The Magician's Secret (Nancy Drew Diaries #8)(19)

“The 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.”

“We 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 tunics and 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.

“But 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?”

“Well,” Bess replied, “Ariana can remove her socks without taking off her shoes.”

I laughed a bit too loudly.

“What’s so funny?” Drake asked.

“Nothing,” 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 made good 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 charge my phone. I turned down the screen’s brightness and muted the sound and did everything else I could think of to save power. I was waiting for a call from Ned or my dad—one I couldn’t risk missing.

Because the box surfacing impacted John Smallwood, my dad and Ned were inside the courthouse waiting to be briefed. Until every shadow about Smallwood and Lonestar was brought to light, Dad’s client wouldn’t be let off the hook.

Lonestar had refused an attorney the day before, but this was more serious. Now he had brought in his own lawyer. And it was none other than River Heights’ own Madeline Summers.

Madeline was a tough nut who had worked with my dad on many cases. Though I wasn’t sure how Lonestar had found her, I had no doubt she’d give her all to Drake. The one thing about Madeline was that she worked alone. That meant she didn’t want to hear from any outside detectives—namely me. In the past, she’d made it crystal clear that I was to stay away from her clients. I was certain this would be no different. But just because Madeline Summers didn’t want me around didn’t mean I would back down from my personal investigation.

My phone rang.

“Ned?” I shouted as I stabbed the talk button. “What’s going on?”

“The police found the missing box in Lonestar’s hotel room at the Towering Heights Resort,” he said.

“Oh.” I’d assumed that was what happened. “And the gems?”

“The box is still sealed. The locksmith is on his way.”

My shoulders dropped. This was the most exciting part of the investigation, and Madeline Summers would surely try to keep me out of the judge’s chambers. I’d be lucky if my dad and Ned were allowed in, since they weren’t Lonestar’s attorneys.

“The locksmith needs an escort into the building,” Ned told me. “Three escorts, actually. There are passes at the security desk for you, Bess, and George.”

I was shocked. “I can’t believe Mrs. Summers would agree to let me anywhere near her client. How’d you do it?”

“Do you believe in magic?” Ned asked. His voice had a light chuckle to it.

“That’s the question of the moment, isn’t it?” Even though he couldn’t see me through the phone, I smiled.

“Come straight to the judge’s chambers,” Ned said, then hung up.