”—Objection, your honor! He’s leading the witness!”
“Sustained. Mr. Great Karzini, this isn’t one of your Las Vegas stage shows, this is a court of law!”
“Of course, your honor.”

The Great Karzini could feel the sweat beading up on his forehead. He reached into his pocket for a handkerchief, but accidentally pulled out half a dozen brightly colored silk bandannas that had been knotted together. Some of the jurors sniggered. He blushed and went back to the table to get a drink of water. The defendant looked at him nervously, and Karzini mouthed the words “it’s all right.”

“Ahem, ok. Forget that last question, Mr. Stevens; instead I’ll ask you this: Isn’t it true that the weapon used to kill your business partner is the same gun you claim was stolen from your home?”
“Yes. It was an 18th century antique dueling pistol. Specially made, no two alike. But as I said, the gun was stolen.”
“And was the gun ever returned to you?”
“No it was not, the killer-or should I say, your client-must have gotten rid of it after he killed Morton.”
“So if we find the gun, we find the killer?”
“Now you’re getting it, oh great one!” Stevens laughed.

Karzini bit his lip. He was about to try something that could fail, and if it failed an innocent man would spend the rest of his life in jail. No fake locks, no trapdoors, just a lonely cell from which there was no escape. Maybe Jane was right—what was he doing thinking he could be a lawyer?

“Just one more thing, Mr. Stevens, and then I’m through with you.”
“Oh good, cause I got a magic show to get to!” The courtroom erupted in laughter and the judge banged his gavel to quiet it down.

“So if we find the gun we find the killer. If we find the gun… we find the killer.” Karzini moved over to the witness stand. “Well, Mr. Stevens, how do you explain the fact that this whole time, the murder weapon…”

He reached over the witness stand and felt the side of Stevens’ head.

”... has been in your ear!”

The courtroom gasped. The prosecuting attorney cleared his throat and said, “Your honor, in light of this new evidence, we move that the charges against the defendant be dismissed.”

Later, Jane and Karzini were having a romantic dinner at the Moonlight Grille, and Jane batted her eyelashes and said, “I guess Mr. Stevens is gonna miss that magic show, huh?”

The Great Karzini just smiled and said, “Oh, I think he’s in for a nice little disappearing act… for about 25 to life!”

Later, The Great Karzini won another case by showing the jury that one ball could in fact become three balls right in front of their very eyes. But that’s… another story!