Dark Illusion: A Psychological Thriller Novel (18 page)

“And I think I finally realize
what’s really going on here.“ Vicky narrowed her eyes at them. “I will
never
forgive you!“ She ran toward the exit and slammed the door shut.

                                
 * * *

After a few awkward moments Kelly broke the silence once
again.

“Listen, I’m sorry you had to . .
.“ She stopped, looking for the right words.

“Forget about it. It’s not your
fault the girl is
nuts
.“ Gloria contorted her face with distain.

Kelly felt a pinch at her heart.
Why did Gloria have to talk about Vicky that way?

“In any case, I’d better get
going,“ Gloria turned toward the exit.

“Do you really have to?“

“I think so,“ she said without
looking at Kelly. “It’s better for the both of us,“ Gloria added right before
she disappeared behind the door. That was the last time Kelly had ever seen
her.

Kelly had plummeted down and
leaned against one of the mirrors. She had remained alone in the empty space,
too exhausted to get up, not knowing how to fix the damage that she had caused.
She was deep in thought when she’d suddenly heard the unsettling sound of a
squeaky door.

Three large, dark figures walked
in, Jerry
Dunwood
and two of his bully friends.

“Hey, Whitesporte! What the hell
did you do to Gloria, you pathetic little lesbian?!“

“What are you talking about?“
Kelly was completely taken aback.

“We heard you tried to rape her
and that it was pure luck she got away from you.“ Jerry got closer and stood
right in front of Kelly, his bulky build casting its shadow over her. “Did you
really think you could pull off something like this and get away with it?“

Kelly was aghast. Fear consumed
her entire body. She remained fossilized at Jerry’s feet, staring at his large,
muddy shoes, just inches away from her. She felt cold perspiration beginning to
drip down her nape.

“Listen, you’re wrong. It’s just
a big misunderstanding,“ she tried to explain.

“No, you listen, bitch,“ he spat
out the words. “I don’t give a fuck about your sick fantasies, but if you ever
come near Gloria again, you’re dead. Sawed into pieces and scattered in the
sand. Is that
clear
?“

Kelly felt her body beginning to
shiver involuntarily, though it wasn't even the least bit cold. She could not
utter a word. She was absolutely petrified.

Jerry didn’t wait for an answer.
“You’re going to pay. Big time.“

“That’s a lie!“ Kelly mustered
enough courage to reply, her voice choked with horror.

“Don’t even try. I know it’s
true,
first hand
.“

I can’t believe Gloria sold me
out like this. How could she do this to me?

The three boys started closing in on her and she cringed
away from them. Kelly’s heart was pounding out of her chest. Her skin was glistening
with beads of cold sweat exuding from her pores. And then came the first punch,
followed by so many others. Kelly flinched when she relived the attack, the
heavy beating she endured while her ears picked out the curses and insults
slung at her from the incessant flow of words spewing from their mouths. It all
happened so fast and painfully slow at the same time, somewhere between an
endless nightmare and a sudden awakening to her tragic reality. Her body was
sprawled out on the filthy floor, waiting to be punished. For a moment, the
torment stopped.
Was it finally over?

Jerry picked Kelly up by the
shirt collar. “Do you really think you have the right to even go near her?“ She
felt his intoxicated breath condensing on her skin. “You’re so disgusting,
ugly, repulsive! It’s obvious why you’ve given up on men.“ He kicked her hard
in the crotch.

Kelly screamed in agony. Streams
of pain gushed out of her. Jerry kept kicking her, ignoring her cries, and invited
his friends to join him. They were merciless.

As the barrage of blows renewed,
her head spun from the overwhelming pain. The blows became stronger and
stronger. She was lost in a swirl of torment.

After what felt like eternity,
she was left discarded on the floor like a useless trash bag. Kelly’s body was
covered with a mix of mud and blood. Her mouth tasted like spew. She heard the
sounds of laughter drifting further away from her.

She remained all alone.

Kelly barely got up. She could
hardly breathe. Each breath of air ached.

She limped slowly, trying to
avoid the mirrors enveloping her. She did not want to look at them. She had
been mutated into a monster, a freak; no wonder everyone had abandoned her,
even Vicky.

She just wanted this feeling to
end, for all of this to be over.

She could not take it anymore.
The distorted figure looked at her from every angle, from every corner. She
felt her throat constrict.

She had to do something.

She slammed her body up against
the walls, spinning around in ecstasy, smashing the mirrors around her, feeling
fresh cuts form on her skin and drops of blood begin to spill. The pain was
cathartic.

She struck her head a third time.
She could no longer stand up. She fell to the floor and her eyes closed. A
sense of relief washed over her, a victorious smile spreading across her face.
Now she was ready to open her eyes and enjoy the sweet darkness that
encompassed her. No one would ridicule her anymore. No one could see her.

K
elly did not
know how long she had been lying on the floor in the house of mirrors, perhaps
a minute, perhaps an hour.

She had heard steps running
toward her, but could not open her eyes to see who it was. Kelly felt the
mirror shards being brushed away from her hand and the bandages being wrapped
around her wrists. Later on she had recognized the muffled sound of the siren
blare as she’d been rushed to the hospital, and then she had been dazzled by
the bright lights hanging above her as she’d been whisked down the hall to
Intensive Care.

Her next memory occurred a few
days afterwards. Although she was physically stable, Kelly wasn’t being
released from the hospital because she had been recommended to stay in the
psychiatric ward for further observation. That day she had been granted a visit
by someone special.

When she opened her eyes, she
immediately noticed the familiar face sitting by her bed.

“Vicky?“ she asked in a weak
voice, still dazed from the sedatives.

“Yes, honey. It’s me.“

“I thought that . . .“ Kelly felt
the dryness in her mouth impeding her words. “I thought that you’d never want
to see me ever again,“ she eventually completed the sentence.

“Do you really think I would
abandon my best friend?“ She squeezed Kelly’s hand.

Kelly smiled faintly. The last
few days had depleted her of all her strength.

“I can’t believe they did this to
you, those bastards.“ Vicky muttered the last two words angrily.

The already frail smile vanished
from Kelly’s face instantly.

“And to think it was all because
of that spoiled bitch . . .“

Kelly wheezed heavily. “What do
you mean?“ She felt short of breath. “Who?“

Vicky’s lips puckered as if
they’d let slip something that was not supposed to be told.

“Forget about it, honey. The most
important thing now is for you to get better.“

But she knew Kelly would not drop
it.

“No. I want to know what you’re
talking about.“ Kelly elevated herself to a sitting position.

Vicky helped her adjust the
pillow behind her back. “Okay,“ she caved. “I’m talking about Gloria McIntyre.“

“What does she have to do with
this?“ she insisted. Kelly’s last memory of Gloria was the image of her
graceful figure heading out the door.

“You really don’t get it, do
you?“ Vicky stared at her.

Kelly gazed back at Vicky, trying
to decipher her expression. It couldn’t be that all of this had happened
because of
Gloria
. Why would she do that to her? After they’d had a
heart to heart talk for the first time? Maybe Gloria wanted to get back at her
for trying to kiss her? No, that was way too brutal. Only a heartless person
would have done something like this in order to make a point.

“Well,“ Vicky took a deep breath.
“After I left the house of mirrors, I didn’t go straight home. I was waiting
for you, because I wanted us to patch things up. After a few minutes, I saw
Gloria storming out the door looking for something.
Or someone.
I saw
her running to Jerry, shouting and waving her hands. When I got closer, I heard
her telling him that you’d told her that he and his friends were a bunch of
jerks and that you’d tried to turn her against them.“

“Are you sure?“ Kelly may have
expressed her reservations about the shady gang, but it was nothing compared to
what Gloria had said about them. How could she tell them that, after she’d
confided in her? She thought she could trust her!

“Yes, and that’s not all.“ Vicky
gave her a meaningful look.

Kelly listened attentively.

“I heard Gloria blaming you for
trying to hit on her, saying that you forced her to stay and wouldn’t let her
leave.“

Kelly felt as if all the oxygen
had rushed out of her body in a split second, leaving her as a limp, lifeless
sack.

“Jerry was mad like I’d never
seen him before and said he’d take care of you. Gloria thanked him and gave him
a kiss on the cheek.“

She
thanked
him?

“That’s not true,“ Kelly sobbed. It
seemed as though all that was left in her body were thousands of tears.

“I’m sorry, honey. I really
didn’t want to have to tell you this. But I saw it with my own eyes.“

“No. No. No.“ Kelly felt as if
she were yelling with all her might, but what actually came out of her throat
was a weak shriek.

“Yes. Yes. Yes. I really am sorry
for you. But don’t you worry, I’ll take care of her,“ Vicky assured her.

Kelly thought she’d spotted a
glimpse of wickedness in her eyes when she said that. She started to get
worried.

“What are you going to do?“ she
asked hesitantly.

“I’ve made it clear to her that
she won’t get away with it,“ Vicky asserted. “She even had the audacity to come
visit you here, but I told your parents that this was all her fault and they
made sure to keep her away from you.“

Maybe she came to apologize?
Perhaps this was all a big misunderstanding?

“She probably came here to
threaten you not to tell anyone about this,“ Vicky commented, as if she could
hear Kelly’s thoughts, bursting her little bubble of hope.

“Yeah, I guess . . .“ The oxygen
still was not reaching her entire body. She struggled to breath.

The elegant woman sitting on the velvet sofa in her splendid
home still got goose bumps when she remembered that moment. The horrifying discovery
of Gloria’s betrayal had extinguished the little remaining hope left in her
sixteen-year-old self. That stage in her life was left vague in her memory. The
only thing that had helped her hold on was Vicky’s frequent visits.

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.

R
ob 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.