Fire Escape Part Two

Prologue

In Chapter One, Arly Nathanson and Natalie Payne, two friends from high school, decide to open a beauty salon with a different concept: Customer service being the key. If a customer wanted a foot massage while getting his or her wig tightened or wanted to hear hip hop or Mozart while getting spray-tanned, Swizzle was the beauty salon/spa for you. The neighborhood was in transition, and Arly and Natalie could take advantage of it and secure a fantastic space within their tight budget. They settled in and steadily began to grow their business.

Six months in, a fire broke out across the street at the end of the block and, within minutes, seemed to eat up the apartment building. While Natalie called the police, Arly went there to see if she could help. A blond woman holding an infant was screaming.

“Help! Help me, please. Take the baby, please. I will throw her to you. Please!”

She threw the infant, and Arly caught her. She left a note and some money and begged whoever got the infant to hold on to her until her return. Arly waited for the mother to come for the baby, but she didn't until three years later.

Chapter Two

The shop continued on an upward spiral, and Arly expanded the concept of Swizzle into five beauty salons/ spas, three in Madison and the other two in nearby Culverton. They were the only beauty salon in the area to offer good champagne and decent wine. Customers could get a full body massage if they called for an appointment.

Arly was walking to the midtown salon when she spotted Natalie sitting in McDonald's, talking with a man and woman. Natalie saw her but shook her head briefly before Arly could acknowledge her, signaling her not to come in. The man in a rumpled black suit and the woman with a red cloche hat did not see her as she walked by.

When she got home, she relieved Wendy, who watched Evie on the weekdays after school. Evie went to the Head Start Program, where the school hours were from 8 a.m. through 1 p.m. Wendy took over from 1 o'clock until Arly got home. The latest she'd ever been was 9 o'clock because she had inventory for all five salons, plus the payroll. She had since hired a senior inventory clerk and an accountant.

Arly spent her free time from work with Evie. Every time Evie said “Mommy,” it took Arly totally by surprise. But her favorite time was when she put Evie's toys and clothes away and absently put her favorite doll in the toy box. Suddenly, Evie said: 

"Mommy, no. Trudy goes here.” She pointed to her bed. Arly was suddenly flooded with all the feelings she'd kept inside, which she had been afraid to feel since she'd gotten Evie.

“Okay, baby. Trudy can stay.” Arly laughed.

“Not a baby, Mommy." But Evie stuck out her lip and held her arms out for Arly to pick her up, which she did.

“You're Mommy's baby,” Arly said as Evie laid her head on her shoulder and put her thumb in her mouth. Evie soon fell asleep, and she put Tressy Trudy and her to bed.

Later, as Arly sat in the den putting a nice dent in a bottle of XO, Natalie entered. She did not look happy.

“We've got problems, Arly.” She had barely gotten into the apartment, was out of breath, and started pacing up and down the living room.

"That she-devil of a mother is finally back. But she's not here to take Evie.”

“Slow down, Nat. Sit. What do you mean? What does she want then?”

“The lady, and I use the term loosely, wants money. Or, she will go to the authorities. The courts will give Evie back to her and throw us in jail to boot. You, for kidnapping, and me, for accessory after the fact.”

“That's absurd. I didn't kidnap anyone. I'm not paying her a dime. She doesn't love Evie; she only wants a payday, and I'm not doing that. She wants a fight. Let's give her one!”

****

The woman put her red hat down on the scarred oak credenza and followed her husband into the living room. The man picked up two cigars from an ebony humidor. He cut off the end of one of the cigars and waited until his wife lit it. He offered her the other, which she refused.

“Why do you do this? You know I don't smoke.”

“I like to keep you on your toes.” Niki laughed and blew dark smoke rings in her direction. “Katia, we can't continue with this. We've waited too long.”

“And whose fault is that? Who made me wait two years because he got himself arrested for some petty crime?” she said peevishly.

“You should be glad I'm here.” Niki retorted.

Oh, how I wish you were not here. You've been nothing but trouble from the start. I need to focus. These people have money, and the woman who caught Evie that day is her mother now, and she wants to keep it that way. She will pay. And pay and pay again. But I must think of a way to get rid of Niki. Now he is just dead weight. Poor Nikita, looking for a mother and ending up with someone like me. I hate the very thought of children! How ironic is that?

“What the hell are you smiling about?” Niki said. His days' old growth of blond beard was dirty and unappealing. He scratched at it like fleas were biting there.

“Nothing. I'm going to run your bath, then finish up with dinner. We have to come up with a plan for this situation.”

“Not plan!” he said, bringing his hand down hard on the arm of the floral-patterned sofa. “Threaten to take the child, and she will see reason!”

“Yes, Nikita, that will work for the short term, but I am looking at the bigger picture."

“You always are,” he said, still scratching. Kalyna changed the subject.

“Your bath is ready. I put in the bath salts you like so much.”

Prissy ass! One of these days, I-

“Katia, bring the radio! You know I must have music while I bathe. Are you so stupid I have to repeat it every day?”

“I'm coming, Niki. Be patient!” Kalyna swore under her breath. And my name is Kalyna, not Katia! Term of endearment, my ass. He thinks I don't know that's his mother's name. Pathetic!

She brought in the old radio and plugged it in. It was tuned to a station that played old Russian songs for two hours daily. Nikita listened faithfully every day from four o'clock until six.

“Katia, put down the radio and brush my hair. What is wrong with you today?”

Later on, when she thought about it, she knew she'd been possessed. Evil had taken over the decision to throw the radio into the tub out of her hands. He had looked perplexed and betrayed. The police were satisfied it was an accident. The coroner had not required an inquest; something about how the cord had been underneath him and not on top of the water. Just a stroke of luck between her and the penitentiary.

The manner of Nikita Chernovsky's death had caused an electrical grid to blow out, and the whole north side of town had been plunged into darkness. It had been all over the newspapers and television. The fame he'd desired in life had been delivered to him in death with a big red bow.

Kalyna had a few places picked out if she needed to hide, but she decided to stay put in favor of the long con. She planned to be the recipient of a perpetual payday. Shoving all his belongings into a cloth duffel bag, she set it in the garbage and swept, mopped, and dusted the apartment. Without him, she felt the place was larger; it suited her, and she could breathe. Niki had been a slob with putrid cigar breath and bad manners. An insurance policy of ten thousand dollars had been paid out to her as Nikita's beneficiary. She bought some furniture from Ikea, colorful curtains and bedding. Her home began to take shape. The phone rang suddenly, and she jumped. Who knows this number? I am here.

“H-Hello? Who is this?”

“This is Arly Nathanson. You know who I am. I understand you want to meet with me.”

Kalyna decided not to be coy and answered Arly's statement head-on.

“Yes, I know who you are. You are the kidnapper.”

Kalyna nursed an iced espresso and absently wound a few strands of tangled blonde hair around her finger in between sips. Arly laughed and put the phone on speaker so Natalie could listen.

“You are mistaken. I haven't kidnapped anyone.”

“Oh, so you don't have a child named Evie?”

“No, I don't. I have a wonderful daughter I have raised for the past three years. Her mother just abandoned her, although I am in the process of adopting her. There was no kidnapping.”

“That is not what my lawyer tells me. He says he will block any attempt by you to adopt my daughter!"

“Your daughter? So you're guilty of abandonment. I've not seen hide nor hair of you since the fire! Where the hell have you been, Ms. Touros?” Arly tried hard to hide the contempt in her voice, but she was unsuccessful.

“That's none of your concern!” Kalyna retorted. “How dare you? Have you spent all the money I left for Evie?”

A short beep alerted Arly that she had another call trying to get through. It was Seth Bauer, her attorney. Arly asked Kalyna to hold while she created a conference call. They'd decided not to inform her that Seth was on the line.

“I'm back. Thank you for waiting. Now you were asking about money?”

“Yes, I left a lot of- you know what? Never mind. You're going to want to meet sooner or later.”

“Date, time, and place. And one more thing, Ms. Touros. Don't go near Evie again!”

Arly cut the connection with Kalyna. Seth, still on the other line, was worried.

“She's not giving up and hasn't asked you for money.”

”Seth, she has a partner, some guy named Nikki... What was his name?” Natalie stood up.

“It was Nikita Chernovsky. He seemed to be the one in charge. I need another drink.”

“Why is that name familiar to me? Tell you what, I'll check in with you later. That name is gnawing at me. Ciao for now.”

Natalie handed Arly a gin and tonic. “Where's Evie? She sleeping?”

“Yeah, Wendy put her down a while ago. Let's take these outside.”

Natalie had decorated the wrap-around terrace exclusively. Arly wondered where she'd found the time and the palm trees. She had never seen a terrace as large as this one, let alone own one. The color palette was light pink, rose, and coral with cooling silver accents. It was a creative, calming, peaceful oasis where she could think and mull things over.

“Well, how do we handle this, Arly?” Natalie took a deep swallow of her drink.

“This is not a we situation, Nat,” Arly responded.

“What do you mean, Arly? I've been here right from the very beginning. Evie is my Goddaughter, I'll be damned if I stay out of it!”

“This could get pretty ugly, Nat. I want you to have the opportunity to back out. This is a lot to ask, even if it is you. I didn't mean to upset you.”

“Well, you did! I'm ride or die. I thought you knew that.”

Arly went over, hugged Natalie, and kissed her on the cheek. “I stand corrected.”

***