lavish house.

  “You have a magnificent home,“ Andy gushed.

  “Thank you. Unfortunately, I don’t get to stay here very often. Working for the magazine doesn’t leave me much time for long vacations,“ Kelly smirked.

  Gloria felt herself detaching from the conversation for a moment. Although she had never met Kelly Danes before, there was something strangely familiar about her . . .

  The look in her eyes.

  “Excuse me, Kelly, have we met before?“

  Kelly froze. She was certain that the litany of plastic surgeries that she had suffered through had completely erased any resemblance of her former self.

  She forced a laugh and looked away, waving her hand nonchalantly. “I doubt it, darling, but you know how it is. You’ve probably seen me at one media event or another.“

  “Yes, perhaps.“ Gloria had the feeling that the renowned editor was trying to avoid a straight answer.

  Kelly kept smiling at her.

  It’s probably all in my head . . . she told herself and kept following Kelly through the house in slow steps.

  * * *

  Sharon told Rob everything she had just heard from Miranda Whitesporte, and in the process she tried to digest the astounding information herself.

  Kelly had found out that Gloria had sent her shady friends to mess with her at the carnival. She blamed Gloria for being admitted. After nearly two months in the psychiatric ward, Kelly had refused to stay in Winslow and decided to take off and start a new chapter in her life. Her parents ached for her so they hadn’t stopped her from leaving. Kelly’s best friend at the time, Vicky Hermont, was the only one who had visited her during those dark couple of months. She had even followed Kelly to New York in hopes of finding her, but Miranda had never heard from her daughter if they ever had met.

  Ever since her departure, Kelly had never returned to her hometown, not to visit her parents, not even when her father passed away a couple years ago. She had explained to her mother that she could not deal with the trauma. Actually, in the last few years, she hadn’t even bothered calling, but every now and then she would send letters or New York postcards describing her various successes in The Big Apple. It was like her past never existed. Kelly had refused to talk about what had happened and her mother had decided to respect her wishes. Miranda couldn't tell what exactly had transpired in that house of mirrors, the place where her daughter had been found bleeding, beaten, and covered in lacerations.

  Sharon wondered if Vicky Hermont could shed some light on this dark turn of events. If she and Kelly were close, she might be able to fill in the blanks where Miranda couldn’t. But it would take time to track her down, a luxury they did not have. The GPS alert informing they had arrived to their destination confirmed that.

  They had just arrived to the upscale neighborhood where Kelly’s mansion was located. There was a security guard standing at the entry gate, checking the entering vehicles.

  “Hello, where to?“

  “New York Police Department. Could you point us to Kelly Danes’ house? And hurry, please.“

  CHAPTER 46

  “Would you like something to drink? I bet you’ve had a long drive. I just opened an excellent bottle of wine that I picked up on my way here.“

  “Yes, we would love to,“ Andy replied, oblivious to Gloria’s cautious behavior.

  Kelly disappeared into the kitchen and returned after a few moments with two wine glasses. The bottle was already on the coffee table, along with her glass.

  “Thank you,“ Gloria said politely when Kelly poured the wine into her glass.

  “You’re welcome, dear,“ Kelly answered sweetly, staring at her. As their eyes locked, Gloria felt a sudden flinch.

  I’m positive I know her from somewhere, but from where?

  “Well, perhaps until the food gets here we can look at the photos?“ Kelly proposed.

  “Yeah, of course!“ Andy opened his laptop enthusiastically. “They aren’t fully processed yet; some of them were only taken yesterday. But they sure came out great.“ He looked at Gloria with adoring eyes. Kelly wanted to puke. She immediately recognized the lovesick puppy look in the photographer’s eyes. This loathsome woman did not deserve to be loved.

  Andy faced the laptop toward Kelly and browsed through the pictures slowly. They were breathtaking. Kelly wanted to smash the damn screen over Gloria’s head and kill
two birds with one stone.

  “Absolutely wonderful,“ she forced a smile. “I definitely see some photos with cover quality about them. I can almost picture it . . .“

  The last and final photo of Gloria McIntyre, who would never be beautiful ever again.

  “I’m so glad you like them. We all worked very hard for it. I also have printed copies that I can leave for you in the meantime.“

  “That would be great,“ Kelly tried to appear enthusiastic.

  “Of course I’ll have to edit the photos when I get back to New York, but even now, without any touch ups, you can see the potential. It was an amazing experience working with a professional like Gloria, you were right to insist on her.“

  Kelly nodded quietly. She felt she couldn’t let her lips fabricate yet another compliment.

  It’s time.

  “. . . And again, thank you so much for having us over,“ Andy continued.

  “Well, Actually, I had another reason for inviting you here. Especially you, Gloria.“ Kelly savored every syllable of her name, letting it roll off her tongue.

  Gloria stared at her with a surprised look.

  “After more than a decade in the journalism world, I have decided to return to my first passion, sculpting.“ Her lips finally pronounced the words she had practiced repeatedly in her mind, her cover story. “My work focuses mainly on sculpting the human body,“ she explained. “In fact, my last work was a statue of your image,“ Kelly turned to Gloria. “An old friend of mine who works at the Metropolitan Museum was very impressed with it and offered to present it this spring as part of a special exhibition examining the relationship between mass media and modern art.“

  “Really? Are you serious?“ Gloria was truly stunned, flattered, and bewildered all at once.