All That Glitters

Chapter One

Chapter One

The only sound that could be heard just after eight o'clock was the clacking of Annie Costa's heels as she hurried home from the photoshoot she had just been taking part in, taking care as she made her way through the streets of the suburb of Smith, Idaho, a picturesque town twenty miles from Boise. It was dark outside, and the streetlights had all flickered on moments ago, giving the streets and the sky a strange, orange glow. Above her, stars twinkled brightly against the pitch black of the night sky, and off in the distance, a curl of smoke wafted up into the air. Through the crack between a pair of houses, she could barely make out the tip of a lit cigarette in someone's yard and wrinkled her nose. She had never liked people who smoked. Annie detested walking through this neighbourhood, but she had no choice. The usage of vehicles was prohibited after seven-thirty to preserve gas, and to quiet down the town as people's nighttime routines began, as most people or at least very young children were preparing for bed at this hour.

Normally, Annie would have been in her en-suite bathroom by now, dressed in a fluffy white rob as her head chambermaid, Elsie, ran her a warm bath, with vanilla-scented bubbles and the lights switched of in lieu of several sweet-smelling candles perched carefully on the edge of the tile counter that surrounded the porcelain bath. But today, her parents had scheduled Annie a photoshoot for a local society magazine, and so Annie was out far past her usual time. If the photographer hadn't been two hours late, she probably could have been home by now, but it couldn't have been helped. The thing was done, and Annie was on her way home.

Still, it was a big inconvenience having to walk home in the outfit she'd worn to the shoot – a flattering floral halter neck dress and matching three-inch heels, which were beginning to pinch her toes. Annie pulled out her mobile phone, debating whether it was worth complaining to her mother and having a car sent to pick her up despite the rules – the shoot had been scheduled in a slightly less upscale part of town, and Annie hated walking through this place, especially alone at night. She hadn't thought she'd need to bring a bodyguard with her.

Delaine Costa answered her daughter's call on the third ring. "Yes, darling?" Her slightly-accented voice rang through the speaker. "Are you finished?"

"Yes," Annie responded. "I'm walking home now, but I was wondering if you could send a car on by. I'm in the Dewitt area of town, and it's sketching me out."

Delaine made a distressed noise, followed by the sound of a nail file. "I'll speak to Willis and see what I can do. Keep on coming until then, and update me on your location." Annie sighed in annoyance. "You're not far, are you?"

Annie glanced around her. "Maybe ten more minutes?" She offered. "But it's ten minutes in a part of town I hate being in."

"You're not on the other side of the tracks, are you?" Delaine asked, her voice sounding sharper and more alert in an instant.

"No, Mother, I'm not," Annie assured her quickly. "But I'm getting close to them."

"Don't go anywhere near them," Delaine instructed. "Do you hear me? You can't go anywhere near them."

"Why would I?" Annie wrinkled her nose. "Who'd want to get close to them in the first place?" She shook her head.

"I'm only warning you because I'm worried about you, darling," Delaine sighed. "I'll have Willis send out the car. Stay where you are, and don't speak to anyone."

"Mom," Annie tried to complain.

"He'll be two minutes, tops," Delaine interrupted. "I'll see you soon." And with that, Delaine hung up. Annie groaned, stomping the ground slightly.

Dewitt was the only middle-class neighbourhood in Smith. It was characterized by old, Nixon-era homes, none of which were over two stories; streets filled with people dealing drugs and other illegal substances; and less-than-savory characters. Some stories said that these people invited you into their homes and never let you return. The very thought made Annie shudder.

"Watch out!" A voice screamed suddenly, startling Annie nearly to death, but she had little time to react as a large object barrelled into her, knocking her off her feet and to the ground. "Shit!" Annie looked up, slightly dazed from her fall, to see a female figure standing above her. "Oh, my God, I am so sorry-"

"What the hell was that?" Annie demanded, scrambling to her feet.

"That was my dog, Sam," answered the woman who had come to check on Annie. "He got away again. I am so sorry." She observed Annie for a moment, her eyes widening. "Oh, Hell."

"You should keep that animal under control," Annie snapped, adjusting her dress. "If you can't get him to behave, get rid of him."

"I swear, it was an accident," the woman insisted. Then realization came into her eyes. "You're Annie Costa, aren't you?"

"Oh, look, it knows names." Annie wrinkled her nose, thoroughly disinterested in engaging with this woman in any further conversation. "I'd ask you yours, but I don't particularly care."

The woman scoffed. "I wouldn't tell you it anyway. You don't need to know it."

"You're right about that," Annie agreed. "What are you doing in this part of town, anyway? Commoners like you should stay on the other side of the tracks, where you belong."

"I told you, my dog got away," the woman snapped. "I was just trying to find him. He's probably gone forever now. Thanks for getting in the way."

Was Annie hearing things right? Was this woman seriously blaming her lack of proper pet care on Annie? "I think you're mistaking who let that deranged mutt get loose in the first place."

"He's not the only deranged mutt around here," the woman muttered lowly, so low Annie didn't think she was meant to hear, but she did.

"Excuse me?" Annie clenched her fists, so angry she could have hit the woman right then and there. "What did you just say?"

"Oh, get off your fucking high horse." The woman rolled her eyes. "You know exactly what I said. You should be used to it by now, princess. You think everyone likes you, that you're so popular, but you have no idea what people say behind your back. Believe me, it's a lot worse than that."

"Please. I'm more popular than you could ever dream of being," Annie scoffed. "It's not my fault you grew up on the wrong side of the tracks."

"You're making us sound like we're in high school. Believe me, I've had more than my fair share of this petty, I'm-popular-and-you're-a-piece-of-shit drama in my lifetime. You're not even worth my time or attention, Princess." The woman glared at her. "For the record, you're the one that started this disagreement. I tried being nice to you. But if it's competition you want, if it's someone to hate you want, then you have picked the wrong bitch to mess with."

Was this woman serious? Why was she singling Annie out? "You're delusional," Annie spat. "But you're on. Low-lived, pieces of trash like you never win against people like me."

"Oh, just you wait, Annie Costa." The woman produced a pack of cigarettes from her jacket pocket and lit up. "Just. You. Wait." She turned to walk away just as Annie's car pulled up.

"Get in, Miss Costa!" The Costa family's personal driver, Willis, waved at her.

"And for the record," the woman added. "My name is Maria Jonas. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I'd be lying." And before Annie could say anything in return, not that she wanted to in the first place, Willis pumped the gas and hurried the car out of the neighbourhood.