The Magic Touch

Pete's Debut

Peter Pansy ~ Private Eye made his print debut in Michael Connelly's 2009 Mystery Writers of America anthology MURDER IN VEGAS  Now, with this same story Pete is making his solo debut world-wide.  Pete is the star of 11 interconnected short stories, and is Beverly Hills' answer to "Double-O-Seven."  He is a mainstream, hard-hitting, resourceful character, whose adventures take him, and his colorful cohorts, all across the globe.  He is openly gay, and his name ... well, keep reading.

The Star Of The Show

My shingle reads PETER PANSY ~ PRIVATE EYE, and, please, no wisecracks about the name.  I used to be one of those by-the-book, gold-badge guys out of L.A.P.D. Robbery/Homicide.  Now my beat is what I ever-lovingly refer to as Beverly the Hill.  I was called to Las Vegas at the hire of one Howie Tabor, after the police ruled an accident what he called a murder.

Las Vegas

If you want big tricks built, Vegas is the place to be.  If you have an idea, there are geniuses who make it happen; or, better said, make it appear to happen.  Choreography, original music, costuming, staging, everything you need, just around the corner.  Think of the stunts seen on TV, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, elephants, lions, tigers, and bears, oh my … all of them made to vanish before your very eyes.  The competition is fierce, and industrial espionage, better known to us commoners as stealing, runs rampant.  It appears someone out there doesn’t want another player on the field and is willing to stop at nothing to accomplish that end.  The police literally don’t have a clue.

The Magician

Howie has the fastest hands in town.  None of the pro’s on the Vegas strip, nor any of the street magicians on either coast, can do up-close magic like he can.  The only thing that keeps him from the pro ranks and a career on stage is his speech:  Howie makes Gomer Pyle sound like Laurence Olivier.  Two Sundays ago, Howie stuck a single silver dollar into Big Beulah and hit the two-million-dollar jackpot.  Now, he has enough money to buy the upscale tricks and illusions that set the big acts apart.  He decides to make a run at a stage career, his idea being to develop a show that will not require him to speak.

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