“Build a wall around it using plywood and sheets of translucent plastic,” Peter said. “The plastic will keep the public from seeing it. At the same time, the plastic will allow the light to filter through, which will keep the shadow person frozen.”
“I want you to take a look at this thing. You game?”
“I’m game.”
A cab crawled down the street looking for a fare and Peter waved the driver down. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Snoop inside the coffee shop, chatting away with Sheri. Snoop was doing a magic trick where it appeared he removed his thumb, and then made it whole. Sheri seemed absolutely enthralled. Peter waved good-bye before hopping into the backseat.
“Whatever you do, don’t throw a blanket over it,” Peter said. “The darkness will allow it to become unfrozen, and it will escape.”
The cabbie turned around in his seat, his dreadlocks bouncing on his shoulders. “You talking to me, mon?”
“No, I wasn’t. Grand Central Terminal.”
The cab lurched ahead. Peter went back to his conversation. “I would also advise you not to stare at it very long, either. It will give you nightmares that will last a long time.”
“I’ve got enough of those,” Garrison said. “How soon can you get here?”
“As fast as my cabbie can drive.”
Peter put away his phone. So much for taking Liza out to the movies. It was stuff like this that ruined relationships, yet he wasn’t sure how to stop it.
“You’re that magic guy I heard about,” the driver said, spinning the wheel.
“That’s me,” Peter replied.
“Are you the devil? I’ve talked to passengers who’ve seen your show. They say you do weird shit, like move things with your mind, and know what people are thinking. I’ve heard enough of them talking to know that something ain’t right.”
Peter’s face burned. “It’s all a bunch of tricks.”
“Is that so?” The cabbie took a corner at Canal and headed uptown. “I heard other drivers talking. Their passengers told them the same things. The stuff you do defies imagination and cannot be explained. If enough people believe something, it’s usually true. At least in my experience it is.”
Peter tried to imagine the other cabbies the driver worked with. They probably all got together after their shift was over, and had a cold beer. Peter needed this Jamaican telling those drivers that he was an ordinary guy who was adept at fooling people, and that was all he was.
The cab braked at a light. Peter said, “I want to show you something.” Taking a flesh-colored hollow thumb from his pants pocket, he passed it through the partition. “This handy little device is called a thumb tip. You can buy one in any magic store. They’ll actually help you mold it so it fits perfectly onto your thumb. Put it on.”
It was not every day that a passenger was carrying a hollow thumb. The driver inspected it closely before slipping it onto his thumb. The plastic jarred with his dark skin.
“Now move your hand around,” Peter said.
The driver waved his hand, and the thumb tip did not fall off.
“I use that to make small objects disappear,” Peter said.
The driver passed the gimmick back. The light changed, and he hit the gas. “What’s all this supposed to mean?” he asked.
“Do you honestly think that if I had supernatural powers that I’d carry that stupid thing around in my pocket all day long? Do you?”
The driver burst into laughter. “No, I guess not.”
“Thank you.”
“You really can’t read minds?”
“I wish.”
“Or move things around by thought control?”
“Give me a break, will you?”
“You’re not in league with the Devil?”
“No, but I once dated his sister.”
The driver’s eyes danced in his mirror, and he slapped the wheel. He had been won over, but how many more were there like him out there? A hundred? A thousand? For all Peter knew, half the population of New York thought he had supernatural powers, and were whispering behind his back. Or maybe it was just this driver and the guys he hung out with. There was no way of knowing for sure. One day, his whole world might fall apart, and there was nothing he could do about it. It gave him an idea. Again he stuck his head through the partition.
“Change of plans,” Peter said. “Take me to 320 East 62nd. I need to pick someone up.”
29
The driver parked at the curb and left the meter running. Peter bounded inside. He found Liza in the living room sitting cross-legged on the Flying Carpet illusion and floating three feet above the floor. Her dark hair tied in a ponytail, eyes tightly shut, she looked like a genie that had just popped out of a bottle.
“Hey, beautiful.”
Her eyes opened in surprise. “You startled me.”
“Sorry. Grab your jacket. The FBI caught a shadow person running through Grand Central Terminal. Garrison wants me to have a look at it. I want you there with me.”
Her face grew concerned. “But those things terrify me.”
“And doctors’ offices scare me.”
“This is different. Shadow people are dangerous.”
“So is Dr. Sierra. I need you to come along. Please do this for me.”
She chewed her lip. “What if I say no?”
“I’ll cry.”
“Be serious, Peter.”
He touched Liza’s arm. “The reason we’re having problems is that I keep secrets from you. If I include you in the psychic part of my life, then there won’t be any secrets. You’ll know everything there is to know about me.”
“Will you still go to see Sierra?”
“There’s a problem with Sierra. He came to the theater this afternoon with another man and started banging on the door. Snoop caught him on a surveillance camera, and called him at a restaurant across the street. Sierra told Snoop he needed to see me. He made it sound like it was life or death. What kind of doctor does that?”
“He came to the theater? That’s ridiculous.”
“Now do you understand why I don’t trust him?”
“Who was the other man?”
“Snoop didn’t get his name. Snoop played the surveillance film on his phone for me. He was an older man and walked with a cane. I think it was Hunsinger.”
“You think Sierra brought his colleague to the theater?”
“That’s what it looked like. It sort of scared me.”
Liza shook her head in bewilderment. “His Web site sure read well. What if I pick another counselor?”
“I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Is that a promise? No backing out at the last minute.”
“I promise.”
“If I go with you now, will you protect me?”
“With my life.”
They kissed on the lips, sealing the deal. Liza hopped off the flying carpet and went to the hall closet, grabbing a cashmere scarf and gloves along with a leather jacket. As they headed out the door, Peter said, “There’s a cab waiting outside. Be careful what you say around the driver. He thinks I’m some kind of demon.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” she said.
They held hands during the cab ride to Grand Central. Liza looked happier than she had in a long time. All it had taken was a little compromise. He needed to remember that. Despite his powers, he couldn’t always have things his way.
The cab dropped them off at the south entrance and they went inside. It was rush hour, with commuters dashing toward train platforms with the vigor of Olympic athletes. Garrison stood at the foot of a marble stairway leading to the second floor with a scowl on his face.
“Sorry it took us so long to get here,” Peter said.
“So am I,” Garrison replied. “My boss just left. I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. My boss nixed your idea of keeping the shadow person under wraps. He thinks it’s too dangerous, and wants the thing moved.”