It's Gone

Written by Steve Shrott, Published on 9/14/2009, Re-published on 6/21/2010

Officer Jerry Davidson of the Las Vegas Police Force entered “Abe’s Novelties.” Surrounding him were all kinds of magical apparatus. He noticed a gray-haired man behind the counter. “You’re Abe Walters?”

“Yes,” said Abe. “Thank goodness, you’re here. I’ve been robbed.”

“Tell me what happened,” said the officer.

Abe took a deep breath. “Well, last night, I put on a show here and performed my Vanishing Orange Trick.”

The officer stared. “Vanishing Orange Trick?”

“Yes. Someone signs their name on an orange and then drops it into a paper bag. I say, Abracadabra and it’s gone. Then I produce it from my pocket.”

The officer smiled. “Impressive.”

“Yes, very,” Abe said. “Everyone loved it. After the show, I ushered the crowd out. Then I put the trick on my shelf and left.”

“What time was that?” asked the officer.

“About seven. But then I worried about leaving it here. So an hour later, I came back -- and it was gone. The door still locked!”

The officer stared at Abe, puzzled. “So you’re saying someone stole your orange.”

“No, the orange I still have.” Abe pointed toward the fruit on the shelf. “What I don’t have is the thing that makes it vanish.”

The officer spread his hands. “And that is?”

Abe moved close to the policeman’s ear. “Sorry, I can’t reveal that to someone who's not in the black arts.”

Suddenly, laughter came from three people sitting in chairs behind the officer.

“Quiet, this is serious,” Abe screamed, then turned back toward the policeman. “I spent months inventing this trick. Plus, I have a show tomorrow and they advertised that I’m going to perform it.”

“Can’t you make another uh device?” asked the officer.

Abe shook his head, sadly. “Yesterday, I was working on a new illusion where I produce fire from the air, only my notes for the orange trick were close by and...burnt.”

The three people sitting in chairs laughed again.

The policeman ignored it. “So you want me to track down something that I have no idea what it looks like or does?”

Abe nodded. “Correct.”

“I don’t know if...”

“Officer, I’ve narrowed it down to three suspects.” Abe pointed to the three odd-looking people sitting in chairs. In the first chair sat a sixty-year-old blonde woman dressed in a yellow jump suit, in the second, a short bearded man wearing a red cape and in the third, a bald fat man in a sequined robe.

The bald man spoke. “Oh so that’s why you ‘needed’ us down here, Walters.”

The blonde woman shook her head. “How could you suspect us? We’re professionals and I thought your friends.”

The bearded man nodded. “I’m not so sure you didn’t steal it, yourself, Abe. I happen to know you insured that trick for loss. If you don’t ‘find it,’ you stand to make a tidy sum.”

Abe took the orange off the shelf and threw it at the bearded man. It missed, but the man’s body trembled. “Be careful, you know I’m allergic to citrus.”

The officer looked at Abe. “Is this true about the policy?”

“Yes, but…”

At that moment, a young man came in frantic from the backroom. “Uncle, we have a bunch of online orders for Appearing Canes and I can’t find them.”

“Harvey, did you look next to the Magic Whiffle dust? You know beside the Sponge Rabbits,” asked Abe.

“No,” said Harvey.

Abe grimaced. “I told you three times they were there.”

Harvey nodded. “Oh, right.”

When Harvey left, Abe shook his head. “I hope he’s doing better at school than he does here. I only hired him because he’s my nephew.”

The bald man smirked. “Make sure he doesn’t fall down the trap door back there.”

“There’s a trap door?” shouted the bearded man and the blonde in unison.

The officer moved towards Abe. “Mr. Walters, how do you know one of these people is guilty?”

“They all used to be employed here and always talked about getting back at me for making them do an honest day’s work.”

“Honest day’s work?” screeched the blonde. “You made us stay till seven every day, no meal breaks and you charged for phone calls. Then I had to come back at night and open the door for the cleaning lady.”

Abe ignored that. “Anyhow, they were all here at my show and I could see that look of jealousy in their eyes.

“What drugs are you on, Abe?” The blonde grimaced. “I wasn’t there.”

Abe crinkled his brow. “I sent you tickets.”

The blonde woman shrugged. “I had a dentist appointment.”

“I bet that was more enjoyable,” said the bearded man.

Abe continued. “Anyway, then I over-heard the three -¬ sorry - two of them talking and they said it was the greatest trick ever.”

At that moment, Harvey came back. “Uncle, I found the Appearing Canes.”

“Thank goodness.”

“But I can’t seem to locate the Dancing Handkerchiefs.”

“Abe rolled his eyes. “They’re beside the Cut and Restored Ties.”

“Oh right,” said Harvey.

“Harvey,” said Abe. “Please stay in the backroom. We’re trying to do something here.”

Harvey smiled. “Sure, Uncle.”

When he left, Abe shook his head. “I have a hunch his brain doesn’t fire on all cylinders.”

The policeman cleared his throat. “So what do you expect me to do about this?”

Abe pointed toward the three people in the chairs. “Arrest them.”

The officer paused a moment, then said, “How about if I just talk to them and see if I can figure anything out?”

“That’s a start,” said Abe.

The policeman approached the blonde. “What’s your name?”

“Zora the Magnificent.

“Can you account for your whereabouts last night between seven and eight?”

“Yes, of course,” said Zora. “My act at the Aladdin Hotel starts at seven thirty.”

“What kind of act is it?” asked the officer.

“I produce doves from thin air. Last night one of the birds escaped and I had to find him. I was so exhausted I went right home after my show.”

The officer next talked to the bald man. “What is your name?”

“The Amazing Andrew.”

The officer moved close to Andrew. “Where were you last night between seven and eight?”

Andrew answered quickly. “I was doing my clown show at seven forty-five in front of the Tropicana Hotel.”

“What do you do?” asked the officer.

Andrew stood up and stretched. “I put on my clown outfit and say hello to people.”

The officer shook his head. “That’s all? But you’re called the Amazing Andrew.”

Andrew grimaced. “Yeah, that’s what management said too. They told me if I didn’t spice up the act, I’d be fired.”

The officer nodded and sauntered over to the bearded man.

“Who are you?”

“Lance Jenkins.” He handed him a card.

“It says you’re a locksmith,” said the officer.

“Yes,” replied Lance. “But at night I perform illusions at Circus Circus.”

“Where were you between seven and eight?” asked the officer.

“About seven twenty-five, I turned into a tiger.”

The officer stared. “Pardon?”

“That’s my first trick,” said Lance.

“Oh, that’s amazing!” replied the officer.

The officer turned to Abe. “I’d like to help but it appears they all could have done it – including you.”

At that moment, Harvey appeared once more.

Abe shook his head. “I thought I told you...”

“It’s just that the walls are thin, Uncle, and I could hear everything that went on. I know who stole the trick.”

The officer stared at Harvey. “You know who the thief is?”

“Yes,” said Harvey.