As the swell of music filled the air, cheers erupted from the tent. Ann gave Angelica the silent, "Go," and Angelica took her first step out onto the runway, instantly barraged by flashbulbs. The steady pulse of music continued as bits and pieces of information that I'd collected over the past week turned over each other in my head, like puzzle pieces that didn't quite fit together. I took another sip of water.
I watched Jean Luc herd models into line, Ann shouting into her headset, giving each model a, "Go," on cue. Dana fidgeted in line, looking nervous, but gorgeous in her teal silk number. She turned and I gave her a reassuring "thumbs up" as Ann shoved her onto the runway. I couldn't help the little swell of pride as I heard the crowd "oooo" and "ahhh" over my best friend.
Model after model began returning from the runway, their stoic expressions transforming to panic the second they emerged backstage, quickly stripping off their outfits and shoving their long limbs into the next look. They were each immediately attacked by a waiting team, hair was teased, clothes flew, shoes shoved on tired feet, all to the loud, steady bass beat of the music pumping through the hidden speakers.
I took another sip of water. The chaos of the room, not to mention the last week, was getting to me. I felt my hands starting to sweat, my heart beating a little faster.
And then there was Felix. He was standing off to one side, his back to the runway as he leaned casually against the wall. His hands were still shoved in his pockets, his eyes watchful, taking the scene in, no doubt trying to mentally come up with a sensationalized slant to the whole thing to run in tomorrow's paper. Typical Tabloid Boy.
So why were my cheeks flushing again? I bit my lip, the loud music, the crowded room, Felix's revelation, all suddenly feeling like they were closing in on me. I was getting seriously claustrophobic. I took another sip of my water.
I took a deep breath, in and out, trying to get the flush under control as I watched Auntie Charlene appear at Felix's side. He turned and gave her a smile, his adorable Hugh Grant dimples punctuating his cheeks.
I shook my head. Adorable? Where had that come from?
Charlene leaned in close, whispering something in Felix's ear. A frown creased his features, then he glanced my way.
Immediately, my eyes hit the ground, loath to be caught staring at him. I took another sip from my water, then peeked back up at him through my lashes. Only he was gone. Charlene stood in his place. Staring straight at me. Her pale blue eyes almost looking as if she were watching me.
I closed my eyes, the warm flush turning into an all out sweat. When I opened them again, the room started to spin, models dancing before my vision, Jean Luc's anxious form fuzzy and in triplicate. I tried to take deep, steadying breaths and took another drag from my bottle.
And still Charlene continued to focus my direction. Eyes watchful. Pale features placid. Body rigid with tension. Charlene. Charlene…
And then the last piece fell into place in my brain with an almost audible click. Charlie. Charlie hadn't been a man, Charlie was a woman.
I felt myself sway on my feet as my crutches slipped out from under me.
"Easy there, Maddie."
I blinked hard, my vision blurred like I was looking at the world through a sheet of waxed paper. I saw Charlene's face hovering just above mine.
"You?" I asked, my voice sounding a million miles way to my own ears. "You and Gisella… that night… the necklace…"
"You look a little flushed, Maddie," she said, her voice echoing in that infuriatingly polite British tone.
I blinked again, trying to control the double visions hitting me harder than a vodka martini on an empty stomach. I looked down at the water bottle still in my hand.
The water.
I let the bottle drop, the contents splashing onto my toes as sweat broke out on my brow. What was in the water?
Felix. Felix had given me the bottle… He and Charlene… It couldn't be.
The room began to spin again as I whipped my head back and forth, scanning the backstage area for Felix. What had he done to me?
"Easy, now, Maddie," Charlene said, her blue eyes flat as she stared down at me, her manicured claws digging into my arm to hold me up. "Don't you worry, love."
I watched a slow wicked smile spread across her features as the room closed in on me.
"I'm going to take good care of you."
I opened my mouth to speak, but I was suddenly too weak to move my lips. The best I could do was let out a pathetic, strangled sound in the back of my throat.
Just before everything went black.
Chapter Nineteen
I have had the misfortune in my life to be knocked over the head, shot, whacked unconscious, and, last but not least, nearly strangled. (What can I say? Mrs. Rosenblatt is right. My karma really sucks.) But drugged was a new one even for me.
And as I slowly blinked my eyes open, one painful movement at a time, not an experience, I decided, that I ever wanted to repeat. My mouth felt like I'd been eating cotton balls, my eyelids almost too heavy to lift. And my head pounded louder than a heavy metal drummer. I groaned. Bad idea. The sound vibrated through my skull, causing stabs of pain to slice through my brain.
"Maddie?"
I froze at the sound of the familiar voice calling my name. I took a breath and forced my eyes open. They moved as if under water, slowly, blinking a few times before the person who'd spoke came into focus.
"Mom?" I croaked out.
"Oh, thank God, Maddie, you're alive."
I did some more blinking, trying to get my bearings as the drummer quickened his pace. I was in a hotel room, which looked a lot like mine except for the fact that the color scheme was a dusty rose instead of my sunshine yellow. A pair of matching Vuitton suitcases were lined up by the door, the closets conspicuously empty.
I looked down and saw I was propped up in a bed, my back to a bedpost. Tied to the opposite post, amidst a sea of tiny pillows, sat Mom and Mrs. Rosenblatt, back to back, their limbs taped down with a length of gray duct tape, a bed post between them. Mrs. Rosenblatt had a piece of tape firmly covering her mouth. Mom's was hanging down on one side, exposing a pair of raw looking lips. That I realized were still moving.
"…and then she just dumped you there and I had no idea if you were dead or alive or breathing. I swear, I thought she'd killed you Maddie. Oh, honey, I'm so glad you're okay!"
I wasn't sure that "okay" accurately described my current condition, but, as I wiggled my fingers and toes, I realized I was alive. Though, as I moved on to moving arms and legs, I realized I also had been given the duct tape treatment. A thick band of it cut through my middle, inhibiting much more movement than a slight wiggle. Someone had also wrapped duct tape around my ankles, securing my one good leg to Wonder Boot.
"I'm okay, Mom," I said. Only it came out more like. "Mumph, mum, mmmmm," considering my lips were taped shut, too.
"Mmmm, mmmm," Mrs. Rosenblatt replied, shrugging her shoulders.
"Here, Mads, see if you can inch over here, maybe I can get the tape loose."
I did, wiggling as far as I could, to no avail. I felt pain starting to work its way up my spine as tears clouded behind my eyes.
"Okay, okay, don't panic," Mom said. Though her freaked expression completely matched mine. "Look, maybe I can get it loose with my toe."
My first thought as I looked down at Mom's bright red pedicure was "Eww!" But the second was that it actually might work. And a little toe in the face was a lot better than whatever Charlene had planned for us when she got back.
I leaned my head forward, jutting my chin out as far as I could. Mom scooched her butt forward, doing a yoga worthy stretch in my direction. Still a good six inches away.
Mrs. Rosenblatt moved closer, giving Mom a little more leeway, and she tried again. This time her toe touched my cheek. A couple more rounds of this and she finally had a corner loose. I moved my mouth across my shoulder, catching the tape in my tank top and rubbing back and forth until it finally came loose enough to speak.