“When I get through with him, there’s not going to be a show.”
“Calm down, Joe,” Dobson said.
“I’ll be calm when I get my money. Now, where is he?”
“I’m not going to let you see him in the state you’re in,” Claire said.
“Hey, Joe, what’s the problem?” Dobson asked.
“The problem is that I’ve invested a lot of money in Bobby’s latest adventure, and some of it seems to have disappeared.”
“You don’t have to worry about your money,” Chesterfield’s agent said. “His show is going to be a huge success. You’ll be swimming in dough soon.”
“That’s what Bobby says every time he deigns to take my calls, which isn’t very often.”
“He’s a busy man. You know that.”
“What I know is that there are irregularities in his books. I’ve talked to a lawyer, and there’s going to be a complaint filed with the district attorney if I don’t get an explanation pretty damn soon.”
“Jesus, Joe, there’s no reason to get the cops involved,” Dobson said.
While they had been talking, a large man with auburn hair and a full beard walked up, followed by a blonde in a tight dress that showed off her cleavage and curves.
“Did I hear that Bobby has money problems?” he said.
Dobson spun around. “There’s no problem, Auggie. It’s just a misunderstanding. Once you see Bobby’s trick, you’ll know that everything is gonna be okay. Right, Lou?”
“If it’s as good as he says it is, Bobby’s going to be headlining a top Vegas act again,” Holt assured Augustine Montenegro.
“When are we going to see this amazing trick?” Montenegro asked Claire.
“Soon, Auggie. You’re going to love it. Let me ask Bobby how much longer we have until he’s ready.”
* * *
Claire left the living room and walked through the kitchen to the farthest section of the southern wing of the house. A door at the end opened into a theater that Chesterfield had built as a workshop where he could experiment with new illusions. The theater was dimly lit and the walls were concrete. One end was taken up by a stage that was raised above the floor. Comfortable seats similar to those you would find in a movie theater stretched back five rows. An aisle separated the seats. A ramp led up to the stage. On the stage was a pyramid covered in hieroglyphics that stood seven feet high and was open in the middle.
Chesterfield was at the back of the theater, standing next to an ornately decorated sarcophagus. The sarcophagus sat on a long steel dolly that tilted very slightly in front. The dolly was supported by two wheels in the front and two in the back. Two handles attached to the rear end of the dolly could be used to push it forward. Chesterfield was surrounded by three young women dressed in bright red hooded robes with flowing sleeves, decorated with yellow hieroglyphics. Chesterfield was dressed in a warm-up outfit and track shoes.
“Bring the lights down one more notch, Larry!” Chesterfield shouted to a man seated at a computer a few feet behind him.
The lights dimmed.
Chesterfield looked down the aisle at the stage and gave the thumbs-up sign. “Perfect. Keep it that way. And you can take a break. You, too, ladies.”
Claire walked over to her husband as soon as they were alone. Chesterfield had invited Claire to his premiere, but he was surprised that she had shown up. They hadn’t been getting along, and she’d never shown much interest in his magic act.
“You look lovely, darling,” Chesterfield said.
“Nice of you to say so.”
“What brings you here?”
“Two things. First, your guests are growing restless. When will you be ready?”
“I’m good to go, love. Give me twenty minutes. Then ask Miriam to lead everyone down here. What’s the other thing you wanted to tell me?”
“There’s an uninvited guest who’s causing a scene.”
“Who?”
“Joe Samuels.”
“Oh Christ. That’s all I need. What’s got him excited?”
“Something about a problem with your books. He threatened to go to the police.”
“Joe gets emotional. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I hope not. Auggie Montenegro seemed very interested in what Joe was saying.”
“I owe Auggie some money, but I’ve got it covered.”
“I hope you do. You know that I’m not going to bail you out.”
“You won’t have to. Now, go upstairs and tell everyone that they’re about to see one of the greatest illusions in the history of magic.”
* * *
Robin was very excited when she entered the dimly lit theater. She took a seat near the front and watched the stage, eager for the action to begin. There was a low rumble of conversation after everyone was seated. Then the lights went down and a curtain parted, revealing a pyramid. On either side of the pyramid was a square box concealed by a black cloth.
There was a puff of smoke, and Robert Chesterfield appeared on the stage wearing a black hooded robe with flowing sleeves. “Ladies and gentlemen—” Chesterfield began.
“You’re a fraud, Chesterfield. And a traitor!” shouted a man dressed in a tuxedo who was walking down the wide aisle that separated the rows of theater seats. He was five seven, lean, muscular, and ruggedly handsome. Jet-black hair, a Roman nose, and clear blue eyes gave the man the appearance of a leading man in a 1940s movie.
“I’m going to expose the secret behind this trick you’re hoping will save your pathetic career—the same way you exposed the illusion I use to close my show, Mysterioso.”
Several members of the audience gasped. A masked magician who called himself Mysterioso revealed the secrets behind magic tricks on a popular television show. His identity was a heavily protected secret. Several death threats had been received by the show’s producers.
“That’s David Turner,” Robin whispered to Jeff. “He’s one of the top magicians in Las Vegas. He replaced Chesterfield at Caesars Palace when the casino didn’t renew Chesterfield’s contract. He’s also rumored to be Claire Madison’s lover. A few weeks ago, Mysterioso revealed how Turner makes a car disappear while it circles around a racetrack on the stage. It’s the trick he’s known for, and he closes every show with it.”
“I thought you didn’t watch that show,” Jeff said.
“I don’t. It was big enough news to make the papers. Caesars Palace pays Turner millions, and people come from all over to see that trick. Attendance has fallen dramatically since the TV show.”
“Who let this two-bit charlatan into my house?” Chesterfield asked.
Two security guards materialized from the end of the aisle and started walking toward the intruder.
“I asked David here.” Claire flashed a glacial smile. “If your trick is any good, you should be able to fool a professional magician.”
“Yeah, Bobby!” Augustine Montenegro shouted. “We’re a bunch of rubes, so it shouldn’t be hard for you to fool us. I’m interested to see just how good this so-called amazing illusion is.”