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“Probably hidden in the box,” Pro nodded. “He could have just changed in there.”
Shaut looked at them both with concern. “Look, you guys gotta protect me. Max has killed two people—”
“Three,” Chu said without a beat.
“Three?” Shaut bellowed. “Who?”
“Michael Mystique was found yesterday, Mister Shaut,” Pro remarked.
“Strangled like the others,” Chu put in.
“See! I’m in danger. He can pick any lock!” Shaut panicked.
“Calm down, Mister Shaut. We will leave the officers here to guard your house, and Detective Chu and I will personally escort you to your show tonight.”
“Detective Thompson, may I speak with you?” Chu said.
“Excuse us, Mister Shaut,” Pro said and stepped over with Chu to a corner of the workshop.
“I thought we agreed to ask for reassignment?” Chu whispered.
“We’re going to be taken off of it tomorrow anyway,” Pro told him quietly. “And who knows, if Max is really after Shaut, maybe we can catch him. Besides, you’ll get to see a great magic show tonight.”
“To be honest, I’ve had quite enough magic. So far, all it has done is given me a headache.”
“You’ve only put up with it for a few days. I’ve dealt with it since I was a toddler.”
“All right. But I’ll need a couple of hours to clear my paperwork, and then I can go with you.”
“I have the day off anyway. I’ll babysit Shaut.”
Chu nodded, and the pair returned to Malcolm Shaut.
“I will be escorting you today, sir,” Pro explained. “My partner will join us when it is time to leave for the show.”
“What is going on?” Brent Williams asked as he stepped in. “Why are those policemen at the door? I had to explain to them that I work here.”
“We had a break-in, Brent,” Shaut said. “We need to get an alarm on this downstairs door, today!”
“Who could have broken in?” Brent stated, aghast.
“Max Marvell, that’s who,” Shaut declared. “That’s why we need an alarm! That man is dangerous.”
Brent turned to the detectives. “Did you catch him? Is that fiend off the streets?”
“Max Marvell is hardly a ‘fiend,’ Mister Williams,” Pro objected.
“I believe anyone who has kills people is a fiend!” Brent stated haughtily.
“And the answer is no,” Chu explained. “He was able to get away.”
“And he used Prism to vanish in front of us,” Pro added.
“He used Prism?” Brent gasped. “Here?”
“Yes, Mister Shaut was surprised that it could be used at all,” Pro went on, watching Brent intently. “He told us he couldn’t even make the platforms rotate.”
“I…uh…worked on it in my free time,” Brent admitted.
