Leila thought of the key on the string in the tin box, the one that she’d had since she was a baby. But she didn’t want anyone to know about it. The secret made her feel strong. Still, she found that she couldn’t lie to this woman. “I… I think so.”
Mr. Vernon gave Leila a quizzical look, but he didn’t pry.
“This key will become important in the coming days,” said Sandra. “Keep it close.”
Leila felt like she’d been struck by lightning. Hating the sudden attention, she changed the subject. “Did you know that we can do tricks too? Theo, Ridley, Carter, and me?”
“That’s what Mr. Vernon tells me,” Sandra said.
Leila’s voice rose. “Carter, show Sandra what you can do.”
Carter picked up a spoon from the table. With a flick of his hand, the spoon disappeared. With his other hand, he reached beneath his plate and retrieved the spoon.
Sandra gasped. “That’s quite good.”
“Now, Theo,” said Leila. “Go on.”
Theo removed his magical violin bow from the pocket of his tuxedo pants and held it over the centerpiece. Slowly, the top hat flipped upright and began to dance in a small circle around the table.
“Amazing!” said Sandra. “Bravo!”
Ridley shook her head. “I’m not a circus monkey, and I do not perform on cue!” For a moment, everyone thought she was really upset. But when she picked up her napkin and tossed it onto the table, it turned from white to bright blue instantly. “What trickery is this?” Ridley said with a wink. She picked up the napkin again and gave it a shake, and it turned green. “Stop it!” she yelled at the napkin, and it turned red. Everyone laughed.
“And don’t forget Leila,” said Carter. “She can escape from anything. Look, she’s already wearing her straitjacket.”
“I’ll just need to get my locks from my bedroom. Dad, can you help set me up?”
“Escaping at the dinner table?” asked Mr. Vernon. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“Daa-aad,” Leila said, rolling her eyes.
“That is a very good argument,” Mr. Vernon said, snapping his fingers. “You talked me into it. Let’s go!”
Sandra stood up from the table. “While you do that, would someone point me toward your powder room?”
“It’s in the same place it’s always been,” said Mr. Vernon, nodding toward the hallway. “We haven’t done any remodeling since I inherited the building.”
“End of the hallway? I’d forgotten. It’s been such a long time.” Sandra thanked him and made her way down the dark passage.
NINE
Leila retrieved the locks—as well as her lucky lock-picking tools—from her bedroom and then brought them back to the dining room. As Mr. Vernon clasped the final lock onto the straitjacket, there arose a frightening clamor from the shop below. Crash! Smash! Creaaaaaak… BAM!
The muffled sound of a shriek rose up through the floorboards. Mr. Vernon’s eyes went wide, and he raced down the hallway. Leila followed, trying extra hard not to trip since her arms were bound.
The bathroom at the end of the hall was empty. Sandra wasn’t there.
The group rushed to the balcony and peered over the railing to see Sandra sitting on the bottom step, smoothing out her dress and rubbing her shin. Books and papers were scattered on the floor nearby. Sandra noticed everyone watching her and cried out, surprised, “Oh, I’m so embarrassed!”
“What happened? Are you all right?” Carter asked, racing down the spiral stairs to help Sandra up. The others followed him into the shop, while Ridley rolled her chair close to the balcony to get a better view. Leila treaded carefully as she worked the locks off her jacket. By the time she reached the lower level, she’d managed to free herself completely.
“I’m so sorry,” Sandra said, straightening her dress and glancing at Vernon. “The bathroom upstairs was out of tissue, so I came downstairs to use the one in the shop. But then I heard something scratching at the front window. I approached and…” Sandra’s color drained from her face. “A monkey jumped out of the bushes and slapped at the glass! It scared me so badly I ran and tripped, knocking over all these books.” She glanced down at the books by her feet. “Can you believe it? I didn’t think Mineral Wells even had monkeys—let alone one that would try to attack me!”
Carter rushed to the front door, unlocked it, and peeked out into the evening. He peered up and down the street.
“We saw him this afternoon,” Leila noted. “Funny, though, he didn’t seem like he’d try to attack anyone. He was more scared of us than we were of him.”
Sandra shook her head. “What a mess I’ve made!”
“Please don’t apologize, Sandra,” said the Other Mr. Vernon.
Mr. Vernon took her hand. “Let me see your leg. Are you bleeding?”
Sandra sniffed and shook her head. “Merely bruised. I think I’ve already gotten all the scars this life has planned for me. No matter. After that fright, I feel like I should head back to the resort. Let me fetch my shawl from upstairs.”
“I will get it for you,” said Theo.
“I’m already on it,” called Ridley from the balcony, turning her chair around and heading back into the apartment.
“Thank you, dears. You’re all too kind.”
After many generous hugs and handshakes, the Misfits said good-bye to Sandra. Then Mr. Vernon walked her to her car. The Magic Misfits stood in the shop with the Other Mr. Vernon, watching through the large front window.
“What a night!” said the Other Mr. Vernon when his husband returned.
“She always was clumsy,” said Mr. Vernon, crossing his arms as Sandra disappeared into the night. “Strange, though…”
“What’s strange, Dad?” Leila asked, slipping out of her straitjacket.
“I’m certain the apartment was ready for guests. That bathroom should have been in order.”
“Sandra wouldn’t lie…” Leila scoffed. But she thought of Sandra’s predictions during dinner and wondered if the woman had made it all up. She looked at her friends. “…would she?”
Mr. Vernon was quiet for another moment, then turned toward the group, color returning to his cheeks. “What reason would she possibly have to do such a thing?”
Leila didn’t know. She did understand, however, that once again her dad had magically evaded her question. He was doing that a lot lately. The world of adults seemed to her like a great big puzzle box that locked up tight without a key.
After her friends had left, while Leila brushed her teeth in the upstairs bathroom, she noticed that the roll of toilet tissue was empty. Sandra hadn’t lied after all. But, she wondered, did this mean that her father had made a mistake? Dante Vernon was many things, but forgetful wasn’t one of them.
Leila closed the door to her bedroom and turned out the light. Removing the tin from the shelf, she thought about what Sandra had told her during dinner. “This key will become important in the coming days. Keep it close.”
She lifted the lid and clutched the string attached to the oldest key in her collection. For the first time in a long time, she slipped the string over her head and allowed the key to drop just inside the neck of her nightgown.
While Leila and Carter get some shut-eye, you and I have time for another magical lesson. This one requires some forethought, and of course, lots of practice. (And maybe a little construction… which Ridley loves.) I only request that you do not stay up all night preparing. Warning: Sleepy magicians make mistakes! But one learns from mistakes. So even if you don’t get it on the first try—don’t stress—try, try again!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
A coin. (The bigger in size, the better the audience will see it.)
A transparent (that means CLEAR) drinking glass. (You’ll probably want to avoid the fancy glasses that once belonged to your long-lost great-granny. I’d suggest using one that your family will not miss very much.)
A dark handkerchief or small towel
Two blank pieces
of clean and totally white paper
A pencil
Washable glue
A pair of scissors. (I’m sure you’re keen enough to know that a grown-up should be present while using sharp objects. During magic shows, magicians can make it look easy to reattach a severed thumb. In real life, a surgeon is usually involved. Not fun!)
TO PREPARE:
Use the pencil to trace the mouth of the glass onto one piece of white paper. Very carefully, cut the paper along the pencil line. Erase any marks left by the pencil on the cutout. Place a very light coating of glue around the edge of the glass, then attach the paper. Let the glue dry for several minutes.
STEPS:
1. Before your audience arrives, place the other piece of white paper on a flat table. Rest the glass, facedown, on one half of the paper and the coin on the other half.
2. Tell your audience that you shall make the coin magically disappear!
3. Drape the handkerchief over the glass, the coin, and the paper as you lift the glass and place it on top of the coin.
HELPFUL HINT:
As you move the glass, make a little noise with your mouth. Zip! Or Shoop! Or Vleep! Any sound that will surprise your audience member and possibly make them flinch. Personally, I like to shout, “OUCH! It bit me! Just kidding!” This allows you to cover the coin while bringing the audience’s attention to your face instead. A little misdirection among friends never hurt anyone, has it?
4. Remove the handkerchief to reveal that the coin has disappeared inside the glass.
SECRET MAGIC MOVE:
Since the paper cutout you glued to the glass is the same color as the paper underneath, it hides the coin, making it seem like the coin has vanished.
5. To make the coin reappear, cover the glass with the handkerchief again, then shift it back to its original position. Remove the handkerchief to reveal that the coin has returned!
6. Offer to show the coin to your audience, so they can check for themselves that it is real.
7. Take a bow!
TEN
A few days after the Vernons’ dinner party, Leila, Carter, Theo, and Ridley made their way up the hill from town toward the Grand Oak Resort. The sun was beginning to dip toward the western horizon, and the shadows of trees were stretching long across the grass. The sky was painted a deep, comforting blue, and wisps of high clouds were like strokes of white left by feather flowers.
The enormous white lodge was just ahead. The group went around the side and to the back, where they usually met their friends. They trailed along one of the footpaths that connected all the outer buildings to many of the resort’s recreational activities. Quaint gables rose up from the dark rooftops, and green shutters accented every window.
Leila thought of these grounds as her second home. The apartment over the magic shop was lovely, but the Grand Oak had everything from pools to a magnificent view overlooking Mineral Wells. Leila often accompanied her poppa when he came to work, if for no other reason than to stroll among the gardens.
On the other side of a shaded floral bower, the Golden twins were cartwheeling through the grass. Izzy planted her feet and crouched down as Olly leapt onto her shoulders. Izzy rose up, swift as a piston, grasping her brother’s legs. They stood in the field, watching as the Misfits approached in awe of their gymnastic skills.
Izzy called to Olly, “You’ve gained some weight!”
Olly patted his belly. “Thanks to all my friends called doughnuts!”
Suddenly, Izzy looked like she could no longer hold her brother up. As they tipped, Izzy dropped to her knees and Olly tumbled into a perfect somersault, landing in a perfect pose, arms outstretched, hands waving. It was all part of the show with these two. Leila and the others broke into enthusiastic applause.
Upon seeing their friends, the twins then burst into an a cappella song, harmonizing in comic falsetto, box-stepping and pirouetting.
“Welcome, welcome, one and all,
Nice to see you, guys and dolls!
A lot’s gone on; have things been funky?
We heard you almost caught a monkey!
We’ve missed you much, what a strange week!
Check our pockets; have a peek!”
Synchronized, the twins held open their vest pockets. Before anyone could get too close, two pink noses stuck up out of the shadows.
Ridley shrieked and rolled back her chair. Theo wrinkled his nose. “Are those mice?”
“We wanted magical assistants,” said Olly.
“We’ve spent all day training them,” Izzy chimed in.
“To do what?” asked Carter.
Olly and Izzy glanced at each other. “So far, they’re very good at squeaking,” Izzy said brightly, spinning the statement to sound impressive.
“Where did you get them?” asked Leila.
“We caught them out here in the yard,” said Olly.
Izzy nodded. “They practically jumped into our hands.”
“I’m not sure why you’d need magical assistants,” said Ridley. “Since you’re not officially magicians.”
“Aren’t we?” asked Olly. “Laughter is the best magic of all.”
“Actually, actual magic is the best magic of all,” said Izzy.
“Whatever,” Olly said. “Besides, I don’t need to be saddled with a label. It’s good to leave your options open, to try a little bit of everything. Tap-dancing. Singing. Miming. Acting. Library-ing—”
Izzy rolled her eyes. “That’s not a word.”
“You’re not a word,” Olly retorted. “My point is, there are endless possibilities to what we can teach these mice.”
“Endless!” Izzy added, “Math! Chemistry! French cuisine!”
“Oh yes,” said Olly. “I love a good boeuf bourguignon. Hey, Izzy!”
“Yes, Olly?”
“What do you call a mouse who excels at oration?”
“I don’t know, Olly. What?”
“A public squeaker!”
“Hey, Olly!”
“Yes, Izzy?”
“Where do mice shop for groceries?”
“I dunno, Izzy. Where?”
“The mini-mart!”
Leila, Carter, and Theo chuckled politely, while Ridley let out a groan. “I think that your material needs some work. Anyway, I’m very happy you’ve made some new friends, but I’m here to call our meeting to order if everyone is ready.”
Ridley handed her notebook to Carter, who had become the club’s unofficial secretary. “Roll call!” Ridley sang out. When she spoke each member’s name, that person answered, “Here!”
Except for Olly, who said, “Present! Ooh, I love presents. Does anyone have a gift for me?”
“Announcements,” Ridley said. “Let’s hear ’em!”
Izzy raised her hand. “How did the dinner with Sandra Santos go?”
“You two should’ve seen it!” said Carter. “She read our fortunes and talked to her ‘spirit guides’ and tripped downstairs when she saw Bosso’s monkey looking in the shop window at her!”
“So that monkey is still around?” Olly asked.
“Apparently,” said Leila.
“Sandra sounds like a hoot,” said Izzy.
“No, Izzy,” said Olly. “A hoot sounds like this: Hoo-oo! Hoo-oo!”
“Wow, Olly, you’re pretty good at that,” Izzy said sarcastically. “Maybe you can befriend an owl and get wise.”
“Har-har,” Olly said. “Sorry we couldn’t be there. Sandra sounds like she knows her way around a good performance.”
“She really does,” Leila noted. “Have you seen her around the resort at all?”
“She attended our show this morning,” Olly said. “She clapped really hard. Very nice of her.”
“She even looks like she might be psychic,” said Izzy. “She’s certainly got the right hair for it. Long, wavy, and”—she whispered this next part—“filled with secrets!”
“There’s no such thing as psychic,” Ridley moaned.
“Then how did she know so much about us?” asked Leila.
“A dozen different ways, probably! I mean, she had plenty of time here at the resort to ask around about us before returning for dinner,” Ridley suggested. “After everything that happened with Bosso, people know a little bit about us now.”
Carter cringed. “Hopefully not too many people.”
“I did a little more reading last night about some of the self-proclaimed psychics of the past century,” said Ridley. “Did you know that Harry Houdini was not only famous for escaping impossible traps but also for debunking fake psychics?”
“He was?” Leila asked. “I’ve never heard that before, and I love that guy.”
“We are aware,” Theo noted.
“Houdini was part of this club whose mission was to stop people from believing in fortune-tellers,” Ridley continued. “In most of the old photos where the spiritualists were supposedly spitting out this ghostly slime called ectoplasm, Houdini figured out it was actually made of wet cheesecloth.”
Theo chimed in, “I have seen a photograph in a book of a man who was levitating several feet off the ground. But if you examine the image closely, it is apparent that he jumped off his chair in the middle of the shot. Disappointing.”
“But what Sandra did seemed so real,” said Leila, feeling the key hanging around her neck.
“If you really think about Sandra’s so-called readings,” Ridley went on, “mostly she just said something vague. Then we filled in the blanks for her. We wanted to believe it was true. I don’t believe in her mumbo jumbo about speaking to spirit guides or ghosts or whatever.…”
“Oh hey! We do have an announcement,” Izzy said, elbowing her brother.
“About having tuna on rye for lunch?” Olly asked. “That’s hardly news.”
The Magic Misfits: The Second Story Page 6
