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“Hmm? Anyone we’ve been in contact with who has those initials?”
Pro shook her head. “But the message was weird. I’ll show it to you later.”
They walked through the door and found Brent Williams in the waiting room, where he was pulling a pair of plastic garment bags and a large suitcase out of the closet.
“Ah, detectives! Are you ready to roll?”
Pro looked at Chu and said, “Mister Shaut can ride with us, if that helps.”
“Actually, we both are going to the show. Mister Shaut is the emcee tonight, and I’m also doing a set.”
“A what?” Chu asked, unfamiliar with the term.
“He’s performing as well,” Pro translated.
“Ah!” Chu acknowledged.
Brent went on, “Therefore, I will need to talk to the other entertainers and make sure the stage crew has everything they need. Mister Shaut must not be bothered with trifles!”
Pro bit back her desire to tell the brown-nosing weasel to shut up. “Okay, well, we should get going.”
“Mister Shaut?” Chu said and stepped into his office.
“Hm?” Shaut responded. “Oh, you guys go on without me.”
Chu crossed his arms. “Sir, that would defeat the purpose of us escorting you.”
“Oh, yeah, I guess so,” Shaut conceded and stood up at his desk. “Brent, you got my—”
“Your tux is right here, sir,” Brent Williams gushed enthusiastically. “It has been cleaned and pressed since your last appearance.”
“Good thing.” Shaut smirked. “We had a dove worker. His damn bird pooped all over me.”
“Pro, is it all right if Mister Shaut rides up front with me?” Chu said.
“No problem,” Pro replied. “Brent and I can sit behind the divider.”
“Divider?” Williams repeated.
“Yeah, it’s an unmarked, but it is a police car,” Pro explained. “Sometimes we arrest people and they have to go behind the metal cage. That’s where you and I can ride.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I get claustrophobic,” Williams whined.
“Oh for Pete’s sake, Brent,” Shaut scolded. “It’s only for twenty minutes. You’ll be fine.”
Shaut grabbed a small briefcase from the corner of the room, and soon all four people were out front on the street. Brent put the suitcase and garment bags in the trunk, and with only a moment’s hesitation, got into the car through the back door Pro held open. Pro slid in beside him, and Chu and Shaut got in the front.
Chu pulled into traffic, drove to the end of the block, and headed south on Ninth Avenue.
As they drove Chu glanced over at Shaut. “Is that all you need for a stage show, Mister Shaut?”
“Yup!” Shaut boasted. “I’m a minimalist. I just need a few things—some sponge balls, a couple of tricks I personally selected—and I am good to go!”
“So, Brent, how long have you been with Mister Shaut?” Pro asked in the back seat, as the blond man looked about the car nervously.
“A couple of years,” he answered and peered at the door near him. “There are no door handles back here.”
“Yeah, the only way out is to have someone open it from the outside,” Pro instructed. “That way prisoners can’t escape.”
