
Lucy's Disappearance
Chapter I: The Mystery of the Mute Magician and Miss Xandria
The attendance at the tonight’s show was very small as it was usual in this place. In fact there were only seven people in the whole club. Chicolini, the Mute Magician and his ravishing assistant Miss Xandria did their best to entertain them but the atmosphere in the room was quite dull. After the magician escaped from the horrible death in straightjacket inside the tank filled with water, only a weak applause was heard. It was quite understandable because the show gave a very cheap impression. The lighting was poor, no fire or smoke effects, the music was bad and the notorious magical tricks did not impress anybody these days.
Miss Xandria, a tall beauty, who seemed to be the mixture of African and Asian origin, announced the last act of the evening: “And now ladies and gentleman, I will ask one of you to come here on the stage to help us with this performance. It will be dangerous. It will be exciting. It will be the experience you will never forget. For example the young lady in the black silk blouse at the table number 6, please come on stage, miss.â€
For Lucy Baker it was the worst date ever. She was asked out by the new guy at school, Jeremy Wiggins. They were supposed to meet here but he did not show up. She was quite angry but decided to go alone and have fun. However, this show was so incredibly boring and ordinary that it was impossible to enjoy it. She has just finished her third cola and wanted to leave when she was asked to come on the stage.
Why not? She said to herself. At least I can find out how they do these things.
“Please applause for the brave young lady.†called Miss Xandria. The applause for Lucy was very middling but she did not care at all. This evening was a failure anyway.
“What’s your name, miss?â€
“Lucy.â€
“Okay Lucy, your task will be easy. You will sit on the chair and you will be tied up. Then I will gag you and close you inside this box. Can you do that?†asked Xandria and put her hand on Lucy’s shoulders.
Oh my god, tied up and gagged again. Whatever, there is no way back, thought Lucy who resigned. “I guess I can do that.â€
“Splendid, splendid! Pray sit down.†A big smile appeared on her face as she took out a long rope from nowhere. Suddenly it was in her hands. Lucy sat down on the chair and the raven-haired beauty, dressed in shining black leather pants and satin red blouse, started to tie her up. She did a very good job. Lucy did not expect to be tied that tight. It was impossible for her to move.
“And now for the gag.â€
Xandria took out a silk pink scarf and put it between Lucy’s lips and tied it tightly behind her head.
After that, the Mute Magician and Miss Xandria moved the chair with helpless Lucy into the big box, which had several holes inside. They closed it and the magician, a small undistinguished man with a long mustache and a cylinder on his head, started to stab long swords into the holes in the box.
At this point the audience finally started to be interested for the fate of the bound girl, though they knew that no real harm could come to her.
After five minutes of the dramatic silence during which ten swords were placed into the box, the Mute magician removed all of them and with the sound of drums Xandria opened the box. The tied up girl was still there. While the audience was clapping their hands more likely because they were happy to go home, than to enjoy the last act, the Mute magician was bowing and Xandria was untying and ungagging Lucy, who, after she had been freed, bowed as well and returned to her table.
It was fifteen minutes till the beginning of the first lesson. Sherry, dressed in her typical outfit consisting of the red flannel shirt, black T-shirt and the pair of jeans, was sitting on the small bench in the park, not far away from the school, smoking a cigarette and waiting for Lucy.
“C’mon Lucy, where are you? We’re gonna be late.†Sherry was muttering for herself during her tenth attempt to call her friend.
She stepped on the cigarette butt and left for the school. She knew that she would be in terrible trouble if somebody saw her smoking but didn’t care much. Getting into trouble was her natural state of life.
In the classroom, the chair next to Sherry stayed empty as Lucy did not show up for the whole day.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Baker, is Lucy at home?†Sherry was standing at the door of Baker’s house, staring into the deep eyes of her best friend’s mother, who looked like the older version of Lucy.
“No, she went out last night and I haven’t seen her since.†said Mrs. Baker with a worried voice.
“With whom?â€
“She said it was your new schoolmate. I don’t remember the name.â€
“Jeremy Wiggins?â€
“Yeah, that’s possible.â€
“And where did they go?â€
“She said something about a magician show.â€
“The Mute Magician at that awful Iturbide Club. That’s not like her. Did you call the police, Mrs. Baker?â€
“Of course, I did but they said she was probably with that guy somewhere. They can search for her after 48 hours.â€
“That’s typical. I will find her, Mrs. Baker, don’t worry.â€
After those two said good-bye Sherry headed straight towards the club where Lucy was supposed to be last night.
On her way she saw Jeremy on the opposite side of the road.
“Jeremy! Jeremy!†Sherry started to shout and wave to him but he pretended not to notice her. She ran across the street and addressed him again.
“Hi Jeremy, you are deaf?â€
“Oh, hi Sherry, sorry I didn’t hear you. How are you? I’m little busy, sorry I gotta go.†Jeremy replied nervously and kept walking.
“Wait. I need to ask you something.â€
“What?â€
“What happened to Lucy last night?â€
“I don’t know.â€
“You don’t know? You were together, weren’t you?â€
“No, I didn’t make it. I was playing with my younger sister and she tied me up and taped my mouth and left me like that for several hours. When I got there, the show was over and Lucy gone.â€
“Hey, that’s the most stupid excuse I have ever heard. If something had happened to her, it would be your fault.†Sherry was pretty mad about him as he walked away without saying anything. She didn’t know him much but he looked like a real moron.
“I will never understand Lucy’s taste in men.†said she to herself and continued towards the club.
The Iturbide Club was really a dirty hole with several tables and the small stage.
“Looking for something, muchacha?â€
Sherry turned around and saw a face of an elder Mexican bartender, who addressed her with strong Spanish accent in his voice.
“Yeah, hi, I’m looking for my friend. She was here yesterday. You’ll remember her, long black hair, really pretty, she looks like Rita Hayworth.â€
“Oh, Rita Hayworth. She was a big success yesterday.â€
“What?â€
“They tied her up, put her in the box and ran swords through her.â€
“What happened after that?â€
“They took out those swords, untied her and she went away. Nothing happened to her. It was a real magic.â€
“And she left bar?â€
“Yes, she did.â€
Once Sherry found herself on the street again, she was thinking what to do now. She was thinking where Lucy could go after the show if not home and she got really worried. For the first time in her life she felt really hopeless, no clues, no ideas, nothing.
As she was leaving the place, she noticed a van arriving to the back door of the club. “Chicolini, The Mute Magician†said the sign on its side.
“Getting ready for another show,†she said to herself and watched the van very closely.
A small man with a mustache dressed in a long leather coat got off followed by a black tall woman. She opened the back door of their van and two girls, who could have been of the same age as Sherry, jumped out. One of them took a brief look at Sherry and then started to unload the van, which was full of magician’s stage props.
For a moment Sherry was convinced that she saw Lucy but then she realized that though the resemblance of her face was remarkable, this girl had a chestnut tone of her hair and was little bit slimmer and taller than Lucy. In addition to that she smoked a cigarette. Lucy never smoked. The other girl looked like a gypsy and she was dressed in a colorful dress.
Lucy was staring at this strange four carrying the props into the club and suddenly she had the persistent feeling that something wasn’t right.
“This girl looks almost exactly like Lucy. What if it was her who returned from the box, while my poor Lucy is still in the hands of this freaky bunch?†Sherry decided to return to the club to solve this mystery once and for all.
“So you are back, muchacha?†Sherry heard the voice of the bartender behind her.
“Yeah, I got quite thirsty. Would you give me a glass of water, please?â€
“Sure, sure.â€
After she got her drink, the bartender left to wash some dirty dishes.
That was a perfect opportunity for Sherry to take a look around. She took a sip and put the glass on the nearest table. She climbed onto the stage and the first thing she saw was a small inconspicuous trap door in the middle. Sherry was sure that this was how Lucy got from that box. She didn’t see any button for opening.
There was another door leading to the backstage. She tried that one and it wasn’t locked. She went through and found herself in the small dressing room which was full of the props. The Mute Magician and his assistants were nowhere to be seen. After a little while she spotted a big black box with holes in it. That must be that box in which they placed Lucy. She opened it. There was a hole in the bottom of the same size as the trapdoor. Additionally Sherry noticed a pipe inside.
“What is that here for?â€
There was a tube leading outside the box, which connected the pipe with a small gas-tank attached to the back of the box and covered by a black curtain.
“Of course, a sleeping gas. I think I’ve got it.†Sherry said to herself. Thinking aloud helped her to concentrate during her investigations. “They tied Lucy up inside this box, then knocked her out with the sleeping gas, opened the trapdoor, through which she fell downstairs under the stage and then they untied her, removed her clothes which that girl I mistook for Lucy put on herself. She must have had a black wig too. Then the gypsy girl tied her to the chair again and lifted her up through the trap door into the box before the act was finished. Nobody in the audience noticed that it was not Lucy. But why did they kidnap her for? Her mother isn’t rich and famous.â€
“Bravo, Miss Rathbone.†said a deep feminine voice behind her. Sherry also heard a silent clapping. After she turned around she saw Xandria looking at her with an evil smile. She wore her stage outfit – a pair of leather pants and a red satin blouse. “You are cleverer than I thought.â€
“Where is Lucy? What have you done to her?â€
“Oh, she is in our little apartment. Don’t worry. You will join her soon. Get her, girls.â€
Lucy’s double and the gypsy girl appeared behind Xandria and ran towards Sherry. She grabbed a chair, threw it at them and started to run away. The gypsy pushed the chair aside and they were after her. Sherry left the dressing room and found herself once again on the stage. As she was running she did not notice the hole in front of her and fell into it.
Oh, no, the trapdoor, she thought as she was lying on the big soft mattress under the podium. Xandria must have opened them from backstage.
“Come here girls. I got her.â€
Sherry saw the magician’s assistant who was pointing to her with a gun in her hand.
“The game is over, Miss Rathbone. Don’t cause any more trouble or you will regret it. Truss her up, ladies.â€
Both girls approached to Sherry with chains. She had no possibility but to give up and let herself get shackled. The girls made a very good job. She was completely bound and couldn’t move a muscle.
“You won’t get away with this. Do you hear me?â€
Xandria laughed and stuffed a handkerchief in Sherry’s mouth.
“It’s a funny thing that all the snoopers like you always say the same think when they are about to be gagged.â€
Sherry tried to spit that thing out but Xandria was quick and tied a silk scarf over it.
“We should blindfold her too,†said Lucy’s double.
“Good idea, Sammie.â€
Another scarf was tied over Sherry’s eyes.
Great, she thought. I will never get out of this predicament. But it did not prevent her from struggling.
“And what now? She cannot stay here. Somebody might come and see her.â€
“Take her to the dressing room. There is a place that is suitable just for our little detective.â€
Sherry spent next several hours stuffed and locked in a wooden chest that wasn’t exactly large.
Poor sardines, at least I know now how they must feel, occurred to her. She decided not to waste her powers with struggling and trying to get loose and rather wait what happens next.