“Don’t do that. You really will make them suspicious if you come back with lipstick on you,” I said, wiping away the tell tale red mark from his lips. He managed a smile as he went to escort me out of the office.

“That ring in your pocket,” I couldn’t resist saying. “I take it that it was meant for me.”

“Now what gave you that idea?” He looked back at me, then nodded. “It was.”

“Was? You’ve changed your mind?”

He must have seen my face. What woman can know that her fiancé has a ring in his pocket meant for her and not want to see it?

“Later, Molly,” he said. “This is neither time nor place to give it to you. As you said, we’re both working. Now march.” And he slapped my behind.

Just before we came back onto the stage he took my arm. “Oh, and Molly, I’ve been thinking.” He said in a low voice, “You promised you would visit Mrs. Houdini in the morning. That might be most fortuitous. See if you can get any more out of her, or out of Houdini’s brother. They may know more than they’ve been telling you. And it’s possible he’ll have tried to contact them by morning if he is on the run.”

“So I see you now want my help after all,” I said. “That’s nice to know.”

“It’s just that she already trusts you and I presume she doesn’t know of your connection to me?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“So she may be willing to reveal more to a dear friend in a moment of distress than she would to one of my men.”

“You see, women do have their advantages,” I said triumphantly.

“I’ve never doubted that you have many advantages,” he said, eyeing me in a completely un professional manner.

MacAffrey looked up expectantly as we came back onto the stage. “Nothing so far, sir,” he said. “The men have gone over the whole place. It’s like a warren back there. Underground tunnels and walkways up above. But I can guarantee he’s not still hiding here.”

“And what about these men?” Daniel’s gaze swept from the illusionists to the stagehands. “Did none of them see anything unusual? Presumably that large bag containing the body must have lain somewhere before it was placed in the trunk. And whoever placed it there would have had to have carried or dragged it. That would take a strong man or men. Didn’t anyone hear sounds of dragging or bumping down steps?”

Blank faces met him.

“Someone’s always on duty backstage during a performance,” the theater manager said, “especially when there are illusionists on the bill. They like someone to keep an eye on their equipment at all times.”

“And which of you men did that?”