Mischa Lecter
Chapter 8: Business Associate
Mischa awoke early the next morning, got dressed in jeans and a purple silk tank, with a black jacket and matching gloves. She grabbed her purse. Her father was up and in the study, she barely noticed until he started playing on the piano. She paused just past the door, the clicking of the heels she wore halting until they backtracked and stood in the doorway.
"Good morning, Mischa." He acknowledged her, though his concentration never faltered.
"Morning, Daddy, I'm leaving to go shopping with Aidan. We'll be
back around 5:30, alright?"
"We'll be ready."
"Alright, I love you." she said as she turned and walked out the door.
Aidan was waiting for her when she got there... Again. Mischa pondered why she was always there before her when she was 15 minutes early. She climbed out of the car and was greeted by a kiss on both cheeks.
"Morning, Mischa. I'm glad you could come."
"Yeah, It'll be fun to be out with just us."
As they shopped, Mischa invited her to dinner. Mischa bought a modestly cut purple dress the same color as her shirt. Aidan bought a black dress that was a bit shorter than Mischa's but basically the same style.
Aidan walked off a bit faster to get to another store while Mischa was a good 10 steps behind her. A man in a black jacket and a black hat bumped into her.
"Pardone Moi." he said.
Mischa froze and her eyes followed the figure brush past her and down the street.
"Mischa, come on!" Aidan called.
"I'm coming." she said, her cheerful expression turned into one of suspicion and the flash in her eye resembled her fathers.
"Aidan, come here."
"Sure. What's up?" Aidan asked, concerned as she started walking back to Mischa.
"I think I dropped something." She said as she turned into the alley in between the stores.
"What?" Aidan asked following her. Before Aidan had time to register what had happened she had been shoved into the wall, blood pouring from the back of her head, a harpy at her neck.
"You're having us followed?" she whispered harshly.
"What?"
"You are having us followed." she said coldly, the harpy drawing a few beads of blood, "Why?" She growled.
"I-I..." Aidan stuttered.
Mischa pulled back and shoved her back into the wall, "Why?" she growled again.
"It's my brother. He's really protective over me. He likes to have me followed to make sure I stay safe, probably for the same reason your father gave you the harpy and your mother taught you how to fight."
Mischa let her go and put the harpy back, "Act like nothing happened, we won't speak of this." Aidan nodded and walked out of the alley and back into the store. Mischa wiped the harpy down and put it back in her purse. Aidan's choice of words circled in her head and created more questions that she would have answered. She followed Aidan's trail and joined her in the store, a smile upon her face.
They arrived home at 4:10. Both were dressed and ready for dinner. Mischa led Aidan into the study and they sat with Clarice and Hannibal until 5. They spoke politely to each other, Mischa watching Aidan intently but nonchalantly.
Hannibal noticed how his daughter acted through dinner and smelled the blood on her harpy and on Aidan. He could assume what had happened and wondered how much Mischa had figured out. Wondering if she knew the back story and all she needed to fully understand the situation.
"So Aidan, Mischa tells us you have a brother." Hannibal said politely.
She nodded, "Enrico."
"That's Spanish isn't it?"
"Yes, sir it is." Aidan said, their was something behind the polite smile she gave him that Mischa couldn't place. She just knew, it wasn't as polite as she was leading on.
"I had a business associate once, a long time ago. Before Mischa was born, he was born in Spain I believe. His middle name was Enrico. Carlos Enrico Sanchez I think was his full name."
Aidan paused in her chewing, so slight that anyone who wasn't paying attention wouldn't have noticed, but Mischa was. The words 'Business Associate' were never good coming from her father, especially if it was from before she was born.
"I don't know him, but those are common names. I'm sure there are many Enrico's and Carlos's."
"Possibly." he said smiling a little, "But he had your green eyes."
"Many people have green eyes, Mr. Sergei."
"Very few Spanish people, though."
"It is possible Mr. Sanchez wasn't completely Spanish, sir."
"I'm aware. But your eyes have brown in them, just like his did."
"Maybe he was a cousin or something, these eyes run in my family." she said, her accent slipping.
Mischa eyed her father, just like her mother was doing, but the glances meant two very different things. The rest of dinner went smoothly, soon Aidan left inviting Mischa to dinner at her house the next night. Mischa agreed and went to bed quickly after she left.
Mischa fell asleep with questions circling in her mind and the sound of her brothers dying breath ringing in her ears.