Fashion Fraud (7 page)

EK hovered the mini-chopper on the other side of the tower, away from the dressing room entrance, and set it to autopilot. Then both girls climbed over the arch of the tower and onto the safety of the walkway. EK pressed a button on her phone for the bike to auto-park. The bike would land and be waiting for them at the bottom.

‘Good job, EK,' said EJ. ‘Now we need to get inside the dressing room. Follow me.'

The two girls crept around to the doors and slipped in. There was so much noise and so much going on that they needn't have worried about being noticed. People wearing earpieces and carrying clipboards were rushing around everywhere, calling out for things, fetching things. There was a row of tall chairs set up along the centre with a large mirror with light bulbs all around the sides. There, models were sitting, surrounded by more people. Hair was being teased, blow-dried, brushed and braided, lipstick applied, eye shadow brushed, hats tried on and shoes taken off. Everywhere there were people carrying clothes, hairdryers, curling wands and make-up brushes and the air smelled of hairspray and perfume. It was chaotic but exciting.

‘Wow,' whispered EK, ‘this is so cool! A real fashion show!'

‘Yes,' said EJ. ‘And somewhere there are dresses made from real paintings. Come on, we need to find them.'

There were racks of clothes everywhere. Every rack had outfits in bags hanging from them and every bag had a card stapled to it, just like in Alicia's studio. Each card now also said which model would be wearing the outfit and in what part of the show. Quietly, with her head down, EJ began to flick through the racks, unzipping the tops of the bags, checking the outfits. The two painting dresses from Alicia's studio had to be there somewhere. Finally, at the end of a rack, she found them. EJ checked the cards on front. She was stunned when she saw the names written in for the models: Nema and Laila.

‘EK12,' she whispered across to EK, who was searching another rack. ‘Quick, over here!'

EJ showed EK the cards.

‘Really? From school?' EK asked.

‘It has to be them,' said EJ. ‘It can't be a coincidence and look, over there!'

Sure enough, the
SHINE
agents looked across the dressing room and there were Nema and Laila, sitting in chairs having their hair and make-up done. And then, just when EJ thought things couldn't get any stranger, she noticed two other girls, one dressed as a large pink fish and the other as a chicken, hovering near the dressing room doors.

EJ snuck around the edge of the room and came up behind the two girls. She began the password exchange.

‘I believe the fashion this season is all about pyjamas.'

‘Oh, yes,' they said together, ‘pyjamas with flashes of gold.'

The exchange was correct but EJ was still confused. ‘GT12, SK12, what are you wearing?' she asked.

‘Um, well, I think I may have got the message wrong,' said GT12, who was dressed as a large pink fish. ‘I thought
SHINE
said to come as a salmon but they must have meant salmon the colour …'

‘And, SK12, why are you wearing a chicken suit?'

‘I thought I received instructions to dress up as a chicken,' said SK12, ‘but now I think I might have been sent some advice to “don't be chicken.” I need to check my code app, I think.'

‘Maybe you should,' said EJ. ‘But, don't worry. Actually, I think your costumes might be just what we need after all.' EJ quickly took the two cards off the bags holding the painting dresses and attached each card to an empty clothes bag. She took the two empty bags from the rack and passed them to the agents. ‘Change out of those and put your costumes back into these bags. And make sure these cards stay on them.'

The girls ducked behind the racks.

‘EK, I'm thinking the fish for Nema,' EJ said to her spy-buddy.

‘Definitely,' said EK, grinning.

SK and GT re-appeared, each in the standard
SHINE
uniforms that they'd been wearing underneath their fish and chicken costumes and carrying the bags that now held them.

EJ smiled. ‘That looks better. Now, see those two girls over there?' she asked, pointing to Nema and Laila.

‘The pouting ones at the end of the row having their lipstick put on?' asked SK12.

‘Yes, that's them,' confirmed EJ. ‘Take these bags over to them and say there's been a change of plan and that they need to wear these in the finale.'

‘I don't think they look like the kind of girls who will want to wear them,' said GT12.

‘Don't worry,' said EJ, taking off her perfume charm and passing it to GT12. ‘I've got that bit covered. Spray this as you come up behind them. Then await further instructions from
SHINE
.'

‘Rosie that, EJ12,' said the girls.

‘Now, EK12, we need to get ready. Let's get these outfits on. Has
SHINE
give you any CHARMs yet?'

‘Only this shoe one,' replied EK.

‘That's all we need,' said EJ. ‘Take this outfit, EK,' she said passing her the dress constructed from the Eiffel Tower painting and kept the water lilies painting dress to wear herself. ‘Twist the shoe charm for your shoes and use the dial on the inside to select a colour to match this outfit.'

EJ and EK changed into the dresses, being careful not to damage then. They twisted their charms and stepped into the high-heeled shoes. EJ chose an indigo colour for her shoes and it matched her dress perfectly. EK chose a bright orange.

‘Wow!' exclaimed EK. ‘These dresses are amazing!'

‘I know,' agreed EJ.

‘But we still won't look anything like the models,' said EK. ‘Have you seen their hairstyles and make-up?'

‘Oh no, we won't,' said EJ, as she twisted her high-heel charm. ‘It's time for our hair and make-up. Follow me, EK12.'

EJ and EK walked over to the row of make-up chairs just as Nema and Laila were walking away, holding the dress bags and looking confused. As soon as the
SHINE
agents sat down in the chairs, a team of women holding hair-dryers and make-up brushes surrounded them and began to work. Half an hour later, the girls stood up and looked at each other.

‘OMG!' cried EK. ‘Is that really you, EJ? You look awesome! Well, amazing in a not-like-you-at-all way but as a crazy fashion model.'

The make-up artists had completely transformed EJ. Her hair had been teased and frizzed and now stood up with shocks of blue and green colour throughout. Her eyes were made up with so much black eyeliner, she almost looked like a racoon and her lips were the exact same blue of the largest water lily on the dress.

‘It's not my style but it's perfect for what we are about to do. You look pretty incredible too, EK,' said EJ, grinning.

Elle was also nearly unrecognisable. Her curly red hair was now streaked with black and grey and piled up high on her head with two metal pins holding it together at the top. The dress wrapped around her to her waist and then struck out, shaped by wires underneath, to create a spiral effect. She was an
haute couture
Eiffel Tower!

EJ took two Alicia Noir bags from a table and they put their spy gear inside for later. ‘We can leave these and our backpacks in the elevator,' she explained. ‘We'll need to make a quick getaway before anyone notices us.'

A sharp voice came over the loud speaker. ‘Finale runway sequence in ten minutes. Models to level one.'

And then they heard Alicia's voice. ‘This is my finale. It must be perfect and it must be unforgettable!'

‘It will be,' said EJ to EK as they walked towards the elevator. ‘I can promise that.'

There was a buzz of anticipation on the first level as the audience, enjoying their drinks and Madame Ombre's cakes, waited for the show to start. EJ and EK were waiting with the other models behind the curtains, next to the elevator. When a voice came over the speakers, there was a hushed silence.

‘
Mesdames et Messieurs,
welcome to France's most famous monument, a fitting venue for the finale of our most talented designer's show, Alicia Noir's
Art of Fashion
.'

Then all the lights went out and the audience could see only the sparkling lights of Paris. A single drumbeat began and spotlights around the catwalk lights began to flash in time to the beat. Then the drum stopped and the catwalk lit up in red, white and blue squares, the colours of the French flag. Then everything went a bright, bright white as a single model walked out wearing a plain but exquisitely tailored long white gown.

‘The dress is the canvas,' continued the voice-over. ‘The designer is the painter. Alicia Noir is the artist.'

Now classical music began to play and a group of models walked out wearing long white gowns that looked as if they had been splashed with paint of every imaginable colour. Paintbrushes were fixed in the models' hair and their faces were slashed with colours. The models didn't blink, their faces were blank as they strode down the catwalk to the rapt silence of the audience.

EJ and EK watched in awe as each wave of models walked around the catwalk so strongly and confidently. EJ began to doubt that she and EK would be able to carry off their plan. ‘EK,' whispered EJ. ‘Do you think we …'

Her friend knew exactly what she was going to say. ‘Of course, we can. It will be just like old times. We'll do it our way, EJ.'

EJ looked at her friend, remembering the time Elle had helped her sing on stage in front of thousands of people while on a mission. Then Elle had been on the other end of a phone but her confidence in EJ had helped EJ have confidence in herself.

‘And this time we'll be together,' said EJ.

‘And now,' said the announcer, ‘Alicia Noir's final triumph, where art truly becomes fashion.'

‘That's our cue,' said EJ. ‘In position, EK12.'

EJ and EK both took a deep breath. The spotlight shone on them and followed them as they began to walk down the catwalk. They strutted for a few paces and then stopped, turning to the side, glaring out above the heads of the audience. They held their positions. There was enormous applause from the audience and camera flashes went off like explosions all around them.

Keep going,
thought EJ.
Don't forget to breathe, remember not to smile, head up and strut. Think like a supermodel.

They walked to the end of the first part of the catwalk and then stopped again, this time turning to the other side. EJ struck her leg out and saw as she did that the dress looked like water rippling. It was beautiful and the crowd again erupted into applause. EJ was actually starting to enjoy herself and she smiled.
Other models may not smile,
she thought
but this one does!
And so EJ smiled broadly as she walked down the catwalk. EK saw her and she began to smile too. The audience loved it and the applause grew stronger. No one seemed to notice two other models, one a salmon and one a chicken, standing awkwardly to one side of the catwalk. As EJ and EK completed their circuit of the catwalk, people rose to their feet, still clapping and now cheering. Alicia Noir stood up and the crowd roared their approval. The show was at an end and Alicia moved towards EJ and EK to take her bow. EJ could see her eyes blink in confusion as she looked at them, realising that they were not her models. EJ nudged EK and they stepped off the catwalk and into the elevator. Alicia moved towards them, but not fast enough.

‘Show's over, Alicia,' said EJ.

‘No,' said Alicia, who was still standing on the catwalk. ‘I need my dresses. I need to take them to …'

‘Next time, make your own art,' said EJ as she pushed the elevator button and the doors began to close.

Alicia looked at EJ, realising what had happened, but it was too late.

‘That's what I call a show-stealer,' said EK. As the elevator descended, the girls took off their dresses and carefully placed them in the bag before changing back into their spy gear. When the elevator opened on the ground floor they stepped out into the cool night air and saw a long white car and a woman standing in front of it, smiling at them. It was LP30.

‘Well done, EJ12 and EK12. We are to deliver the paintings to the museum and return home. We have your mini-chopper, EK12.'

‘What about Alicia Noir and Madame Ombre?' asked EJ.

‘Don't worry, we'll take care of them.'

‘You'll need this too,' said EJ, passing LP30 a can of Formula B. ‘It will help restore the paintings.'

‘Good work, EJ,' said LP30. ‘And we will need to restore you two as well,' she said, looking at the girls' hair and make-up. ‘We have a kit in the car.'

As LP30 drove, the girls, brushed out their hair and wiped off all the make-up. EJ thought that it had been fun being someone else but it was better being herself.

‘That look was so last season,' giggled EK.

EJ laughed but it reminded her of something. ‘LP30,' she said, ‘we have one more thing we need to do. There's something else we need to collect, actually three things. Can we meet you at the plane—and may I borrow a skeleton key?'

‘Of course,' said LP30, passing over a charm. ‘I'll let A1 know that the two of you will be there in thirty minutes.'

‘Make that the five of us,' said EJ.

EJ and EK rode through the streets of Paris on the bike. It was nearly midnight and the streets were all but empty as they sped towards Alicia Noir's studio. They stopped around the corner from the front of the shop.

‘Wait here, EK,' said EJ. ‘I'll be right back.'

EJ let herself in with the skeleton key and went straight up to the studio. She was only halfway up the stairs when she heard yelping from behind the studio door. EJ opened it to see the three puppies in a box on top of a pile of fabric, plastic, lace, leather and ribbons. The box was labelled: ‘Last Season—Discard'. Alicia Noir had left the poodle puppies to be thrown out with the rubbish, she was going to discard them as easily as old off-cuts.

‘I don't think so,' said EJ, scooping the puppies up. Beret licked her cheek appreciatively, followed by Éclair and Eiffel.

EJ looked at all the discarded material. A wide piece of ribbon in a deep, rich red, caught her eye, as did a few other pieces. She picked up two shopping bags also in the pile and put the pieces in.

We can't let it all go to waste,
thought EJ as she picked up the bags and the puppies and headed back down the stairs and out into the street.

‘They're so cute!' cried Elle, taking Beret and cuddling her.

‘Alicia left them to be thrown away,' said EJ.

‘No way!'

‘
SHINE
will be able to train them. Poodles are very intelligent,' said EJ. ‘I thought maybe I might be able to have one. Pip needs a friend while we're all at school and work.'

‘What will you say to your mum?'

‘I'm still working on that,' said EJ, laughing. ‘Come on. Let's go and meet LP30.'

With the three puppies sitting snugly in the bicycle basket, EJ and EK rode along the River Seine until they reached the castle where EJ had started her mission. They rode around it and far into the park behind. Parked at the end of a straight path down the middle was
4S
.

LP30 greeted them and looked at the three puppies. ‘Why am I not surprised?' she asked, laughing. ‘Come on-board. We need to get you back; it's way past your bedtimes!'

Really,
thought EJ.
We've just saved some of the world's most valuable paintings and LP30 is talking about our bedtimes?

EJ and EK strapped themselves, and the puppies, in. As EJ clicked in her seatbelt, she noticed the little heart charm on her bracelet. She took it and twisted it and, as she did, an inscription appeared.

Don't be a fake: be yourself. EJ guessed that was what the words meant. She thought back over the mission. She had found the real paintings and she realised she had found something else: a new confidence in her own way of doing things. She didn't always get things right the first time but she got there in the end. As she ran the thick red ribbon through her fingers, she realised she could be true to herself at the dance party as well. And now she knew exactly what she wanted to wear.

Piinngg!

It was a message from A1.

Now EJ had two reasons to hurry home.