“I’m stippling in freckles now, along the forehead, around the nose and cheeks. If I had time, I’d do your hands as well, but I don’t. No one would notice anyway, most people are so unobservant.” He spread open the collar of her shirt and applied foundation and stippling around her neck. Then he buttoned her shirt up, repacked his equipment, and guided her back to her seat.
“There’s a small mirror in the compartment next to you,” Jackson informed her.
LuAnn slowly pulled out the mirror and held it up in front of her face. She gasped. Looking back at her was a redheaded woman with short, spiky hair, a very light, almost albino complexion, and an abundance of freckles. Her eyes were smaller and closer together, her chin and jawline less prominent, the cheeks flat and oval. Her lips were a deep red and made her mouth look huge. Her nose was much broader and bore a distinctive curve to the right. Her dark eyebrows were now tinted a much lighter color. She was completely unrecognizable to herself.
Jackson tossed something on her lap. She looked down. It was a passport. She opened it. The photo staring back at her was the same woman whom she had looked at in the mirror.
“Wonderful work, wouldn’t you say?” Jackson said.
As LuAnn looked up, Jackson hit a switch and a light illuminated him. Or her, rather, as LuAnn received a second jolt. Sitting across from her was her double, or the double of the woman she had just become. The same short red hair, facial complexion, crooked nose, everything—it was as though she had suddenly discovered a twin. The only difference was she was wearing jeans and her twin was wearing a dress.
LuAnn was too amazed to speak.
Jackson quietly clapped his hands together. “I’ve impersonated women before, but I believe this is the first time I’ve impersonated an impersonation. That photo is of me, by the way. Taken this morning. I think I hit it rather well, although I don’t think I did your bust justice. Well, even ‘twins’ needn’t be identical in every respect.” He smiled at her shocked look. “No need to applaud, however I do think that considering the working conditions, it does deserve some degree of acclaim.”
The limo started moving again. They exited the garage and a little more than half an hour later, they arrived at JFK.
Before the driver opened the door, Jackson looked sharply at LuAnn. “Don’t put on your hat or your glasses, as that suggests attempting to hide one’s features and you could conceivably mess up the makeup. Remember, rule number one: When trying to hide, make yourself as obvious as possible, put yourself right out in the open. Seeing adult twins together is fairly rare, however, but while people—the police included—will notice us, perhaps even gawk, there will be no levels of suspicion. In addition, the police will be looking for one woman. When they see two together, and twins at that, even with a child, they’ll discount us entirely, even as they stare at us. It’s just human nature. They have a lot of ground to cover and not much time.”
Jackson reached across for Lisa. LuAnn automatically blocked his hand, looking at him suspiciously.
“LuAnn, I am trying my best to get you and this little girl safely out of the country. We will shortly be walking through a squadron of police and FBI agents who will be doing their best to apprehend you. Believe me, I have no interest in keeping your daughter, but I do need her for a very specific reason.”
Finally, LuAnn let go. They climbed out of the limo. In high heels Jackson was a little taller than LuAnn. She noted that he had a long, lean build that, she had to admit, looked good in the stylish clothing. He put a black coat on over his dark dress.
“Come on,” he said to LuAnn. She stiffened at the new tone of his voice. Now he also sounded exactly like her.
“Where’s Charlie?” LuAnn asked as they entered the terminal a few minutes later, a chubby skycap with the bags in tow.