Disappearing Coins: Parlor Tricks, #2

By A.L. Kessler

Lacey Willow is at it again with her quirky magic, her color-changing rabbit, and a new mystery to solve.

When a husband disappears along with the everything from the bank account, the case seems pretty obvious, but when magic comes into play Trace brings Lacey in to help him out. Things turn tricky when fake psychics and old debts turn up, but the money doesn't. What disappears must reappear, it's a rule of magic. Can Lacey and Trace solve the crime and find the husband and money before it's too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.L. Kessler
• Release date: Nov 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393810735

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

––––––––

I stood in front of my store with my hands on my hips as I admired the new writing in the window. Parlor Tricks was in glossy new white lettering with a little rabbit sitting under it. I loved it. I skipped to the door, grinning, and unlocked it to enter. Copperfield, my rabbit, was waiting patiently in his wired cage for me to let him out for breakfast. His little pink nose twitched in anticipation, and his white whiskers stood out against his currently black fur.

The moment I opened his cage he jumped out and his fur turned lavender, his favorite color. Copperfield was a special rabbit. Something went wrong with a spell, and I pulled a color-changing rabbit out of a hat. Since then, we had been best friends, and he became the mascot of my store. I gave Copperfield his carrots and went to flip the open sign to the store.

As I flipped the sign in the window of the door to open, I saw my neighbor, Trace, walk by and wave at me. Trace was a private investigator. He was tall, handsome, and well, he’d almost gotten me killed last year when I helped him on a case. No big deal. I pulled a hundred or so rabbits out of hats to save myself. Not really what I was going for, but it worked, and since then I’ve helped him out on cases here and there as an official consultant.

I went back to the counter and gave Copperfield a scratch on the head. Shall we practice some more magic today?

As a witch, I wasn’t very talented. Most of the time I lucked out, and my spells didn’t hurt anyone. They just got out of control and multiplied objects. Copperfield barely looked up from his carrots to give me much of an answer. I rolled my eyes at him and went to find a trick off my shelves to try.

I walked past the rings. I had finally managed that one and connected the rings magically as well as duplicated the proper amount without them going out of control. I looked at the seemingly never-ending scarf idea. That could be fun, and seriously, what else could happen? It was a long scarf that I pulled out of my hand.

I grabbed the package off the shelf and opened it up. Copperfield took one look at me and turned around, giving me his butt. He did a little wiggle before he hopped off and bounded to the door. He sat there and stared at me. You have no faith. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him.

I shoved the scarf into the palm of my hand and wrapped my fingers around it. I waved my free hand over my fist and muttered some Latin words. I pulled at the tip of the scarf, and it slowly came out of my hand and kept going well after the amount it originally was. I grinned, but my smile faded as it started spurting out of my fist like a fountain.

I cried out and dropped it, but the scarf just kept growing. I ran out of the building, and Copperfield ran out behind me. I scooped him up and turned to look through the window of my shop. The rainbow colors of the scarf started taking over, leaving no room for anything else.

Trace stepped up next to me.  His big dreamy brown eyes and hair hadn’t changed much over the last year. He still wore a suit to work every day, even the days he didn’t have clients. What did you do this time?

I tried the infinity scarf trick.

And?

Apparently my magic wanted to take it literally instead of making it longer. It’s still growing.

We stood together and watched as the colors moved like a snake behind the glass.

He chuckled. Well isn’t that fun. He scratched Copperfield behind the ear, and the rabbit turned pink under Trace’s fingers. Glad to see he still likes me.

How’s work? I asked, not taking my eyes off the window.

Well you know, I have an interesting case. I thought I’d come over to talk to you about it. He motioned to the door. Maybe we should grab some coffee while this works its way out.

I nodded. Yeah, I feel like it might be a while before it wears itself out. I waved my hand, and the open sign flipped to close.

You’ve got that little trick down now. He smiled.

I nodded. Yeah, after making the sign disappear completely many times.

Where do they go? The things you make disappear?

I shrugged. No one explained that to me. I imagine there’s a pile of lost things somewhere. Maybe an alternate dimension. Kind of like the place lost socks go, and where all the Tupperware lids come from.

He laughed and started to walk down the sidewalk. Now all I can think of is a place with signs stacked high with mountains of socks and Tupperware bottoms.

The image made me smile. Maybe he was right about that. Maybe.

***

Trace and I walked into the cafe, ordered our coffee, and sat down. I sipped my coffee and watched him. His shoulders were hunched a bit, and his brows were pulled together. Something was bothering him, but I wouldn’t push until he was ready to talk. I gave him a minute to collect his thoughts while I just enjoyed my coffee.

Okay, so, speaking of things disappearing.

I looked at him and raised a brow. I swear, I’m not behind it.

No, no, I know you’re not. But there’s been a psychic that disappeared.

My mouth formed a little ‘o.’ I heard about that. It’s all the buzz in the magical community. Rumors say he predicted his own disappearance, and no one would take him seriously. From what I understand his predictions where kind of hit and miss.

Trace nodded. Well, from what I understand, he ‘disappeared’ with all of his and his wife’s money and she would like some help locating his whereabouts.

Okay. I don’t see how this is more interesting than the wife who tried to kill her husband, or the random snakes that kept following a woman, I paused for a moment, those had been two of our most interesting cases, everything else had been pretty dull.

He chuckled. I was hoping you could tell me how the magic of psychics works, or who I’d need to talk to. There’s literally no paper trail. The money was gone, just poof, gone. No visible transactions, cash withdrawals, or transfers. Then Mark was gone as well. He didn’t take clothes with him, and I can’t track him if he’s using cash. I’m trying to get my hands on some surveillance to see where he might have gone.

I can give you some names of others in that circle, but I’m not a psychic. I can’t even read tarot cards. I couldn’t imagine what kind of disaster that would lead to. I pictured little miniature Death and The Fool running around. I shook my