A/N: This is my attempt at a 'Carchelle' friendship fic for my buddy LoveCarlaConnor. I probably sound like a broken record by now but this is an alternative universe and period piece fic. Carla and Michelle are a pair of bank robbers/ con-artists infamous and bad like 'Bonnie and Clyde'. This fic will mainly be about their many escapades. Hope you all enjoy and thanks for reading :)
Tagline: This is a story about two girls with one gun. And how when push comes to shove they're not afraid to use it...
"Bullentin Points…This is the BBC Radio reporting for
September the 10th, 1928…News…
'The Barbie Bandit's Strike Again!'
… police say on Saturday the 23 of July the two blondes appropriately named 'the Barbie Bandits' struck for a second time terrorizing the many FI's and Banks of the beautiful Monte Carlo. They made of with more than an estimated $50,000.00 total so far, managing to score their highest payday in the latest robbery with an estimated $30,000.00 carried out in bags.
Officials describe the two as sweet on the eyes and so seemingly innocent that tellers often do not see the attacks coming. Both women are described as having blonde hair, medium build, and normal body weight. One teller has even gone into detail as to describe the hypnotizing nature of one of females green emerald eyes. I however must remind the public that no matter how hypnotizing, it does not stop the two women from wrecking havoic and fear on the lives of so many…"
"Can you turn that obnoxious BBC reporter off? I hate hearing the sound of his voice on the radio…it makes me think of home. And as you know that's the last place I want to think about right now. Give me sunny Rome any day over gloomy London. "
Carla looked up from the table she was sitting at in this extravagant hotel suite. It was a beautiful place to be, Rome. And she wished she would have been able to enjoy every moment of the weather and lavishing surroundings but sadly this was not the case.
She sipped her cup of coffee quietly and took a few drags from her cigarette before flicking it out on the nearby ashtray. Carla wanted to keep her lips pursed shut so she wouldn't boil over because of the slow burning rage forming quickly inside of her. Was Michelle being serious now, was that her only response to this specific news report? Carla's green eyes flickered over newspaper after newspaper placed out in front of her, worrying so much she swore her hair would turn white. They had really messed up this time around and she knew that surrounding herself with newspaper clippings and radio updates was no way to manage the problem. But she had to keep informed and keep up to date with what the police did and did not know. Michelle couldn't care less apparently. She was running around Rome all day getting church tours, going dancing, shopping, and letting men take her spins on their mopeds. Carla wished she could be like Michelle during this difficult period, so carefree and irresponsible just enjoying the fruits of their latest labors. But quickly she shakes her head banishing all thoughts of this nature as she looks at the newspaper headline:
'Two Person's of Interest Wanted for questioning in the Disappearance of Scottish Factory Heir Tony Gordon'
It was because of Michelle's carelessness, impulsiveness and irresponsibility that they were in this mess to begin with.
"Hey, well at least they got our hair color all wrong," Michelle says once again peering out from the bathroom door and talking to her friend, "I told you those blonde wigs were a good investment."
"Stop joking about it all please and thank you. We have to lay low for a while and figure out our next move. We shouldn't be wasting money on such an extravagant hotel suite. We should be saving our money because who knows when we'll be able to strike out this big again. Not likely with all this media attention, I can tell you that much."
"Oh I don't know, I sort of like the name 'Barbie Bandits' don't you?" says Michelle ignoring Carla completely she flounces out of the bathroom making her way over to the room service tray and helping herself to a few oysters as well as a glass of expensive champagne. She was still wrapped in her towel and her hair dampened from her pampered bubble bath, "I think it has a special ring to it. Quite fitting as we make such a great team of femme fatales."
Carla shots her best friend a scathing look, "I'd much prefer it if the media gave us no nicknames at all. We don't need the notoriety."
There had been a time when Carla thought differently, when she liked living life on the wild side and the lifestyle her and Michelle grew accustomed to, the life of robbing banks and conning rich socialites out of money was enthralling. They had some wild times back in the early days, bedding handsome men, meeting the most interesting of characters they would've probably never met otherwise. And the parties…they were always amazing but most of all, Carla and Michelle just enjoyed one another's company. Carla could only get up to wild antics with Michelle and vice versa but that all changed a few months ago when things got way out of hand swindling a handsome well to do Scottish factory Heir. Now Carla didn't care if they had fun, she just wanted to keep some form of a life particularly one that did not involve living in a jail cell.
"Still, they got our hair color wrong," Michelle winks playfully stuffing her face with some shrimp now. Carla had a feeling Michelle was just acting cold and collected in order to piss her off.
"Not in this one, they didn't," Carla holds up the article on the Scottish heir Tony Gordon, " According to this article many witnesses saw Antony Gordon in the company of 'two raven haired beauties' on the day of his disappearance," Carla was beginning to reach a foul mood. She wished her friend would take this all a bit more seriously.
But Michelle remained unfazed just shrugging her shoulders as she danced on over to her suitcase and pulled out her bra and underwear quickly dropping her towel and slinking into them both effortlessly. She examined her figure in front of the full-length mirror smiling at how wonderful she looked. Carla couldn't fault her as both girls could be rather vain when it came to their appearances. Michelle then reached onto the bed and pick up the two dresses she had lain out proceeding to hold each one up contemplating what to wear.
"I just wished you'd take these things more seriously and by serious I mean not hitting the streets of Rome everyday shopping up a storm. We need to save money Michelle," Carla toned down the anger in her voice a bit hoping that it would ease Michelle up a little and make things easier for her to comply.
"Oh you don't have to worry about money," says Michelle glancing over her shoulder, "Carla darling do you doubt me so easily that you don't think I'd have us covered in some other way?"
Carla's eyes widened. She could see the wheels in her best friends head spinning and she wondered what Michelle was up to now. Carla was always the more sensible and reliable plotter and Michelle's ideas often made her uneasy, "What did you do?" Carla slowly rises from her chair approaching Michelle with apprehension and caution.
"Nothing," Michelle smirks locking her beautiful brown eyes with Carla's in the reflection of the mirror but she was all coy, "Only just secured myself a date with a gorgeous Italian Count …something Borghese or the other. Doesn't matter really because he has a lot of money."
"I don't think that's a good idea. How long is going to take for you to seduce him and convince him you love him enough to get the money? At least a few weeks, we should be on the move not outstaying our welcome in Rome for so long—"
"We need money!" snaps Michelle.
"And whose fault is that?" Carla says throwing her hands in the direction of many of Michelle's latest purchases. There were bags and bags of designer clothes and expensive jewelry, "You're the one who can't keep spending our fifty thousand! I love shopping as much as the next girl, but you out of control."
"Thanks for the talk mother," Michelle says again she didn't care that Carla only had her best intentions at heart. She was set in her ways, spoiled and much more entitled in her actions then Carla ever was. Michelle still had that naïve immaturity to her in so many things but Carla couldn't fault her for that because the two girls upbringings had been so different.
Carla grew up poor in the poorest part of Manchester. Everyday of her childhood had been a struggle just fighting to survive just wondering where her next meal would come from. Finally she had enough of it, her neglectful drunken mother and lazy bastard of a stepfather. She left home at sixteen looking for greener pastures and never looked back. In later years she would regret this action only out of the guilt she bore for having left her younger brother Robert behind.
Michelle's childhood was that of a rich girl. She actually was a 'heiress' of sorts born with a sliver spoon in her mouth and doted on every moment since the she came into this world. Growing up having every person at her beck and call had become so commonplace that she was dealt a great shock on the day she discovered her tears just wouldn't do it anymore when it came to getting what she wanted. Michelle's parents wanted her to marry some older and as she put it a 'completely unattractive man' and in no way was that going to happen. She ran away and to punish her, Michelle's father cut off her access to a hefty inheritance.
The two girls would meet when Carla was under the tutelage of a great con man named Peter Barlow. She was eighteen by this time working at one of the taverns Peter frequented. They became fast friends and on the side learned the tricks of the trade. One night a lost and helpless looking brunette with dark brown eyes entered the pub looking like she had seen a hard night too many to speak of. Carla took pity on the girl who looked about sixteen and had no place in an area like this. Carla quickly offered a room for one night in the flat above. But by the next day the girl ended up staying and she never left afterwards. A great friendship was born and Carla took Michelle under her wing becoming teacher to her in all things to do with conning and surviving in this harsh world. The women tried never to be separate for long periods of time since they truly were a good team. As Peter put it, with Michelle's knack for conversation and charm and Carla's exotic looks the two girls could bring any man to their knees. They were an unstoppable duo. Carla wished she could look back on these past escapades with a great fondness but lately she felt as though she was responsible for creating this 'monster' now in front of her today. It was this unchecked behavior that had caused the murder of Tony Gordon in the first place. Things escalated and got out of hand more quickly then Carla could have ever anticipated. Now she only wished that Peter were around to give her some much needed advice about keeping the protégé Michelle intact, but sadly he was away partaking in other endeavors of a swindling nature.
"We barely have enough American money to survive the next five months! You may think I'm only lecturing you, but I'm just trying to make you understand the seriousness of the situation."
"I told you I've got it covered," says Michelle slipping into a black dress finally and some heels. And then a look came over her face as though she thought she should finally admit to something else, "It's not really a date with that count guy tonight. But I've managed to surveillance him enough over the last few weeks to figure out how he likes to spend his time. He likes many things most especially gambling. I'm going to try catching his eye at the casino today. Will you come with me, I could always use a wing woman?"
"No," says Carla although she knows the two girls could have a lot of fun getting free drinks and having pathetic desperate men fawning over them; she wants Michelle to realize that Carla won't always be there to clean up her messes if something some how goes wrong. Michelle never took ownership and she never even thanked Carla for putting her life on the line when things got out of hand with Tony Gordon. Michelle simply needed to grow up and learn to do some stuff on her own, "No you go alone I'm staying in today."
Michelle looked momentarily stunned even wounded but she quickly hid it all away bringing out her tough attitude, "Fine I'll go alone," she grabs her purse and heads for the door. In a brief second when Carla is not watching she quickly snatches a wad of American money laying out on the side table and stuffs it in her purse, "Don't bother waiting up."
With that Michelle was out and Carla was left to clean up her messages literally as much as figuratively because the girl had left her countless items of purchases strewn about. Huffing with exasperation Carla began her usual tidying up trying to keep her temper in check by reminding herself that Michelle was like her younger sister, inconsiderate and annoying at times but lovable all the same. It was exactly how Peter used treat Carla as well. He'd tidy her messes from time to time choosing his battles but ultimately letting Carla make her own decisions in life. Therefore in this moment, Carla reasoned that she shouldn't feel too guilty about letting Michelle off the hook so quickly. After all every bird must learn to spread their wings and fly. Perhaps Michelle could pull off a whole con without any of Carla's help or assitance. She began to get all misty eyed like mother does when looking fondly at their kid all grownup and proud. Her Michelle was going out on a con job all by herself…
There was a knock at the door that quickly removed Carla from her misty eyed nostalgia. Perhaps it was Michelle; maybe she forgot her door key. This was good if she came back for it because then it showed she was being responsible and considerate as to not knock and wake Carla up in the early hours of the morning. She gingerly made her way forward when the voice of a man on the other end boomed through the door with such ferocity it almost made Carla jump.
"Hotel Concierge! Open up please!"
"What do you want?" says Carla cautiously. She was paranoid ever since the papers started reporting more and more on the Gordon murder and picking up on the 'Barbie Bandits'. She never knew if each day she woke up was her last day of freedom. It was so scary to think of. Carla looked around desperately for the gun Michelle and her shared between them as of recently. It was another example of the inconvenience Michelle put them through; demonstrating yet again that the girl didn't take care of her own things. Carla's gun was nowhere to found which means Michelle must have taken it. Carla sighed as she pressed her body up against the door, her heart pounding so hard and her breath so erratic it would be no surprise if the man on the other end heard every element of her body at work. It all looked legitimate, the man she recognized from the front lobby was indeed the concierge.
"I must talk to you about an important manner but ask that you open up the door first so we can talk face to face."
This seemed reasonable enough and she could always deck him in the face and do straight for the jugular if things went wrong. Opening the door she was met by the face of a stern Italian man. He meant business, whatever this all was about, "What seems to be the problem?" Carla inquired making sure to keep him outside where she could watch him closely and feel safe. She flashed him her loveliest smile though and fluttered her eyelashes sighing on the inside at this dreary work; he wasn't even attractive.
"You're room," he says in a matter of fact tone, "You haven't paid for it in days. The hotel manager gave an extension—"
"Hold on, hold on," Carla says putting her hand up in the mans face and cutting him off, "This must be some sort of mistake. I left my sister in charge of the—" she floundered off…Michelle! She probably forgot to pay the bill. Ridiculous, how could she forget to pay the bill?"
The hotel worker paid her mortified expression no mind as he continued on talking, "Yes, is your sister a 'Miss Moira de Whitney'?" That was one of Michelle's many aliases. Carla nodded her head, "And you're a Miss Gloria de Whitney' I take it?"
"Yes," says Carla laughing to herself at the stupidity of the names. But people fell for anything these days, "That's us and that's me. Look why don't I just clear this all up right now and give you the money. I can give it to you in cash…make it worth you're while…maybe even a little extra tip," Carla winked and now allowed the man to step inside as she reached for her purse. Upon opening it though she soon found that her wallet virtually had nothing but the cheque book inside. But that was no matter because she remember she had left a decent amount of cash on the table right next to the door. Carla could just give that to him, that would work, the money on the table next to the door…the money was no longer there. Silently she cursed Michelle again. Back to the cheque book. She hated using cheques because of the paper trails they left but she'd just have to risk it this time around, " To whom do I make it out to?" Carla asks pressing her pen down on the paper just ready to get this all over with.
The Hotel worker shook his head a solemn 'no' glaring at her he spites out, "All previous cheques under yours and Moira de Whitney's name have bounced I'm afraid. I think that if you have no cash to pay for the room you shall vacate the premises immediately—"
"This is ridiculous," snaps Carla she could not believe her ears. How the hell could their joint account already be cleared? What the hell did Michelle blow it all on? "Please sir if we could just come to some arrangement—" she wanted to up the sex appeal and hope the seduction worked. But man simply seemed to have no time for that. He was a hard one to crack, with a face as cold as stone. She decided he must not be normal if he didn't fall for her tricks so easily. Well F- him, she decided.
Snapping his fingers he said, "I thought you might say something like that which is why I've gotten the polizia," Two police officers appeared on either side of the door having had listened the whole time they had been hiding up against the hallway walls, "There she is polizia! " he points his fingers in the most dramatic of fashions, "That's one of the ladies who has been defrauding my bosses hotel."
Carla was absolutely horrified because all her worst fears were coming true. In her opinion she was too beautiful and delicate for jail. She deserved a charmed life and like hell she'd let anyone but her in a cell for the rest of her days, no way in hell. But she had no weapons in which to fight them off and she may be vain about her living conditions but she wasn't crazy. Carla couldn't defeat three men without a gun at least to get the job done.
"Good enough for now," says one officer stepping forward, "We'll worry about getting the other one as soon as."
"She can't have gone very far. Possibly I have my suspicions she may be hiding in this very room right now," the hotel worker informs the police officers.
"I'll take a look," says one of the officers brushing past Carla as the other takes it upon himself to handcuff her. She wouldn't go down without a fight even if they dragged her to jail she'd fine some guard to trick into letting her out, as men were rather stupid when it came to her feminine wilds. But for now she'd buy Michelle sometime, never would she give up the location of her best friend lounging around in the hotel casino at this very moment. She'd find someone who could bail her out, maybe she could reach Peter in Spain and he could send one of his friends.
So with this reasoning she decided to calm down and not let her emotions get the better of her. The point being she wasn't going to shed a tear. Carla was a classy lady and classy women went down looking fabulous and dignified to the end.
"I want some red lipstick," she demands. The one officer looks at her as though she is crazy but Carla stands her ground. She will through a bitch fit if they drag her out without any makeup on to accent her gorgeous features and have the men at the station fawning over her. How else could her plan work.. She needed that lip stick, " As well I need to but on some pearls and a fur coat," yes, she thought if these bastards were taking her to a jail cell to sit for hours on end she better look damn good doing it. That's how she rolled and that's how Michelle rolled too. Elegant and classy to the end…
The man watched in mild curiosity for what seemed like many hours staring at the room number of that particular apartment suite. He had watched as the policemen arrive and good then because if he had been any later who knows how things may have turned out. He didn't care how much time it took, he just wanted to be ready. He heard tip bits of the conversation confirming what he knew all along to be true; she was in danger…no surprise there. After what seems like days the door opens and an elegant raven-haired beauty with a such captivating and piercing green eyes emerges being escorted by two police men down the long stretch of hallway. He can't help but smirk at the audacity she showed in wearing that expensive fur coat, with her travelling hat and lovely red lipstick, but that was just his Carla wasn't it?
The policemen, Carla, and the hotel employee take no notice as they briefly brush paths with a fairly short blonde cleaning lady along the way, the lady pushing her cart down the hall. He grins looking at his pocket watch, she just on time. Out of sight and out of mind, he watches as the blonde woman nervous with the passing encounter quickly composes herself and keeps on going until she stops in front of the same door just recently vacated. Taking one last look over her shoulder just make sure no one else is coming she fumbles in her pockets retrieving a door key. And like she senses his presence and knows where to look, her brown eyes quickly come into contact with his. A smile forms on her lips and all the nervousness evaporates. He nods his head in encouragement sending a silent signal for her to remember what they talked about and to go on ahead. The woman looks away and with one last deep breath opens the door and quickly pushes the cart inside disappearing behind it. Like they talked about, she must be efficient and quick. Not just for Carla's sake, but for all of their sakes.
"Be quick Leanne," he whispers hoping that she knows he's with her in spirit. Coming up of the shadows and adjusting his suite jacket he strides down the hall.
Glancing at his watch one last time he made the appropriate calculations and estimation as to how long it should take for Leanne to clear the room before more cops arrive to clear it out. He estimated how long it should take to survey the casino room and take Michelle discreetly away before law enforcement took over the place looking for her. Twenty-five minutes it what he came up with and it would take a miracle to do just that as he was not as young as he used to be. Those girls were lucky to have him always keeping an eye on them and making sure they didn't get into any trouble. Once in awhile it was important to let the ones you cared about sink and swim in order to learn a lesson. And normally he would have done but in this situation things had not entirely been Carla's fault. Therefore he was willing to put aside the added risk and take a chance. He could perform miracles because he after all, the great Peter Barlow was all heart.
Down the hallway he strolled calm and collected and ready to roll, the sound of the ticking watch was his call to the dance floor and boy was he ready to dance. The greatest con-man in all of Britain now had exactly twenty four minutes to rescue who he must.
"Michelle Connor, here I come."
