VANISHING ACT: MISSING SCENES
They picked up coffee, which he happily paid for, and headed for Atlantic City. Bobby sat quietly in the passenger seat while he absorbed caffeine from the coffee and knowledge from the files he held. They were out of the city before he spoke.
"Uh…Eames…" he said, using the careful and apologetic tone he'd used to start his conversations with her since he'd returned from suspension.
"Yea, Bobby," Alex answered, using the careful and neutral tone she'd used in many conversations with him since his return.
"Dean Holiday...Part of his act is mind reading…"
"He's a con artist," Alex said with a smile.
Her smile reassured Bobby. He thought that she was smiling—really smiling—a lot more in the past day or so. She'd even laughed when he was fooling with the Great Carmine's props. Or had she been covering her irritation with him?
"Uh…Eames…When I was…uh…playing…with the magic stuff…If I embarrassed you…I'm sorry…
Alex's smile grew wider as she remembered Bobby's boyish delight in examining and using the Great Carmine's bag of tricks.
"You didn't embarrass me, Bobby. Actually, it was a lot of fun watching you. And that poor rookie…I think Ross was having a really good time."
"Oh, that poor kid," Bobby said. "I hope he's ok…I should apologize to him…"
"Better he learns that sort of thing in One PP instead of out on the streets," Alex said. "Like I said, it was fun to watch you have a good time."
Bobby looked out the window for several moments.
"Magic," he said. "It was one of the good things…One of the few…when I was a kid…My Uncle George…Well, he wasn't really my uncle…He was an associate of my Dad…My Dad had lots of associates, but not many friends…Too many money problems…But Uncle George…I don't ever remember knowing his last name…When I met him he just told me to call him Uncle George…"
Alex's eyes focused on the highway, but her mind focused on Bobby's words as he opened a door on part of his past.
"I think my Dad ran into him at some card game…Uncle George didn't play…He was so good with cards that he got hired to make sure games were clean…I…I had to find my Dad at one of those games once…And Uncle George…I was about ten…and someone told me he lost a son who was about my age…Leukemia or some cancer…He never told me that…But he liked me…He taught me some card tricks…And I was good at them…I always had big hands, and that's a help in a lot of magic tricks…And I already knew a lot about misdirection, even if I didn't know what it was called…" Bobby glanced at Alex. "I…I'm not boring you…"
"Not at all," Alex answered. "I enjoy hearing tales of your misspent youth."
Bobby smiled. "Uncle George did a lot of things…He arranged and took care of things…I think what he did was mostly legal, which was a change from what most of my father's acquaintances did. Uncle George told me I could never use what he taught me to hustle or steal from people. Told me he'd whoop my behind if he ever heard of me doing anything like that." He smiled again. "Like he'd hurt me…hurt anybody…He was the gentlest man…"
"Did you ever use your skills for the dark side?" Alex asked.
"A few times in high school and the Army," Bobby grinned. "With guys who deserved to be taken…But I kept my word…And the code…Uncle George worked as a booking agent…Not a bookie…An agent…He knew all these magicians…And he introduced me to some of them…And they must have liked me, because they showed me some of their tricks. That is a very big deal…It's a close brotherhood…"
"I'm leaning that," Alex said. "No girls in the treehouse, uh?"
"Not many," Bobby admitted. "It's…A lot of the guys get into magic because they're not good with girls or sports or other things when they're kids. So the guys in it are really close. I understand why some of them think a young hotshot is betraying them. I was happy and proud when they let me in. I thought about doing it for a living…"
"The Great Goren…" Alex softly laughed, starting a warm glow of happiness in Bobby.
Bobby grinned, and Alex realized she hadn't seen him so happy since before his mother's final illness.
"Something like that," he said. "But I didn't like the showmanship part. And that's what sets most magicians apart. Dean Holiday is a good magician, but a great showman. I know a lot of people think I'm a show-off, but it doesn't come naturally to me…Uncle George was really proud of me when I became a cop…About the only one close to me who was…He said it was good to be associated with someone on the right side of the law."
Several miles went by before Alex spoke. "It's good to see you happy again."
"It…it's good to feel happy again," Bobby said softly. "And…and to see you happy…"
"Holiday," Bobby said after several minutes of comfortable silence. "Is a con artist…But a legal one…Part of his act is to read people and make broad, general guesses and narrow them down. If he has something to hide…Maybe just for the hell of it…He'll try to read us…"
"A lot of people have tried to read us," Alex snorted. "Split us…Lotsa luck trying to do that…" She checked a road sign. "Don't let me miss our exit…You ok?"
"Yea," Bobby said. "Truth is, though…aside from magic shows…I don't like places like Atlantic City very much…"
"I suspect your idea of a good time is a quiet place with a book," Alex said.
"Yea…I could probably camp out in a library and be very happy," Bobby said. "I spent a lot of my time off in them…Only good thing about it…"
"Gambling isn't my idea of a great time, either," Alex said. "I've skipped some trips with some family and friends. And I'm a rock and roll girl…Vegas shows aren't my style."
"Prefer roughing it in the woods?" Bobby asked.
"Maybe if it's with you," Alex answered wickedly. Bobby stared at her in shock. "Look," Alex said. "There's our exit."
"Well," Alex said as Atlantic City loomed in the SVU's rearview mirrors. "That was interesting and productive."
Bobby made a note in his binder. "Yea…Dean Holiday has motive and knowledge…"
"And an alibi," Alex said. "Although…since he knows how to look like he's in two places at once…"
Bobby nodded. "You ok to drive, Eames? You want me to…or to stop and get some rest…"
"I take no chances with your driving…And I like to sleep in my own bed." Alex glanced at Bobby. "Thank you…for the warning about Holiday…He's good…He got to me at first…"
"I…I'm sorry," Bobby said hesitantly. "That…that what I've done…fit so well…"
"We're ok," Alex declared. "But…but do you think he actually knew something about us?"
"No," Bobby said. "Think about what he said…There were no details in it…None of it was specific…Unfortunately, a lot of women have been betrayed by a lot of men…"
"Yea…You're certainly not the only guy I have issues with," Alex said.
Bobby winced.
"But you…You at least…You didn't try to deliberately hurt me…You've said you're sorry…And everything you've done says you're sorry…You're trying…"
Several miles passed before Bobby found his voice. "Thank you, Alex…Thank you…"
"You're welcome," she said gently.
"Holiday is making the classic mistake of underestimating you," Bobby said.
"He's underestimating both of us."
Bobby smiled at her. "Yea…He thinks he's pretty smart."
"Well, he might read people better than me," Alex said. "He might even read them better than you, although I wouldn't bet on it…But he's definitely no match for both of us."
END