Now You See It . . . by Richard Matheson

Author:Richard Matheson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thrillers, Fiction - Espionage, Horror, Suspense fiction - gsafd, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, General, Adventure, Crime & Thriller, Thriller, Science Fiction, Magic - Fiction, Crime & mystery
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2003-10-15T04:05:18+00:00

"Kendal. Harry Kendal," Max provided, one of me play- ing cards between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand.

He made a slight downward movement, followed by an upward movement which allowed me card to fall across the back of his first, second and third fingers, the little finger rising to the edge of the card. (Despite my uneasiness, the magician in me was absorbed completely by his hands.)

Rapidly, his forefinger replaced the thumb, his fingers were extended, and the card vanished from the palm, all in me space of a second. Seeing this, I felt a sense of relief for him.

"K-e-n-d�" Sheriff Plum was writing down the letters with laborious effort.

"�a-L" completed Max. "Kendal. Very good."

As he turned back his hand, he dosed his fingers into the palm and gripped the center of the card with his thumb, opening me four fingers outward until the card was gripped against the two middle fingers and vanished from the back of his hand as well. Good, Max, I thought automati- cally.

"What time did he get here?" the Sheriff asked.

Max was repeating the back-and-front palm, the cards appearing, disappearing, then appearing once again.

"Who's that?" he asked in a distracted voice-

"Don't let him do this to you, Sheriff," warned Cassandra.

U assandra's remark made Max almost drop the card.

He winced, then directed a forced smile at the Sheriff.

"Does this bother you?" he asked. "It's just a habit."

"I said, what time did Harry Kendal get here?" Plum re- peated the query. �

"Darling?" Max inquired sweetly. "You were here when he arrived. I was out walking, you recall."

As he spoke, he fanned the four cards with his right hand, then let them drop into his palm.

Cassandra regarded him balefully.

"Just past noon," she told the Sheriff.

"Thank you, precious," said Max, bringing up his right hand to his left as though to transfer the cards, then palm- ing them in his nght and closing his left as though they con- tained the cards.

"You murdering bastard." Cassandra glared at him. "If you think you're going to get away with this..."

Max made a sound of disapproval at her language, quickly grasping the comers of the cards with his right

126 Richard Matheson

thumb and bending them over so he could pass the hand,

fingers open, across the back of his left hand.

All of this took place in rapid order as the conversation

progressed; a skilled magician's feat. "Why did he come to see you?" asked Plum. "Well�" Max dropped his left hand casually, displayed

me empty left hand, men produced the card with a fan from

behind his right knee "�he came to talk about business,"

he said. "An engagement in Las Vegas. Wasn't that it,

babe?" He smiled falsely at Cassandra.

She didn't answer, watching him with hooded eyes. The Sheriff watched with displeasure as Max repeated

the card manipulations.

I watched Max with a coldness in my stomach/ wonder- ing what he was up to, what he had in mind, what plan. I knew there had to be one.

"Second method," Max was saying as he demonstrated. "Hold the cards

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