by L. B. Simon
"Never. I always had it long." Mélisande did not seem reassured by the woman’s words, but let the subject go.
"Good! We are going short, very short at the back with long wing like strands at the front, that will hide your face." The woman fastened Mélisande’s hair at the back of her neck, then added another elastic, braided the ponytail, then tied that off too. "Are you ready?"
Mélisande felt the blood drain from her face, but nodded.
"All righty! Sit on the edge of the tub." The woman climbed in as Mélisande sat and using her barber scissors, cut off the ponytail as close to the neck as possible. "Perfect!"
Mélisande squeezed her eyelids shut as the braid was handed to her. Her beautiful long auburn hair was gone in a few snips! Her heart tightened painfully; here was yet another thing she was losing…
Veritas began fixing the ends, giving the hair sharp angles and edges. She studied the young woman a long moment and added uneven bangs, then used thinning scissors to texturize the hair.
When done, she spread some Vaseline on the skin by the hair line, draped an old towel over Mélisande’s shoulders, mixed the hair color in the bottle, and began spreading the cream all over the new hairdo. When the woman was done, she set the egg timer and wrapped the hair in a shower cap then a towel.
"The trick with disguises is to go just a little off the original appearance. People tend to go to extremes; blonde to black, and vice versa. Those who seek to find you, look just for that!"
"What will my new color be?" Mélisande asked, nudging the towel. She had always loved her hair as it was; almost walnut with a deep red hue.
"You will see." The woman grinned mischievously.
"Are you a hairdresser?" Mélisande watched the woman.
"I was once; ages ago. But then one day a son walked his mother into the salon I worked at and he walked out with my heart…" Veritas smiled gleefully. "Ah, those were the days! Vlad was handsome and dangerous, up to no good and swept me off my feet in an instant. We lived recklessly, almost getting caught several times. Vlad even got shot in the arm on one occasion, it was just a flesh wound, but…" She shrugged, trying to dismiss her heartache.
"Oh, my God! Vlad had mentioned shooting, but I thought he had been teasing Savannah…" Mélisande stared at Veritas, her pupils widening.
"No, no, it did happen. It was our little Nikita who saved us, though. He was a surprise and a big one! We had talked about having children, but were not planning on one yet and then there he was… Our thoughtless days were done! We couldn’t keep running risks, not with a baby, so we took the money we had and got this place. Never regretted a moment of my life!"
"Were you thieves?" Mélisande almost whispered, embarrassed but unable to stop herself from asking.
"No, we were always smugglers. We started with getting food into Russia for relatives. Things were really bad, people were hungry, store shelves bare, many things were rationed, people needed coupons to get them. But the administration; people in power and well connected never had a worry! They never had to stand in long lines for bread, or other necessities of life. And this was done numerous times, during the war, and even during Gorbachev’s perestroika, the attempt to reform the Communist Party. We couldn’t just sit here and let our family suffer. Then we began getting them out of the country, then helping their friends, then…" The woman laughed.
"I never knew this about Russia," Mélisande said.
"Ah! Of course not! Communism was all about singing about glory and hiding the ugly truth from the world and their own citizens!" Veritas sighed, then her face brightened with happier memories. "We still harbor refugees here occasionally. But we help only good, honest people; people prosecuted by the government for daring to speak up, share their unflattering opinions, or who became targets of the mafia that overtook Russia when communism fell apart, but nowadays mostly we deal with people who need to disappear." Veritas avoided Mélisande’s gaze. "We do our homework. In the early years, we almost helped a man who had done horrible things, but we do not deal with people who have blood on their hands!" The timer went off, interrupting Veritas. "Let’s see the color, shall we?"
When the heiress’ hair was washed and dried, Veritas let her look into the mirror.
"Oh, my God!" Mélisande gasped at the sight of her reflection; there stood a stylish strawberry blond, with her face framed by chin-length strands. She was unrecognizable. "Veritas, this is… Wow… I love it! Thank you!" She hugged the woman.
The new hair style changed her face, somehow making her look a few years younger and the color reminded her of the dark flames beneath the new hue.
"I have more, so let’s go back to your room."
There was a shopping bag on the bed that was not there before. While she talked, Veritas opened the bag and pulled out a yellow retro sweater with three-quarter sleeves and an off-shoulder neckline, stonewashed jeans, as well as a pair of tennis shoes. There were also a couple of t-shirts and socks.
"Sasha, my daughter, will come by later and teach you some easy makeup tricks. I sent her to get you some clothes from the discount designer store down the street for today. She will go to Tati’s after her shift is over and get you some more every day people’s garments. We don’t want you to look like an heiress or a model!"
"Thank you so much! These are beautiful, but you should not have. I have some clothes that I got yesterday. Please don’t trouble yourselves on my account. This will be more than enough!"
"It is no trouble at all." Veritas handed her the sweater and pants. "Try this on. Go!"
Mélisande nodded and went to the bathroom. It was definitely not something she would have chosen for herself, but she had to admit it, she looked really good. The sweater fitted her body gently, slipping off one shoulder, and the pants were comfortable. Veritas smiled as the younger woman came out.
"Look at you! Krasavitsa! So beautiful!" The woman radiated pride and affection, something Mélisande hadn’t seen in over ten years. "You see, that is the secret; keep your hair close to its natural color, change your haircut to something daring, and dress like never before. You meet someone you know on the street and they will wonder: is it her? No; it can’t be."
"This is amazing!" Mélisande admired her reflection. "I love it! I can’t believe this is me. Thank you!" She hugged the woman, again, giving her a tight squeeze.
"Oh! You are welcome, dearest!" Veritas smiled lovingly.
"How much do I owe you for the clothes and the makeover?" The young woman asked, as Veritas tidied-up.
"You are so much like your mother! Always trying to pay imaginary debts." Veritas smiled reminiscently. "You do not owe me anything! Not a cent! Do you hear me? You hold on to the little money you have left, you just might need every bit now!"
"But I can not just accept your charity!" Mélisande paled.
The woman thought for a moment.
"All right, let's make a deal; you come and help me in the kitchen. Few people will see you; you can practice mundane skills, and work on your new persona."
"Absolutely, I can start right now!"
Veritas laughed at the young heiress’ eagerness.
"How about today you work on changing the way you move and your voice." The woman squeezed Mélisande’s arm gently. "You will need to change more than your appearance, dearest, to stay incognito. We will see tomorrow how you are doing and if I am happy with the changes, you can come and work with me. Here are some colored contact lenses." Veritas pulled a couple of boxes out of her pocket. "See which one you like best. Your eyes will give you away if you don’t hide them! Also, that jewelry, they are too distinct, you cannot wear them. There is a safe in your closet, put them there before you go out of this room."
"I think I will not forget that, after this morning! I almost had a heart attack when I opened the door and Commandant Lachance stood there…"
"Lucky that it was him. He is a very good man."
"He was a friend of my maman too?"
Veritas tig
htened her jaw at Mélisande’s question.
"You will have to talk to Lachance about that." She heaved a sigh. "I have to return downstairs now. Start working on your posture. Sasha will give you some pointers and suggestions about that too." Veritas kissed her cheek. "I will see you soon!"
"Thank you for everything you are doing for me!"
"It is our pleasure!" And with one last smile, the woman departed.
Mélisande headed to the full-length mirror that was hiding behind a closet door, considering her body, stance, and facial expressions. She played with the tone of her voice and her walk, trying to be somebody else, yet still be herself. It was hard to pretend, and she called on the few acting lessons she had taken at her mother’s suggestion in her early teens. She had always hated acting, but it was a useful skill to have when you were a Belmont.
She then wondered why she was bothering with all of this. She would be home soon, her name cleared, her jewelry found.
Chapter 27
An hour slipped by before there was another knock on the door. Mélisande was exhausted and frustrated with her progress or rather the lack thereof.
"Come in!" She picked up her glass of water, needing to sooth her dry throat.
She expected Sasha, but it was Aidan who entered. He stopped short as his eyes fell on her as if not sure that he was in the right room. Then he saw her eyes, the same blazing green, and his stance relaxed.
"Wow! I didn’t recognize you! You look… beautiful… Not that you didn’t before…" He was putting his foot in his mouth, again.
"Thank you!" She smiled, a faint blush warming her cheeks.
"I see Veritas worked her magic…" Aidan tried to regain his cool. Yet again, he felt like a kid; Mélisande had that effect on him, apparently. "And you are no longer wearing your engagement ring." He pointed at the diamond which was on the bedside table.
"I do not need to keep up the pretense anymore, at least not for the time being."
Aidan cleared his throat.
"I came by for lunch and was wondering if you had already eaten?"
"Sasha is coming up with a tray, we are going to work on altering my appearance; in case I need to leave the room."
Aidan nodded, not telling her that Veritas was preparing her for a change of identity if they needed to go that route.
"I’m sorry about Savy’s attitude, she is a bit overprotective." Aidan shifted the subject to a safer topic.
"I guess it is hard to work with your significant other…"
"Savy and me? Oh, God, no! She’s my sister." Aidan’s jaw slackened with horror. "I guess some of her comments last night could be misinterpreted. I’m sorry, I should have introduced her properly."
Mélisande felt a sense of relief but dropped her gaze, hoping he hadn’t noticed.
"Were you jealous?" Aidan stepped forward, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
"Why should I be?" Mélisande glanced back up, her expression blank. "You made it clear in the vault that you think that I am despicable, so why would I harbor any fancy romantic ideas towards you when there is no hope for a future?"
"Okay. I stand corrected…" Aidan studied her as if hoping that she hadn’t really meant her words. "I do have trust issues, but I was harsher with you in the vault then I should have been and I am sorry about that."
"You could have warned me that Commandant Lachance was your friend and that he was coming this morning. He gave me a fright! When I opened the door, I had the bracelet on." She fidgeted with the Scorpio.
"I’m sorry, I did not think that he was going to stop by. When we work together, clients don’t usually know about our connection. I guess he likes you."
"Well at least someone does…" She scoffed as she moved to the window. "Your sister hates me; you think I am conniving and manipulative. Papa; I am totally confused about him…" She shook her head as if trying to clear it.
"I never said those words." Aidan took a step forward.
"But you might as well have!" Her voice rose slightly, as anger and hurt flashed over her face.
"I’m sorry…"
"No, I am sorry! I am sorry, the whole world thinks that just because I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth that I have a blissful life; that I am so used to getting my way, because I am so easy on the eyes and filthy rich, that I try to buy and charm my way out of every situation! I am sorry that people fail to see the truth; that I am a human being, not just a rich brat or a pretty face. I have feelings too! And I have a brain. I spent the last decade being held in a cage, people choking the life out of me, but no one knows or even cares, because I am a Belmont, and everything is peachy in Belmont land! Do not look at me with pity!" She hissed, as his guilt washed over him. "I do not need your pity, nor charity! One way or another, I will fight my way out of this; with or without your help!" She had worked herself up into a fury, and now tears began blurring her vision. "In the past twelve years, I barely had anyone by my side, so having no one left at all is not so different!"
"Mélisande…" He walked up to her and placed a hand on her arm.
"Do not!" She pulled away just as a tap sounded at the door. It swung open and in came a young woman.
"Oh! I did not mean to interrupt, Savy said you were alone." The woman glanced back into the living room and glared at Savannah.
"I was just leaving." Aidan stepped away from Mélisande. "Take good care of her, Sasha."
She nodded, looking from Mélisande to Aidan, aware of the heavy tension between the two.
"No worries! She’s safe with me, I will even keep Savy away." Sasha winked at Aidan as he walked past her, and out of the room, then raised the platter: "Lunch?"
Chapter 28
Evening was setting over the city of lights, when Lachance burst into the hotel suite, cutting off the conversation Isa was having with Savannah.
"Is Mélisande here?" His tone was gruff, his eyes searched the room nervously.
Aidan was right behind the detective, hurrying to Savy’s side. There was an air of urgency about the two men that was disconcerting.
"Get on this now!" Aidan ordered, handing a square envelope to his sister with a sharp move, the veins on his hands bulging beneath the skin. "See what you can find."
Savy slipped the DVD into the drive and waited for the laptop to load the footage.
"Hey! What is going on?" Worry clouded Isa’s face.
"A big pile of you know what; that is what is going on! Where is she?" Lachance ground his teeth and his fists were balled.
"In her room," Isa said just as the door was opening.
"Is everything all right?" Mélisande stepped out.
Lachance spun on her, then froze. Isa and Savy too were speechless for an instant, having not seen her the whole afternoon.
"What is wrong?" The heiress scrutinized each face.
"Mélisande? What happened to you?" Lachance cleared his throat and got hold of himself. "Did you go to the bank yesterday?"
"Yes, I had no money or clothes, I needed to get a room…" Her words trailed off. "What happened?"
"Hm! What did you take from your home?" Lachance clenched his jaw.
"Just the photo frame, like I have told you before leaving." Mélisande blinked blankly at the detective.
"Hm, and what else did you take from the vault?"
"Nothing!" The heiress’ eyes widened.
"How did you know the codes for the boxes if you weren’t allowed into the vault?" Lachance pressed on.
"Papa has a list of all the codes in his filing cabinet."
"This list?" Lachance raised an evidence bag with a stationery sheet.
Mélisande approached and studied the list, blood draining from her face. The paper was from her writing desk, with forty-five numbers written in a neat handwriting, exactly like her own.
"That seems to be… Yes, that is the information that was on Papa’s list. But I did not write the numbers down! I memorized the… I only memorized the two I needed; the bracelet, and… a pair of
earrings…" She stumbled on her words.
"Fast forward to 11:45 a.m.," Aidan said to Savy.
"What is going on?" Mélisande pleaded.
"I second that! One of you better start talking now! Or else!" Isa went to Mélisande, taking hold of her hand.
"These earrings, by any chance?" Lachance held up an evidence bag with the missing emerald earrings.
"Yes… Where did you find them?" Mélisande’s breath caught in her throat as she saw her favorite studs.
"We got a warrant for your safe deposit box and found these in it!" The detective shook both bags for emphasis.
"Non! C’est impossible!" Mélisande exclaimed, her heart speeding up, her breathing becoming erratic and her vision blurring. "I don’t understand! When I left, there was ten thousand euros in that box, nothing else. I swear to you on my maman’s grave!" She glanced at the faces surrounding her, hoping against all hope that at least one of them believed her.
"Why did you keep money in your safe deposit box instead of your account?" Aidan frowned.
"It was for emergencies. An amount that I could easily access in case I needed to leave suddenly. It was…" Her voice broke.
"Your mother’s idea," Lachance finished for her. "The escape plan." He shook his head. "I told you to come here. Why didn’t you listen?"
"I did! I am here," she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"Argh! Find something for me Savy, for the love of God, find something! If there is nothing, she is going to prison!" The detective finished, unmasked pain tainting his words.
"Was there any money in the box?" Savy kept working.
"No money." Lachance shook his head disapprovingly.
"Please!" Mélisande cried. "I do not know what is going on, I swear!"
"Can someone shut her up!" Savy growled with irritation. "I can’t work with all this drama!" She kept her focus on the screen. "This is our heiress; facial recognition confirms."
"I never said it was not me!" Mélisande shouted as her whole body shuddered.