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With a gesture, as the music grew in speed and volume, the back curtain rose, revealing the plain brick of the theater’s back wall, which was a good distance from Max.
“You could fit a plane on that stage,” Chu whispered.
“Max did, five years ago,” Lovell corrected. “But watch.”
On the video, Max moved to the center of the stage where he could plainly be seen. The light grew brighter, making the lit figure of Max the most prominent feature.
The spotlight on Max was cut, as there was enough stage light so that he could easily be seen.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for sharing your evening with me and my humble illusions. For my finalé—an effect I call Prism.”
He waved at one of the upstanding crystals, and it began to spin faster. He gestured at the other dramatically and it did the same.
“Watch closely,” Max cautioned. “Don’t look away!”
He held the walking stick aloft, made a circle in front of himself with it…
And was gone.
There was no explosion or pyrotechnics, no cloth to hide behind.
Max merely disappeared.
The orchestra hit a crescendo and ceased playing. The empty stage and silence of the huge audience was astounding. Then the entire stage went to black.
As the audience applauded and cheered, the lights came on again, and Max stood with the entire company of the singers, dancers, and assistants as they all took a bow.
Lovell hit the space bar and the image froze. “What did I tell you, eh?”
“That’s not possible,” Chu insisted. “It had to be a camera trick. He’s not really there. It’s a projection or something.”
Lovell shook his head. “Nice guess, detective. I like the way your mind works. But no, it’s what you just saw. No trapdoor, no smoke, no mirrors, nothing. ‘E’s there and then ‘e’s gone.”
“I can see why magicians would want this,” Pro marveled.
“Yeah, and I ‘eard ‘e did it at a lecture in Vegas on a freakin’ platform. So, it don’t even need a large stage.”
“Back to the work at hand,” Chu broke in. “Do you know where Max is or how to get in touch with him?”
“Not really,” Lovell considered. “But ‘e stopped by again this morning and left something with me. Said ‘e’d pick it up or his daughter Prophecy would be by and I could give it to ‘er.”
He again stepped out of the room and came back with a small box, about the right size to hold stationary. He offered it to Pro.
Pro pulled the box open. In it were a smartphone and several credit and debit cards. They rested on top of the papers Max had purloined from his daughter’s attaché case the previous evening.
“When did he give this to you?” Pro questioned.
“This morning. I opened at 10:00, and ‘e was on me doorstep. ‘E said this was important.”
“While we are here, Mister Lovell, can you tell us your whereabouts on Friday morning at 10:00 AM?”
“I was in a meetin’.”
“Anyone to corroborate this?”
“I should say so. Ten people, in fact. It was at the Rutger’s Church. I was attending an AA meeting.”
“Alcoholics Anonymous?” Chu pressed.
