02x10 - Now You See Her

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Frankie Drake Mysteries". Aired: June 15, 2019 to March 2021.*
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Follows Frankie Drake, a female private detective operating in Toronto in the 1920s.
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02x10 - Now You See Her

Post by bunniefuu »

(DRUMROLL)

- (AUDIENCE GASPS)
- Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Now I'm sure like all of you,
I like to start my day

in the same fashion. Wake up,

read the morning paper, have a
nice cold glass of milk.

Now, of course, I make sure

that I never, ever dare...

waste...

a single...

drop.

(GASPS AND APPLAUSE)

- Thank you.
- How dare you do this to me?

- I told you, it's over!
- I don't believe you!

Keep your voices down.

Don't ever tell me
what to do, Merlini.

I'm the headliner,
you're the warm-up act

for the warm-up act. Mind your place.

- Go to hell, you pompous ass.
- Stop it, both of you.

Now,

this...

is a silver dollar.

It is one ounce
of virtually % silver.

Feels good in the hand,

but even better in the air.

(EXCLAMATIONS)

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

- Are you okay?
- She's fine.

I wasn't talking to you.

- Celeste, are you okay?
- Thank you, Winnie,

- but I'm fine.
- Just don't forget to smile.

What a stupendous display

of close-up magic from the
incomparable Ben Sellers

and his assistant Winnie. And now,

gentle friends, we bring to the stage

the man you've all been waiting for,

a man so imbued with mystical powers

he could b*at the very Devil
himself in a contest of conjuring!

A man who will be known

as the greatest magician
of his time...

Please welcome to the stage

a modern maven of the Grand
Illusion...

The Great Van Zant!

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

Thanks first to Merlini and Sellers

for warming up for me tonight.

I promise your evening

is about to get a lot more... magical.

(EXCLAMATIONS)

Ladies and gentlemen,

it's time for our final trick
of the evening.

The most deadly of all
my grand illusions.

I bring you... the Flaming Swords!

Once I have bound

my wife's wrists together,

I will seal her away
in this cabinet...

...where she will have
minutes to escape

a calamitous, catastrophic,

cataclysmic doom.

My love,

are you sure I can't
talk you out of this?

I am sure, my love.

Then let the Gods of Magic
smile upon her!

(AUDIENCE GASPS)

(EXCLAMATIONS)

(EXCLAMATIONS)

Have I k*lled my true love?

Or have the Gods smiled upon her?

But look! There she is!

But look, there she is!

(MURMURS)

(HORRIFIED SCREAMS)

What have you done?
What have you done?

(UPBEAT JAZZY MUSIC)

So what happened?

Without revealing any secrets,

I'll say a technical issue

caused Celeste to become
trapped inside the cabinet.

The Great Van Zant had no idea.

What have the police said about it?

It's only been a few days,

so they've yet to make
a determination.

Ongoing investigation, et
cetera. But in the meantime,

they've released Van Zant, thank God,

and he's back at work
inventing a new finale.

- How can we help?
- If I let you inside

my circle of trust, you must
promise to keep everything I say

absolutely secret.

Well, we are known for our discretion.

So I've heard.

I am plagued by a most horrid
suspicion about Celeste's death.

You think foul play was involved?

I don't know. But if there was
some form of chicanery involved,

it would take a magician
to pull it off.

Did you tell the police your theory?

Yes, but to no avail.

I have no proof and the
detective has no imagination.

Let me guess. Detective Greyson.

- Smith. Why do you ask?
- It's not important.

We'll take the case,

but we're gonna have to get
close to the magicians

in question. Get inside
their "circle of trust."

- What do you propose?
- Van Zant needs a new assistant.

You know what happened
to the last one, right?

It will never work, Miss Drake.

You need to know the craft of magic,

and you need to have very fast hands.

Well, I don't know a lot
about magic. But...

I am a quick study. And...

Your watch.

Quick hands. When can you start?

Right away. Why don't you
check in with Flo,

see if she can look at Celeste's
body and find anything unusual.

- Will do.
- Since I'm going undercover,

you will be in charge
of the investigation.

So I'll be the boss. It's about time.

Welcome to the Magic Mansion.

By day, a social club
for magicians. By night,

a magical cabaret.
The first of its kind.

I've always wanted to visit.
But it's better than I imagined.

Five years ago, I set out
to create a place where Magi

could share their ideas
and further their craft.

But jealousy and infighting
corrupted my utopia.

Well, the road to hell is
paved with good intentions.

Indeed. I chose three magicians

to highlight the three
schools of magic.

Merlini, the mystical mesmerist.

Sellers, the dashing
close-up artist, whose

hands are always
quicker than your eye.

And of course, the modern maven

of the Grand Illusion,
The Great Van Zant.

Gee, I wonder
which one's the headliner.

He insisted his poster be
twice as large.

What I don't understand
is if Celeste knew

the trick was going wrong,
why didn't she call out to him?

The music was at a crescendo, and

the cabinet is virtually sound-proof.

So if she did call out...

No one heard her cries. Poor thing.

- Did Celeste have any enemies?
- None that I know of.

So who'd want to k*ll her?

I can't think of anyone
who'd want to harm Celeste.

I wish I could say the same
of her husband.

Van Zant has enemies?

One doesn't reach the summit
of one's profession

without incurring the jealous
wrath of lesser rivals.

Is it possible this has
more to do with the ending

of Van Zant's career
than k*lling Celeste?

More than possible, my dear.

Magic is a cutthroat world.

Who has access to the cabinet?

The backstage is
a closely guarded space.

The only people with access
are myself, the two assistants,

The Great Van Zant,
Merlini and Sellers.

I'll need to speak with each of them.

There's no need to speak to Van Zant.

I assure you he is not to blame.

Well, that remains to be seen.

(KNOCK AT DOOR)

If I wanted an escape artist,
I'd book Houdini.

The Flaming Swords is finished.

I'm trying to come up
with ideas for a new finale.

Who's she?

Your new assistant. Emily Blake.

Don't tell me you hired someone
without even talking to me.

I didn't want to overburden
you, dear boy.

And I know Celeste is irreplaceable,

but she would want us
to carry on into the future.

The future? So what happens if the

police decide to come and lock me up?

Have faith, Van Zant.

They'll determine
your innocence post-haste,

but we must be ready
to resume performances.

I'll allow you two to get acquainted.

You're pretty enough.

Thank you. I think.

Let me get these chains
out of the way for you.

You know, I just finished
a six-month stint

assisting the Great Thomson in London.

Never heard of him.

He's incredible. He taught me so much.

Hm. And what pearls of wisdom did
the Great Thomson share with you?

The cardinal rule of magic.
Every single illusion

- is based on one simple principle.
- And what is that?

Misdirection.

Well played.

- (KNOCK)
- Hope I'm not interrupting.

- How can we help you, Miss...
- Trudy Clarke. I'm a PI.

I was hired by Oswald to
look into the incident.

I'll need to speak with Mr. Van Zant.

Don't touch anything.

Wanted to introduce myself.

I'm Winnie Hudson.
I assist Mr. Sellers.

- Pleasure to meet you. Emily.
- I see you've met Van Zant.

He can be a bit... what's the word?

- Prickly?
- That's it. Prickly.

I suppose it's understandable,
just having lost his wife.

Sure.

You don't sound so sure.

You can tell me.
Assistant to assistant.

Van Zant could be
awfully mean to Celeste.

He was yelling at her that night
before going on stage,

- and I mean yelling.
- You don't think...

- Morning, Winnie!
- Oh! Morning, Ollie.

Oh, keeping busy, I see.

You know what they
say about idle hands.

- Just watch yourself, honey.
- Thanks for the tip.

Are you asking
if I tried to k*ll Celeste?

I'm just trying to figure out
what happened.

What kind of magician would
intentionally k*ll his assistant

in front of a packed house?

Interesting that you call her
your assistant, not your wife.

Can we speed this along? I have
a new finale to come up with.

Did you check the equipment
before you went on stage?

No, that was Celeste's job.
She handled all of that.

So she should have
noticed something was

wrong with the cabinet.
Why didn't she?

I don't know. I honestly don't.

Do you know of anyone else who
would've tampered with the cabinet?

I can think of a couple.
One's named Sellers,

the other's Merlini.

Celeste was everything
you'd want in an assistant.

Beautiful, of course. Fast hands.

Fluent with stagecraft. Infinitely
smarter than her husband.

- You're not a fan of his.
- Besides Van Zant's obvious failings

as a magician,
he's even worse as a man.

I don't respect him,
but I don't resent him.

Why don't you respect him?

The magicians I
respect, like Thurston or

Blackstone, they invent
their own tricks.

And Van Zant doesn't?

Some of the simpler tricks, sure.

But the one that made his career...?

The Flaming Swords?

Despite what he claims, I'm
positive he didn't invent it.

The design, the build, it's...

far too complex for Van Zant.

Well, if he didn't, who did?

I've heard whispers
about a kind of black market

for tricks. Apparently
there's this "mystery man"...

- I guess he's a kind of broker.
- What's his name?

Frost. That's all I know about him.

Let's move quickly, Mary.
I don't want the coroner

finding us sneaking a peek
at our most famous resident.

Trudy said we had to look
for anything... unusual.

How about getting k*lled
by two flaming swords?

- That's pretty unusual.
- Poor girl. What a way to go.

She was just doing her job.

Okay, this is unusual.
Look at her wrists.

They were bound with ropes,
and no apparent tissue damage.

If you were trapped in a cabinet
and knew you were about to die...

You'd struggle like the dickens to

get out. So where's the rope burn?

Mind if I come in?

- Who are you?
- Detective Greyson.

- And you are...?
- Emily Blake.

Emily Blake. You know, I could swear

that we've seen each other before.

I would remember a face like yours.

- I will take that as a compliment.
- Where's Detective Smith?

Gout. Real nasty case.
I'm taking over for him.

My condolences for your loss.
I'm gonna

need to see the magical apparatus.

There is such a thing as
the magician's code of secrecy.

Yes. My badge trumps your code.

- Shall I come along?
- No, stay here. Don't touch anything.

Yes, stay here. Don't touch anything.

(HE CHUCKLES.)

The apparatus hasn't been moved
since the accident?

Detective Smith ordered us
to keep the cabaret locked.

I can promise you
no one's been in or out.

Okay.

Okay.

Show me how it works.
I'll be your assistant.

First, I tie your wrists with rope.

- Then I lead you inside the cabinet.
- Okay.

The trick is when I close
the door, it releases

a gear system below which
should open the trap door.

Except it didn't open.

Due to mechanical failure.

So why is it open now?

Detective Smith used
a crowbar so he could

take a look down below the apparatus.

I'm gonna need to take
a look down there.

So under normal circumstances,

the trap door would open and Celeste

would jump down. What happens next?

She would use that blade

on the table there to cut
through the rope on her wrists.

And then she would run
through that tunnel there,

under the stage, and pop up
behind the audience

for the reveal.

Practical design. You got
a background in mechanics?

- No, I have a background in magic.
- Yes, I suppose you would.

So these are the gears in question.

Any idea why they would've
stopped working?

Wear and tear, I suppose.

We've done the trick
hundreds of times.

There's no backup, in case
the trick malfunctions?

There is a way for Celeste
to open the door from inside.

- So why didn't she?
- I don't know.

You know, Van Zant, there's
a lot of things you don't know.

I would expect that a
husband would be a

little more curious about
why his wife d*ed.

There's scoring here on the gears.

And fine metallic dust... Looks to me

like something metallic
was jammed right in here.

- This was sabotage.
- I had nothing to do with that.

I bet you didn't.

Gears broke with force, so
the object must have flown...

...somewhere over here.

(UPBEAT JAZZY MUSIC)

So that's what the saboteur used
to jam the gears and k*ll Celeste?

- How come the cops didn't find it?
- Good question.

I think it flew clear
when the gears jammed.

Carson City Morgan silver dollar.

- That's the same coin Sellers uses.
- So is he our saboteur?

Not the smartest move, using your

signature coin to commit a m*rder.

Bet he didn't expect anyone
to find it down there.

Let me talk to Sellers,
see what I can find out.

I'll talk to Winnie. If Sellers was

planning something, maybe
she knows about it.

Did you guys find anything
on Celeste's body?

Seems like she didn't struggle
with her ropes much. Strange, right?

Merlini told me that Van Zant was

shouting at her before they went on.

- That's no way to treat to your wife.
- Actually, he refers to Celeste

- as his assistant, not his wife.
- Sounds like a close marriage.

At this point, I don't think
we can rule anyone out.

Speaking of magic tricks,

there's a bit of a mystery
surrounding who invented it.

It wasn't Van Zant?

Sellers doesn't believe so. He
thinks that Van Zant bought it

from a mysterious "broker" for
magic tricks named Mr. Frost.

- He sounds very shady.
- Apparently he keeps

a very low profile. But
I was able to twist

Oswald's arm to arrange
a meeting with him.

Why don't you two go talk to this

Frost and see what you can find out?

A top secret mission. I can't wait.

Recognise this?

Well, let me see.

That is a Carson City Morgan
silver dollar. My signature.

What if I said it was used
to sabotage the Flaming Swords?

Anyone who knows what
they're doing could

use this coin to jam it in the gears.

Who said anything about gears?

Look. See the scoring

along the edges? Clearly it was
jammed into something metallic.

- I just took a guess.
- A lucky guess.

Okay. Watch this. Ready?

- Where'd it go?
- Check your purse.

- How did you do that?
- Magic.

Now, if I can make that coin
appear and disappear

at will, why would I leave it
in some incriminating place?

- Who is it?
- Emily. Your assistant.

Go away! I'm inventing!

- Don't say I didn't warn you.
- You did warn me.

You're so lucky, working for Mr.
Sellers. I bet he never yells at you.

Never. No, he's a real gem, I tell ya.

- Does he ever get jealous?
- Of who?

Mr. Van Zant, of course. Must
be hard working in his shadow.

I'll tell ya, Mr. Sellers
was set to be the headliner

before Van Zant showed up with
this "Flaming Swords" business.

That must have made him pretty upset.

Well, sure. Not that he talks
about it. He's a bit...

- what's the word?
- Secretive.

That's it. Secretive. Real secretive.

You think he has something to hide?

Honey, everyone at the Magic
Mansion has something to hide.

Mary, what's wrong?

Nothing's wrong, Flo. Why do you ask?

You haven't made a peep
in almost minutes,

and that's an eternity in Mary time.

Alright, don't make fun...
I'm just a bit scared.

Ah, well, don't let
a little fog throw ya.

No, it's not that, it's...

Alright, it goes back to Harriet Sim's

birthday party in the third grade.

Her parents, they hired a magician

and he made this rabbit disappear, but

then he couldn't make it reappear.

- What happened to the rabbit?
- It got away

and ran out into the
street where it was

crushed under the wheels
of a passing cart.

Ever since then I haven't been able

to look at a magician
without feeling scared.

Well, here's your opportunity
to get over your magic phobia.

This is it?

Yeah, here we are.
It's the right address.

But Flo, there's no sign
or name on the door.

- This feels sinister.
- Oh, it'll be fine.

The bell is silent. Strange! (GASPING)

Ha, ha, ha! C'mon, scaredy-cat.

Ooh, it doesn't want
to let us in! Ha, ha!

See, Mary? There's nothing
to be afraid of.

No, Flo, there are a few
things. Where should I begin?

- What is this thing?
- Good afternoon.

(GASPING AND LAUGHING)

- Who are you?
- Flo Chakowitz.

This is Mary Shaw. We're
with Drake Private Detectives.

- Are you Mr. Frost, by any chance?
- Yes, I am.

And you must be the two ladies
that Oswald told me about.

How may I help you?

We heard you know something
about The Flaming Swords.

What of it?

We heard that you may have
sold it to the Great Van Zant?

Do I look to you

like the proprietor
of your local magic shop?

- No?
- I do not

"sell" magic tricks.

I'm a middleman between the
magician and the inventor.

Some people would call me a broker;
I prefer the word "facilitator."

But of course, in order
to be good at my business,

I'm also a practitioner of the craft.

(GASPING)

And it means I know a good trick

when I see one.

And The Flaming Swords
is a very good trick.

The sort of trick that any
magician would sell his soul for.

So did you "facilitate" the sale

of The Flaming Swords to Van Zant?

No, I was not involved
with The Flaming Swords.

That was created by Van Zant alone.

He is an unparalleled genius of magic.

- Sounds like you know him well.
- No, I never met him.

But I understand
he is a wonderful man,

and so dedicated to that
beautiful wife of his.

God rest her soul.

And now if you'll excuse us?

I have other business to attend to.

- Flo, we've gotta help that rabbit.
- No, it'll be fine.

Let's get out of here.

- Have you seen, Sellers?
- At the bar.

Thank you.

What on earth is this hideous thing?

It's called "Mesmer's Ring."

I thought you could use it
in your act. See?

I'm a mentalist, Oswald.
I don't need props.

Let me show you just how easily
I can mesmerize you.

No, no, last time I let you do
that, I ended up giving you a raise.

Perhaps our new assistant

would like a demonstration
of mesmerism.

Well, perhaps another time,

- Mr. Merlini.
- As you wish, mademoiselle.

Uh, Merlini, you're sure
I can't convince you

- just to give this a try?
- Wow.

Impressive. What's your secret?

What kind of magician would I
be if I shared my secrets?

Even with such a beautiful woman.

- We haven't met. I'm Ben Sellers.
- Emily Blake.

It's a pleasure.

You're Van Zant's new assistant. I
trust you're settling in alright?

Well, I haven't seen much of him. He's

been busy inventing his newest trick.

Ah. Well, wish him luck.

You know, Winnie told me

that you were set to headline the
show before Van Zant came along.

- That must've stung a bit.
- I suppose.

- Why do you ask?
- I'm just curious is all.

Do you mind if I ask you
something a bit personal, Ben?

Of course.

Well, Van Zant hasn't exactly
welcomed me with open arms.

He's been downright rude,
to be honest.

I'm sure he wasn't that way
with his wife...

- I wouldn't be so sure about that.
- See, that's just it.

I heard that the two of them
were arguing

right before they went
on stage that night.

Do you know what it was about?

Well, that night I did hear her say

something along the
lines of "it's over."

Poor Celeste, she was so upset.

You know, Winnie and I tried to
cheer her up, but... Are you okay?

- She's fine.
- I wasn't talking to you.

- Celeste, are you okay?
- Thank you, Winnie,

- but I'm fine.
- Just don't forget to smile.

It didn't help.

She just was so glum on stage,
you know? Just blank.

Just like... just not herself.

You know, enough about that.

Why don't I pour us a couple
of cocktails, whaddaya say?

Oh, uh... Rain check?

Tell you what. I'll do
even better than that.

- I'd love to take you out for dinner.
- It's a date.

- Alright.
- Just the man I'm looking for.

Ben Sellers.

Detective Greyson. I'm
investigating the death

of Celeste Van Zant.

I'd like you to come with me,
ask you a few questions.

Well, I... had nothing to do with it.

Good to hear. Get your things.

You two looked awful cozy.

What do you have on Sellers?

I went back to see the
apparatus. Based on the scoring

and the fine silver
metallic dust, I would say

that the gears were jammed
with one of these.

A Carson City Morgan silver dollar.

Sellers' signature.

Isn't it a possibility

that the culprit used this
as a bit of misdirection?

It's possible.

A good investigator
runs down all his leads.

- It's a bit obvious.
- You know, Drake,

you don't have to make things
so complicated.

Sometimes the answer you're looking

for is right in front of your nose.

Thanks for the tip.

Anytime.

Alright, Sellers, let's go.

Greyson brought him in
for questioning?

I think he's barking
up the wrong tree.

Me too. Think he got the wrong guy.

Mary, how did you and Flo
make out with Frost?

He's a suspicious character
if I ever met one.

Did he mention anything about
selling the trick to Van Zant?

Frost said he had
nothing to do with The

Flaming Swords. According
to him, Van Zant

is a wonderful man, a magic genius

- and a devoted husband.
- Clearly he doesn't know Van Zant.

Strangely enough,
that's what Frost said.

Apparently, they've never even met.

Sellers confirmed that Celeste
was acting out of character

- that night.
- Can't blame her with that marriage.

Let's go check with Flo.

Narcotics? Cocaine? Morphine?

- Nope. Clean as a whistle.
- But her behaviour was so odd.

Why didn't she struggle
with the ropes?

Or just open the cabinet

from the inside.
It just doesn't add up.

Maybe she was under
the influence of something.

How do you mean?

Maybe she was hypnotised.

So the k*ller sabotaged the trick

to trap Celeste inside the cabinet.

But they needed to make sure
that she would be compliant,

so hypnosis is the perfect solution.

I always thought hypnosis
was just some parlour trick.

Me too, but clearly
we need to know more.

I'll talk to Oswald, he's
an expert in all things magic.

I think it's time
to investigated Merlini,

the Mansion's resident
hypnotist. I'll do some digging.

Frankie, one of the gals
at the station

was hypnotised by Merlini
at the Magic Mansion

and she said he made her bark like
a chicken and cluck like a dog.

Just please be careful.

I'll keep my wits about me.

(UPBEAT JAZZY MUSIC)

Love letters.

It was Celeste.

Well, Merlini is one
of the best hypnotists

in the world. If anyone could
pull it off, it would be him.

But how does it work exactly?

Hm. It would require

a few sessions, to give her
instructions to follow.


Then, at the right time,

he'd cue her and she'd fall into
the trance and do his bidding.

- Who's in that photo with Van Zant?
- That is my one

and only photo of Mr. Frost.

An enigmatic individual,
to say the least.

You three look pretty comfortable.

Indeed. We three share

a deep and abiding passion
for the conjurer's art.

Funny. Frost said
he never knew Van Zant.

Well, that is a bit odd.

You can see from the photo
they're well acquainted.

Why would Frost hide
his connection to Van Zant?

All I can say is,

Mr. Frost is a mystery
wrapped in an enigma.

Merlini and Celeste
were having an affair?

Torrid, too, according
to these letters.

Seems like quite a read.

But if he's so passionate about
Celeste, why would he k*ll her?

Take a look at these. They're
all from the last few days.

She broke it off with him.

Maybe that's what Celeste
meant when she said "it's over."

We need to look into this more.

Yeah. I need to get these back
before he notices.

I'm gonna pay a visit to Mr. Frost.

He lied about not knowing Van Zant.

Well, don't go alone.
I hear he's shady.

- Didn't mean to startle you.
- I was just looking for you.

You offered to mesmerise me earlier. I

thought I'd take you up on the offer.

Then take a seat.

Place both of your feet firmly
but comfortably on the ground.

And I want you to listen
very carefully.

Look at my finger.
And now close your eyes.

Open your eyes again.

Now follow my finger with your eyes.

You'll find it very difficult
to keep your eyes open

as I move my finger...

Thanks for coming, Mary.

Well, I realised you can't just
get over an irrational fear,

you have to face it and conquer it.

Deal's done, Frost!

The deal still stands!

Two magicians fighting,
what's going to happen?

What do you think is going to happen

they're going to fire lightning
bolts at each other?

- I don't know!
- Take it, but not a penny more!

Think you're rid of me,
well, think again,

because I know

the truth!

- Quick question.
- I thought you were under.

Not quite. Could I be made to do

something that I wouldn't normally do?

- Depends, really. Now watch my finger...
- Depends on what, exactly?

The mesmerist's skill,
the subject's suggestibility,

the specific orders being
given... can I continue?

Sure.

As I move my finger, you
will find it very diff...

For example, could I be made
to do something harmful?

I give up. You are what we
call in the trade "a hard case."

I'm sorry, Merlini.

Not everyone can be induced.

- Winnie's also a hard case.
- You tried to hypnotise Winnie?

- She wanted to learn.
- Anyone else?

- What about Celeste?
- Why do you ask?

I'm just curious.

Who hired you for this job?

- Oswald.
- And what did he hire you to do?

To be Van Zant's assistant.

I do more than hypnotism in my act,

I also do telepathy. Mind-reading.

It's not possible
to read people's minds.

But it is possible to read faces
and know when a person's lying.

It's called a "tell".

- Do you know yours?
- Who says that I have one?

Everyone has a tell.

Good day, Emily.

- You let Merlini hypnotise you?
- He calls it mesmerising.

I don't care what he
calls it, you don't let

a mind-controlling
m*rder*r mind-control you!

Alleged mind-controlling. And
I was completely under control.

Fine. Did you find out
anything about the affair?

Nothing. He completely clammed
up. What about you and Mary?

- Did you get anything on Frost?
- We saw him tussling with Van Zant.

- Tussling over what?
- Money, apparently.

Frost said he knew the truth about him

and Van Zant threw a
bag of cash at him.

- Sounds like blackmail.
- But what does he have on him?

Proof that he k*lled his wife?

Whatever he has on Van Zant,
we need to find out what it is.

What's going on in here?

- Did you come up with a new trick?
- Yes.

- Can I see it?
- No.

- Because you're fired.
- What?

Van Zant and I don't
always see eye to eye,

- but one thing we can agree on?
- The magician's code of secrecy.

You broke the code, Frankie Drake.

Give my regards to your
associate, Trudy Clarke.

And by the way...

you touch your suprasternal
notch when you lie.

That's your tell.

Trudy, I'm sorry I was
such a scaredy-cat last time.

No, you were fine.

Thank you for saying that,
but I've made up my mind.

- I'm gonna be brave.
- Good for you.

Well, that's strange.

Mr. Frost?

Anyone in here?

Are you sure this is
a good idea, Trudy?

What happened to you being brave?

You're right.

There's nothing to be afraid of.

(SCREAMING)

I haven't spoken to Frost in months.

I know you paid him off, Van
Zant. What did he have on you?

I don't know what you're
talking about. I have to work.

- Just have a few more questions...
- Goodbye.

Good luck with your trick.

- You wanted to see me?
- Yes, Winnie.

I wanted to show you my new trick.
Would you please close the door

- and lock it?
- Of course, Mr. Van Zant.

You're not welcome here,
Drake. You broke the code.

I think you broke a couple
yourself, Merlini.

Like the one about coveting
thy neighbour's wife.

So that's what you were doing
in my dressing room.

You know you should really be more

careful about hiding
your love letters.

What if Van Zant found out?

Maybe that's exactly
what you wanted to happen.

Guess again.

- You're lying.
- Is that right.

Everyone's got a tell.

- (SIGHING)
- Look.

Celeste was never going to leave
the bastard of her own volition.

So you thought if Van Zant found
out, her hand would be forced?

I was a fool.

She chose Van Zant over me.
Not because she loved him.

She could hardly stand
the sight of him.

So why did she stay?

She said it was "a complicated
financial obligation."

- What does that mean?
- I didn't ask.

She didn't tell.
Magi's code and all that.

- I don't think Merlini did it.
- Me neither.

So then Van Zant k*lled Frost.

Sounds like a solid theory, but
how does that connect to Celeste?

(DOOR OPENS)

Gals! Ooh! So...

I snuck a peek at some of
the files on Greyson's desk,

and... I'm a bit out of breath.

It's okay, Mary. What did you find?

Turns out Frost was named as a suspect

in a theft about five years back.

- What's he accused of stealing?
- That's where it got a bit murky.

It said was an unusual sort of theft,

but nothing more.

I think it's time we took
a look at Frost's warehouse.

Again?

So an inventor goes to Frost

with an idea for
a brilliant new illusion.

Let's call it The Flaming Swords.

Frost sees that the idea is special.

The kind of trick you'd
"sell your soul for."

He gets greedy. Decides to cut the
inventor out and steals the idea.

The inventor files a theft
report with the police...

That's where it gets tricky.

How do you prove someone
stole your idea?

He takes the stolen idea and
makes a secret deal with Van Zant.

There's gotta be some
sort of record of that.

- I haven't seen any records anywhere.
- Let's keep looking.

(GASPING)

Magicians and their secrets.

Now, like every death-defying trick,

you first start by proving it's real.

(GASPING)

This is strange.

Frost has a file on Celeste Van Zant.

It's a contract. Celeste and Van Zant

promised % of their earnings
to Mr. Frost

for the rest of their lives.

What on earth did they get in return?

And now, with the flick of a switch,

the magic trick blade is released...

and...

Voilà! The Magic Guillotine.

It's amazing, Mr. Van Zant.

It's gonna put me back on top.

Hey, gals, take a look at this.

It's a blueprint
for the Flaming Swords.

Martha Hudson...

Sellers' assistant is Winnie Hudson.

- They must be related.
- She's out to settle the score.

Could it be that Winnie
hypnotised Celeste?

"Don't forget to smile."
That must be the cue.

We need to find her.

I saw her with Van Zant.
He's showing her his new trick.

That was an incredible
demonstration, Mr. Van Zant.

I'd love to see how it all looks
when you perform it.

You want me to have
a go at it, do you?

Why not? Strap me in.

You know, I can't thank you
enough, Winnie.

I am happy to assist until you
can find a full-time replacement.

I don't mean only for that, I mean for

coming up with the
idea for this trick.

Well, I had a good teacher. My
mother was an amateur magician.

And inventor.

- Was?
- d*ed a few years ago.

Never able to achieve her dream
of becoming a magician.

Well, let's face it, the world
isn't ready for lady magicians.

Funny. That's what the male
club owners always said to her.

- Ah! What are you doing?
- Trust me, it'll go easier this way.

- Have you gone mad? Let me out!
- That's the sound of me

disengaging the trick blade.
So when the guillotine falls,

- so will your head.
- No! No!

Whatever it is you're
gonna do, don't do it.

Stay back, or I cut
this rope and he dies.

You don't want to do this, Winnie.

- I need to finish this.
- I know what happened.

Frost stole the trick
from your relative Martha...

- My mother.
- Then sold it to Celeste and Van Zant.

- Now you wanna get revenge.
- That's it in a nutshell.

What I don't understand
is why use Sellers' coin

to jam the gears?
Why make him look guilty?

What's the key to any magic trick?

- Misdirection.
- Nice way to use the trap door.

All that magic training paid off.

What? You're not gonna let me out?

You're the magician. Do it yourself.

♪ [SUSPENSEFUL]

We were playing small clubs,
just getting by.

Celeste said that we needed
to find one big trick.

So she went to Frost and you
two bought the Flaming Swords.

We didn't have any money to pay for it

at the time, so we
made an arrangement.

% of your earnings
for the rest of your career.

- You sold your souls.
- That's what I said to Celeste,

- but she could be very persuasive.
- Classy move,

putting the blame on your dead wife.

Frost stole the idea
from Martha Hudson.

And she had to raise
Winnie all by herself.

She could have used that money.
She d*ed a few years later.

Van Zant.

I hereby renounce your
membership at the Magic Mansion.

Your privileges are
permanently revoked.

You are banished for life.

The first of many changes
to come to the Mansion.

Looks like you're on the road
back to Utopia.

Thank you, Miss Clarke.
And Miss Drake.

Don't know how I can ever truly
repay you for all that you've done.

Well, we wouldn't say no
to a couple of free tickets.

Of course! You've both done a
great service to the Magic Mansion.

Well, it's our pleasure.

But you should really keep
a better eye on your watch.

- (CHUCKLING)
- Quick hands.

Ben?

I heard I might find you here, Emily.

- Or should I say Frankie.
- Thank you.

So I hear congratulations
are in order.

Yes, I am the new headliner

at the Magic Mansion. Wish it happened
under different circumstances,

- but...
- I'm happy for you anyway.

Thank you. Me too.

So I came by to see if you...

maybe wanted to help me celebrate?

I am with my girls tonight.

- How about tomorrow?
- It's a date.

Nothing like a glass of
whiskey to celebrate the end

of another case.

Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop.

- But you did anyway.
- Yeah.

I did.

So, hot date with a magician, huh?

I never quite figured you

for the type who'd go
for all that flash.

Well, he's got a lot more than flash.

I'm sure he is a man of substance

and moral character.

Is that jealousy that I hear?

Come on.

You can do better than that. Hm?

You know, Greyson, you don't always

have to make things so complicated.

Sometimes what you're looking for

is right in front of your nose.

- Thanks for the tip.
- Anytime.

See ya around, Frankie Drake.

See ya around.

(WHOOPING AND LAUGHING)

- My goodness.
- Looks like you got your hands full,

- and it's not with drinks.
- Nothing I can't handle.

She's fightin' them off with a stick!

Now that's a gal after my own heart.

Tonight is about us.

Here's to Mary finally
overcoming her magic phobia.

Well, I don't know about that.

I'm no Merlini, but
I don't see any magic shows

- in my immediate future.
- A toast.

To another case solved by the
Drake Private Detective agency.

And to the three best friends
a gal could have.

- Aw, cheers!
- Cheers!

Cheers!
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