08 The Magician's Secret by Carolyn Keene Page A

me, and they married in secret to prevent a lot of celebrity buzz. When I found out, I advised them to get divorced. They believed me when I said it would be best for both of their careers. So they did officially, though for all intents and purposes they still acted and lived as a married couple.
    â€œDrake got everything. The fame. The magic act. The girl.” He sighed. “And I ended up with nothing. So I’m going to do whatever it takes to prove to Gritty that I’ve always been the right man for her! Including getting her all the money she needs.” He grunted.“Way more than Drake could ever give her.”
    â€œHugo, we need to know where the other gems are.” I glanced at Sawyer, who was creeping toward the hotel room door. I really hoped he wouldn’t just leave us here like this. I wasn’t sure I could hold Hugo much longer. “Do you have them with you now?” I asked.
    â€œAs a matter of fact, I do.” Hugo suddenly seemed fully relaxed. He smiled, sat back down, and crossed his legs. The posture made me again look at his shoes. I wondered . . .
    He grinned. He winked. And then a puff of thick, white smoke filled the room. And a moment later, I was facing an empty chair.
    Hugo was gone.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

A Magician’s Secrets
    THE NEXT AFTERNOON I WAS lying on George’s bed, waiting for her to show me the big project she’d been working on all day.
    I tried to peek at the screen, but she blocked me, turning the computer slightly. “Not yet, Nancy. You’ll ruin the illusion!”
    â€œJust like Sawyer ruined Hugo’s?” I asked with a satisfied smile.
    As it turned out, magician Sawyer saw things in Drake Lonestar’s hotel room that I’d missed.
    When I’d knocked over the bathroom trash can,I hadn’t understood the meaning of the items that spilled out. The bits of wood I’d seen were matchsticks with the heads cut off, and the sugar packets, well, those weren’t used for coffee. Both were among the ingredients commonly used to make a magician’s smoke bomb.
    Sawyer’s experience in the River Heights Magic Club told him exactly what Hugo was up to, and he prepared for it.
    The only possible exits out of that room were the hole in the bathroom ceiling, the balcony, and the front door. Sawyer had replaced the ceiling tiles when they left the bathroom. The balcony was a harrowing thirteen floors up. That left the door as the only viable escape, so Sawyer decided to position himself there. I’d seen him scooting that way but hadn’t even thought to wonder why.
    When the smoke bomb went off, he blocked the door to keep Hugo from leaving. Of course he wasn’t really a match for beefy Hugo, but the swarms of reporters in the hallway had closed in on him. Thepolice arrived just in time (I was right about my friends calling them), and found the gemstones were hidden in Hugo’s shoes.
    â€œDid you finish the video yet, George?” Bess asked as she walked into the room. She was carrying a stack of magazines.
    â€œAlmost,” George said. She looked up from her computer. “What’s with the mags?”
    Bess groaned. “Reporters can be so gullible.” She waved the pile around in the air. “Every single one of these reported that Gritty Grand had a relationship with Hal Thomas without even questioning it.” She sat down next to me.
    â€œHal’s not totally innocent. The publicity was good for him, too,” I said. “The controversy of dating a much older woman gets people talking.”
    â€œHe still uses too much hair gel, if you ask me.” George laughed as her fingers flew over the keys. “Nearly done,” she murmured.
    â€œSo I think I figured out how Hugo got the keys to the jewelry store,” I told my friends.
    â€œReally?” George asked.
    â€œRemember when we saw him at the Riverview? He was carrying a coffee cup from the