Chapter 17
"You've been red-flagged," explained Emma seriously. "It means the second you step onto that Casino floor they'll be watching you like hawks. Hawks with video cameras."
The entire room became eerily silent as Mr. Gold stared at the troublesome piece of paper in Emma's hand. While the expression on his face may have been subdued, the whitened knuckles clutching onto his cane belied his apprehension. No one dared to breathe except for Leroy, who continued to munch on a glazed donut and loudly slurped his heavily sugared coffee.
"Well, let's have a look shall we? See what all the fuss is about." He held out his hand expectantly for Emma to pass over the document, which she did with some trepidation. She had read it countless times over the last hour while waiting for the six men to return from their heist on MIT. It was a troubling new development.
The page held two pictures of Gold; one of them his mug-shot taken upon his arrest almost three years previously. The other was much more recent, obviously taken in the lobby of Regina's hotel. The rest of the paper contained his vitals; age, height, weight, physical features, arrest record and even a description of his disability and cane.
"Bloody Hell," he whispered, shaking his head despondently.
"What's it say?" asked Neal tensely.
"Under language it says English spoken with an Irish accent. Excuse me, I'm Scottish!" He tossed the paper indifferently in the air and made his way to the coffee machine.
Neal swiftly caught the document and scrutinized it with much more concern than his father displayed. "It says here you are a Priority One Alert. Your presence on the premises is to be reported immediately to Security by order of the Casino Manager."
"It's a shame I couldn't submit a better photo than my mug-shot," Gold remarked flippantly. "It was quite windy the night I was arrested and they took away my comb during booking."
Neal leaned both of his arms against the table and dropped his head in exasperation. "You gave me your word you would stay out of that Casino."
"And I kept my word, son." Gold waved his finger back and forth in front of him mockingly. "Not a single toe stepped inside the Casino."
"Stop twisting my words! You know damn well that I meant the entire building, not just the gaming floors!"
Emma quickly stepped between the two hot tempered men, keeping them apart. "Any idea how this happened?" she demanded.
He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head noncommittally. "I haven't the slightest clue."
"Oh, come on!" exclaimed Ruby as she threw her arms up in the air. "He's been chasing Gaston Chevalier's girl. The two of them got into an argument two nights ago in the restaurant while Granny was meeting with Regina."
Gold glared daggers at the dark haired beauty but she did not cringe under his gaze. "I was tailing you," she boldly added.
His rugged face contorted into a sneer and he pointed his cane threateningly in her direction. "And who told you to do that?"
"I did," stated Neal calmly. "I was concerned you couldn't leave Belle alone."
"Wait!" said Emma, frowning in confusion. "Who is Belle?"
"My wife."
"Ex-wife!" declared Neal, Archie, David and Jefferson at the same time.
Granny jumped up from her seat and stared in disbelief at her step-son. "Belle is here? Why wasn't I told?"
Neal approached his father carefully and placed a comforting hand on Gold's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I didn't know if it would sting you but it did. You're out, Dad."
The sound of a mug shattering on the concrete floor echoed across the vast warehouse. "He's out?" cried Mary Margaret. The others immediately began talking at once, each putting in their two cents worth.
Neal whistled loudly over the hoard of voices and raised his arms up in the air to direct everyone's attention. "It's either that or we call the whole thing off! His involvement puts us all at risk!"
"That is not your call," snarled Gold.
"Oh, you made it my call," his son replied. "When you put her before everyone else, you made it mine. I'm sorry Papa, but we promised this group of people ten million dollars each. I know you still love Belle. A lot of us here do too. But I won't let you risk our lives for your own personal vendetta."
"This is my plan! My sweat and blood. I have put everything I have into this. This is my job!"
"Not anymore it's not."
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" argued Mary Margaret again. "I have already funded ten million dollars into this little venture so I will be heard. He can't just be out! Who's going to trigger the vault?"
Gold smiled triumphantly and raised his eyebrows, daring anyone to speak.
"Archie will do it," stated Neal.
"Me?" squealed the be-speckled man. He fidgeted awkwardly with his umbrella and shook his head. "No! No, I don't think I can!"
"Archie," Neal said quietly but firmly. "You are the best at what you do. I know you lost some of your confidence a while back but you have been spot on this entire job. You can do this. I believe in you."
"Mr. Gold?" he asked timidly. "What do you think?"
Gold laughed humorlessly and stared down at his cane. "It appears it doesn't seem to matter what I think anymore."
"I, for one, would very much like to hear your opinion on the matter, Mr. Gold," added Mary Margaret, glaring at Neal.
He appraised his long-time friend for a moment and sighed. "If anyone here is capable of pulling this off, it's you, Hopper."
The pickpocket let out a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. I can do it."
"It's settled then," said Neal, looking relieved. "You guys need to catch a few hours of sleep while I work out the changes in the plan. Curtain goes up at seven."
The group dispersed after the dismissal, some to head back to their rooms to get some sorely needed sleep, while others helped themselves to the food.
"Belle is with Gaston now?" said Granny in amazement as she left the lunchroom. "He's too tall for her!"
~8~8~8~
"Doesn't this feel wonderful?" purred Regina.
Belle was lying on a soft adjustable bed as one esthetician covered her face in expensive creams while a second sat at her feet giving the museum caretaker a pedicure. She tried to look over at her friend, who was getting a full body massage in the next bed, but the beautician's hands quickly held her head in place.
"Now, now, Miss French," huffed her tormentor of the last hour and a half. "You must stop fidgeting so much or this will take twice as long. I only have a few hours to make you beautiful and I need every second considering the state of your skin!"
She squirmed under the despicable woman's harsh gaze. "First of all, my name is Ms. Gold, not Miss French. And second, there is nothing the matter with my skin!"
"It's all right, Belle," mumbled Regina. "Just sit back and enjoy my little gift to you. You don't treat yourself as much as you deserve. Don't you want to look beautiful for Gaston tonight?"
"We're attending a boxing match!" she replied glumly. "I don't understand why it's necessary to get all dressed up to watch two strangers beat each other unconscious."
"Because it will be televised nationally!" stated Regina scandalized. "Plus this is a huge night for the Hotel and I want my best friend there beside me to celebrate my success." She reached out her hand and grasped Belle's fingers, giving them a very tight squeeze.
Belle fell silent as the witch with the tweezers began to torture her eyebrows. If she had a choice in the matter she wouldn't be attending this event at all! Boxing just seemed so terribly… uncivilized! It was not surprising that Gaston loved the sport.
But it was Regina's big night and she had promised to stand by her. If Belle was anything, she was a woman of her word.
The two women were soon moved to the salon end of the spa where Belle was forced to endure hot irons, curlers and an endless application of heavily scented gels and sprays. "So," continued Regina unreservedly. "Tell me all about last night! I want every detail!"
"Last night? Ouch!" asked Belle distractedly. She was almost certain the esthetician yanked her hair painfully at the roots on purpose. "What about it?"
Regina laughed knowingly and winked at Belle. "Come now! You and I both know that something happened. And it's about time too!"
"I really don't know what you mean," Belle replied. Her face felt uncomfortably hot under Regina's gaze and she wished desperately that she could just go to back to her quarters for the night. "We watched some movies and then the power went out."
"Sounds romantic! Thrust into darkness, forced to sit by candlelight, comforting each other from the earthquake…you can't honestly expect me to believe that nothing happened."
"I'm sorry, Regina, but that's the truth. After the power went out I convinced Gaston that he would be of more use helping ensure the safety of the guests. You know how he likes to play the hero, be the center of attention and all."
Regina scowled and swatted away her hairstylist. "You mean there weren't any…heart felt words of endearment? No startling new revelations in your budding romance?"
"Regina, what are you talking about?"
"He was supposed to tell you he loved you last night!" she seethed. "Idiot!"
"Oh, but he did, sort of. I don't honestly believe he meant it though." Belle frowned and looked at her friend. "Why does it matter to you?"
She quickly smiled toothily in response. "I just want you to be happy, is all."
Belle was forced to keep her head straight as large round curlers were inserted through her hair, but she continued to watch Regina furtively through the mirror. Her expression turned sour as soon as the conversation came to an end.
The make-up artist promptly followed the stylist and immediately began caking her face in heavy foundation. "I've picked out some lovely dark shades for your eyes and a deep red for your lips. You'll look wonderful."
"No, I don't think so," Belle stated, moving her head away from the applicator. "I want a fresh, natural look. Bronze and browns on the eyes and a soft pink with a gloss on the lips."
Regina cleared her throat loudly and leaned over her chair. "Belle, dear. When you're wearing black you need color on your face or you'll look all washed out."
"I agree, Miss French," added the expert, bobbing her head repeatedly. "You simply cannot choose those colors with your dress."
"I'm not wearing black. I've decided on another dress altogether." She personally went through the immense makeup kit and handed over the colors she wanted. "And my name is Gold!"
"What has gotten into you?" Regina chided her. "Belle, you have been officially divorced to that no-good criminal for months now! Don't you think it's time to move on?"
"I have moved on with my life. But Belle French is a stranger to me. I haven't been her for almost a decade and I don't want to go back. Pretending that my marriage never happened won't solve anything either. He was my whole life and I can't just erase it from my memories." Belle nibbled on her lower lip and stared down at her shoes sadly. "I'm…I'm starting to think I may have given up on him too soon."
Regina rolled her eyes and huffed. "I see what's going on. He got to you. Sweetie, he is a con-man! That's what he does for a living. You can't trust anything he says. Gaston told me all about the incident at the restaurant so don't worry! Security has been alerted and they will protect you from him. He won't bother you anymore."
"That's really not necessary…"
"I insist!" replied Regina in a tone that clearly said 'drop it.'
Belle fell silent as her face was being touched up by the subtle makeup. She couldn't help but feel utterly conflicted. On the one hand, there was Regina, the friend who stood by her when no one else would and gave her a new chance at life. But then there was Danny who, while constantly twisting his words, rarely ever lied; especially to her.
She knew that one of them was lying to her; she just didn't know which.
"Why did you want me here?" she suddenly asked. "At the museum, I mean."
Regina was busy studying her reflection in the heavily lit mirror and didn't bother to spare a glance. "I needed someone to oversee the Gallery."
"Yes, but there are many people out there that are far more qualified. Why did you want me?"
Her eyes briefly locked with Regina's cold ones in the mirror. "Because you're my friend and I wanted to help you, of course. You know that."
Belle took a deep breath and repeated her family mantra in her head for courage; do the brave thing and bravery will follow.
"Did you know my husband?"
"Ex-husband, dear."
"You didn't answer the question," she insisted. "Have you ever met Danny Gold before? A long time ago, perhaps?"
"Of course not, Belle. What a silly question." She stood up and lightly brushed a finger over her dark red lips. "Now, I have to attend to the arrival of Mrs. Lucas's package at seven o'clock but I expect to see you at the restaurant when I'm finished."
"Of course, Regina," she replied obediently. She couldn't help but notice that Regina had not looked her in the eye while answering a seemingly innocent question. "I'll be waiting."
"Give me a smile, Belle. I have a feeling that my whole life is going to change tonight."
A/N – I added a tiny line from California Solo, Robert Carlyle's new movie that is being released this week on DVD. Did you catch it? ;)