WHY DID YOU KILL HER?

ASHLEY MCKENZIE?

Jane's mind and body fiddled with curiosity as she overhead her voice in the trees, she was conversing with some dude in a hooded shirt. Jane mapped her structure and that of the hooded guy standing before her. They were talking in hushed tones but she seemed to catch only Ashley's voice and what she said.

"You wouldn't come back for more….."

"Not only if you pay me handsomely." Jane heard the guy say. "If you play your part by paying me handsomely like we discussed, we wouldn't have an issue and no one would see that video."

What video? Jane thought as she drew closer to the two figures lurking in the dark. What was she up to? Or what has she done? Jane's sleeves rose up with questions as she leaned closer to hear more.

"Here, this is the cheque of one million dollars," she saw Ashley fumbling with her purse and reaching in, pulling a piece of tiny sheet from her bag. "Take it and keep to your promise."

"You said this is between us and no one knows about it so this would do it." She added.

"I might come back for me, I'm never satisfied when it comes to money. I'm thirsty for money….."

What was she doing with this male shadow in the dark? And what business was between them? Dozens of questions barricaded her mind and Jane thought it would be wise to leave unnoticed but it was already too late. Lights from a car in a distance flashed in their direction and that was when Jane saw the face of the male figure with her. Technically speaking, a flash from the car lights made her see a glimpse of his face and outfit, his nose and mouth were hidden behind a nose mask and he was dressed in a hooded sweatshirt.

Jane let out a gasp. The hooded guy? How did they know each other? A thought shot through her head when the two figures turned their attention to her upon her gasping. She clasped her hand across her mouth, eyes widened with surprise as they met the shocked ones of Ashley.

Upon seeing her, the hooded masked guy didn't spare her another glance and spun from her, hurrying on his heels. It felt like he wasn't expecting anyone, especially her, to see them. Ashley stood there, ogling at her as Jane processed the scene before her.

Had Ashley and him been into this together? Had they been the ones behind her predicament? Like she suspected, he had deliberately bumped into her that night. Was everything staged by Ashley Mckenzie? Him helping her from the stage, was that also stage? And the place she spent the night to sober up, was it also staged to taint her image?

Infuriated at the conclusion of her analysis, she grabbed Ashley's wrist when she began to walk away.

"You were behind all that, weren't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Ashley threw her a surprised look.

"Ohh, don't pretend like you have no idea what I'm talking about!" Jane snapped, raising her voice a bit. An angry glint flickered in her eyes, tightening her grip on Ashley's wrist who tried to free her wrist.

"Of course I have no idea what you are talking about!" Ashley fired back. "And let go of my wrist, you are hurting me you weirdo."

"Not until you tell me everything I need to know," Jane stated. Her voice harboring a cold icy edge. Making it obvious with the look in her eyes she wasn't ready to let go until she told her what she wanted to know. "You…masterminded everything that happened to me, didn't you?"

"Are you okay?" Ashley forcefully freed her wrist from her tight hold. The spot where Jane held turned red prompting her to wince a bit. "What are you yapping about? I suggest you should go get your mental health checked because you're acting weirdly."

"Yeah I am and you are behind it," Jane said. "But I won't get fooled by your act. You're a good actress by the way, feigning innocence and pretending not to know what I'm yapping about. How do you know him?"

"What do you mean?"

"That hooded guy that just left upon seeing me, how do you know him? Ain't you two the reason I'm going through this hell.... I knew there was no way I would end up having a one night stand with a guy I met that night. Now everything makes sense to me and my instincts have been correct from the beginning."

"Upon your orders, he deliberately bumped into me and drugged me that night and not only that, he pretended to help me that night so you will get stories to publish about me...Why? Because you feel threatened by me or because you wanted my role badly?"

"Like I said, I'd never feel threatened by you!" Ashley stated in a forced tone.

"Then why did you do that? What was your reason? Were you envious, Wonder Prism Studio gave me that role? Were you thinking they would take it away?"

Across Ashley's face was a startled and puzzled look as Jane went on and on spewing those words. What's up with her? What was she talking about?

"It must be a habit of you, going about accusing people?" She queried after a couple of silence lingered between them when Jane finally stopped lashing.

"I don't go around accusing anyone, I'm stating a fact."

"And do you have evidence to strengthen your facts?" Ashley's eyes accused her.

Silence fell between them. The leaves of the tree under which they stood rustled as the night breeze swept across them from the tree trunk. Debris creaked under Jane's feet as she tried to fumble out an answer. The cold breeze wrapped around her bare skin as she and Ashley stood there, gawking at each other. At that moment, Jane realized, they were the only ones alone in the dark. Trepidation rose up on her sleeve with a single thought where she visualized Ashley strangling her and covering her body with the tree leaves and debris.

Jane gulped hard, feeling goosebumps rush over her body at that thought. She couldn't fathom what Ashley could do to her here if she kept running her mouth. I mean she just caught her paying that hooded guy for some work well done.

"You suddenly went silent?" Ashley's voice mocked. The satire edge laced in her voice has always irritated Jane whenever she talked. "Which states, you don't have evidence to back up your claims."

"I may not have now but I will later," Jane decided to get rid of the trepidation and steady her voice. She was the victim here. She was the plaything for her and that hooded guy she thought was a good samaritan so in this case, Ashley should be the one trembling not her.

"And you sound so confident, don't you?" Jane tucked her arms against her chest, giving her a confident questioning stare.

"I should be because I have no idea what you're talking about…..and if you harass me again, I'm calling the cops weirdo." Ashley pointed a finger in her direction, warning. Her eyes were very stern but Jane could detect a little uneasiness and fright in them giving Jane the upper hand to taunt her further.

"What are you so afraid of?" A smile appeared on Jane's lips. Arms still against her chest. "Why did you do all that? Was I really a threat to you— you had to hire someone to mess up my life and go around playing the victim? Judging and condemning me, calling me a slut."

Ashley Mckenzie rolled her eyes. Placed a hand across her face for a fleeting minute before she pulled the hand away and sighed. Straightened herself.

"Pretend you never witness what you saw here," her voice sounded like she was warning her. "And like I said, I have no idea what the heck you are talking about."

She whirled away from Jane and started on her way but Jane grabbed her wrist again. Her face hardened and her eyes flickered with anger that for a sec, Ashley flinched under her burning gaze.

"If I found out you are somehow intertwined or the cause of my plight, I promise you if I go down—-I'm dragging you down with me." Jane said in between her teeth.

She released her hold on her wrist and started walking away. She could feel Ashley's red face and eyes on her but she didn't care and she didn't want to show that for a moment, she was a little afraid.

●●●●●●●●●●●●

Dressed in a resplendent mermaid off the shoulders velvet dinner gown with a little slit between her chest, showing a little of her cleavage, Jane walked into one of the most expensive and boisterous hotel halls in Las Vegas. The dazzling interior of the "King Dream hotel hall awed her, she gaped at everything that made the hotel look stunning before she marched down the red carpet as the bodyguards— the bouncers tried to pull the paparazzi and some reporters out of the way.

It was the yearly movie awards and every actor and actress wanted to look their best and stun the red carpet.

"Jane, look this way. Strike a pose," a male paparazzi voice rang and she did as she was told. She struck a few poses for the cameras before marching inside the hall where the announcement of the best movies of the year, best actor, best actress, producer and director would be made known.

"And the best movie of the year is...." The female presenter along with the male presenter announced. The room went silent as every actor and actress anticipated for the movie they starred in to be the best movie.

Jane wore her heart on her sleeve, praying within when the next words from the male presenter stunned her.

"MARRIED TO THE KING'S BROTHER!" Jane stilled on her seat for a moment as her heart continued to pound. That was her movie, and she starred as the female lead. Feeling elated and stunned at the same time, she paved her way to the stage to collect her trophy and give a speech.

She returned to her seat again.

"The best actress of the year goes to... the male presenter announced. And her name was called again. Heart bubbling with excitement, she marched forward to collect another trophy.

While on stage, she smiled and waved, thanking everyone including her fans for voting and supporting her. She gave a brief speech but while on it, the most shocking thing happened on the stage. Right in the middle of her speech, a bucket of liquid she had no idea where it came from or got up there, hung on the ceiling of the stage poured on her. The liquid drenching her immediately and which smelt like blood— an animal blood.

In a twinkle, it felt everyone ganged up on her including the two presenters. Everyone's eyes accused, judged and condemned her. Jane stood there, stunned and confused. What was going on?

Just then paparazzi and reporters dashed into the hall and sprinted towards her. The questions they asked drained her energy and in that moment she felt her head and the floor she stood on spinning to the point she thought she'd pass out.

'This isn't true,' she murmured to herself as a female reporter asked.

"Why did you kill her? What pushed you into murdering her?"