Dark Illusion: A Psychological Thriller Novel

by Moison, Dana V.

  But as the hours went by, Kelly felt it was not enough. The little imbecile must be punished.

  She had called Mandy that very same day and had offered her to model for next month’s issue of Inner Beauty, which would be featuring young and promising new discoveries in the modeling world. Kelly might have even said that she was so impressed with Mandy that she wanted her to be on the cover. Any reasonable person would have doubted such an exaggerated offer, but Mandy’s arrogance had triumphed over her reason, if she even had any, and she had immediately accepted it. After all, how could she have refused such an offer, when the alternative would have been working as a mere receptionist, away from the spotlight?

  Kelly had set up a meeting with Mandy at her townhouse, allegedly for a photo shoot in her basement studio. She had convinced Mandy to keep everything a secret so she could surprise her family and friends when they saw her photo on the cover at the local news stands.

  Actually, Kelly hadn’t planned to take Mandy’s life that night. She had only wanted to humiliate the young girl and crush her spirits, after which she would understand that she had no chance, ever, to model for her magazine – or any other for that matter. She had wanted to open this naive girl’s eyes to the bitter truth, but they had refused to do so; therefore, they would remain closed forever.

  Kelly remembered Mandy arriving at her house, dolled up from head to toe. How she had stepped inside, striding like a beauty queen, with her stiletto heels clicking on the hardwood floor. Click-click-click, to this day she could still hear clearly their hollow sound.

  Mandy had oozed confidence and fake charm, admiring Kelly’s home and complimenting her great taste. Kelly rolled her eyes inwardly: she couldn’t care less what this little brat thought of her decorating skills.

  Then Mandy had turned to Kelly and thanked her for making her dream come true. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had to spend yet another year working a desk job,” she’d spat out the last two words with disdain, oblivious to Kelly’s tense expression. She had worked her butt off to become Editor in Chief. That was her dream. But to Mandy it was nothing more than a springboard for getting what she really wanted. “In fact,” Mandy had continued, failing to notice her hostess growing hostility, “the real reason I applied for a job in Inner Beauty was to make connections in the fashion world and finally get my big break; I just never imagined it would happen so fast!” Her flawless grin had slapped Kelly right in the face. How could Mandy think that she could star on the cover of a famous magazine without any effort or audition, just like that? Kelly had felt her blood boiling and a storm raging inside of her. She had been so furious at this conceited girl for thinking that she deserved everything thanks to her looks alone.

  Kelly had wanted to change it.

  In a moment of unbridled fury, Kelly had erupted in rage and shoved Mandy with more force than she realized she possessed. Mandy’s head had hit the coffee table and she lost consciousness. Kelly had panicked for a few long moments, not knowing what to do, but then it dawned on her that she had a golden opportunity. She could finally get back at all the beauties who had looked down on her for years and barely acknowledged her existence. She could finally get back at her. She was calling the shots now, and she would not be ignored, not by the likes of her, starting with Mandy Sheldon.

  She dragged Mandy’s weakened body down the stairs leading to the isolated basement, with her body taking a hard blow on each step it pounded down. She had continued dragging her across the dusty, wooden floor of the studio, the same place Mandy had believed so naively she would perpetuate her beauty and start her new life as a model.

  That’s “pretty” ironic, she’d joked with herself as her eyes focused on the defenseless girl.

  Kelly had stopped once she stood in front of the only mirror in the studio, a huge mirror reaching all the way to the ceiling. She had begun to undress Mandy from her fancy clothes and roughly wiped the makeup off her face.

  “What are you worth without all of this, huh?” Kelly had asked the unconscious Mandy while yanking out her hair. But that hadn’t been enough. Her fingers had been tickling and wishing for more.

  She had begun to slowly scratch Mandy’s delicate face, and relished hearing the fainted girl’s moans of pain. Every time Mandy opened her eyes, Kelly had pounded her again until she blacked out. Kelly hadn’t known how she was going to get out of this trouble, or even if, but she didn’t really care. She knew she couldn’t let Mandy live, but she hadn’t been sure that she would actually be able to kill her.

  Perhaps the dark creature inside of her could.

  When Mandy had opened her eyes, Kelly was standing in front of her with a gun. She had pointed the pistol at Mandy with trembling, hesitating hands. Kelly felt the darkness overtaking her yet again, but she couldn't fight it: “Do you want to live?” Kelly had asked, her voice merely breaking. She’d almost wanted Mandy to say yes.

  Mandy had stared at her with a surprised, yet still terrified, look. She had opened her mouth, but then her eyes noticed her disfigured image in the mirror. She’d let out a shriek of pure fear. Instead of replying, she had begun to sob – tears of grief and bereavement for what was lost and could never be regained.

  “I have nothing left! Nothing to live for, you’ve killed everything that I was,” the stupid girl had replied.

  “Do you want to live?” Kelly had screamed at her.

  Mandy hesitated for a split second. Kelly hadn’t given her another chance. She pulled the trigger.

  Mandy had died almost instantly, but that hadn’t stopped Kelly from talking to her lifeless body, which was still warm.

  “It’s your fault you’re dead, not mine!” Kelly had slammed the words at her through tears of anger, shock, and fear, mixed with a little bit of elation. “I gave you a chance to live and you spat on it. You should have said yes. What kind of person waives their right to live?” she demanded. “If you had shown me that you had passion for anything else besides your phony cover, maybe I would have spared your life,” she tried to justify herself, “but you are hollow from within, empty of all substance and, therefore, not worthy of taking one more breath on this earth.” Kelly felt wickedness coursing through her veins and an evil smirk had appeared on her lips. “You got exactly what you deserved.”

  She had realized in that moment that she had unleashed a monster that had been lurking inside for nearly twenty years, and it would not surrender until the bitter end; there was no turning back. The fear and rage had morphed into total euphoria. It had been years since she had felt so alive, like she had on that seemingly far removed day in which her life had changed forever. She had tried to immerse herself in this heavenly feeling; but then the euphoria had begun to fade as panic and reason penetrated her mind and tainted her pure victory.

  She had to pull things together. Get the body out of her house. Erase any connection between her and the heinous, but oh so sweet, act that had been done here. She had thought almost instinctively about calling her mother, but she had burned that bridge a long time ago.

  When she was young, still an innocent girl, her mother used to help her sweep all of her mistakes under the carpet. But this had been no mistake. She wouldn’t tell a living soul; the pleasure was all hers, a dark secret that would never be known.

  Kelly had to act wisely and, just as important, quickly. She’d gone out and bought black trash bags, the biggest size available. Instinctively, she reached for her credit card but luckily had stopped herself in time and paid in cash. On the way back, she’d parked her car near the entrance and then sneaked back in, hoping that none of the neighbors had seen her. Kelly had shoved Mandy’s body into the big trash bag and started scrubbing the floor clean of blood stains. She couldn’t stand the sight of them. But first she had to get rid of the body.

  Late at night, she had left her house and started driving, not knowing specifically where. Miles away from her home, on the other side of town, she had seen a large dumpster. She had stealthil
y dragged the bag from her car and had managed to lift it up just enough to heave it onto the bed of smelly black bags amassed within. She had left in haste immediately afterwards, before anyone could have noticed her, as if she had never been there. She’d started the car and had driven away from there as fast as she could. Her heart had been racing as fast as her Mercedes.

  After driving for a while, she’d calmed down; a malicious joy had begun to pull aside the veil of uncertainty that had cloaked her beforehand.

  Mandy had indeed ended up exactly where she belonged – among garbage.

  Had this tragic stumble actually been a revelation of her new destiny? The sense of remorse had faded and was replaced by a feeling of fulfillment. Kelly had quickly realized that if she intended to pursue this, she needed to change her tactic. Act more carefully. Make sure she did not leave any trace of evidence that could lead back to her. Maybe Mandy’s death had been a crime of passion, but not anymore. From then on she had vowed to be cool and calculating, only acting with a strategic and precisely premeditated plan. Her composure, along with her roaring sensation of internal vengeance, had created the perfect killer: sophisticated, sharp, and ruthless.

  Kelly always acted according to the rules she had set for herself, never deviated from the plan she had so carefully woven and, therefore, never got caught. She smirked with satisfaction but then a slight crease of concern formed between her eyes. Her Achilles’ heel had been concealed in the first murder, in which she had not carefully calculated her steps. Now Kelly relished the panic she had created among all the beauties each time another victim was found; but the first time, when Mandy’s body had been discovered, Kelly’s blood had drained out of her heart all at once upon hearing the news.

  Apparently, and not very shockingly, a human body weighs much more than the average garbage bag.

  One of the garbage men had been curious to know what was inside of the big bag, which was suspiciously heavy, and had found the dead body of the former beauty. When the disfigured Jane Doe had turned out to be none other than the striking Mandy Sheldon, all the media channels had jumped on the story and had generated a media circus. Everyone had pressed the police to find the killer; after all, America’s beauties could not be exposed to such danger, Kelly had thought resentfully. She had prayed that the cops would not find a fingerprint or a strand of platinum blonde colored hair that would lead to her. God had somehow heard her prayers and nothing had been found.

  Sometimes Kelly wondered if things would have been blown up by the media to such grandiose proportions if the victims hadn’t been so beautiful. The bitter truth was obvious.

  Nowadays, Kelly eagerly waited for the disfigured bodies to be found. She already knew she would not get caught. That was her time of victory, despite the fact she wasn’t able to share it with anyone else. But there was something more. Kelly enjoyed the media frenzy very much, but the real icing on the cake was far beyond the public’s reach; that almost divine moment in which she relished the pure suffering and terror that spread on the former beauties faces as they looked at themselves for the first time in the mirror.

  CHAPTER 5

  After being stuck for twenty-two hours on the plane (of course, Gloria flew first class while Andy and Arthur settled for business class), they had arrived at the hotel (no less than five stars, needless to say) located in Christchurch, New Zealand. Gloria was a bit hazy from the flight and could not wait to take a long, rejuvenating bath.

  “Gloria, meet me in my room in one hour?”

  “Andy, it’s better not to mix business and pleasure,” she provoked him, although she wouldn’t have minded making this one an exception.

  “Don’t worry, I can promise you that it’s going to be strictly business,” he answered warily.

  “Impatient, huh? We just got here! Can’t it wait until noon? I need time to recover.” At her status, Gloria could afford this kind of behavior. If it had been someone else, she would have already been on her way back to New York. She knew very well that each minute spent was money down the drain.

  “I wanted you to come over and try on the outfits for the photo shoot, but if you prefer not to wear anything, that’s fine by me. This way we can really capture the true essence of beauty in its entire embodiment.” Andy sent her a teasing smile.

  “Tempting, but I think I’ll keep my clothes on for the camera. I’ll be there in an hour or two.”

  “One hour!” Andy called, though he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

  Two hours later, Andy heard Gloria’s knock on the door. She walked candidly into his room and lay on the edge of the bed, her short singlet revealing her shaped abs. Her hair emitted a sweet scent that filled the entire room.

  “You’re late,” Andy said.

  “Exactly as I told you earlier. I am very consistent that way,” Gloria flashed a perfect smile.

  Andy did not argue. He knew Gloria was not the type of person who was used to criticism. He ought to choose his battles and hold his tongue when necessary.

  And this was one of those moments that he’d better shut up.

  He watched her lying comfortably on his bed, gazing at the view out the window. After a few moments, she looked back at Andy and their eyes met. An awkward moment passed between them, and then Gloria rose at once and sat up straight, supposedly checking her reflection in the mirror. It was the first time he had seen her lower her eyes.

  “So where are the costumes?” she finally asked in a formal tone, renouncing any tension between them.

  “I’m way ahead of you,” he smiled and spread out three ravishing dresses on the bed beside her.

  Gloria tried them on, one by one. The first dress was a long, cherry-red strapless evening gown that made her look like a movie star. But not like one of those modern actresses, who appeared as though they were identical clones of each other; she looked as if she’d stepped right out of Hollywood’s golden age, reminiscent of a dark-haired Grace Kelly.

  The second one was a backless dress, in a shimmering light blue hue that accentuated the color of Gloria’s eyes and made her look mermaidesque, like she was the ocean’s incarnation on earth.

  But after she tried on the third dress, there was no doubt that it was the one. The nude color complemented Gloria’s fair skin, and the glistening gemstones embraced her perfect silhouette and made her shine. The fabric was so fine that it seemed like an inseparable layer of her body and encircled her with a celestial aura. She was surrounded by light and magic, like a mythical goddess, possessing a powerful magnetism of beauty and allure.

  “Wow!” Andy blurted. Gloria gave him a satisfied look. He felt as if he could gawk at her for hours, but at the same time he prayed she would change back into her jeans, so that he could maybe regain his focus on what they were here to do.

  Too late, all he could think about was the vision of Gloria in that dress.

  Before Gloria returned to her room, Andy stopped her. “Wait, there’s something I need to talk to you about before we start the photo shoot.”

  “Why do I have to keep being stuck with you in this room?” she complained and immediately felt angry at herself. After all, she did want to spend time with him, and right now she was ruining any chance of that happening.

  Change the situation immediately! she commanded herself.

  “. . . That is, when I can be stuck with you in a restaurant instead?” she added with her most charming smile. “I remember a great restaurant from my last visit to Christchurch, trust me. I’m exhausted, so we will talk about it tonight. I’ll meet you in the hotel lobby at seven thirty.” She left the room without waiting for an answer.

  Andy was slightly confused, but after he realized what had just happened, he simply smiled. Well, I’ll be damned.

  All of Gloria’s confidence wore off the second after she closed the door behind her. She just hoped she hadn’t made a fool of herself.

  * * *

  While they were waiting for the main courses, Andy was thinking tha
t Gloria was right, the restaurant really was great. It overlooked a peaceful, magical lake and had a warm and homey atmosphere, while still remaining very classy. They sat in the balcony where the whispers of nature blended with an old Sinatra song. The view was breathtaking.

  Even what was around Gloria didn't look so bad.

  He was surprised to discover that she was one of the most interesting people he had ever talked to, and he felt like they could continue talking all night long. Gloria told charming stories about her travels and proved to be genuinely cosmopolitan. She also shared with him insightful ideas that made her, at least in his eyes, the essence of sophistication. He wondered if having these feelings meant that he was crossing a certain line that could possibly affect his work later on, but he quickly realized he was not too eager to find out the answer.

  Unlike the many women who envied Gloria’s beauty, Andy believed it was actually a curse. After all, despite her being such a desirable woman, she was still single, he concluded. And it was as clear as day, even from the little time he had spent with her, that she could win anyone’s heart easily.

  Maybe even his.

  He presumed that her tough exterior had come out of necessity due to her high status, yet he was able to see past it, and found that she was sensitive and witty as well. He simply enjoyed her company. It was a shame that the men she had dated in the past were so dazzled by her looks, that they had failed to notice her inner beauty.

  The main courses arrived. Andy was sorry that now they would talk less and focus more on their food. He had a large lobster in a decadent cream sauce while Gloria had baked salmon and a green salad with no dressing on the side. The only thing they had in common was the bottle of Chardonnay.

  “Wow, you sure went wild!” Andy taunted when he saw her so-called dinner. At least in this aspect she fitted the model stereotype.