It's All part of the Act

"Are you sure that you took care of all the details, nothing can be traced back to us?"

Julie fidgeted in her seat as she questioned Owen nervously. In his silence he seemed strangely different somehow.

"Relax. Didn't I assure you that everything was painstakingly handled and taken care of? It was a professional job. I disposed of Terry's body just as we agreed. Nothing to worry about. I have no regrets." Owen continued driving eyes brimming with water but nevertheless focused intently on the road ahead.

"It's only that everything has to be perfect, no mistakes. I wasted 12 years with Terry thinking that I would get ahead in my career. Nothing. You'd have thought he'd have cast me in one of his films by now. But no, his ego, insane jealousy and his sickening demands thwarted all my plans and dreams. I'm glad he's dead." She crossed her legs angrily, and, after taking a long last drag from her cigarette, flipped the butt into the crisp, cool night air.

"Enough already! He double crossed me hundreds of times too." Owen suddenly swerved over and pulled the Lexus in front of the gate to the private studio swimming pool. ""Hey, let's forget all of this and go in an have a little dip. Heck, throw caution to the wind! Let's party until dawn. Where's the champagne and glasses?"

"We can't! It's1:00 am."

"And that really matters to you, the new sole owner. Besides, security would never give you a problem anyway."

"Hmm, you're right, why not? I don't have to answer to anyone now." Julie inched out of the car barefooted as her skirt climbed up her bare thigh. "Why not enjoy life!" She looked back at the car only enough to tell Owen to bring the champagne and glasses.

Julie and Owen ran over to the door, gingerly opened the lock and began running to the pool stepping out of clothes along the way.

Julie reached the pool first. Somehow she noticed that Owen's pace seemed to have slowed and she thought that she'd noticed a difference in his gait. But nothing could stop her now. She continued on. Estatically, she leaped into the pool.

"I stayed pent up in that marriage all too long." she thought to herself. The water was cold but refreshing. She dipped and waded further into the pool and began swimming with long, free strokes, thinking of the future fame and opportunity that would come her way. She continued swimming further into the pool until she ran head first into a cold, clammy object that felt strangely like a leg. Horrified and gasping for air, Julie screamed nearly choking on the chlorine filled water. She steadied herself and rose up frantically from the pool. Grabbing the safety rail for her balance, she looked down into the face. In terror and disbelief, Julie recognized from the bomber jacket with the "O" inscribed in the left upper pocket and from the black onyx ring that it was Owen. "But, but, it can't be possible!." she thought. Instinctively, she looked up and around her at the pool side. Standing in the shadows was the calm and collected figure of a man. Heart pounding and terrified, Julie began to back into the pool in fear. "Who are you?" she shrieked.

From the shadows slowly emerged a face. Squinting to see better, she realized who the face belonged to. It was the face of Terry, her husband.

Dizzy from horror and trembling with fear, Julie breathed,"You, but how?"

"You were always a little too trusting for your own good." Terry's eye revealed a mocking triumph as he continued, "I paid Owen nicely for continuing your little, uh... love affair."

"What do you mean 'continue'?"

"Yes, until the time was right when it would benefit me most. Unfortunately though, he became privy to some of my philanderings and decided to up the stakes on me. That's when I knew that I would have to do away with my dearest brother and you.

Realization set in on her like a ton of bricks. Suspicious calls in the middle of the night, missing money from the business accounts and unexplained trips. And most importantly, she remembered that he had one year ago increased her life insurance policy. Now, he killed and had masterfully impersonated his twin brother Owen knowing he stood to inherit a fortune as he was the sole beneficiary on both their insurance policies. "How could I have been so stupid," she thought. The differences in gait was always a dead give away in distinguishing one from the other. Terry had a limp.

Well, tonight my dear, you two had a violent lover's quarrel. You see, Owen was never faithful. You lost control when you saw some nicely planted pictures of him with other women in your car. In a firey rage, you dragged Owen, who was asleep in a drunken stupor, into the pool where he drowned. Instant remorse caused you to take your own life. And my hands are clean. Now smiling, he added, "Well my dear, this is your one and only claim to stardom as I am sure your faces will be plastered all over tomorrow's paper."