Fame (35 page)

“What happened to him?” The last time they talked, the afternoon at Pepperdine University, Dayne had guessed that her departure from acting had something to do with a guy. “Was he in the business?”

Katy hesitated. Then she told him about Tad and her going off to college and Tad’s success in film.

“Now that you mention it, I remember him. I think we met at a party once or twice.”

She didn’t look surprised. “So you knew about his death?”

Dayne squinted, trying to remember. Then the details came back to him. “Drug overdose, wasn’t that it?”

Katy nodded. The sun had set now, and darkness washed over the beach.

“The wild party life you talked about before.”

“Yep.” She rested her chin on her knee. “Poor Tad. He got in too deep and didn’t know how to get out.”

“I’m sorry.” The pieces were all coming together. Of course Katy had walked away from acting. She associated the loss of her boyfriend with what she perceived to be the Hollywood lifestyle. “He got caught up with the wrong crowd; that’s all.”

Dayne gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Not all of us are like that.”

“I know.” Her eyes still held the memory of sadness, but the corners of her lips lifted some. “That was a long time ago.”

The wind off the ocean was chillier now. Dayne stood and helped her to her feet.

“We better get you back to your hotel.” He wanted to ask her back to his house, sit beside her in his warm family room, and watch a movie. Maybe even her pilot.

But she wouldn’t go, not when they barely knew each other.

297

I KAREN KINGSBURY

“This was nice.” She looked at him as they walked. The, moon was little more than a sliver, the parking lot and the hmses a couple hundred yards beyond shrouded in darkness. Still, he could see that her eyes shone. I’ll come to the studio tomorrow, and we can go over the contract with Mitch.”

“Sounds good.” Dayne slowed his pace, and as they reached the grassy patch near the picnic table, he turned to her. Suddenly, with the steady sound of the waves and the whisper of a breeze in their hair, he couldn’t resist. He took a step Closer to her, leaned in, and kissed her. Not the passionate kiss he might share with Kelly Parker or a handful of his recent leading ladies. Rather, a kiss that spoke of uncertainty and interest all at the same time.

At first she kissed him back, her lips moving across his as they drew nearer to each other. But after only a few seconds she pulled back, her eyes wide, her breathing fast and irregular. “Dayne—” She released his hand and took another step back— “I can’t.”

He came to her again, frustrated at himself. “Katy, I’m sorry. It’s just… I had such a good time tonight.”

The hint of a smile returned to her lips. “Me too. But still… kissing has meaning for me. It’s not something I just.., you know, something I just do on a whim.”

“That wasn’t a whim.” He looked to the deep places of her heart. “I can’t describe the way you make me feel, Katy.”

For a moment she said nothing, though she looked tlustered even in the darkness.

“I want to be your friend.” She crossed her arms. “Nothing more, okay?”

“Okay.” He held his hands out, palms up. “I’m sorry. We’ll save it for rehearsals, fair enough?”

She tried not to laugh but lost the battle. Her gigglin started quietly, but after a few seconds it took over, bending her at the waist and making her gasp for breath. When she straightened she gave him a sheepish look. “Sort of silly, I guess.”

297

298

298

“No.” He smiled at her and reached his hands out to hers again. “Not silly at all.”

She took hold of his fingers and looked to a place in his soul few people found.

“Thanks for understanding. I guess I’m still a little old—”

Katy’s words were cut short by the sound of clicking coming from the distant bushes. Cameras.

“Here we go.” Dayne took a few hurried steps toward the sound, Katy’s hand still in his. He looked over his shoulder a her and whispered, “Watch this!”

She tiptoed across the grass behind him and took up her posi tion near another set of bushes. “Be careful.”

“We’re fine.” He led her closer to the sound, let go of her hand, and ran full force toward the bushes, yelling as he went. There was the sound of something crashing just a few yards in front of him and then the distinct sound of people running away, as if fleeing for their lives.

Dayne made a loud growling sound and took another few steps; then he turned around and broke into laughter. ‘That was the best one yet.”

“Whoever they were probably thought you’d lost it.” She cov ered her mouth and stifled a laugh. “You looked that way.”

“At least I scared them away.” He took a step toward her, his laughter fading.

“The bad news is, I have no idea how many pic tures they took before we heard them.”

“In other words—” she made a face—”my picture might be in a magazine?”

“Right.” He tossed his hands and grinned. “‘Dayne Matthews Meets Mystery Lover at the Beach’… that sort of thing.”

“At least they don’t know my—”

In a rush of motion, a yellow-haired woman jumped from the bushes behind Katy and grabbed her by the arms. Katy screamed, loud and shrill, but before Dayne could do anything to help her, the woman put a ten-inch knife blade to Katy’s throat.

299

KAREN KINGSBURY

“Don’t move or I’ll kill you,” the woman hissed at Katy. Her body trembled, and as Katy went stiff, the woman looked at Dayne. “Isn’t it time you stopped this nonsense, Dayne?”

Dayne’s heart was slamming against the wall of his chest. How had this happened?

And where had she come from? “Hey,” He slowly took a step closer, his voice a forced calm. “What nonsense?”

“Stay back!” The woman looked like a witch, her hair long and wild, her eyes evil, lifeless. “Don’t come closer.”

“This will never work, you idiot.” It was the woman talking … again, but this time the hiss was gone. in its place was a highpitched voice. “You’ll get us both caught.”

“No!” The hiss was back. “Shut up. I told you to shut up or I’ll kill you.”

Dayne took another step closer. He had to get within range of the woman, close enough so he could snatch her arm or knock the knife from her hands.

Katy was breathing fast—too fast. Her eyes were wide and she shook her head.

“Stay back, Dayne. She means it. I can… I can feel the knife on my throat.”

“Hussy!” The hissing voice spat the word at Katy’s cheek. “You’ll feel the knife more than that in a few minutes.” She relaxed some, though she kept the knife pressed against Katy’s throat. “I have to talk to Dayne first. Then he can watch me get rid of you.;’

Dayne moved closer. “You said something about stopping the nonsense.” He had never been so terrified in all his life. This had to be the stalker, the woman who had been sending the notes. He glanced at the parking lot. Sure enough, there in the space next to Katy’s rental car was a yellow Honda Civic. He swallowed hard. “Let’s talk about that.”

“You don’t even know my name.” Her voice was loud again, angry.

300

300

“Of course he doesn’t, idiot.” The high voice cut in. “That’s because he isn’t your husband.”

“Yes, he is, Anna!” She stiffened, bringing the knife harder against Katy’s throat. “He’s my husband, and he knows my name is Chloe.”

Dayne jumped at the opportunity. “You’re right, Chloe. It’s all my fault.” Dayne took another step. He saw Katy’s eyes react, but he gave a subtle shake of his head. Her only chance was if he go close enough to help her. “I’m sorry about everything.”

Chloe’s shoulders relaxed a little. “See, Anna, I told you.” She threw Dayne a disgusted look. “Anna’s always telling me I’m not married to Dayne Matthews.”

“You are, Chloe. It’s all my fault.”

“So then—” she tossed her matted, wild hair—”you’re ready to come home with me?”

“I am.” Another step. “But first I need you to let my friend go, okay?”

Rage filled Chloe’s face and she jerked back a few feet, taking Katy with her.

Katy tried to swallow, tried to talk, but the knife blade was too tight against her throat. “She’s not your friend; she’s a home wrecker, a Hollywood hussy. And hussies need to die, Dayne.” Her voice sent chills through him. It was so evil it sounded otherworldly. “Do you understand that?”

Dayne reached out his hand, but she screamed at him. “Don’t!’” Then she took the knife and made a three-inch surface slice down the inside of Katy’s upper arm.

Katy cried out, clenching her jaw to keep from screaming louder. Blood ran down her arm, dripping on the ground.

“See, Dayne. Pretty girls bleed easy.” She pressed the knife o Katy’s throat again. “Not me… nothing can make me bleed.”

Dayne wanted to grab the knife and plunge it through her heart, test her theory.

He gave Katy a look, one intended to calm her. Then he took a step back and focused on the lunatic, “I’m

301

KAREN KINGSBURY

afraid I can’t go home with you, Chloe. Not if you use that knife.”

His statement caught her off guard. She lowered the blade a fraction of an inch.

“What do you mean? We have a honeymoon to plan.”

“Not with the knife, Chloe. I can’t stay married to you unless you stop cutting my friend.”

“It’s a trick, Chloe!” It was the other voice, the highpitched one. “Dayne doesn’t care about you. He’s not your husband!”

“He is too!” The hissing voice fought back. “If he’s coming home with me, I need to hear him out.” She twisted her face into a hateful glare and stared at Dayne.

“If I cut her she’ll be gone forever. She’ll never be in our way again.”

“Besides . .” Dayne was desperate. One wrong move and Katy could have her throat sliced. He gulped. “You’ve got the wrong girl, Chloe. The one you want is Kelly Parker.”

“Kelly Parker?” The hissing voice barely whispered the name. “Yes! I want her more than this—” she gave Katy a disgusted shake—”this little tramp.”

“Okay, good.” Dayne didn’t let up. If she read the magazines-and of course she did if she was this obsessed—then she knew about his recent photo spread with Kelly. “I have an idea.”

“It’s a trick, Chloe. We’ll both go down.” The shrill voice was more insistent.

“Shut up!” she hissed, looking over her shoulder this time at an empty clearing.

“Leave me alone. I’ve finally found my husband, and you still can’t be happy for me.” She jerked her head and found Dayne’s eyes. “You’re right. I want Kelly more.” But she continued to press the knife close to Katy’s throat. “Maybe I should kill this one and then go find Kelly.”

“No, Chloe, that won’t work.” Dayne was ready, tightly wound, looking for any sign of weakness in the woman. Any chance to jump at her. “Those aren’t the rules.”

302

302

“The rules?” She blinked. Her trembling had gone into a full-bodied shaking.

“What rules?”

“You know, Chloe.” Dayne did his best to sound at ease, relaxed. “The rules about knives. You can only use them on one person a day.” He nodded to Katy.

“You don’t want to waste your chance on her.”

Chloe lowered the knife a couple of feet. She had her mouth open, about to say something, but Dayne didn’t wait. In a sudden burst, he kicked Chloe’s hand with all his strength. The knife went flying and Dayne rushed in. He grabbed Chloe’s arms and wrenched her away from Katy. Then he flung the woman onto the ground facedown and fell on top of her.

He looked over his shoulder and shouted at Katy, “You have a cell?”

“Yes!” Katy was frantic, her voice seized with fear.

“Call 911.”

“Dayne, look out!” Katy screamed, pointing at Chloe.

The woman had stretched herself, squirming on the ground, and now she had her hand around the handle of the knife. Dayne brought his fist down full force on her forearm and heard a sickening crunch. Her hand went limp. She groaned, writhing and fighting him, trying everything in her power to get him off her back.

He pulled the knife from her grip and tossed it back toward the picnic table.

“Stop moving or I’ll suffocate you!” He shoved her face into the grass and slid up higher on her back. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you and call it self-defense.”

Behind him, Dayne heard Katy on the phone with the emergency operator. She sounded breathless, in shock, and twice she had to repeat herself. Meanwhile Chloe was kicking, thrashing

about, trying to buck him off her back.

“Anna, help me! Where are you?”

The highpitched voice answered. “It’s all your fault. You got us into this.”

303

KAREN KINGSBURY

Dayne felt a chill run down his spine. The woman had at least two personalities fighting it out inside her. Both voices had dark and frightening undertones. No doubt she would’ve killed Katy and maybe him if she’d had a few more minutes to think about it.

Katy was off the phone, “Dayne, be careful!” She was still out of breath. He wanted to leave the psycho woman and comfort Katy, but he couldn’t. Not when it was taking nearly all his strength to keep the maniac pinned.

“If this is how you treat your wife.. ,” It was the hissing voice. Chloe. Her words were short and clipped from the struggle and the fact that her forearm was definitely broken. “If this is how you treat your wife… I’ll have to kill you too, Dayne.”

Dayne didn’t say anything. He wasn’t interested in the ramblings of a lunatic.

All he cared about were the quiet whimpers coming from behind him. What would this do to Katy? Of all the times for the wacko to act on her threats, she had to do it when he was with Katy Hart. How terrible was that?

His knee was pinned against Chloe’s arm, the one that wasn’t hurt. She was still thrashing when the sirens came into earshot. “The game’s almost over, Chloe.”

“Don’t talk to my sister like that!” the high voice ordered him. It was Anna this time. “I told her not to kill you, but now.., you better watch your back, Matthews.”

Dayne shoved her face closer to the ground again. “Shut up!” He hated that she was still fighting him, probably scaring Katy to death. He couldn’t see Katy’s eyes, but he could feel her terror from five yards away. His chest heaved from the adrenaline coursing through him. He heard the police now, heard them running from the parking lot toward them.