Illusion

By Hayden Lee Hinton

Another fictional novel with the usual twists and turns with most every turn of the page as is the writing style of Hayden Lee Hinton. This smooth reading, exciting, and unusual story of a troubled woman and the horrors she creates for others. There are several stories within the main story of the book. The mysterious and shocking events throughtout the story will bring tears of joy and saddness, as well as, horror filled emotions. A book you won't want to put down.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 20, 2009
• ISBN: 9781456723620

Hayden Lee Hinton

Hayden Lee Hinton was born in Tucson Arizona in 1955 a military brat.  He attended Knob Noster High School graduating in 1973.  Was by no means an academic high achiever, but did excell in sports.  Joined the Air Force at age 17 during the Viet Nam War after graduation he enjoyed tours in Germany and England.  Seperating in 1981 he obtained degrees in Psychology and Sociology.  Upon graduation he returned to the AF only with the Civil Service this time. In1997 he obtained his Master in Public Administration.  This year he received his 30 year pin for serving his country.

Book preview

SYNOPSIS

ILLUSION

Another fictional novel with the usual twists and turns with most every turn of the page as is the writing style of Hayden Lee Hinton. This smooth reading, exciting, and unusual story of two women who learn they are identical twins as adults. A book you won’t want to put down.

To The Knob Noster High School Class Of 1973

Contents

SYNOPSIS

ILLUSION

GLORIA

GLORIA’S PAST

GLORIA’S MAMA

GLORIA MURDERS MAMA

GLORIA GETS AWAY

WITH MURDER

GLORIA MOVES TO NIXA

MAMA’S FUNERAL

GLORIA HEADS TO GEORGIA

MARY

MARY MEETS BILL

NEWSOME’S & FORTENBURY’S

SCHOOL DAYS

MARY AND BILL

GULF STREAM JET CORPORATION

MARIA

RICARDO

GLORIA & MARY

GLORIA & MARIA

GLORIA MURDERS AGAIN

DEBRA & SHERIFF JOHNSON

GLORIA & BILL

RECKONING

About the Author

GLORIA

‘Wreeck, wreeck’ screeched the rocker as the elderly widow rhythmically rocked back and forth. Rocking and watching the sunset after a long day’s work had been her routine for over fifteen years now. It had been that long since her husband, of over fifty years, had passed away.

The aged wooden rocker was very symbolic of everything in the mid-western style farm house. The house was what was considered a ‘shotgun style’ farm house built all across the mid-west at the beginning of the 20th century. There was the house itself, painted white, a large open front porch, screened in back porch, and spacious open inter-rooms. The bedrooms were the only rooms with doors, and the doors were only closed when the room was being used.

All rooms are visible from the living room. This room’s distinction was simply the furniture being centered around the fireplace. There were the two bedrooms, the large dining area, kitchen, and the sitting room along the walls of the living room.

Most of the furniture throughout the home was early 1900 vintage wooden furniture. Very little in the way of furnishing had been added to what the woman had when they first married. The oak sofa and chairs, oak dining table and chairs, and the oak bedroom furniture were all the original furniture.

Though simple in appearance the house and furniture were all made of solid wood. The only exception being a few throw rugs and cushions to cover the sofa and chairs to keep one’s bones from aching after sitting on the hard wood. Not only had the wood withstood the true test, that being its longevity, but this furniture had matured as a quality wood such as oak can.

Even with most every piece of furniture approaching the century mark, not one piece had a crack, or any sign of requiring repair or being replaced. In all the years each piece had endured all the tortures a family can put furniture through.

There was one chair that needed a leg replaced. This was not due to lack of the quality of the chair, rather a matter of the wood being subjected beyond its capacity. A rather large guest, while listening to a World Series game on the radio had been enthusiastically bouncing up and down in the chair throughout the innings. The game was exciting right up until the end when a home run won the final game of the series. This gentleman became so excited he bounced up and came down too hard, breaking the leg of the chair. Fortunately the chair was able to be fixed, but was respectfully reserved for guests of a smaller stature.

Other than the electric light centered in the ceiling in each room, an old black and white TV, some pictures hanging on the wall and a few nick-knacks, the house looked rustic. The old woman had a few modern appliances in the kitchen, but stubborn as she was, she still cooked on her big black pot-belly stove. It wasn’t that she couldn’t have afforded having new appliances, but the kitchen was pretty much her life. She enjoyed doing things the old fashioned way or by hand. No fancy electric dishwasher for her.

She even washed the clothes by hand and hung them out to dry. Nothing softer and fresher smelling than clean fresh air dried clothing and bedding. She loved to watch the clothes flap in the breeze from her rocking chair on the porch.

Over the years there had been one addition added to the original structure of the farm house. It wasn’t much. Just a wooden counter top to place dishes and food that would then be placed onto the dining table. She felt like she deserved at least one extravagant item in the house that was hers, and that counter top was it. She just loved to show it off to any and everyone who came to the house. She even brought the mailman in to look at her very own counter top. That’s just the way she was.

The counter served another purpose. It provided a distinct space in the kitchen for the woman to congregate while the men would gather around the TV or radio. The counter acted like a divider giving each group their own private area to do their own thing or discuss their own things.

Other than the house almost being completely built and furnished with wood, there was one other characteristic that stood out when one entered the place – the odor. All the years of using kerosene lamps, the fireplace, a pot belly stove and coal ovens to warm the place had been absorbed deeply into every pore of the wooden house. It was a pleasant, natural odor that provided the place with a homey aroma.

One other odor could be faintly detected. That was the smell of the old man’s cherry tobacco he put into his pipe, and smoked in the evening. Though the smell was faint, it was there, and provided long ago memories of him sitting next to his wife rocking together on the porch.

The woman thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the porch and rocking in her chair, but the season was changing, and she’d have to be moving into the house for the winter months. She’d get a good warm fire going early in the evening, and keep it going until bed time. The chair the woman sat in to pass the evening was placed up close enough to keep warm from the fire place, but also so she could look out the window. The old house didn’t have much insulation, but had been well built so most of the cold only came through a few small cracks between boards of the wooden walls. Nothing a little mud on the outside of the house couldn’t fix. The old man had shingled the roof and it didn’t leak.

This farm had been one of the most prosperous in the surrounding community outside Springfield, Missouri for a long time. In years past, the town was a bustling place with farm hands and indentured servants tending the crops and a variety of farm animals they had. This was the Simpson’s farm, and most everyone knew and liked the family. They’d been in the area since the late 1800s, and helped in the development of what was becoming a growing city

With the advent of refrigeration, grocery stores, trucking, and food preservatives, the Simpson’s saw their need to provide crops to sell at the market slowly dwindle over the years. The old man, stubborn in his ways, didn’t believe in these new high-pollution larger farm tractors and other modern farm equipment. A God fearing family, he held to his death bed that hands were what God gave man to work with. Now a good mule or plow horse was okay, but other than a few hand held farming tools, he would not buy a tractor or any other thing he saw as the devils way of making work easy. The old man worked himself to death.

The woman had seen the last of the farm hands leave as she couldn’t afford to compete with the modern farms surrounding hers. She understood, having watched their farm hands picking the crop, and manually doing back braking farm work. Slowly the workers all left and the land began to return to its natural state.

But that was okay with the old woman. It was God’s land and he could use it as he saw fit. She would spend the rest of her years enjoying watching the wonders God had put on this earth. She’d paid her dues in working a hard life. If she needed money there was always plenty of land for her to sell off. The old man might not have been business savvy, but he had smartly put every penny they could save into buying more land. Though the size of the farm had dwindled the past few years, she didn’t have too many more to get through. Thanks to a hard working life the woman was healthy as a horse, and always bragged how she’d never been to a doctor once in her life. She still cut her own fire wood, kept her own garden, and could tend enough live stock to feed herself. Occasionally she would attend a church social, and always took a sweet potato pie with her to share with the other folks. Her husband had always been a meat and potato man so she hadn’t been much on making fancy desserts like most farm wives did.

When the old man passed away the woman didn’t have much time for grieving. He was well known and well liked throughout the community. Mr. Simpson gave as much as he took in life to others. If someone needed help, no matter the cost or amount of hard work, he would always show up. Life on a farm goes on, and she had no choice but to get on with life. At that time there was still the large farm to tend to and now she had to do it alone.

GLORIA’S PAST

They had a daughter – Gloria. Gloria was always a mischievous child, always getting into trouble. The minister even had to ask the Simpson’s to keep the child at home on Sunday’s as she disturbed the service too much. That’s when the old man quit going to Church. He wasn’t going to leave his daughter at home all alone. She’d just find something to get into trouble while they weren’t there anyways.

As Gloria got older she started hanging out with a bad group of kids. Gloria never helped around the farm. She did show some affection for the horses, but that was about it.

She and the bunch of juveniles she’d hang out with began to get into trouble with the law. Gloria dropped out of high school her junior year. She was a beautiful young girl and looked years beyond her age maturing early on. She attracted looks and cat calls from guys everywhere she went. Gloria loved this attention.

Drugs became her life. She started stealing money from the family’s coffee can until the old man had to start locking it up. Then she’d steal most anything that wasn’t tied down on the farm to sell or trade for drugs. Mr. Simpson had to ask some of his loyal farm hands to help keep an eye on her. Nothing seemed to work as Gloria was a strong determined youth whenever she wanted something.

Mr. and Mrs. Simpson were older people and didn’t understand their daughter’s bad attitude towards life or know anything about this new drug culture. They’d always been good and loving towards Gloria. The girl just didn’t seem to care about anything or about hurting other people.

The local law finally couldn’t turn their head at the trouble Gloria was getting into. For years they would just call Mr. Simpson to come down to the county jail to pay a small fine and take her home. But Gloria’s drug habit had gotten so out of control the small amount of money or farm tools she could steal was not enough. She started shop lifting at the new mall just built in Springfield. Mostly small items like cheap jewelry or such, but it just got to be too much for the sheriff’s office to continue to just let her go.

The sheriff’s car pulled up to the Simpson’s farm one afternoon to inform them that Gloria was in real trouble. She’d reached into a cash register at a gas station and grabbed a handful of money out of the till. She didn’t even have a car or friends with a car to get away in. The young gas attendant ran her down and called the sheriff’s office. Gloria was now under arrest and the Simpson’s would have to leave her in the jail until the county court convened on Thursday. This was on a Monday. The Sheriff recommended to the Simpson’s to maybe just leave Gloria for the night without visiting her. Long enough for her to think about what she did and where she was at in life. Maybe a little time by herself in jail would put some sense into her. That he would let Gloria know he’d talked to them and they’d be by the next day. The Simpson’s agreed. They were desperate to try anything. They couldn’t take much more of their own daughter.

Thursday arrived and since this was the first actual arrest documented on Gloria the judge leniently set a fine for the Simpson’s to pay and let her go home with them. A mere slap on the hand. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson didn’t know what to do. Now the burden of setting her straight was squarely in their hands. The law hadn’t really done a thing to make a difference in their daughter. They knew it would only be a short time before she’d be right back doing the same things or worse.

Gloria surprised her parents for a few days. She was quiet, not sassy as usual, and even using manners at times. She helped her mom in the kitchen some, cleaned a little around the house, and even went out to the barn to feed some of the animals. There was a glimmer of hope in her parent’s minds.

This good behavior went on for about a week. It was midnight on a Tuesday evening when the Simpson’s were wakened from the sound of tires spinning out and a vehicle high tailing it down the gravel country road. Gloria was gone. Mr. Simpson went right to the little vault where they always kept a little cash on hand, and sure enough Gloria had broken into it and taken the money. The couple hugged and shed a few tears not knowing if they’d ever see their daughter again. Or even see her alive again.

It wasn’t but a few days before the police found Gloria and brought her back home. Gloria hung around the farm for the next few weeks not doing much of anything. She wouldn’t go back to high school. She wouldn’t help around the house or do chores around the farm. She just pretty much stayed a recluse in her room. Every now and then she would go out. The Simpsons never knew where she had gone. Gloria wouldn’t go for a day or evening out. She would be gone for days at a time. She always returned though. Then like a cat in the night she was gone. Once again she had stolen the money Mr. Simpson had hidden in a can out in the barn this time. After being gone for more than a couple of weeks Mr. and Mrs. Simpson contacted the police out of concern for Gloria’s safety.

The police told the Simpson’s that Gloria had hooked up with a young man a year or so older than her. They were staying with some other young people in an old trailer. She pretty much hung out there doing drugs. The police would go get her. And if it hadn’t been Gloria the police were looking for they would have busted everyone in the trailer. It was obvious that Gloria had been on some sort of high for days. Arriving home she went to her room and slept for a couple days. Her parents didn’t know a thing about drugs and her being a drug addict. Unfortunately the Simpsons were learning the hard way with Gloria.

Finally, her Mama couldn’t take her sleeping anymore and went in with some soup for the young girl to eat. All it got Mrs. Simpson was a bowl of soup tossed all over her, but it did get Gloria up out of bed. Gloria went back to her old ways of just staying in her room. Her parents couldn’t figure out what she did all day or why she was acting this way. The Simpsons had done all they possibly could to raise a good daughter and didn’t understand why Gloria acted the way she did.

They soon figured out what their daughter was doing while spending all her time in her room. One afternoon while Gloria was out Mrs. Simpson went in to clean the room. While cleaning she noticed a hole in the wall Gloria kept covered with a board. Inside the hole Mrs. Simpson pulled out a shoe box. She was aghast at what she found when she opened the box. It was full of pills, needles, bags of white powder, and other bags of stuff. She’d never seen illegal drugs before but she knew that was what she was looking at. When Gloria returned home that night Mr. and Mrs. Simpson confronted her about the drugs in the box. Gloria went into one of her rages, grabbed the box and went to her room.

The older couple knew that Gloria wouldn’t be around for long after what had just taken place. They didn’t have long to wonder, as Gloria took off again. This time she hooked up with the boy she’d been doing all the drugs with before. The Simpsons didn’t even go after her this time. It wasn’t but a couple of months later that Gloria showed up back at the farm. She was pregnant with no where to stay. The thought of having to take care of a baby scared that young man off. The Simpsons seemed happy at first. Maybe this is what it would to bring Gloria to her senses – having a baby.

Gloria had a little boy she named Jason. All seemed well for a while. Gloria seemed to be cut out to be a mother. That lasted all of about two months. Gloria took off again without a word. She also took Jason with her.

It wasn’t for about another three months when Gloria showed up back home with Jason. She was pregnant again. Her parents being old fashioned forgave her once again, and let her back in the house. This time she had a little girl – Sara.

Gloria was a little older now, and seemed to be gaining some maturity. She seemed content being with Jason and Sara. She’d even met some decent friends her age. They didn’t appear to be drug users. Gloria would go to an occasional movie or out for ice cream with her children and friends. But for the most part she spent her time at home raising Jason and Sara.

Then one afternoon Gloria took Jason and Sara with her into Springfield. She said she was going to meet up with her friends for the day. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson didn’t think anything of it. Then night fell and no Gloria or kids. She didn’t call either.

About two weeks later Gloria showed up with a male friend. She announced she was now renting a trailer and the kids were going to live with her. They had come to get their things. Gloria and her friend packed up the stuff and loaded it into the pickup they’d come in. A chest-of-drawers, the baby crib and Jason’s bed were about all the furniture items they took. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson just stood by while they loaded everything not knowing exactly what to say. Were they happy for Gloria to have her own place? Where was she working? They knew if they began asking questions she would fly off the handle. They would just have to trust that Gloria was doing the right thing, and the children would be okay.

Mrs. Simpson hadn’t heard from Gloria in a while and began to get concerned. She called the Springfield Police and they were able to locate where Gloria was staying. They gave Mrs. Simpson the address. The Grandma decided it was time for her to go visit her Grandchildren she rationalized. How could Gloria get upset with that logic?

Mrs. Simpson found the trailer park the police told her that Gloria was living in. After asking some people she was finally able to find the trailer Gloria was at. It appeared no one was home so she decided to leave a note on the door. When she went to attach the note to the door she thought she heard a whimpering inside. Almost dismissing the noise as some animal or something she started back to her car to leave. Getting into the car she noticed a curtain open and quickly shut. Mrs. Simpson went back to the front door and knocked, this time a little harder. Still no answer. She then called out Jason – Sara, are you in there? It is Grandma, she said as loud as she could. She heard another noise coming from inside but the door still didn’t open.

She heard a tiny voice speaking on the other side of the door. It was Jason, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. Jason, speak up hon, it is Grandma, Mrs. Simpson called out again. She listened closely for an answer. She could once again hear a faint voice. This time she could understand him.

Mom told us to never open the door when she was gone, was what the toddler was saying.

But Jason, this is Grandma. You can open the door for me, she pleaded. She knew what was going on. Gloria had taught the kids not to open the door while she was gone because they were too young to be left alone. She heard and could see the door knob turning. Jason opened the door.

When the door opened the stench almost knocked her off the porch. She could feel the steamy heat coming out from inside. There stood the two small children. All they had on was underwear and a diaper. They were filthy. She went inside.

Oh my, was all she could say. The place was a disaster. Garbage was everywhere. Clothes, beer cans, dishes, and other trash was spread throughout the place. She went over to the refrigerator. Opening the door she put her hand inside. It was about as warm in it as it was in the rest of the trailer. The little food and milk that was left in the refrigerator was beyond spoiled. It could be lethal it looked so bad. How on earth could her daughter do this to two babies?

As she moved about the room she noticed other things scurrying about. Roaches! She started to screech, but thought better so as not to scare the children. Mrs. Simpson simply wanted to vomit.

Mrs. Simpson had seen enough. She collected some things that she could touch, gathered up the children, and they all left the trailer.

Upon arriving at the farm house Mrs. Simpson got the children right into the bath tub. While they were bathing she rushed into the kitchen to get some food put together as she knew they had to be starving. She couldn’t believe these two babies were so brave. Neither of them crying or complaining even a little bit. That Gloria was something, she thought. She had these two children brain washed to meet her selfish needs is all there was to it. She decided something had to be done.

After getting the children washed and fed she knew she had to call Social Services to report what she had just witnessed.

Hello, Springfield Social Services, can I be of assistance to you, answered the female in a friendly voice.

Yes, then Mrs. Simpson hesitated. Did she really want to go through with this? She knew this was going to get Gloria into a lot of trouble, maybe even lose her children. No – she told herself. Gloria had brought this on herself. Endangering herself with drugs and who knows what all else, but she would no longer endanger the lives of her grandchildren.

Hello, asked the voice at the other end, this is the Springfield Social Service Office. How can I help you? the woman asked again.

This is Mrs. Simpson, she hesitated, I’d like to report child abuse.

Hold please, the lady told her, Okay, let’s start from the beginning. What is your name Ma’am?

Mrs. Simpson paused once again. She still had time to hang up, and put this behind her. She looked down at the two children now happily playing on the floor. She knew she had to report Gloria, Mrs. Simpson. She went on to provide her all the details the woman asked her for. The woman then asked Mrs. Simpson to please hold. It was only a minute, but it seemed like forever before she finally heard voice on the other end.

Hello Mrs. Simpson, this is Ms. Debra Carr. I am Gloria’s assigned Social Worker. I’m not sure if you know it, but Gloria has been in trouble over Jason and Sara before. She paused as if waiting for a response on what she’d just said. Not getting one from Mrs. Simpson she continued. I’m afraid neighbors have reported Gloria neglecting the needs of Jason and Sara, and leaving them alone while she is supposedly working or out trying to find work.

This came as no surprise to Mrs. Simpson as she knew Gloria better than anyone. She had just witnessed firsthand Gloria’s neglect for her Grandchildren. She was doing the right thing by reporting what she found out personally.

Ms. Carr continued, So where are the children now? Mrs. Simpson told her she had them. Ms. Carr got directions and told her she would be there in about twenty minutes and hung up.

Ms. Carr had been working with Gloria for a couple months now. She knew she had her hands full during the very first meeting with Gloria. In fact she was surprised something this serious hadn’t happened before now. Ms. Carr was almost relieved as she had worried about the two children, Jason and Sara. She’d seen all too many times where the law is too slow to allow Social Workers to step in and get children safely away from a dangerous situation. Gloria’s was a dangerous situation from day one to Mrs. Carr, but her hands had been tied.

Ms. Carr was thinking about the situation as she drove along the windy, narrow country roads. It dawned on her that if Gloria arrived at the trailer and found her children missing she might come straight to the Simpson’s farm house. She decided that if Gloria did show up things could get out of hand real quick. She started to call the Springfield Police to get an officer to meet her at the farm house, but they were too far away, and wouldn’t make this a priority. She decided to call the sheriff at the little rural community of Nixa to see if he or his deputy could assist her. She pulled out her cell phone and called 411 to get through without stopping. Dialing, she got a recording. Ms. Carr left a brief message and just hoped someone would get her message in time to respond.

As Ms. Carr pulled into the driveway leading up to the Simpson’s farm house she noticed there was still plenty of sunlight out. Getting closer to the house she noticed two vehicles parked under a shed. There was an old farmer’s pickup truck, and an old car that Mrs. Simpson must use. No sign of a car indicating Gloria might have arrived there. Good – she thought to herself. She didn’t want a scene, or maybe even violence from Gloria. Ms. Carr didn’t expect a police car to be there yet. They would be awhile getting there, if they were to come at all.

Walking up the porch steps Ms. Carr knocked on the screen door. An older woman appeared.

Hello, I’m Ms. Carr, she said to the woman.

Come in Ms. Carr, I’m Mrs. Simpson, she said with definite relief in her voice. It was evident that Mrs. Simpson was very stressed over this situation.

Ms. Carr stepped in and took some precautionary glances around. Gloria could have parked behind the house or something and be hiding somewhere. She then noticed the two children playing on the floor. She could tell Mrs. Simpson had cleaned them up, and was sure this evidently kind woman had also fed them. She noticed an older gentleman sitting in a chair just gazing into the fire place. His mind was evidently in another world. She figured that had to be Mr. Simpson. He was probably beside himself over all that was going on. She decided to just leave him be. She would be able to work with Mrs. Simpson.

That is my husband, Mrs. Simpson told the woman, He is very upset with Gloria.

Why don’t we go into another room so we can talk and not disturb him, Mrs. Carr suggested as bringing in an emotional person would only bring a long sob story and there wasn’t time for that. Ms. Carr wanted to get the information she needed and to get out of there – with Jason and Sara.

Just as the two women were getting settled at the kitchen table there came another knock at the door. Mrs. Simpson started up to go get the door. Ms. Carr motioned for her to sit back down.

Mrs. Simpson, not to scare you but it might be Gloria at the door. I think I’d better get the door in case she sees me. Ms. Carr then rose taking her purse with her to go answer the door. As she walked towards the door she reached into her purse for a small can of mace.

The door was open to let a breeze flow through the house. She could see a tall figure of a man standing at the door. See looked over towards Mr. Simpson. He hadn’t budged. She proceeded to the door. See could finally see it was a policeman. She opened the door.

Come in officer, we are in the kitchen just getting started, Ms. Carr said to him.

He was a tall, white officer about her age. The officer was dressed in a city police uniform. From the badge he was wearing she assumed he was the sheriff. She was a tall, very nice looking woman, professionally dressed.

He took off his hat and almost ducking, stepped into the living room. He extended his hand to her, I’m Sheriff Johnson, Ma’am, he told her. My deputy got your call and I happened to be in the area when he radioed me. It appears everything is all right here, he said looking around. I know the Simpson’s a little, and pretty much know all about Gloria, so I’ll just quietly watch while you take care of your business, he told her.

That was a relief for Ms. Carr to hear from the sheriff. All too often the police want to jump in and try to take over the situation. That just creates a lot of unnecessary work and an unnecessary emotional toll on all. This officer is evidently experienced with domestic disputes she thought. The two proceeded to the