“You can tell Augustine that he has nothing to worry about. You know I’ve got a show that’s going to open at the Babylon Casino in a few months. I’ll soon have more than enough money to pay my debt.”
“Yeah, about that. We went to the Babylon and talked to Lou Holt. He says the gig is dependent on you coming through with a new illusion, which he hasn’t seen yet.”
“That is not a problem. The Chamber of Death is ready for a test run. Augustine will receive an invitation to a private showing quite soon.”
“Auggie’s not interested in magic, Bobby. He’s interested in cold, hard cash, which you’d better make appear very soon or we’ll be unveiling our own magic trick, the Vanishing Magician.”
Chesterfield laughed. “That was another excellent bon mot. Did you think that up on the spur of the moment? Perhaps you should leave the leg-breaking trade and become a poet.”
“Don’t be cute. Be responsible. If Auggie doesn’t have the money soon, you’ll be in no condition to perform magic or do anything else.”
With that remark, the two enforcers walked away.
Chesterfield hadn’t shown fear, because you could never do that with predators, but he was afraid. And Montenegro wasn’t the only cause of his unease, merely the most dangerous one. What Chesterfield hadn’t told Rafael was that the salary the casino was offering wouldn’t come close to covering his gambling debt. His one hope was his backers. The money he’d sent to Montenegro had been skimmed from their account. If they didn’t catch on to what he’d been doing with their investments, he might come out okay in the end. But that was a bigif.
Chesterfield knew he was being backed into a corner, but he’d always been good at extricating himself from dangerous situations. He was worried, but there was always plan B.
CHAPTER THREE
Regina Barrister lived in a Tudor house on an acre of land in Dunthorpe, Portland’s most exclusive neighborhood. Regina had left the practice of law after being diagnosed with dementia. Although she was taking medication that temporarily held the disease in check, it wasn’t a cure, and the once brilliant attorney was often lethargic or depressed. Robin didn’t know what to expect when she rang the doorbell.
Stanley Cloud smiled when he saw who was at the door. Robin smiled back, but she couldn’t help noticing the toll caring for Regina had taken on her former boss, the retired chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.
Stanley and Regina had been lovers for years. When Regina faced the fact that she was losing her mind, Stanley had resigned from the court and taken Regina on a yearlong trip around the world while Regina could still appreciate the experience. They had returned to Portland a few months ago and Stanley had moved in to take care of her.
When he was chief justice, Stanley Cloud had been filled with energy, a handsome man who was often mistaken for beingmuch younger than his chronological age. The Stanley Cloud who greeted Robin looked old. His once chiseled features had rounded, he had put on weight, and he looked worn out. Robin could not imagine what it would be like to watch the love of your life slowly lose her mind and fade away.
“How’s my senior partner doing?” Robin asked.
“She’s having a good day.”
“Terrific. I had a meeting with a potential client this morning. Regina represented him over twenty years ago, and I wanted to ask her about the case.”
“Long-term memory lasts a lot longer than short-term, so she might be able to help you. She’s in the backyard. Go on out. I’ll leave you two alone.”
Robin walked across the living room and through French doors onto a wide flagstone patio. Regina was lying on a lounge chair staring across her lawn at a sailboat that was drifting along the river. Regina looked so peaceful that Robin waited for a while before disturbing her.
“Hi, boss,” Robin said.
Regina turned her head when she saw that she had a visitor. This house used to be filled with people invited to parties and intimate dinners, but Regina didn’t get many visitors these days. Robin hoped that Regina’s memory loss made her forget how completely she had been abandoned.
“Mind if I join you?” Robin asked.
“Please,” Regina answered with a smile.
Robin dragged a lawn chair to a spot next to Regina and they sat in silence for a while. Watching the river was restful and a good break from the hectic pace of Robin’s practice.
“I had an interesting visitor today,” Robin said after a while. “An old client of yours.”
Regina didn’t say anything. Robin had gotten used to that. She suspected that Regina was afraid to engage in a conversationbecause she was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to remember something that she should know.
“His name is Robert Chesterfield. He’s British and he’s a magician. He wanted me to secure a patent for a magic illusion he’s going to perform in Las Vegas. When he came to the office, he asked for you. He told me that you represented him in a case more than twenty years ago.”
When Regina didn’t respond, Robin forged on.
“I asked Mary Stendahl, your secretary, about him.”
Robin told Regina Mary’s position with the firm and her relationship to Regina so Regina wouldn’t worry if she had no idea whom Robin was talking about.