Excerpt of Killing Kelly by Heather Graham

PROLOGUE

What was it about the night and the little places where secrets lurked that caused unease to stir in the human heart? It was the unknown, of course. Primeval fear. Something deep within human instinct that all of the civilization in the world could not change. Dr. Dana Sumter knew all about the psyche and the innate responses to stimuli. Yet she didn’t like it one bit that it was still dark when she returned, sliding her sleek Mercedes into the driveway. She started to hit the garage door opener, then remembered that she couldn’t park in the garage; she was refurbishing the house and the garage was filled with old furniture that would be picked up by a charity organization.

With a sigh, she simply parked. The engine now off, she was suddenly aware of more than the darkness. She heard the sounds of the day dawning. From somewhere far away, the shrill whine of an emergency vehicle’s siren mingled with the distant, deep bark of a large dog. There was a clattering and a screeching as alley cats fought somewhere. Then…just whispers in the shadows as the wind picked up slightly, then died down again. The sound was slightly ominous, like a deep, menacing breath…right down her spine.

Dana was irritated to be out at that time of the morning, irritated that she’d agreed to do the crack-of-dawn news show. Why had she? Oh, yes, her ratings had slipped because she’d come down rather hard against a womanizing drunkard. The switchboard at her daily syndicated show had gone off the light beam after that. But still, there had been complaints. A lot of people -- men, mainly -- calling in to say that she should be shot, or coming up with various other colorful phrases, all in the same vein.

She pulled down the visor mirror and studied her features. Good. Maybe her face was a little narrow, a little hard, but basically, for her age, she was sleek, professional, attractive. She lived carefully, didn’t smoke, seldom drank and exercised regularly. She gave a little sniff. She’d gotten a lot of flak the time she’d given the overweight housewife the advice to do something about herself. She knew that people had expected her to say that the husband was simply a louse for ignoring his wife. But on that occasion, she’d gone the other way, telling the woman to buy the South Beach Diet book, or do Atkins, or get thee to a gym! The phones had rung off the hooks with people calling in, raging that women were worthy of love no matter what their size. She’d done one of her best shows ever after that, saying that being worthy of love didn’t make it happen, that both men and women were responsible to keep themselves up.

However, despite the fact that she had definitely improved herself to an even greater degree, she’d still caught Harvey red-handed with a young thing half his age. But at least she’d had the self-respect to follow her own advice! Yes, she was swift and brutal. The best lawyers in town had helped her keep what was hers intact. He’d made his pixie mistress into a trophy wife -- until the trophy wife had discovered that, without Dana, good old Harvey didn’t have any money. And suddenly there was Harvey, out in the cold with his dick in his hand. When asked about her divorce, Dana was cool and calculated, saying that in any marriage there could come a time when both parties simply fell out of love. She forced herself to talk about her ex- husband with affection, as if they were still friends. She had survived the dissolution of her own marriage before the public eye with great esteem, maintaining that, despite the fact that their children were long grown, it was important to be friends for their sakes.

Friends, my ass! She never should have married. Men were all disloyal egoists who used women. She had simply learned to use them back. Even the one fiasco she had endured years ago in weakness was something she had turned to her advantage. And over and over again, at that!

Done with the introspection, she opened her car door, ready to head into her house. Yet she was surprised to still feel a faint sense of unease as she sat in her car. She lived in a gorgeous house on a well-lit main street in a very fashionable district of Westchester, New York. Even when it was midnight, or in the wee hours of the morning, cars went by constantly. She’d never felt in the least bit of danger, no matter what time she returned to or left her house. But now…

She looked into the rearview window, but saw nothing. Still, she waited.

Finally, feeling silly, she got out of the car and walked to her front door. But she couldn’t help looking over her shoulder. Then she chided herself. It was ridiculous for a grown woman to be afraid of shadows and the sound of leaves rustling in the summer breeze.

At the front door she paused and looked around again. This was odd, so odd. She felt the hairs at her nape standing on end. But there was nothing, no one.

Telling herself to stop being an idiot, she slipped her key into the lock and stepped in. Then she keyed in her number on the alarm pad as she started to close and lock the door. But the door wouldn’t close. She frowned, pressing at it. And that was when it burst back in upon her.

For a moment, she just stared, stunned, trying to fathom just what…who… Then she opened her mouth to scream as she launched for the alarm pad.

But it was too late.

Several thoughts went through her mind. It wasn’t ridiculous to be wary of shadows, of darkness, of little whispers of danger. She shouldn’t have been so mistrusting as to refuse to keep a live-in housekeeper. She should have been more careful about things she said…and did! She should have…

From somewhere far away she could hear her dog, Muffy, barking. Then, with a sudden squeaking sound, the barking was cut off -- just as every other noise and sensation faded away.

CHAPTER 1

“There’s only darkness…shadows… Kelly, remember that you start off confident, then begin to feel the menace of the night, of something not quite right,” Joe Penny directed.

“Four…three…”Grant Idle, the assistant director, mouthed the last two numbers in the countdown, his fingers raised. Kelly Trent could barely see him. Because it was supposed to be night, there were areas of pure darkness surrounding the intricately planned lighting. She knew, however, that beyond Grant, Joe and the camera, sound and lighting personnel, there was still something of a crowd. Matt Avery, one of her least favorite people in the world, was there with some of the other executives from Household Heaven, the giant mega-cleaning-product corporation that was the major sponsor behind the show. There were guests, friends of Joe Penny, as well as a few people her agent had brought.

Videotaping a popular soap opera was surely one of the strangest ventures in a world that was already strange. Sometimes the sets were closed. Other times it seemed as if they were having a party and anyone could attend. Usually they filmed in the studio; it was cost-effective to do so. Tonight, however, they were out at Hibiscus Point, a man-made private development where they had been all day, filming every exterior shot they could in a matter of hours.

They weren’t on anything that resembled a high-traffic public street, because the first houses hadn’t even been sold. In fact, many of the high-priced lots remained empty. And the property they were using was high on a hill, rather remote. Still, it seemed as if they were at a busy crossroads, though many of the cars and people hovering behind the cameras had nothing to do with the actual production. Kelly didn’t mind one way or the other. She’d been a part of this world for far too long to do anything other than go with the flow and, for the most part, enjoy herself. However, she did find it strange. The producers had put out a gag order regarding the shoot, so presumably, no one but those involved should have known that they would be working outside the studio. But given the number of people around, they might as well have posted an announcement in Billboard.

On cue, she exited the driver’s seat of the BMW parked in the driveway, decked to the nines as Marla Valentine. She allowed the car door to slam behind her. And though Marla was supposedly doing nothing more than returning to her home, she paused, adjusted her skirt and straightened her hair. After all, Marla was a Valentine. To the Valentines, appearance meant the world. She was one of the three redheaded sisters who ruled the valley, through scandal after scandal, affair after affair.

A few steps across dirt and she reached the tiled path to the door of the cliff-side bungalow. For a moment -- without batting an eye or displaying so much as a hint of a smile -- she felt a certain amusement. Marla Valentine should have been fair play for criticism just for the shoes she chose to wear. The stiletto heels weren’t so bad in the studio. But here, on location, they were murder themselves. She had to take great care with every step. First, because if she didn’t, she’d sink right into the earth, and then because they’d be as loud as an exploding bomb on the tile. But whatever Marla Valentine’s shoes, she reflected, she loved her job. Melodrama was simply fun, most of the time. Hard work, but fun. And when they finished here tonight, they were on a three week hiatus. Which didn’t actually mean she was off next week, though, for a number of the actors were going to be guests at a theme park for Soap Week.

She paused, just as she had been directed, and acted out a niggling feeling rising in Marla at the first hint of danger -- the slightest tightening of her brow, the faintest frown indicating that she was perplexed.

She looked ahead at the door. The front light, which should have been on, was off. And despite the camera lights, it seemed dark. There was the softest whisper of a breeze that night, just enough to ruffle the trees and give a strange, barely audible whistle to the air. She had to admit, she was having fun being Marla Valentine now. After many seasons in which Marla had been the nice sister, the shy sister, the used sister, she had developed a streak of nastiness that was pure entertainment. And now Marla was finally facing danger. She’d gotten very tough, so surely she would face it well and come back fighting.

Kelly took a step, then played up her character’s sense of unease. She squared her shoulders, as if she had put down the demons of hesitance and fear. She started walking again, keys in her hands. She wasn’t going to run away from her own front door. But then she paused, as if uncertain once again. From the corner of her eyes, she could see one cameraman moving around to her left, the other to her right. The focus was on her, then on the door, the bushes, the shadows…

Lights stung Kelly’s eyes for a moment, but Marla Valentine convinced herself that there was nothing there. Just as Kelly had been directed. Just as she had rehearsed.

She climbed the steps in her stiletto heels. Then, on cue, her attacker appeared from the shadow of the bushes to her right. Hugh Thompson was the ultimate pro. Stuntman for dozens of shows and movies, he was a solid six foot four. Tonight, he was clad in black from head to toe, a ski mask covering everything but his eyes, a black coat concealing the rest of his frame. Standing perfectly still, he might have been taken for a shadow.

She screamed. It was a damned good scream, she reflected ruefully, but then, in truth, his appearance was rather frightening. He lunged for her and she spun around. Though they were often able to do their takes without so much as a run-through, they had rehearsed this scene several times. She didn’t come straight down the steps, but headed for the mound of earth on the side.

Hugh should have caught her. And she should have been there to catch. Instead, the pile of earth gave way. To her astonishment, she had no footing whatsoever. In sneakers, she might have had a chance. But in the stiletto heels, she went down. And with nothing to stop her, she began to roll.

For a moment, pure panic seized Kelly. The house was on a cliff. If she kept rolling and rolling… She was vaguely aware of screams coming from the rest of the cast and crew. Hugh was shouting. They all seemed very far away. Dirt and grass were tearing at her. She felt a sharp pain as her elbow hit something, then her knee. She saw a branch and made a mad grasp for it. The rough limb burned her palms, but she held fast. Her impetus halted, she was able to inch along and catch hold of the tree with the low- hanging branch. One of the stiletto heels was already gone. She kicked off the other and struggled to her feet. Turning around, she saw the edge of the cliff, not very far away at all, deceptive in the darkness. Her knees nearly gave on her again. Her fear was so deep that it truly seemed her heart leaped to her throat and a chill weakened the length of her body. Sheer physical reaction to the manner of her near-death raked her limbs.

Hugh Thompson reached her first.

“Kelly!” Despite the knit ski mask, his voice boomed with concern.

“I’m fine!” she called quickly, shaking like a leaf.

He caught up to her and pulled her back toward the house, half lifting her. “Kelly, jeez!” he breathed.

“Hugh, please, put me down. I’m fine, really. I just don’t understand…that little mound by the porch was solid as rock before!”

“You can never trust the ground in California!” Hugh said, shaking his head. “Oh, man, Kelly, I about had a heart attack there, watching you go down!”

By then Joe Penny had reached them, his perfect silver hair nearly standing on end. He looked as white as a ghost.

“Kelly…Kelly!” He threw his arms around her, shaking. Camera and light crews followed him, along with people from costume and makeup, and the two extras with whom Marla Valentine had recently conversed.

“Joe, everyone, please, I’m fine. Of course, I must look like muddy hell, but hey, I can wash up!” Then she heard the sound of a siren and looked at Joe with concern. “Please tell me you didn’t call an ambulance!”

“Kelly, you might have been killed!” Joe said, shaking his head, his face still ashen. “My God, I went over all this myself. What on earth…?”

“Like Hugh says, it’s California!” Kelly said cheerfully.

“You’re bleeding,” Hugh said.

She looked down at her knee. “It’s just a scratch. Really, I’m fine.”

“You could be clamoring for workmen’s comp!” one of the extras called out, attempting a note of levity.

“A paid vacation in the Caribbean,” Hugh agreed lightly.

“But I’m fine!” she protested again. “Please, guys. Thank you all so much for your concern, but I’m not hurt!”

“Oh, my God, Kelly!” That came from Matt Avery, who had just made his way through the crowd surrounding her. She was glad that she wasn’t gasping for air -- she certainly wouldn’t have gotten any! And then…Matt.

He reached for her, drawing her into the shadow of his arms. Matt Avery was tall and good-looking, with a smooth manner, a deep, rich voice and an easy charm that attracted women of all ages. Women just tended to gravitate to him. But as he tilted her chin upward, she fought very hard not to let him hear the grinding of her teeth.

“Kelly, good God! Are you all right?”

She tried to extricate herself politely. “Please, please, everyone. I swear to you, I’m fine.”

“The ambulance is here,” Joe said firmly.

“But I don’t --”

“Kelly!” Her agent, Mel Alton, burst through the crowd then. She smiled because she knew that his concern was for her and not his ten percent.

“She’s getting into that ambulance!” Joe insisted.

“I’ll hop in with her,” Mel said tersely.

“Look, we can finish the scene --” Kelly tried.

“Are you crazy?” Joe demanded. “Kelly, you’re bleeding!” He hesitated. “Besides, the scene actually…well, what we’ve got on camera is amazing. But you! You’re getting checked out, and then you’re going home!”

“My knee is scratched!” she protested. “I don’t need to be checked out.”

“Kelly, we may not know what else is wrong right now. A doctor must see you,” Matt Avery said firmly.

“She could probably sue,” someone from the crowd muttered, and an uneasy silence followed.

Joe quickly managed a dry laugh. “Kelly, you’ll need to get checked out…for insurance purposes, all that.” He suddenly looked stricken. “I hope you’re all right! You’re due in Florida, at the theme park, on Tuesday!”

“I’ll be there,” Kelly said.

“Not if it jeopardizes your health!” Joe said.

She was fairly certain that he was sincere. Joe was a character. So were most of the people with whom she worked. Still, they’d been together a long time, and she believed that he did care about her.

Once again, Kelly tried to reassure everyone. “I’m fine.” But it didn’t seem to matter. The police had arrived along with the ambulance.

“Kelly, this is the way it has to go,” Joe said.

She knew that he was right. The show couldn’t afford a lawsuit, so the least minor accident required an investigation.

A gentle officer with graying hair and a kindly manner quizzed Kelly as she was seated in the ambulance. Mel hopped in with her. Like Joe, he was more than a co- worker. He was a friend, almost a father figure to her. He grinned, but looked a little worried.

“On the bright side, it will be in all the magazines,” he told her.

“The rags,” she said dryly.

“There is no such thing as --”

“Bad publicity, I know.”

“Miss, please lie down and relax,” the emergency medic said gently.

“But I’m fine. And whatever you do, please don’t put the siren on --”

But it blared, despite her protests.

Despite the obvious legal repercussions, Joe Penny wasn’t worried about the future of his show. After all, accidents happened. This one, however, was baffling. They’d chosen the place specifically for the cliff-top scenes. He’d been delighted to get the property for the price they’d paid for the day. He hadn’t been forced to pay travel bills to create the look of an island. Yes, they’d had to shuffle things around from the set -- the cameras, the lights, costumes, trailers -- but it had been a song compared to what they would have paid to find the right look on a Caribbean island. Everything had gone smoothly…until now.

The crowd had been dispersed. The officer in charge of the investigation, Ben Garrison, was a fellow with an easy manner that kept everyone calm. He and his men had asked dozens of questions of everyone involved, from the set director to the lighting personnel and camera crew. Even a few of the bystanders had been asked about what they’d seen. Waiting to speak with the officer himself, Joe suddenly groaned inwardly. He loved his show. It was a good show. It held its own in an ever-changing world -- and an ever-changing market.

He’d been through serious problems on the set before -- murder could definitely be considered a serious problem -- but the show had prevailed. And that was all in the past now.

He could feel himself sweating though the air was cool. As he waited, he stared at the house on the cliff, suddenly hating the edifice as if it had human qualities. Matt Avery walked up behind him.

“I don’t produce or direct,” Matt said quietly, “but we are vested in this show just as deeply as anyone else. And I have a suggestion, because this was one of the scariest ‘accidents’ I’ve ever had to witness.”

Joe turned to look at the man and forced a smile. The show had prevailed through its problems because of Household Heaven -- and the company’s advertising dollars. Matt Avery was the man with the power to say how Household Heaven would continue to spend those advertising dollars. And Matt was a businessman first and foremost -- and a very rich and powerful one at that.

“Your suggestion?” Joe asked, knowing what Avery was going to say. And understanding his concern.

“If it had been any other cast member, I might be inclined to think it was an accident,” Matt said.“ But it was Kelly who fell. She could have gone over that cliff. The very landscape that meant so much to us as a location could have killed her.”

“The police are investigating.”

“But you rehearsed that scene. Over and over.”

“Maybe that’s what dislodged the earth,” Joe mused.

“Maybe one of those hundreds -- or thousands -- of people sending in hate mail meant for Marla Valentine to die.”

“Matt! We kept this shoot hush-hush.”

“There was a crowd here tonight.”

Joe waved a hand in the air, looking around. Matt Avery and some of his crew had been invited. There was the fellow he’d met through another executive on the show who was looking to do a rock video. The guy in the shades was the rock star. And one of the cameramen had asked if his visiting sister could be there. As to the others…he didn’t know. No one had pushed forward out of the crowd. The curious and the fans that had gathered around had politely kept their places out on the street.

“Matt, Kelly is an actress,” he said.

“Yes, and one we care a lot about. Come on, Joe, you don’t want another scandal with this show.”

“Actually,” Joe said uneasily,“ scandal can be good. The audience thrives on who is doing what -- and who,” he added dryly.

“We’re not talking about the sex lives of the stars, here,” Matt said. “We’re talking lethal scandal, and I don’t believe you want any kind of that ugliness tingeing the show again. I know that I sure as hell don’t.”

“What are you saying?” Joe demanded.

“We’ve got to take care of Kelly.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Joe demanded.

“Well, Mel will have to be in on this, and Kelly’s manager also. But this is very serious. We have to work this out, for the sake of the show. And for Kelly, of course.”

Copyright © 2005 Heather Graham