by Debra Snow
They had reached the door to Lovell’s shop, and Cathy looked at her keys to select the correct one. As she did, Max, Pro, and Chu pulled out latex gloves and began to put them on.
“So what did you find, Max?” Pro said.
“Didn’t I teach you anything, pumpkin?” Max smirked. “Show, don’t tell.”
The door opened and Max handed a pair of gloves to the baffled Cathy, as Chu murmured to Pro, “He called you ‘pumpkin,’ and you let him get away with it.”
“He also saved me from resigning and either of us from being in trouble,” Pro acquiesced. “I’ll let him enjoy himself, this once.”
Max hit the light switch with his gloved hand. “The city has many strange stories, but one of them is that the mail used to be shot around the city at thirty miles per hour in pneumatic tubes.”
“Really?” Cathy said. “That’s amazing.”
Pro and Tom exchanged a glance.
Max led them through the curtain and to the back room.
“But also amazing was that the Ansonia was part of that route, and it also had pneumatic tubes running throughout the building, for not only mail, but for communication from guests to staff.”
There were shelves of props in the back room on standing units, all carefully marked. Max walked over to the one empty wall and knocked on it as the others watched. He came to a place where the sound was remarkably hollow.
“Ah, and I think we have it,” Max said as he tapped up and down and studied the wall. At last he put his hands on it and pressed so that a part of the wall sprung open on a hidden hinge.
“Hey, that’s not supposed to do that,” Cathy said, annoyed.
“That’s all right,” Max stated as he peeked behind the moving panel. He opened the door wide, and you could see the brick of the original wall, and in front of it, three large tubes. The pipes each had a metal fitting over the end. Max tried them one at a time, and on the third one, it turned easily in his hand. “I believe we have found what we are looking for.”
He untwisted the metal cap and lifted it off. Then, he took his first two gloved fingers, shoved them into the pipe, and was obviously feeling around.
Finally, with a triumphant look on his face, he pulled several rolled-up sheets of paper from the tube.
“Well, I never,” Cathy exclaimed.
The paper tube was at least three feet long, and Max knelt to the floor to unroll it.
There were several pages of complicated sketches of the two prisms with mathematical calculations written with careful instructions.
Max rolled it back up and offered it to Pro, who took the papers.
She shook her head. “So for these, four people died.”
“That and the fifty-thousand Shaut was willing to pay for it,” Max said. “So, shall I escort you back to your office, Mrs. Edmonds?”
“It’s actually Miss Edmonds, or Ms.”
“Really, how delightful,” Max said as he put out his arm and the blonde took it. They headed out of the room. “I understand you like magic?”
“I love it! Do you know any tricks?”
“Quite a few, quite a few,” Max boasted as they walked.
Pro watched them go, her mouth a tight line.
“Relax, Pro,” Chu said. “I thought you didn’t want him seeing your mother.”
“I don’t, but I don’t like him playing games.”
“I’ll call CSI, and we’ll have this place photographed and categorized. There’s a lot here,” Chu observed.
∞∞∞
An hour later, with the plans still in hand, Chu turned over the investigation to the forensic team. They headed back to the realty office to find Max still entertaining Miss Edmonds with a series of illusions that he pulled from his pocket.
“That really isn’t my card,” Cathy was saying, as Max held a five of diamonds.
“Really?” Max replied. He rubbed the card against his sleeve and turned it over. It was now the jack of clubs.
“That’s it! How did you do that?” she gushed.
“Just a little magic,” Max suggested, then looked to the two detectives. “Are you two done?”
“Yes, we’re leaving,” Pro said. “Miss Edmonds, the forensic team will let you know when you can lock up.”
“Great,” she said, then turned back to Max and held out her card. “I get done at 5:00. My number’s on the card. My private number is written on the back.”
“Thank you,” Max said and kissed her hand gallantly.
“Oh, a gentleman,” she cooed.
“Max!” Pro hissed, catching what he’d done.
“I’ll tell her,” the magician said. “And for being such a good audience, here is a lovely ring.”
“Oh?” she said, amused. Then she looked carefully at the bauble and her own finger. “Hey that was my ring! How did you do that?”
Max gave a wave and headed out the door. Pro and Max were behind him. “Well, I am going to pick up my luggage from Adrianna and move back into the Waldorf, if you have no objections.”
“Why the hurry?” Pro stated snidely. “Got a date tonight?”
“Actually, I do,” Max beamed.
“With Miss Hot Pants in there?” Pro sneered.
“No, dear, with your mother,” Max said breezily. “Why would I want a confection when a real woman is available, pumpkin?”
He walked away as Pro and Chu approached their car.
“And don’t call me pumpkin,” Pro shouted after him.
23. Scotch And Soda
Two weeks later, Pro sat across from Luther at a lovely outdoor restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue on a gorgeous night. They both had frozen drinks in front of them and were very relaxed.
She stared into his eyes. “You’ve been very patient.”
“Well, I understand your work. I mean, my hours are steady, but you get called out all the time.”
“That date at the movies—”
Luther pointed at her. “I did finally get to kiss you.”
“Yeah, and then I had to run off to a crime scene and leave you there.”
“I tol’ you that was all right.”
“Then last week, our walk in the park.” Pro smiled. “That was romantic—”
“Until I had to cover someone’s shift last minute,” Luther shrugged, as he took her hand and brought it to his lips.
Pro shivered and looked at Luther through half-closed eyes.
“Pro?” a voice said nearby.
Pro pulled her hand free and turned to see Max walk over.
“Hey,” Luther said, “you’re that guy from the theater.”
“Yes! You were the man who stopped Lovell from getting away.” Max held out his hand and Luther shook it.
“Has anyone ever told you that you look like that guy from Vegas?”
“You mean Max Marvell?”
“Yeah, that’s the guy,” Luther said.
“That’s who I am!” Max announced.
“Really?” Luther beamed. “I saw that TV special you did ten years ago—”
The two men began to talk, and Max pulled a chair over to their table and began to do a coin routine. The pair of them were engrossed and ignored Pro completely.
“Uh, Max, we’re on a date,” Pro coaxed.
“This will only take a minute,” Max said.
“Yeah, do that again,” Luther said, caught up in Max’s trick.
Pro stood and headed inside to the ladies room. She pulled out her phone and called her mother.
“Yes, sweetie,” Elisha answered.
“Max is doing tricks for my date!” Pro raged.
“That’s nice, dear.”
“I thought you two were spending time together! Can’t you keep him busy?”
“Honey, we are taking it slow. I believe that was your advice.”
“But, Mom,” Pro snapped, and then lowered her voice. “Tonight’s the night!”
“What night?”
Pro wanted to smash her phone. “Are you thick
? The night. The first night! Luther and me doing—y’know.”
“Oh, honey, that’s wonderful.”
“No, it’s not. Max is ruining it!”
“Well, what do you want me to do?” Elisha replied.
“Call him! Invite him over, get him out of my hair.”
“You told me that I should take it slow,” Elisha chided.
“Well, I have taken it too slow, and he’s interfering! Call him, tell him you have to see him, I don’t know, tell him your loins ache for him.”
This made Elisha burst out in laughter. “He wouldn’t expect that.”
“Just please do something.”
“All right, sugar, I got this,” Elisha said and ended the call.
Pro took a steadying breath and returned to the table where Max was starting another routine. All at once, Max’s phone rang.
“Pardon me,” he said to Luther and held the phone to his ear. “What is it, Elisha?”
Pro watched as her father’s face turned very red and his breathing quickened.
“Ache, huh?” Max said, his mouth dry. “I’ll…um…be right over.” He stood. “I gotta go. Nice meeting you, Luther.”
Max walked away briskly.
“Wow! You know that guy?” Luther said excitedly.
“Actually, he’s my father.”
“Really? He is amazing. He can do great things with his hands.”
Pro picked up her margarita, which was a little less frozen, and took a sip. She spoke in a sultry voice, “I was wondering if you were good with your hands.”
Luther suddenly had a look similar to Max’s a few moments ago.
“I’d like to think I am,” Luther gulped.
“Tell you what, let’s go to your place, and I’ll show you what tricks I know,” she offered with the sexiest wink she could muster.
Luther’s smile was a beautiful thing to see.
The End
About The Author
Halfway through college I experienced an identity crisis and joined the Army. I ended up stationed in Frankfurt at the 97th General Hospital. There was a small club on a nearby Air Force base called the Jaegerstube.
One Wednesday night in early 1979, as I enjoyed dinner, there suddenly was a beautiful girl in a silver costume who belly danced through the room.
I approached her in the dressing room and begged to take classes with her. She freely shared her knowledge with me and I did my debut performance at the same club.
Over the next ten years, I went to New York and studied from a great teacher, Serena. I had the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center, the Hyatt in Cairo, Egypt, Club Ibis and Club Darvish in New York.
I moved to Monmouth County, New Jersey and I started my own business.
My performing life grew to include cruise ships, night clubs, resorts in the Poconos and Catskills, and TV appearances. I produced an audio tape and book series with Parade Records called “Let's Belly Dance!” I also produced my own instructional cable TV show.
In 1990, I auditioned at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City and spent two years performing with the Taj Players, entertaining casino guests and headlining at special events.
The Taj Mahal provided something even more profound in my life. I met my husband, Arjay Lewis, who was doing magic shows. As our lives grew together, I began transitioning into teaching the dance and found a fulfillment I never expected.
When my husband began writing and then his books were published, I became inspired to try my hand at the romantic mystery genre, which was a perfect complement to Arjay’s paranormal mysteries.
Today we truly are partners in crime…fiction.