“I’m certain Paul is on the thirteenth floor someplace,” Charlie said, back in the lobby. “It’s the quietest floor in the hotel, and we heard someone watching that movie. Space Mutants Invade Part Ten, or whatever.”

“Ooh, I love that movie,” Annie Solo said. She took a bite of her cherry licorice whip. “Remember that part when the alien with five tentacles bit the head off the —”

“Kind of getting off track here,” Charlie said. “We have a mystery to solve, remember?”

Annie shrugged. “Maybe you do,” she said. “But I don’t.”

“You don’t still think Theopolis is a real magician, do you?” Charlie asked. “Not after the special effects show we told you about.”

“Just because the big demon upstairs was fake, that doesn’t mean that Paul’s disappearance was fake too,” Annie said.

Before Charlie could argue, Ty jumped in.

“Maybe we should take another look at that wardrobe,” he said. “The one Theopolis used for the trick.”

“We looked at it already,” Charlie said.

“Yeah, I know,” Ty said. “And you said something seemed wrong. But you never figured out what.”

“It’s worth a try,” Charlie said.

* * *

---

Back under the stage, the crews were already moving things around for the evening performance.

“I hope the wardrobe is still here,” Charlie said. “It’ll be way trickier to sneak a look at it if it’s already upstairs for the show.”

Two stagehands were standing nearby. “You mean Theopolis’s wardrobe?” one of them asked.

Charlie said, “That’s the one. You know where it is?”

Both stagehands nodded toward the corner. “There it is,” said one. “That goofball Theopolis won’t let anyone move it but him.”

“That’s okay with us,” the other stagehand added. “That thing looks heavy.”

“Thanks,” Charlie said. Then the stagehands walked away.

“Looks the same to me,” Ty said once Charlie had opened the wardrobe’s doors.

“Me too,” Charlie said. He tried the false bottom, and it opened. Everything was just how he remembered it. He climbed right inside and tapped on every surface.

“What’s that?” Ty asked, pointing at a black stain on the back inner wall of the wardrobe.

Charlie squinted at the stain.

“It looks printed,” he said. “I think it’s the logo and company name of the manufacturer. It says, ‘Hockney and Sons. 1935.’”

“Wow,” Ty said. “That thing is really old-time, like Brack.”

Charlie tapped his chin. “Hmm. Brack… time…” he said quietly. Then he snapped his fingers. “Brack’s watch! That’s it!”

“His watch?” Ty said. “The squirting one?”

Charlie nodded. “I have a phone call to make,” he said. “Come on.”