The interview with Joe Samuels went quickly. He admitted that he disliked the magician, but he swore he couldn’t have killed him since he never left his seat during the trick. He also said that he didn’t see anything during the Chamber of Death illusion that might help solve Chesterfield’s murder.
As soon as Samuels left, the detectives had Rafael Otero brought in.
“Am I under arrest?” Rafael asked as soon as he walked into the office.
“No,” Dillon said. “We’re interviewing everyone who was sitting close to the stage and may have seen something during the performance that will help us identify who killed Mr. Chesterfield. Did you see anything odd during the Chamber of Death trick?”
“The whole damn thing was odd.” Rafael shook his head. “Too bad Bobby is dead. I’d love to ask him how he was going to escape from that box.”
“So you knew him?” Ragland said.
Rafael smiled. “If I’m not under arrest, I’d like to leave. If I am under arrest, I want a lawyer present when you ask me questions.”
“We know Chesterfield stabbed you when you tried to rough him up because he owes your boss money,” Ragland said, “but that doesn’t interest us. We just want to find the person who killed Chesterfield.”
“Good luck with that,” Rafael said.
“There’s no need to play hardball,” Ragland said.
“Of course there is. This is a murder investigation. So, are you going to stop me from leaving?”
“No,” Ragland said when he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to get Otero to cooperate.
When Rafael opened the door, Tamara Robinson was outside, standing next to an elderly African American couple.
“You need to talk to the Atkinsons,” she told the detectives.
“Come in,” Dillon said.
“This is Deputy District Attorney Peter Ragland and Detectives Roger Dillon and Carrie Anders,” Robinson said when everyone was in the office. “They’re in charge of the investigation into Robert Chesterfield’s murder. And this is Titus Atkinson and his wife, Emily.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Dillon said.
“The Atkinsons were sitting a few rows back from the stage,” Robinson continued. “Will you please tell the detectives what you just told me?”
Mr. Atkinson looked nervous. “Emily and I are big fans of magic. We always attend a show when a famous magician comes to Portland, and we always try to get seats close to the stage, so I can try and figure out how they do the tricks.”
“Any success?” Dillon asked.
Atkinson flashed a sad smile. “Not much.” He shook his head. “I’m almost always stumped.”
“How about tonight?”
“No luck. I thought I got the one where he made the roses disappear, but I have no idea how he pulled off those other stunts.”
“Tell Detective Dillon about the man who was sitting in front of you,” Robinson said.
Atkinson looked nervous again. “Okay—now, I didn’t see anyone kill anyone.”
“Just tell the detectives what you did see.”
“Just before the Chamber of Death trick started, when Lord Chesterfield was doing card tricks, the man who was seated directly in front of me got up and walked into the aisle.”
“Did you see where he went after he went into the aisle?” Dillon asked.
“No. I was focused on Lord Chesterfield. I just saw the man leave.”
“But you’re certain he left?”
“Yes, because my view wasn’t obstructed and—well, I recognized him because he’s also a famous magician, so I watched him because I wondered what he was doing.”
“What’s the magician’s name?” Ragland asked.
“David Turner. I’ve seen him on TV, and Emily and I caught his show in Las Vegas several years ago, before that TV magician showed how the car trick worked.”
“How long was Mr. Turner gone?” Ragland asked.
“Definitely during most of the Chamber of Death, because I could see the whole thing.”
“Did you see Mr. Turner return to his seat?” Anders asked.
“He was back sometime after the girl screamed, because I had to look around him to see what was happening on the stage.”
Anders turned her attention to Emily Atkinson. “What about you, Mrs. Atkinson? Did you see where the man went after he left his seat?”
“No. I didn’t see the man leave, because I was watching what was happening onstage, and he was sitting in front of Titus, not in front of me.”
“This has been very useful,” Anders assured the couple. “Why don’t you step outside. Officer Robinson will be with you in a minute.” Anders turned to Robinson as soon as the Atkinsons were out of the room. “Go get David Turner. I have a few questions I’d like to ask him.”
* * *
“Have a seat, Mr. Turner. I’m Carrie Anders, and this is Roger Dillon. We’re detectives with Portland Homicide. And this is Deputy District Attorney Peter Ragland.”
“Why am I being detained?” the magician asked.
“We’re talking to everyone who was near the front of the theater and may have seen something that can help us find the person who killed Mr. Chesterfield. I’m particularly eager to get your input because you’re a professional magician and would see things I never would.”
“Then I’m sorry to disappoint you. I have no idea who killed Chesterfield.”
“Do you know how the trick worked?”
“I saw Chesterfield perform the Chamber of Death a few years ago. I thought I’d figured out how he pulled it off, but I was never one hundred percent certain.”
“During the performance, did you get a good-enough look from your seat to confirm your hypothesis?”
“Not from the angle I had.”
“What’s your best guess?”
“When Chesterfield performs the illusion, the background is black. In magic circles, this is known as ‘black art,’ and it lets a magician wearing black blend in with the background. Chesterfield had on a black robe with a hood and long sleeves, and the lights on the front of the stage were very bright, which also helped to render him invisible. There’s a moment when the three assistants are in a line in front of the sarcophagus, blocking the audience’s view. That would be his moment to roll out of the coffin and get offstage somehow.”
“I understand that you had a grudge against Mr. Chesterfield because he exposed the illusion you used to close your Las Vegas act.”
“I hated his guts.”
“If you hated him, why did you come to the theater tonight?”
“I wanted to figure out how the Chamber of Death worked so I could ruin his show the way he ruined mine.”
“Thank you for your honesty,” Dillon said. “Say, out of curiosity, can anyone confirm that you were in your seat during the Chamber of Death trick?”
“Claire was sitting next to me the whole time.”
“That’s confusing, Mr. Turner, because we just spoke to the person who was seated directly behind you, and he told us that he saw you leave your seat right before the illusion began. Can you explain that?”