Free 08 The Magician's Secret by Carolyn Keene

follow you here?” I asked him.
    Lonestar grinned. “Hugo spread a rumor that I was planning to go to the resort later tonight.”
    â€œAnother lie?” I couldn’t help myself; it just burst out.
    â€œI suppose,” Drake Lonestar said. “This time, a small white one for protection. It’s the same reason Hugo lied about Ayela and Ariana being Gritty Grand’s nieces instead of her daughters. And why he’s been telling the press that he’s dating Gritty.”
    He went on, “I work hard to distance myself from anyone who might use my family to get close to me. Hired employees, even if they are related to a top designer, are definitely less interesting than a magician’s daughters. The idea of Hugo and Gritty dating is less scandalous than her being my ex. All of these are red herrings meant to throw the paparazzi off my trail.”
    â€œThe Internet is a mix of truth and lies,” George said. “If someone really wanted to find out about you, it wouldn’t be so hard.”
    â€œWe throw a lot of misinformation out there to cover the facts. If a fan or the press wants to know details, we have to at least make them work for them. That’s what Hugo says, and I trust him completely. He’s a great bodyguard and manager.”
    While George and I had been talking to Lonestar, the twins had been giving Bess a preview of Gritty’s new collection—previously unseen pieces that would appear in upcoming fashion shows. I knew that Bess was probably thrilled to see the clothing, but she was also deciding whether the twins might be our thieves.
    That had been the real goal of this visit. Discovering the darts had been a bonus.
    When she joined George and me, she shook her head. I got the message: She wasn’t sure.
    Bess whispered to us. “I tried to get them to talk about accessories, like jewelry, but they aren’t interested. They wanted to talk about leggings and tunicsand the staples of a wardrobe.” She shrugged. “Even when I tried to bring up their mom’s money issues, they wouldn’t go there.” Bess lowered her voice even further and said, “I frankly don’t think either of them are sharp enough to pull off this kind of crime.” She quickly added, “The only suspicious thing I noticed was that they both like chewing gum.”
    That was something. I wondered if it was the same kind of gum Bess had stepped in at the jewelry store.
    â€œBut what about the magic?” George asked. “They know how Drake does his illusions. So much of this theft seems similar to magic tricks. Do you think they can do any tricks of their own?”
    â€œWell,” Bess replied, “Ariana can remove her socks without taking off her shoes.”
    I laughed a bit too loudly.
    â€œWhat’s so funny?” Drake asked.
    â€œNothing,” I hedged. “It’s late. We need to go.”
    After we said our good-byes, I made a plan for the next hour. I’d drop off Bess and George, and then jot down some notes on what we’d discovered. We’d madegood progress, but I wasn’t sure what it all meant. I needed to think. I also needed to sleep.
    Bess opened the door to Lonestar’s hotel room. We were stunned to find the hallway crowded with police and journalists.
    Officer Fernandez pushed past me. She announced, “Mr. Lonestar, you need to come with me. We found the missing box in your hotel room.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Inside the Box
    WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT, I WAS certain we’d be up all night again, but luckily, Bess, George, and I were able to catch a few hours of sleep before heading to the courthouse. When I spoke to Ned shortly after the police showed up, he assured me there was no reason to hurry. The paperwork would take a while, and then the lawyers had to get there. That would take time too.
    When I did arrive at the courthouse, well rested, I realized that I had forgotten to