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The early years of her life had been so chaotic, and all due to the fact that her father was an entertainer. It was always about the show, the last show, the next show, the show in a week. She realized that the people her father associated with were just like the people in these dressing rooms now. Self-absorbed, loud, pushy; was it performers in general or just magicians?
Pro heard footsteps and relaxed as Tom Chu walked into the dressing room area.
“You okay, Pro?” he asked with lifted eyebrows.
“I am now that my partner is here,” she said. “Shaut suggested that Max might skulk in with the audience. I want to go watch, see if I spot him.”
Chu frowned. “You really think he’ll come here?”
“I don’t know what he’ll do, Tom. But after his visit to the workshop and the sign that said, ‘Murderer,’ I think he’s fixated on Malcolm Shaut.”
“I’ll keep an eye back here, if you want to go examine the crowd.”
“Thanks, Tom,” Pro said and took a step up, then turned. “Oh, and it turns out Miss Adrianna Gray was hiding Max in some secret room when we were there.”
“What?”
“I told her we are bringing her in for questioning after the show. I wouldn’t mind sticking her surgically-perfected rump in a cell for a few hours.”
Chu smiled. “I think that can be arranged.”
19. The Hanged Man
Pro stood in the lobby of the theater as the doors were opened at 7:30 to let in the audience for the 8:00 show.
She stood on the top of the stairs and watched the people walk in as the stage crew did double duty as ticket takers. She also saw a few people go to the small window of the box office to claim and pay for tickets.
She kept her eyes moving through the crowd, watchful for someone the height of her father. But her eye was caught by the bare-headed black man as he walked in.
Luther gave her a glance and a smile that made her knees go weak. Pro shook her head, annoyed that she felt like a school girl again. She was in her late twenties, and developing a crush was not a way to create a lasting, adult relationship.
She knew that from her last romance.
She walked down the short flight of stairs, trying to control the goofy grin on her face. “Hello there. You made it.”
“That I did.” He smiled broadly. “You look great for a lady still at work.”
“Let me make sure they got you,” she said, and the pair of them joined the line at the box office. Pro still watched the people as they entered and made their way up the stairs into the theater.
Luther was about six-two, and with Pro being five-eleven, he bent only slightly and whispered in her ear, “Who are you looking for?”
“Is it that obvious?” she answered, eyes still on the crowd.
“To me it is,” Luther murmured. “And don’t worry, I know you’re on duty.”
“I promise I’ll sit with you during the show.”
“That’s all I need,” he smiled. “But if you can give me a rough idea of who you’re looking for…”
“Fine,” Pro said. “White, male, about six-two, tall, thin, probably wearing a disguise…”
“You mean like him?” Luther said and gave a nod of his head toward the stairs.
Pro had only glanced away to talk to Luther, but turned to see a tall fi
gure with a hat, heavy glasses, a big nose, and a long beard.
“Gotta go,” Pro said and pushed away from Luther and into the crowd. The tall man had just given his ticket to one of the women from the stage crew, who tore it in two and gave him back one half.
