Chapter 7: Dinner disaster
Dani and Claude dined in a superb and exclusive French restaurant inside the Four Seasons Hotel, much to Crystal's dismay. It was not easy to park a black van without it being noticed along Madison Avenue. Mac promised her that he would talk to Henry about getting the CIA to spring them a new and fancier ride for these times.
"I feel like a crumb sitting in here eating Jewish Deli food while they feast on a three course cuisine."
"Stifle it and eat your pickle! I got you the whole sour and that acidic coleslaw you love. That's cuisine enough for ya." Mac flicked his hand at her as he adjusted his headphones.
Mac was very surprised at this subdued version of Claude, not under the fanatical stress of the Agency and as Dani told them, pretending to be a diva. This Claude oozed charm and sensuality; perhaps over-doing it and hoping his French background would woo her once again. Dani was too smart a woman to be taken in by it, though Mac couldn't help but wonder if she truly fell for these same charms as a young, impressionable model at Jezebel. Even though she didn't want to hear his insinuations, Mac made sure to brief Dani on all his and Crystal's suspicions regarding Claude, Stella and the rest of the suspects at the agency.
"Crystal, listen to this!"
Crystal put down her pastrami on rye and slid over to Mac's side, placing her headphones on. She soon made a gagging face and put her finger in her mouth.
-O-
"Dani, I still think about how you left me standing at the airport that morning, we were supposed to go to Paris together and take Europe by storm! I can never understand why you refused me."Claude pouted.
"Claude, you knew as well as I did that it wouldn't have worked out. We both realized we had entirely different goals…well, somewhat different. I was desperate to start my photography studies and had a great chance to work with some of the best. I knew modeling wasn't going to be my bread and butter, but I knew that it would pay off for you and it truly has."
"You could have studied with the finest in Europe! But! All that is in the past, we can still look to the future, can't we?"
"Surely." Dani replied as he stroked her hand. She gradually pulled it away and smiled, then raised her wine glass and sipped it. "Here's to a bright one."
-O-
Mac shook his head. "I knew her past with Claude was more than modeling partners. Dani can't lie to me."
"I sure wish we had visuals of this conversation."
"Just continue to use that big imagination of yours."
"Thank you, Mac. You're so complimentary."
"It's all part of my charm." He winked. "Oh, listen, the conversation's turning now."
-O-
"You haven't changed very much since we modeled together. Still have those bejeweled green eyes and luscious year-round tan." Claude nearly purred.
"Why thank-you, it definitely comes from my Brazilian side."
"Ah yes! What was it, Brazilian, Scots and German, am I right?"
"Wow, your memory is still sharp as ever."
"I remember all my partners and clients and you were always a favorite, Dani. "Though I'm a bit disappointed."
Dani held her breath, waiting for the critique that she knew was bound to come. "You never did take my advice and try and narrow the bridge of your nose, so your eyes wouldn't seem so far apart. But nonetheless, they are still beautiful. Just beware of the tan." Claude raised his hand and stroked her cheek. "I can see it's starting to grow blotchy in places as the skin sags with age."
Dani moved her face away from his hand and sat up taller, and focused on her food.
"I'm only thirty-seven, Claude."
"Exactly, there must be many things distressing you, I can see the lines around your mouth have deepened and the worry in your forehead is glaring."
Dani's eyes watered annoyed. "I'll have you know, I'm a widow as of late last year. My husband worked for the U.S Consulate and was killed in a surprise raid." She gulped, hoping he bought the story.
Claude stared carefully at her with a frown. "I'm very sorry to hear that. I had no idea you were even married. You have my deepest sympathies."
Dani took a breath and smiled. "How would you know? It's all right. We were only married a little over two years when it happened."
Dani rummaged through her red purse for a tissue and noticed a familiar dark tube of lipstick situated near the top. She gritted her teeth and pulled out the tissue to dab her eyes. She took a long sip of wine and spoke a little louder.
"So, Claude, I hear that Stella is working as your receptionist. How is she doing?"
Claude rolled his eyes and ate more of his meal. "Stella is Stella. She refuses to take any of my beauty advice and insists on wearing that god-awful rocker haircut and bedazzled clothing. She is the first face people see when they walk into Jezebel and it's quite horrid. She used a hack plastic surgeon to try and fix her lazy eyes and they look as downtrodden as ever, on top of that, she's slow. She misses calls, forgets to write appointments and is always in the bathroom. Frankly, I've had it with her." He sighed disgruntled.
Dani wanted to laugh, but felt it would be inappropriate and catty. She couldn't hide the fact that she and Stella were very much at each others throats when they modeled with Claude, but Dani won out professionally and with Claude, personally. There were times Dani did feel pity for the woman, realizing Stella loved Claude to the point of obsession.
"Then why don't you just get rid of her? Hire someone fresh and young and energetic?" She questioned.
"Well…uh, I do owe her some favors, she has stuck with me all these years, the sorry gal. So, Dani, tell me more about your return to the fashion world?"
Dani folded her hands excitedly. "It's going wonderfully since I have a full modeling crew to work with. I have to admit, I am very saddened now."
"Why?"
"Well, some of my models were planning to move on and I had hoped to find more from your Agency." She sipped more wine, hoping he didn't catch her in the lie.
"All you have to do is ask, Dani!"
Dani maneuvered her small purse closer toward Claude, but kept it on the edge of the table.
"Well, see, here's the thing. I had a bunch of headshots pass through and I really wanted three of them, perhaps you know these girls, Ana Ramirez, Sondra Smith and Rachel McGill?" She asked innocently, naming three of the victims.
Claude's expression darkened. "Oh yes, them…they were young amateurs really. That Ana, she couldn't be graceful if her life depended on it, and Sondra, well, her nose was just too wide and African, she was planning on a nose job at the time of her death, the smart girl. Rachel, well, she needed to drop about ten pounds before I could even begin to work her up to her potential…and she had too many freckles." He said hastily, but with usual his blunt demeanor.
"Oh, but I found them so beautiful! Magazine and catalog work is not runway. I was utterly horrified when I saw the papers and the news! Not only did they die, but there were three others whose pictures passed over my desk that died too! Don't you find it strange that they all had the same symptoms? I sure did." She shuddered.
Claude seemed to grow hot around the collar. "I have been very traumatized by their deaths, but you know me, I don't let my sentiments interfere with my work. I still have an Agency to run and hundreds of other women and men to take care of, not to mention quenching their fears when this all came out. The Agency sent flowers and condolences to the families of course." He added quickly.
"That's kind of you." Dani's eyes glowed with intrigue and she leaned forward. "So, what do you think it was that killed them? I imagine the police are trying not to let this turn into a major health panic."
Claude calmly finished off his meal and wine. "What a topic to be discussing over dinner. Dani, if you don't mind, I'd rather not relive the last few months in regards to those girls. One after the other, and the police pounded down my office every time with the same fruitless questions and accusations, they harassed my staff, badgered my models! I've lost a lot of business. Perhaps it was an allergic reaction."
Dani pressed further. "That's some allergy! I don't think it's plausible that they all had the same one, do you?"
-O-
Crystal took notes of Claude's reaction and tone of voice. She glanced at Mac wryly. "She made us, Mac. You heard her go through the purse and then she moved it closer to Claude." She banged the table. "His arrogance and heartlessness kills me."
"I know. I don't know what Dani ever saw in this guy, but I'm proud of her, she's really hammering him! Oh, wait, he's asking for the check."
Crystal listened more carefully. "I don't think he has plans to end the date yet…he wants a night cap."
Mac set up the satellite tracer to Claude's car again and jumped in the front seat. "I'll drive this one. Looks like we'll be joining them, only we really shouldn't drink on the job."
"Look at the martini king giving advice." Crystalyn giggled.
"You know it's only Ginger Ale, right, Miss Mai Tai?"
"I'm sure you carry a bottle of Schweppes around with you on every occasion."
They placed the headphones aside and waited for Dani and Claude to finally leave the restaurant, then took off five minutes after them and found themselves right back at the Jezebel Agency. Claude lived in an immaculate and showy penthouse on the top floor of the building. In the car-ride, the conversation shifted toward Claude's other pursuits in the fashion world. He was working with some of the leading chemists in the nation to create the perfect facial and body anti-aging cream that would also have the power to close 'manhole sized' pores and reduce redness and sun damage. He even gave Dani a full jar for herself.
Mac gripped the wheel tensely. "I'm not even going to let her touch that until we get it thoroughly tested."
Crystal immediately wrote it all down with a flourish. "No doubt about it, this just makes him even more guilty with a capital 'G.' you said so yourself, Mac, what if it was something the girls used that was contaminated? It could easily be this Jezebel cream he's concocting. Remind me not to take freebies from Claude either."
"I think it's already been used on us, Crystal, my skin hasn't felt this soft and supple in a while. I highly doubt the guy is gonna spoil the entire batch, that would be bad for business."
"Hmm, I suppose. There was this great smelling stuff they used on my rub-down, maybe that was it."
"Mine was pretty odorless, maybe a hint of almond."
"I'm sure he's developing the male and female version."
Mac kept his focus on the streets and attempted to find parking closer to the building. "Look, I'm inclined to agree with you, Crys, but it's just too easy, don'tchya think?"
"It should always be this easy! Claude must have really been keeping this new product on the sly if the police made no mention of it. But he could have been handing out samples to the models, right?"
"Yes, but again, way too easy. He would have been caught already."
"Why do you like everything the hard way?" Crystalyn grumbled.
Mac widened his eyes and shrugged. "Because, it's more fun that way, I get more action, hey, pull over to that pizza shop."
"You're still hungry?"
"No, I have an idea."
-O-
Dani paced the length of Claude's massive penthouse and rubbed her eyes carefully from the tension headache building up. Claude had his back to her by his personal bar and was mixing drinks while he casually played modern jazz on his stereo system. The man loved color, particularly neon. He had door-length paintings of models in outlandish garb and mystical scenes and a few cityscape paintings and velvets with twinkling lights over the bridges and skyscrapers. Dani took a seat on his plush sofa and forced herself to relax. The news about his business venture with the creams was startling, and seemed to fit the puzzle surrounding the model deaths. She hoped she could conceal her apprehensions. Claude approached and handed her a red drink.
"Go easy now, this is Red death." He grinned.
"Excuse me?" Dani sat up quickly.
"Red death, or Red Russian, a lot of Vodka."
"Oh yes, one of your favorites."
"Ahh, your memory isn't so bad either. I remember you preferred the Cosmopolitans."
"I'm open to change." She sipped it carefully and nearly choked. "That's very strong, Claude. Are you trying to get me drunk?"
Claude shifted closer to her. "I guess that's the general idea, yes."
Dani took another sip and then placed it on his contemporary and shiny black coffee table, which was garnished with all the latest fashion magazines, spread out like a fan.
"Well, you sure keep up to date, Claude."
"That's how I stay on top of the business." He said huskily. He drew himself upon the couch and leaned over, grazing her neck with a kiss. Dani tilted her head and then reached for her drink again, but quickly put it down, realizing she had two glasses of red wine at dinner.
"So, Claude, really, why do you think anyone would want to hurt those poor girls? I just can't get it out of my mind, since I'm so involved in the work."
Claude retreated to his bar to pour another drink for himself. "Dani, you barely touched yours."
"I…I don't want to get too jazzed, it makes me very sleepy."
"Oh, that's quite alright."
Dani caught his moody dark eyes linger on the doorway to his bedroom and she glanced and noticed a giant King sized bed with silk and satin dark purple sheets. She immediately turned her attention to the terraces.
"You have a lovely penthouse, and a unique flair for decorating. I can tell this is all you."
Claude laughed. "Flamboyant, but not feminine."
Dani scooted over when he sat down again even closer. "Claude, you're avoiding my question."
"Dani, why must you talk of such horrible things again? It's a beautiful night. We should enjoy it. You know my terrace has a spectacular view of the sunrise." He hinted and stroked her knee.
Dani moved aside and then stood up. "Claude, you're avoiding the issue. Don't you want to know what happened to those girls?"
"I already know! They were stripped of whatever beauty they had with some horrible disease that ate at their skin."
"Not to mention their vital organs!"
Claude rose up alongside her, flustered. "Dani, you always get riled over nothing."
Dani swung around in surprise. "Nothing! You call the deaths of these girls, nothing? Wow! I am very glad I never went to Europe with you. I can see the kind of man you really are." She seethed and reached for her purse, but he grasped her arm tightly.
"Dani, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so cruel. It came out wrong."
"Oh it did. Everything you say comes out wrong and insulting and demeaning." She huffed. "Let go of my arm, I would like to go home."
"But it's so late! You must stay the night!"
"Claude, you're hurting me."
Claude's grip tightened and he pulled her close to him, giving her a full kiss on the lips. Dani jerked her head away but he grasped her chin and turned her face back toward him.
"If you didn't still want me, Dani, you wouldn't have come up to my apartment. Stop playing games. I don't care for games. I've missed you Dani!"
"Liar! You've been in New York for five years and we barely spoke to each other save for business arrangements."
"We both lead very busy lives, and besides, you said you were married and always traveling anyway. So it's better I didn't pursue you."
Dani's anger subsided for a moment and she tugged herself out of his hold. She marched toward the front door but he chased her and blocked her exit dramatically.
"You can't leave! I need you, Dani I'm…I'm in trouble! It's Stella, I believe she wants to kill me." He blurted out. "She's an insanely jealous woman! That's why I won't fire her, I don't know what kind of trouble she'd make for me."
Dani did a double take at this sudden admission, but she didn't soften her resolve. "That's your problem! Stella's wanted you since day one, but you never gave her the time of day…or have you? Yes, I remember now, you did, and broke her heart, right? Stella wouldn't try and kill you; she's madly in love with you, though I can't understand how! Excuse me!"
Claude lunged and shoved her away from the door. "Please Dani, stay, we'll talk!"
"If you don't let me go, I'll call the police! I'll scream!" She shouted, hoping the people on the other end of the lipstick heard her.
The doorbell suddenly rang, startling them both. In a rage, Claude swung it open to see a sloppily dressed young man with a red baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, darkened brown tinted glasses and a bushy dark mustache. He was holding a steaming pizza box.
"Hey, yo, hey, I don't mean ta interrupt the foreplay, but I gotta pizza delivery for ya. Get it while it's hot, ya know?" The man garbled in a thick Brooklyn accent.
"Claude looked on disgusted. "You have the wrong apartment. Who let you up here anyway?"
Claude attempted to close the door as Dani made a run for it and the pizza man thrust out his arm and stopped him cold, nearly splintering the door.
"Lookit! This is da right addy, you're Claude Dupont, and this is the only penthouse up 'ere. I ain't leavin' till ya give me my dough." He said more irritably and stared at Dani, smirking. "Hey, who's the chick? She's hot, ya know. I bet she's hungry, hey lady, come 'ere, have some pizza." He wagged his arm toward her and grasped her wrist, pulling her out the doorway before Claude could react.
Dani glared at the man and then immediately fell silent. She wanted to shout for joy. She quickly pressed the elevator button. Claude snarled and tried to follow but the pizza guy blocked his every move.
"I ain't movin, till ya pay me, pal!"
Claude dug into his pocket and tossed him a five-dollar bill. "Get out of my way! Dani, don't you leave me! Don't get on that elevator!" He threatened.
"I'll do whatever I want, Claude. You just stay far away from me!"
"You leave me and I'll…I'll fire that model you sent! Don't think I won't!"
"Go ahead, I'm sure he already knows what a tyrant you are, he'd be glad to leave." She said, struggling to keep the elevator doors from closing.
"Yo!" The pizza man shouted angrily. "If you don't give me the rest of my frickin' money, I'll be fired! That's twelve bucks for a large pie with three toppings. This side of town don't come cheap. And I wanna a nice tip!" He threatened.
"Move it, you loser! I'll show you a tip!" Claude drew back a weak fist to throw him a punch, but the pizza man ducked and then kneed him in the stomach and pushed him back into the penthouse. Claude couldn't move from the pain and just slammed his door in the man's face. "Go away, you hooligan! I never called for that food!" He gasped.
"That wasn't nice, mistuh! I'm outta here and I'm takin' my pizza wit me!"
He ran into the elevator and Dani finally let the doors close. Mac refrained from speaking and kept his disguise on, putting a finger to his lips and motioning to Dani that there were hidden cameras inside the elevator. She nodded and grasped the handles relieved.
"Smells good, lots of garlic. I like that." She sighed.
"Yo, garlic is good for da heart, my mother always said so. Smellin' pizza always makes me hungry, ya know? New York pizza is da best!" He replied. "I'm gonna dig into this."
Once outside, Crystal immediately pulled up with the van and Mac and Dani jumped into the back and sped away. They failed to notice a lone figure standing and watching in the shadows of the awnings. The figure gazed up at the penthouse with a look of hatred and then immediately turned aside and walked promptly to their car. They had been tailing the black van for a while tonight and made some loose connections over who was who. The black van crew was too close to finding out what they'd done, and they had to be stopped at any cost.
