Fatal Identity

by Joanne Fluke

  “Beau?” Marcie called him back. “Will you be there when they shoot my screen test?”

  Beau shook his head. “I’d like to be, but it’s a closed set. Mr. Buchannan thought you’d be more comfortable that way.”

  “But that’s not true.” Marcie shook her head. “I always do better when I’m surrounded by friends. I’ll ask him if you can come. And you, too, Mrs. Delaney. If you’d like to, that is.”

  Rhea Delaney smiled. “I’d love to! And please call me Rhea. Every time someone calls me Mrs. Delaney, I look around for my mother-in-law. Now let’s see if that wig I styled is right for you.”

  It took only a few minutes, and Rhea Delaney was finished. She told Marcie she was perfect, took her to Beau, who agreed, and then she escorted Marcie back to her personal trailer where Elena Garvey, the costume designer, put the final touches on her costume.

  After everyone had left, Marcie sat down on the couch and tried her best to relax. She was very impressed with everyone she’d met. The members of the crew were courteous and very friendly. And when she’d asked, every one of them had given her tips on how to do the scene. Now the only person left to meet before her screen test was the director, David Edward Allen. He would give her his final instructions, and then she’d rehearse with Ashley Thorpe.

  Marcie was too nervous to sit for long, so she got up and paced. She looked like Mercedes, down to the finest detail, but could she actually be Mercedes?

  There was a knock on the door, and Marcie got up to answer it. David Edward Allen was here. She opened the door to invite him in, but the director stepped back so quickly, he almost fell down the step. Marcie stared at him in surprise, and he gave a sheepish grin.

  “Sorry. For a minute there, I thought . . .”

  “You were seeing a ghost?” Marcie smiled sympathetically. “That’s what Rhea said when she saw Beau’s makeup. And Elena thought the same thing. I’m sorry I startled you. Please come in, Mr. Allen.”

  The director stepped into the trailer. “Call me Dave. My full name’s too much of a mouthful. I only use it because there’s another David Allen in the biz. Let’s stick with Dave and Marcie, all right?”

  “That’s fine with me.” Marcie nodded.

  “You know, Marcie . . . the resemblance is really remarkable.” Dave took a seat on the sofa. “If you can just act, we’re home free.”

  Marcie nodded. “I’ll try, but I’ve never had any training. I promise I’ll do my best, Mr. Allen . . . I mean, Dave. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

  “Your attitude’s good, especially since you’re willing to take direction. You have no idea how many prima donnas there are out here. Let’s rehearse it one time, and see how you do. I’ll read your cues.”

  They rehearsed it, and after the scene was finished, Marcie sighed. She knew she hadn’t done her best. She was just too nervous. Then Dave gave her some instructions on body language and explained the motivation, and she tried it again. When she finished, he smiled.

  “That was a hundred percent better. No one’s expecting you to be perfect, Marcie. If we can keep you focused, you’ll do just fine.”

  “Maybe.” Marcie looked slightly dubious. “But I’m really nervous about the closed set. I know I’d do a lot better if I could have some friends watching me.”

  Dave looked surprised, and then he nodded. “I should have guessed it. Your sister was the same way. She always performed better in front of an audience.”

  “Then I can ask some people to come?”

  “Ask anyone you want. But they’ll have to get here fast. We’re shooting in twenty minutes.”

  “Oh, they’re already here.”

  “They are?” Dave frowned. “You’re really not supposed to bring anyone onto the lot without permission, Marcie. It’s a matter of security.”

  “Oh, I didn’t bring them. They work here. Beau LeTeure said he’d come if you’d let him. And Rhea Delaney, and Jolene Edwards, and Elena Garvey. They’ve been so nice to me, Dave! I just can’t believe how much they want me to succeed!”

  “That’s good, Marcie.” Dave picked up his script and headed for the door. “I’ll tell Jolene to invite them. You stay here and try to relax, and she’ll come to get you when it’s time.”

  Dave was grinning as he walked onto the soundstage. Marcie was charming. It was clear she had no idea what was at stake for the cast and crew of Summer Heat. Naturally, everyone was anxious for the picture to be completed. As the director, he was no exception. If they had to ditch Summer Heat, there would be no screen credits. And good screen credits were very important. They led to new and better jobs. For a moment, he’d almost blown it and told her that, but it was better to let her think that everyone was pulling for her because they liked her.

  “Yes, Mr. Allen?” Jolene hurried up when he beckoned to her.

  “Miss Calder wants you on the set during her test. You must have made a good impression.”

  “Oh, great!” Jolene looked excited. “She’s really nice, Mr. Allen. I’ll do anything I can to help her, if she gets the job.”

  Dave smiled. “We all will. Those screen credits are important. Right, Jolene?”

  “Yes, they are, Mr. Allen.” Jolene frowned slightly. “But that’s not the only reason. I really like her. The other Miss Calder was great, but I like this one even better. She treats me like I’m a real person.”

  “You’re not a real person?” Dave laughed.

  “Well, sure I am. But you know what I mean, don’t you, Mr. Allen?”

  “I think I do.” Dave nodded. He could tell that Jolene was utterly sincere. “I want you to round up Elena Garvey, Rhea Delaney, and Beau LeTeure. She specifically asked that they be there.”

  Jolene gave him a huge smile. “I just knew she’d like them! Remember how the other Miss Calder used to invite us all to the set? It’ll be just like old times, if she makes it. I probably shouldn’t ask this, but do you think she will?”

  Dave shrugged, and resisted the urge to cross his fingers for luck. He hadn’t done that since he was a kid, but he felt the need to do it now. “I hope so, Jolene. I really like her, too.”

  CHAPTER 8

  When Jolene knocked on the trailer door, Marcie almost jumped out of her skin, she was so nervous. She’d tried every technique she’d ever heard of, to try to relax. She’d stretched out on the bed and imagined gentle waves washing up on a sandy beach. That hadn’t worked at all, except to make her slightly seasick. Next she’d conjured up an image of her mother’s face, telling her that everything was going to turn out fine. But her mother had always told her everything would be fine, even when she knew it wouldn’t be.

  Marcie had moved from the bed to the couch, and visualized her sister’s face. But Mercedes’s image seemed to be pleading with her to do a good job, and that made Marcie even more nervous. So she’d thought about Brad, instead.

  When she’d left the screening room with Jolene, Brad had smiled at her in approval. But how would he react when he saw her in Mercedes’s makeup, and Mercedes’s wig, and Mercedes’s costume? Brad was just beginning to adjust to a life without the woman he’d loved. Would he experience the pain of loss all over again, when he saw her looking exactly like Mercedes?

  Switching her thoughts to the twins hadn’t helped much. Marcie knew how disappointed they’d be if she didn’t finish their mother’s film. If she flubbed her screen test, they would be very upset. They might even slip back into their depression again, and that would be awful!

  There was no sense worrying about it. Marcie had begun to pace the floor. Then she’d thought about Sam, and she’d smiled for the first time. Sam had absolutely no expectations, nothing to gain and nothing to lose. He said he liked her, and Marcie knew it was true. And she knew he’d still like her whether she landed the part, or not.

  But how about her job in Minnesota? How long could she expect the school board to wait for her return? There was a provision in her contract for compassionate leave, but was comple
ting her sister’s movie an act of compassion that the school board would accept? Assuming she landed the part, how many days would it take? The length of time was very important, and she hadn’t even asked!

  That brought up another important question. Did she really want to go back to teaching? Now that she was a wealthy woman, her choices had broadened. She could paint, or sculpt, or do anything she wanted, and she’d never have to worry about money. It was a freedom she’d never expected, and she wasn’t quite sure how to handle it.

  It was at that point in her train of disjoined thoughts that Jolene had knocked. Marcie hurried to open the door.

  “They’re ready for you, Miss Calder.”

  Marcie nodded. Her throat was too dry to speak, and she wondered whether she’d lost her voice. They were ready for her. But was she ready for them?

  Jolene sensed her fear, and she tried to put Marcie at ease. “It’ll be easy, Miss Calder. I just know you’ll be fantastic.”

  Marcie took a deep breath and marched down the steps of the trailer. She wanted to break away and run for the studio gates, but she couldn’t. She’d promised everyone, and she had to try.

  The first person she saw when she walked onto the set was Brad. He was standing in back of the row of directors’ chairs, talking to a man she’d seen at the memorial service. Marcie frowned slightly. She’d met so many people it was difficult to remember, but she was sure that the twins had identified him as Jerry Palmer, their mother’s agent.

  Jerry had a round, boyish face, clear, sparkling eyes, and a totally guileless smile. If he’d worn a velvet suit and a lace collar, he would have looked like Gainsborough’s Blue Boy. Mercedes had once commented on her agent’s boyish charm. Jerry Palmer was Brad’s age. They’d been classmates in college, but he looked much younger.

  “Marcie?” Brad called her over. “I’d like you to meet Jerry Palmer. He was Mercedes’s agent. Jerry, this is Marcie Calder.”

  It happened again. Jerry Palmer’s face turned pale, and he looked as if he were seeing a ghost. But he recovered quickly, and reached out to take her hand.

  “Miss Calder. You look exactly like Mercedes.”

  “That seems to be everyone’s reaction.” Marcie gave him a quick smile. “I’m glad to meet you, Mr. Palmer. I saw you at the memorial service, but we didn’t get the chance to talk.”

  Just then Sam motioned to her from the side of the set. “Marcie? Could I speak to you for a moment?”

  Marcie resisted the urge to give Jerry Palmer a pat on the head. He looked as innocent and nice as a puppy. “Sorry, I have to go. I hope you enjoy the screen test, Mr. Palmer. I’m not entirely sure I will.”

  Jerry Palmer laughed, and Marcie felt herself warm toward him. He seemed like a very nice man. She’d heard all the quips about Hollywood agents, that their hearts were calculators adding up the percentages, but Jerry Palmer seemed to be an exception. At the same time, there was something about him that seemed terribly sad, and she found herself feeling sorry for him without knowing why. Perhaps she’d ask Brad more about him. Mercedes had told her that Brad and Jerry had been close for years.

  “Yes, Sam?” Marcie hurried over to his side.

  “I just wanted to say good luck, and tell you you’d won.”

  Marcie was puzzled. “What did I win?”

  “That bet we didn’t quite get around to making. You look exactly like Mercedes.”

  Marcie smiled. “That’s the magic of Hollywood. Rosa would look like Mercedes if they’d spent as much time fixing her up.”

  “That’s doubtful. I noticed it before Hollywood worked its magic. When you came to my office, wearing her blue Chanel suit, you looked just like her.”

  Just then Jolene rushed up and tapped Marcie on the shoulder. “Miss Calder? They’re ready for a lighting check. And then I’ll take you to meet Ashley Thorpe for a final rehearsal.”

  Marcie was smiling as she went with Jolene. Sam had recognized the blue suit she’d borrowed from Mercedes. She’d been right in thinking that he was a very observant man.

  The lighting check didn’t take long. Tom Porter, the lighting supervisor, had Marcie sit on the couch in the exact position Mercedes had occupied in the film clip they’d seen. He’d taken one look, beamed from ear to ear, and declared that the original lighting worked. Reuben Lowe, the head cameraman, had agreed with him, and both men had wished her luck.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Jolene led her off the set and out to another huge Winnebago parked at the other side of the soundstage. “Mr. Thorpe thought you’d be more comfortable if you rehearsed your scene in his trailer. He’s really nice. Not like a big star at all. I just know you’ll like him.”

  Jolene tapped on the door, and the butterflies in Marcie’s stomach did a little dance as Ashley Thorpe answered her knock.

  “My God!” He stepped back in surprise. “They told me you looked like Mercedes, but you could be her clone!”

  Marcie smiled at him. “I am, in away. I’m her identical twin. And the makeup, costume, and wig help a lot.”

  “They certainly do! Come in and have a seat on the couch.” Ashley Thorpe led her into the trailer. “You can leave us, Jolene. I’ll bring Miss Calder to the set when we’re ready.”

  As Marcie followed him to the couch, she was thoroughly awed. Ashley Thorpe was even more handsome in person than he was on the screen. He was tall, with the body of an athlete. Muscles rippled under the light blue shirt he wore for their scene. His hair was the color of a field of wheat in the autumn sun, and it fell in a natural wave over his forehead. His light blue eyes were startling in a face tanned golden by the sun, and Marcie had all she could do not to giggle as she imagined her students’ reactions if they knew she was alone in a motor home with America’s favorite leading man.

  “Just relax, Marcie. This won’t be difficult at all. Did they show you the beginning of the scene?”

  Marcie nodded. “I saw it, Mr. Thorpe.”

  “Lee. That’s my real name. The publicity department tacked on the Ash. They decided Ashley would make me sound more romantic. So, what did you think of our scene?”

  Marcie sighed. “I thought you were wonderful. And so was Mercedes. I’m not an actress, Lee. I really don’t know how I can be my sister in the rest of that scene.”

  “That’s the key.” Ashley Thorpe smiled at her. “Just pretend you’re Mercedes. Think of what she’d do, and do it. Let’s go through it once, and see what happens.”

  Marcie took a deep breath. “I’ll try.”

  As they rehearsed the scene, Marcie did her best to act like Mercedes. And when they were finished, she was much more satisfied with her performance.

  “I think it’ll work.” Lee Thorpe smiled at her. “Remember, you love me, and you’re just beginning to suspect that I’m trying to kill you. You want to trust me completely, but you can’t quite do it. The doubts have been planted, and they’re there in the back of your mind, coloring every word you say, every action you take. But you know you could be imagining the whole thing. And you desperately don’t want me to know that you’re thinking these disloyal thoughts about me.”

  Lee took her through the scene once more, and this time Marcie knew she was better. His advice had helped. When they’d finished, Lee grinned at her.

  “Much better! You can do it, Marcie. You’ve convinced me, and I’m a hard case.”

  “Thank you, Lee.” Marcie smiled at him. “You really helped me a lot.”

  “Just remember to stay in character, and I’ll do my best to make you look good. Nobody expects you to be perfect, Marcie. You just have to convince them that you have a little raw talent. If you get the part, they’ll hire a whole army of coaches to help you.”

  Marcie nodded. And then she asked the question that had been bothering her. “Everybody I’ve met says they want me to get the part. And they’re all so helpful. Why is everyone being so nice to me, Lee?”

  “Mercedes told me you were the innocent type.” Lee grinned a
t her. “And she definitely had you pegged. Now, don’t get me wrong here. I’m sure everyone wishes you well. But there’s more than that at stake.”

  Marcie listened carefully as Lee explained how good screen credits led to future work, and how a good performance could lead to a nomination for an award. When he’d finished, Marcie sighed deeply.

  “I understand now. And Mercedes was right. I’m terribly innocent. I really thought people were being so nice because they liked me.”

  “That’s part of it.” Lee smiled at her. “Four people knocked at my door to tell me how nice you were. They like you already, Marcie. And they’ll absolutely adore you, if you get the part. Now let’s get out there and give it our best shot.”

  Marcie nodded and Lee led her out the door. As they walked to the soundstage and onto the set, she was in a state of near hysteria. How could she relax and give it her best shot, when people’s careers depended on her performance? It was impossible!

  Marcie knew she looked nervous as she sat down on the couch with Lee. As they waited for their cue to start the scene, Lee put his arm around Marcie and gave her a little hug. “Are you nervous?”

  “Scared is more like it.” Marcie took a deep breath. “I just hope I can do it, Lee.”

  “You’ll be fine. Just let your stage fright work for you. Throw yourself into the scene and let your fear give you extra energy. Remember you are Mercedes.”

  Marcie nodded and repeated it in her mind. She was her twin sister. She was Mercedes. If she could fool her Aunt Becky, she could certainly fool the people who didn’t know her well. And then the cameras were rolling, and Lee was giving her the first cue.

  Somehow she got through her first line. It was almost as if Mercedes had come back to take over her voice, and her body, and her actions. Marcie wasn’t playing this scene. It was Mercedes.

  He felt his mouth drop open, and he closed it quickly. He had to be careful not to be noticed, but it was hard to hide the joy that bubbled through his veins. She was back! His lost love was back. In a slightly different body, of course, but there she was, so close he could almost touch her.