Read Online 08 The Magician's Secret by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page A

these performances are expensive to run.” I held the door for my friends. “I guess that’s why the staff stays at the cheap places while the magician goes to stay at the fancy resort.”
    â€œEven if he was escaping from a crazy stalker-fan, the twins might resent their dad for leaving them here,” George said. “I know I would.”
    â€œIf they are angry, no one’s said anything.” I recalled all the conversations I’d had with Ayela and Ariana. They’d never even let on that Lonestar was their dad—certainly not that he’d moved on to better digs and stuck them with Hugo.
    The hotel lobby was quiet. The only sign of life was a desk clerk at the counter. The young woman looked bored, like she wished she was anywhere else. Her long brown hair hung over one charcoaled eye.
    When we approached the desk, she looked up and pinned that one eye on me. “Can I help you?”
    Bess moved in and flashed a smile. “We’re looking for Drake Lonestar’s two assistants. Could you tell us what room they’re in?”
    The woman picked up a pen and twirled it. “I’m not supposed to give out information on our guests.”
    It might have been the first time in Bess’s life that her oozing charm didn’t work.
    George gave her a small, sympathetic smile.
    Undeterred, Bess tried again. “But we know Ayela and Ariana. We were supposed to meet them”—she stopped to check her watch—“ twenty minutes ago.” Bess threw George a dirty look over her shoulder, as if it was George’s fault we had only arrived now.
    â€œPlease,” Bess said in the sweetest voice I’d ever heard.
    â€œOh, um . . .” The clerk paused and twirled her pen some more. “Whatever.” She scribbled the number on a slip of paper. “Go ahead. Let them fire me. I hate this job.”
    As we walked away, Bess grinned at George and said, “The Marvin charm hasn’t failed me yet.”
    George rolled her eyes.

    After a quick elevator ride, we were standing in front of room 406. The TV was on inside. I knocked on the hotel room door.
    Ayela opened it. “Hey!” She was super cheery as she let us inside. “Welcome!”
    The room was tiny. Two beds and a roll-away sleeper were stuffed wall to wall. In fact, so much furniture had been crammed into the small space that there was nowhere to stand. I peeked into the tiny bathroom; the fact that an architect had managed to fit a shower, toilet, and sink in there might have been the most impressive magic trick of the past week.
    Deep-red wallpaper, stained with age and peeling from decay, made the room so dark I had to squint to see Ariana sitting on the bed, next to her dad.
    Drake Lonestar.
    â€œI was wondering when you’d show up,” he said.
    I didn’t mean to be rude by not replying, but my tongue was tied. Above Drake’s head, above where the roll-away sleeper was squashed up against the wall, there were holes. Lots and lots of little holes.
    â€œDarts!” I practically shouted the word, scanning the floor. “Aha!” I found one halfway behind the nightstand. I grabbed it and held it up like a trophy. This was a big clue.
    George pointed at Lonestar. “So you were alreadyin River Heights when you decided to come to River Heights!”
    â€œGeorge, are you saying that the video of Lonestar throwing darts at a map is fake?” Bess asked.
    â€œThe video was planned and carefully edited,” George said, not moving her eyes from Lonestar’s face. “I should have realized! From what I’ve read, videos are often used in illusion magic because they are so easy to manipulate. That means that if they’re done right, they seem live. Drake knew he was coming to River Heights.”
    â€œDon’t look at me with those disappointed eyes. Your courthouse was perfect for what I wanted to do,” Lonestar told