Dark Illusion: A Psychological Thriller Novel

by Moison, Dana V.

  “Perhaps . . .“ she replied. “Let’s see if your little investigation was worth the price you are about to pay,“ Kelly smirked.

  “Do you really want to dig yourself into an even deeper hole by killing a cop?“ Sharon tried to approach Kelly’s voice of reason.

  “There’s nothing I can do. You went too far. You know too much.“

  “I guess you really have no boundaries, if you’re willing to kill an innocent person. But that’s exactly what you did to all those poor girls.“

  “Poor girls?“ Kelly snapped. “Believe me, they had it coming. Every single one of them deserved to die. If I could, I would kill them all over again, with pleasure.“ A smile formed on her dark red lips.

  Sharon caught a glimpse of the madness in Kelly’s eyes. Not that she needed further proof. She had to find a way to stall. That might be her only chance.

  “So why did they have it coming?“

  Kelly’s moment of glory had come. So far, she hadn’t been appreciated for her sacred work disposing of those vain, hollow sinners from this world. She’d had to keep her sweet secret hidden from everyone; but now she was facing a golden opportunity. The stupid cop would understand the mistake she had made before her inevitable death.

  “Sharon, are you familiar with the seven deadly sins?“ she asked in an odd serenity.

  “Sure, but what’s that got to do with it?“

  “Name them,“ Kelly commanded.

  Sharon raised an eyebrow. “Okay . . . Wrath, envy, lust, sloth, gluttony, pride, and greed.“

  “Do you know what the punishment is for committing such a sin?“

  “Death, if I’m not mistaken. But if that were really the case, then most of the world’s population would have been gone by now,“ she answered wryly.

  “Do you know which one is considered to be the deadliest sin of all?“ Kelly continued, ignoring Sharon’s witticisms.

  “I don’t know. Wrath? Pride? Envy? I never got around to really pondering it . . .“

  “H-u-b-r-i-s,“ Kelly enunciated, with each syllable slowly rolling off her tongue, like a whispering snake.

  “Ah, Okay . . .“ Sharon began to understand what Kelly was getting at.

  “Do you have any clue why it is the worst of all sins?“

  “Why don’t you tell me, Kelly?“

  “With pleasure,“ she released a wicked grin. “Oh, the primordial sin of pride. That unstoppable desire to be more than everyone else, wanting the entire world to orbit your existence, like you're the sun itself. Thinking you are the acme of perfection.“ Kelly’s tone of speech was borderline theatrical. “Unlike the other sins, the arrogant person fails to recognize their own faults and refuses to acknowledge the truth.“ She was entranced by her own words. “They are blind to themselves and to reality. Therefore, one whose sin is pride is like a dying patient with an incurable disease, their only possible resolution is death,“ she concluded.

  “But doesn’t it mean that the sinner would bring about their own self-destruction?“ Sharon tried to reason with her.

  “In today’s world, a world that’s cultivating an entire culture that worships Hubris, it seems like there’s a need for some ‘divine intervention.’ “

  Damn it, this woman thinks she’s God!

  Sharon could almost see the entire picture, but she needed Kelly to complete the final brush strokes.

  “So these girls you murdered . . .“

  “Were braggarts; narcissistic, hollow shells of human beings. There was no way to help them. Personally, I see it more as a mercy killing than an actual murder.“

  Sharon sighed in despair. I only wish that mercy could have been one of your virtues.

  Kelly began to detail the entire saga to Sharon, everything she had done in the last two years. The meeting with Mandy and the desire to teach her a lesson. The eruption of rage that had led to her death. The satisfaction she had felt from her illicit act and the urge to never stop. The way in which her actions had become more calculated and controlled, but just as pleasurable. That sense of purpose that accompanied each and every one of her killings. And, finally, exactly how she had taken the life of each girl and then brilliantly covered her tracks.

  “So that’s it? You’re going to kill beautiful, arrogant women until you get arrested?“ Sharon hadn’t expected the truth to be so bland.

  “No. You could say that until now I was just practicing for the real battle.“

  “What do you mean?“

  “I think it’s best that I don’t tell you. You know, considering the fact that you’re a cop and all . . .“

  “But you’re going to kill me no matter what, right? So at least before I die tell me what I couldn’t figure out myself.“ Sharon wouldn’t stop short of getting to the truth.

  “Hmm . . . You make a valid point. But don’t be too harsh on yourself; no one can compete with me. You certainly challenged me, though.“

  “Thanks . . .“ Sharon felt the taste of the bitter end in her mouth. Her own bitter end.

  “Do you know Gloria McIntyre?“ Kelly asked.

  “The model? Of course.“

  “I want her dead.“

  “Why?“

  “Slow, painful, inevitable death,“ Kelly went on, as if she hadn’t heard Sharon’s question. She closed her eyes for a brief moment. Sharon became vigilant and prepared to make a move.

  But almost instantly, Kelly opened her eyes wide, her hands still aiming the gun straight at Sharon’s heart.

  “. . . And that’s exactly what I’m about to do.“

  “And how exactly are you going to do that? I’m sure she’s surrounded by dozens of bodyguards. Why the hell would she let you go anywhere near her?“

  “Because I’m the Editor in Chief of a famous fashion magazine? I meet with models on a daily basis.“

  The awful truth hit Sharon. Kelly really had thought of every little detail.

  “But why her? I can understand how a supermodel might appear to be more conceited than the average beauty, but still, why are you risking everything just because of her?“

  Kelly’s gaze wondered elsewhere, somewhere far away from the tiny apartment in Downtown Manhattan, but immediately turned back to Sharon, who also had forgotten for a moment where she was while trying to connect the dots and tie them up together, like she had always done during those long nights she’d spent at her cluttered desk.

  “That’s a long story and our time is almost up. I still have a lot to do ahead of me.“

  “Do you really think that no one will figure out you killed me? Do you think my boss doesn’t know that I went to visit your mom in Arizona? You must have made some mistakes, left your fingerprints in the apartment, or something of the sort.“

  “Of course, I’ve left my fingerprints almost everywhere. I don’t care anymore. I just need to kill the bitch, and then they can do whatever they want with me.“

  “Well, isn’t that lovely. They will catch you before you get to her.“

  “That’s exactly why I made sure that she will be out of the country.“

  “What?“

  “Yes, indeed. I have arranged a campaign for her overseas. In moments like this, it pays off to be the Editor in Chief.“

  You have to admit, when the loony puts effort into something, she goes all the way . . .

  “Where is she?“ Even moments before her death, Sharon felt she had to crack this case, to fully understand it.

  “In Christchurch, New Zealand,“ Kelly smirked. “And do you know what this so-called campaign is about? Perfect Beauty! She had one last chance to save her life. She could have declined the offer, but, as predicted, she couldn’t resist the temptation.“

  What model would decline a campaign like that? Kelly was obviously blinded by the manipulations that she used to justify her wrongdoings.

  “Do you really think you can get on a flight before your name gets passed on to the authorities? After they see that you’re not at home, or in the office, the first th
ing they’ll do is head for the airport.“

  “That’s why I’m driving to Canada with piles of money. There’s an international airport in Vancouver that has direct flights to New Zealand. I have a fake passport and driver’s license that I bought almost a year ago, and I’m sure that any car dealership would be willing to trade in my Mercedes without much fuss. And, by the way, for the last few months I’ve made high, but not unusual, withdrawals of money, enough to last me for a lifetime, not including my bank accounts overseas. Let the United States government enjoy what’s left. It looks like they need it . . .“

  “I guess you’ve truly thought of everything.“

  “Absolutely. The only thing I hadn’t taken into consideration was a pesky, little cop that would dig too deep, but as you can see – that also worked itself out eventually.“ Kelly’s fingers tightened on the trigger.

  Sharon felt her heart pounding. She tried to exhale slowly, but her lungs felt drained and useless. She looked up at Kelly and forced herself to take a deep breath. She needed to stay focused. She had to stall Kelly until someone got here.

  “But why Gloria McIntyre?“ she asked again.

  Kelly did not answer.

  Sharon thought of the last few days that had led her to this moment. The meeting in Kelly’s fancy office when Kelly had offered Sharon her full cooperation. Her own stubbornness to keep on digging deeper and deeper. The decision to visit Kelly’s mother. Miranda’s slip about the mysterious trauma her little girl had suffered. Looking at the old family photos . . .

  Then she realized how Gloria was a part of the picture, literally.

  “You knew Gloria as a kid, didn't you?“ Sharon asked confidently, recalling the mysterious, yet familiar, character from the photos Miranda had shown her.

  Kelly froze. How could she know?

  “What happened back then? In 1990?“

  Kelly was mortified. No one was supposed to know about her deep, dark secret. The secret that had eventually made her into the woman she was today – a murderess.

  “How do you know?“ Kelly gasped. She almost felt herself being sucked back into the miserable day that had changed her life, but she stayed strong. She managed to hold back the uncontrollable tears that appeared every time she thought about that day.

  “What did she do to you?“ Sharon took a leap. She wasn’t really sure where she was going with this, but she noticed that it had an effect on Kelly. She could see it in her eyes.

  “Stop! Enough! That's it! I need to get out of here!“ Kelly screamed.

  It seemed as if Sharon had struck a nerve. She’d finally figured out where all of this madness was coming from.

  “What did she do to you that was so awful, that even twenty years later you’re so desperate for revenge?“

  Kelly gave her a lethal look. “It's time to say goodbye.“ She steadied her gun and aimed it at Sharon, her fingers still secured on the trigger.

  “Kelly, if you think this is going to be easy, you're wrong. All this time you’ve been telling yourself that you're killing bad people. Sinners. What will you say to convince yourself that it's okay to kill me?“

  “Sometimes the end justifies the means,“ Kelly tried to exude confidence, but deep inside she knew the cop was right. She knew Sharon Davis was a good person who did not deserve to die.

  A person whose only mistake had been getting too close to the truth.

  “Kelly, you know I'm innocent. Don't do this. You still have the chance to do the right thing,“ Sharon implored with glistening eyes, her voice not as steady as it had been earlier.

  “No, this is the right thing to do.“ Kelly tried to keep her voice calm. “This is what has to be done.“

  “Please, don't . . .“ Sharon's voice cracked. Tears glided down her cheek.

  “I'm sorry. There’s no other way,“ Kelly whispered. Her fingers tightened over the trigger.

  Sharon kept staring straight at her. Hurt, agonized, defeated.

  Kelly could not look at her anymore. She turned off the light, convincing herself that what happened in the dark was not real. The flickering city lights penetrated through the glass window and encircled Sharon’s silhouette in a dim gleam. Kelly aimed her gun again and fired.

  Sharon’s shriek pierced the air and made Kelly twitch. She lowered her gun but her hands were still locked on the trigger and felt clammy. A deathly silence took over the room; all she could hear was her own rapid breathing. The stench of the gun powder, mixed with the smell of blood and charred skin, made her nauseous. She had to get out of there, and she needed to hurry. Someone must have heard the shot and the police would get here soon only to find the lifeless body of Detective Davis.

  She carefully approached the slouched body, still seated upright in the chair. Imprisoned. Her shoulders slumped and head drooped down, suspended in a posture of eternal submission.

  “You were a worthy opponent, but it seems as though the better woman won,“ she said.

  Kelly walked outside and closed the door behind her.

  CHAPTER 27

  The photo shoot would end in less than three days, Andy realized, after which he and Gloria would be on their way to meet Kelly Danes. He assumed Kelly would expect to see some of the photos, and wanted to guarantee that they would come out spectacular. Andy hoped to impress her. After all, she had given him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

  At the end of each grueling day of shooting, he would examine the photos he had taken that day and select the ones that caught his eye. Afterwards, he would print the photos on a special printing paper he had brought with him. Although Andy would have preferred developing the pictures in the old fashioned way, for enhancing the photographs’ resolutions and shades, he felt that setting up a dark room in the middle of a secluded inn was a tad too zealous, even for him. So he settled for the printer instead. It would have spared him a lot of trouble if he had resolved to show Kelly the photos on the screen of his laptop, but he wanted her to have something tangible that could help her envision how they would look on the cover of her magazine.

  His double role, photographer by day and a photo developer by night, had left him with very few hours of sleep. But despite that, he hadn’t passed up a single chance to be with Gloria, even if he had to drink endless amounts of coffee to compensate. He wasn't afraid of hard work; on the contrary, it increased his drive to keep pushing harder - like a snowball rolling downhill, gaining momentum. And he loved every second of it.

  He still found it hard to believe that he was on the other side of the planet, photographing the most famous model on earth; in short, every photographer’s dream come true. The life he had lived just a few days ago, one that included a sloppy bachelor’s pad in New York and late night outings to gloomy pubs with his best friend Bill, who always tried to convince him to “forget these stupid artistic dreams and start focusing on making money!“ seemed so distant. He did not want to go back there. From here on out, he hoped that he would only move forward.

  Andy stared at the screen, trying to decide which photos were worthy of printing. His eyes landed on a photo in which Gloria was not even looking at the camera. It seemed as if she were grinning at someone outside of the frame, not one of those camera-ready smiles, but an authentic, loving beam.

  He found himself fascinated by the woman in the picture and wondered at heart who she was smiling at, what she was thinking, and how she was feeling. For a slight moment, he had even forgotten it was Gloria. He was simply curious to find out the story behind the photo; what was the tale of that candid moment that had been captured. Andy knew it might not have been the typical cover shot, but as far as he was concerned, it was, literally, picture perfect.

  When Andy returned to his room, holding in his hand the printed photo, he saw Gloria sneaking out of her room and stopping in front of his door, fixing her hair a moment before knocking. She turned her head, and when she noticed him watching her, a broad grin embellished her face.

  “Hey, what’s that in your hand?
Another photo from today?“

  “Yes, my favorite one so far.“

  “Talk about high expectations. Let me see.“

  Andy passed her the picture. Gloria’s face did not convey any expression of special admiration.

  “Nice photo. Isn’t it a little bit weird that I’m not looking at the camera?“

  “That’s my favorite thing about the picture.“

  “Really?“

  “Yes. It’s like a moment that was not supposed to be caught on camera had been captured. And we can only speculate but never truly know its true meaning. It’s intriguing.“

  Gloria looked at the photo again, trying to apprehend what she had missed at first glance.

  “Oh, I remember this!“ Her thoughts went to Arthur when their eyes locked on the set.

  “Come on, tell me! I’m still trying to unravel the mystery!“

  “Not telling you!“

  “Gloria, remember we talked about your teasing?“

  “Remember we agreed there was nothing you can do about it?“

  “Because you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?“

  “Watch it mister, or I’m going straight back to my room!“

  “Oh, I’m sorry . . . My mother did always remind me that I needed to respect my elders.“

  “Andy!“

  “Gloria . . .“

  “Oh, wait. You’ve got some . . .“ She reached a delicate hand and gently stroked his face.

  “What?“ Andy, distracted by her soft touch, looked into her eyes and smiled.

  “Milk left on the corner of your lip,“ she said triumphantly and turned the other way, so she would have the upper hand.

  “Gloria, wait,“ he ran after her, now used to the fact that she needed to be chased, and proved that she was worth the effort.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. I forgot my hearing aid in my room . . .“

  Andy grabbed her and held her close to him.

  “I wish that, at times, you chose not to hear all the nonsense coming out of my mouth,“ he whispered, “but I hope you can at least read my lips when I’m telling you I am madly in love with you.“