Morris led Mulder and Scully backstage and down a hallway that led to the dressing rooms. "So tell me, Agent Scully are you a lover of the arts?"
"The arts? Well…yes I guess I am. I do like classical music and opera." Scully answered as she stepped behind Morris.
"Any favorite composers?"
"Composers? Well I like Beethoven, Mozart…"
"Moonlight Sonata?" Morris asked as he turned his head around slightly.
"One of my favorite pieces." Scully replied with a smile. "La boheme?"
"My favorite opera." Morris replied as he copied her smile.
Mulder cleared his throat loudly. "Look, I don't mean to interrupt this music appreciation course but we need to see Miss Cuthbert's dressing room area?"
"Oh yeah. It's this way." Morris answered as he made a turn.
Scully stepped back enough till she was even with Mulder. "What the hell was that all about?" She whispered loudly.
"What are you talking about?" Mulder asked.
"I'm talking about the music appreciation course comment you made!"
"Well come on, Scully. I was waiting for you to name your favorite ballet piece next! We do have a case to investigate you know!"
"Swan Lake." Morris answered without thinking as he looked at Scully. He then felt Mulder's cold stare. "I mean…Miss Cuthbert's dressing room is right in there."
Mulder looked where Morris was pointing. "Thank you. Come on, Scully." He walked into the dressing room.
Scully went to follow him and stopped. She turned back toward Morris. "Just so you know, Swan Lake is my favorite too."
"Scully!" Came Mulder's voice from the dressing room.
"Excuse me." Scully replied with a smile at Morris. She then turned and headed into the dressing room. "What the hell is your…" She then stopped as she saw Mulder behind a mirror. She walked up to it. "How the hell did you get in there?"
"It's magic." Mulder answered as he made a huge gesture with his hands. He then stepped out from the mirror. "Ta da!"
"Can I ask just how you ended up back there?"
"How? Oh that's easy." Mulder walked up to the side of the mirror and moved a piece on it. Instantly the mirror panel opened and Mulder stepped inside of it again. "See."
"And how did you know where this….switch to open the mirror was?"
"Well, that's the strange thing, Scully. When I walked in here, I just walked right up to this mirror. Then I took my hand and put it on the right side, slid the one piece to the side and it opened."
"But…you've never been back in this dressing room before, have you?"
Mulder shook his head. "No, this is my first time minus us coming back here to see Miss Willoughby a few nights ago. But we only made it to the couch." He pointed to the couch on the other side of the room. "But this mirror…there's something….I don't know…somewhat familiar about it."
"Familiar? Well, I don't know too many mirrors that have secret panels in them, Mulder." Scully answered with a smirk. "Unless they belonged to a magician or illusionist."
An image flashed in Mulder's mind of a dressing room but one much larger and more elaborate than the one they were in now. He could see himself and another dark skinned man walking up to a mirror. The dark skinned man then took his hand to the side of the mirror and pressed down causing the mirror to open. He peered in with a torch and could then see some kind of passageway that led into the darkness.
"Christine!"
"Mulder?"
"Huh?" Mulder asked as he blinked his eyes.
"I said maybe the murderer was some kind of illusionist and used that same trickery to make Miss Cuthbert see that image she spoke of. Illusions could be used to create those same effects she claimed she saw." She noticed Mulder sweating. "Are you all right?"
"What? Oh yeah, I just must be having after effects from that fall I took. An illusionist eh? I hadn't really thought of that route but it's intriguing. So, you're saying that the murderer killed Bernie Campbell behind this mirror. And he somehow dragged him to the top of the stage in an area where no one can step foot on? No offense, Scully but I've seen plenty of illusionists in my day. But not even David Copperfield could pull this one off."
Scully crossed her arms. "Fine. Then you come up with something better." She put up a hand. "Oh wait, maybe it was your ghost that tried to kill you on the catwalk?"
"That wasn't funny Scully and I know what I heard!"
"Mulder, you were high above the stage and in the rafters! It could have been the wind whistling through the roof!"
"Yeah, that was a hell of a wind that pulled me down! Winds don't pull downward Scully!Not unless they are from some kind of force in the ground. And unless that theatre has some kind of vortex that is just not possible!"
"Then you go before the entire city and tell them that the murderer here is a ghost! I'm sure Skinner would just LOVE that! I know this is an X-File, Mulder but don't turn it into more of one than it already is! Stop looking for something that isn't there!" She then stormed out of the dressing room.
"Scully!" Mulder called before springing after her. He then stopped as he heard a female singing. As he listened he instantly recognized it from a few nights ago. The only thing was this time the words being sung were not English but French. She couldn't be here, could she? He made his way down the hallway as he followed the soprano voice to a room. He then slowly opened a door to reveal Lysette singing with someone playing the piano.
Ah! Je ris de me voir si belle en ce mirror! Ah! Je ris de me voir si belle en ce mirror! Est-ce-toi, Marguerite?Est-ce- toi?Reponds- moi?Reponds- moi?Reponds,responds vite!
"That's very good Miss Willoughby. Now make certain to open your throat a little bit more and remember that the French language has that nasal sound. Not the most beautiful in the singing voice but…" The vocal instructor smiled. "Let's continue."
Lysette smiled and continued. As she sang the choker around her neck seemed to almost radiate some kind of light. Non!Non! Ce n'est plus toi!Non! Ce n'est plus ton visage!C'est la fille d'un roi, Qu'on salue au passage! Ah!s'il etait ici!S'il me voyait ainisi! Comme une demoiselle, Ill me trouverait belle!
Mulder's eyes remained on Lysette but another image flooded his mind.
A large stage could be seen with gaslights all around the bottom of it. A large audience could be seen around the large building. A young girl with a tiara on her head could be seen singing the exact same aria holding a mirror in her hand with pearl necklaces around her neck. She moved up and down the stage as she sang twirling in her costume and letting her braided dark hair swing in the breeze. She continued singing until she reached the very end of the aria and her voice soared triumphantly on the final note. At the end of the note the entire audience immediately sprang to their feet with applause.
"Brava, Miss Daae!"
"Fox?"
Mulder shook his head as he was brought back to reality. "Lyssa, hi."
"What are you doing here?"
"Me? Oh, I was just here doing some investigating of the theatre in regards to the murder of the stagehand. I heard the singing and followed it and well….here I am." He looked at the teacher. "I'm terribly sorry if I disturbed your lesson."
"That's quite all right." The teacher replied. "We were just finishing up anyway. Don't want to put a lot of unnecessary strain on the voice." He looked at Lysette. "That was a wonderful job Miss Willoughby. Your voice has progressed nicely. I'm sure your audition will go well."
"Thank you." Lysette replied with a smile. "And thank you for your extra lessons Mr. Minetti. They are greatly appreciated."
"You sing the way you did last night and you are guaranteed that audition my dear. Good day." He then nodded at Mulder and walked out of the room.
Mulder looked at Lysette. "Audition?"
"Yes, Fox! It's starting to happen just like Uncle Skinner said it would!" Lysette answered excitedly. "He told me that after my performance last night that offers would start pouring in and they already have! I have an audition for the Metropolitan Opera this week! Apparently someone associated with them was at the performance last night and heard me! And they…they are interested in having me audition for them! Oh, Fox this is what I've ALWAYS wanted! It's like a dream it…" She then noticed how disheveled he looked. "What happened to you?"
"Let's just say I got a close-up of the catwalk above the stage."
"The catwalk?"
"Yeah. I was up there investigating where the body of the stagehand was found and I uh…slipped and lost my grip."
"Oh my god!" Lysette replied putting her hands to her mouth.
"Yeah, I gave the people on stage quite a show, believe me."
Lysette put her hand on his face. "How did you survive that fall? I mean I don't know this theatre very well but…I know anywhere above the stage is high."
"I fell onto the mattress they use for Raoul's scene."
"Well, thank god someone thought of that." She answered with relief. "You could have been killed up there, Fox."
Mulder took her hand gently from his face and kissed it."You sounded beautiful by the way."
"What?"
"That piece you were singing a few minutes ago?"
"Oh you mean the aria? Thank you. This has been my real chance to perform it for professional use."
"What do you mean?"
"Well." Lysette took a seat on the piano bench. "When I was about nineteen years old, I saw a movie based on The Phantom of the Opera. It wasn't the best version but….there was this scene where Christine sang The Jewel Song as Marguerite from Faust. That was the aria I just sang. Anyway when I heard it, it was like I had heard it somewhere else before but I couldn't understand where. I found out the name of the piece and what opera it was from and went to the library and got a copy of it along with a recording. I listened to it over and over again until I knew the notes and the French as best as I could get it. And then when I sang it I amazed everyone. This soprano voice just came from nowhere and I couldn't understand why. Anyway that aria I have sang at non-professional things such as recitals and workshops. But this is the first time I get to sing it for a professional audition. It's almost like….that aria was meant specifically for me as strange as it sounds." She chuckled. "You probably think I'm crazy now, don't you?"
"Not at all." Mulder answered. "I think I know a little about déjà vu myself."
"You do?"
"Yeah, I've had my share these past few days."
"Like what?"
"Well…" He was then interrupted by a voice.
"There you are!" Scully replied as she looked at him with her hands on her hips. "I wondered what had happened after you left the dressing room. I've been trying to call you on your cell." She glanced over at Lysette. "Miss Willoughby."
"Agent Scully."
"My cell?" Mulder reached into his pocket and looked at the ID. "Oh yeah so you were. I'm sorry, Scully it must have gotten damaged during my fall."
Scully huffed. "We need to head back to FBI Headquarters. Skinner needs to speak to us."
"All right. Just give me a minute ok?"
"Whatever." Scully answered before walking out the door.
Mulder sighed. "Please excuse her behavior, Lyssa."
"It's all right, I don't mind." Lysette answered with a smile. "If I worked with someone who looked like you, I would be jealous too."
"Jealous?" Mulder asked as he chuckled. "We're just friends, Lyssa. She's just being, Scully."
"Are you coming tonight?"
Mulder sighed. "I can't Lyssa. I don't have a ticket this time."
"Oh." She answered in a disappointed voice. "Well…maybe you can meet me after?"
"Actually it sounds like Skinner is going to keep me busy tonight with some things."
"Of…of course." Lysette replied as she lowered her head.
"Hey." Mulder took his hand and placed it under her chin, raising it. "Remember we have that dinner date tomorrow? I promise I'll make up for tonight, Lyssa."
Lysette looked back into his eyes and smiled. "So, we'll have two things to celebrate tomorrow night."
"Two?"
"My getting an audition with the Metropolitan Opera and you surviving your fall from the catwalk."
Mulder grinned. "Ah yes my brush with death."
"You'd better get going." Lysette replied as she looked toward the door.
"Yeah." He answered as he followed her gaze. "Well, good luck tonight."
"It's nothing to worry about, Fox. As far as I know I'm back in the chorus again and am just an understudy."
"Don't worry, Lyssa that will all change soon."
"It will? How do you know?"
Mulder took on a distant look. "I don't know just call it a feeling." He shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, I need to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow ok?"
"Tomorrow. Goodbye, Fox."
"Goodbye Lyssa." Mulder kissed her hand one last time before letting it go and walking out the door. As he walked back toward where Scully was, he still couldn't help but wonder how had he known about the mirror in the dressing room? And what about the images of the passageway behind the mirror and of the young singer singing the aria? Were they somehow connected?