Chapter 21

  

“I can’t believe I let someone steal that map!” I paced around the stage at the theater. I was so angry I’d nearly forgotten about my sore hand and elbow. “My memory of it is all screwed up because I’m remembering it as San Francisco. But since it’s Kochi, then the locations take on a whole new meaning. The treasure is in India. The answers we need are in India, too. I need that damn map. ”

“Let your subconscious work on it,” Sanjay said.

I stopped pacing and looked at Sanjay standing under the spotlight.

“That’s not like you.”

“It is right now,” he said. “If we’re going to pull off this show, we need to get to work.”

“But—”

“If you didn’t have to practice, what would you even do?” Sanjay asked.

He had a point. “Fine,” I said. “Let’s practice.”

Even though I wasn’t badly hurt, Sanjay insisted we not do any of the physical acts.

“You remember the words and phrases I taught you for mind reading?” he asked.

“People didn’t come here for that.”

“You’re not up for losing your head right now. It’s a physical act, tough to get right while injured.”

“You’d behead me if I got it wrong?”

“Of course not. But the audience would see the secret of the illusion if it goes wrong. That’s almost as bad.”

“Grace will be back before your next season starts up in Napa, right?”

“She better be,” Sanjay grumbled distractedly as he rooted through a costume trunk. He smiled as he pulled a skimpy red and silver costume out of the trunk.

“You can’t be serious,” I said. The thought of wearing the shiny costume that had barely more material than a bathing suit was enough to make me forget about my discovery.

“You’ll look great in it,” Sanjay said. “We want the audience distracted by you. Remember distraction is what we need for the magic to work.”

“At least there won’t be anyone I know here tonight.”

Sanjay cleared his throat. “I, uh, may have mentioned it to Nadia.”

I groaned.

“I thought it would convince her not to hate me,” Sanjay said. “She likes good causes.”

  

We practiced all afternoon. Mind reading takes concentration, so I had to give it my full attention. Of course it wasn’t truly mind reading. But it’s an illusion that takes some practice.

I remembered most of the key words from when Sanjay had taught me the illusion before, but it took practice to seamlessly pick up on the signal words and give the correct response. My other tasks involved helping Sanjay with a Houdini-like escape, and setting and clearing items from the stage at planned times when he needed a distraction. And damn him, Sanjay managed to convince me to wear the silver costume. It was the best way to be distracting, since my sleight of hand skills were nonexistent.

Even though Sanjay was right that I needed all the practice I could get, I insisted on taking a short break to pick up my new credit card that was being overnighted to me. After getting caught up talking to Nadia, I barely had time to make it back to the theater. I really needed a new system of getting my mail.

The Folsom Street Theater was a quirky little theater in an up-and-coming neighborhood that hadn’t yet taken off. The seats looked like originals—classic red velvet upholstered seats a bit smaller than seats made for today’s audiences.

Two other acts were appearing on the bill. A comedic magician Sanjay knew, and a local singer-songwriter. The lineup didn’t make much sense to me, but when you’re a benefit I guess you use your contacts to get what you can.

“I told you that you’d look great in the costume,” Sanjay said to me as he straightened his bow tie in the mirror backstage.

I peeked out at the audience, and sure enough, Nadia was there. I looked down at the skimpy costume. The red and silver sparkles would twinkle in the bright lights for the added distraction Sanjay wanted.

I was discombobulated more than nervous. I wasn’t accustomed to wearing bright colors and I was only used to being the center of attention when teaching college students subjects I knew intimately. The invisible person tracking down bits of history in libraries all over the world? That was me. Not a colorful stage distraction. Nadia would never let me live it down.

Sanjay and I began with mind reading to warm up the audience. I stood on the stage blindfolded, while Sanjay went through the audience and held up personal items for them to see, but without speaking the name of the item. I identified a diamond engagement ring, a man’s loafer, a gym membership card, and a child’s doll.

For our concluding audience member, Sanjay gave me the cues to identify a cell phone with a picture of a married couple on the screen.

“I see a phone,” I said. “A cell phone. And not only a phone.” I acted as if I was concentrating, pressing my fingers into my temples like I imagined a psychic would. “I see an image on the phone. A happy couple.”

“Sir,” Sanjay said. “Can you tell the audience what you hold in your hand?”

“Yes,” said a man’s voice. “I’m holding a phone with a picture of a married couple who were once very happy until two days ago when the woman on stage killed my father.”