Red is a magician who performs complicated illusions on stage. When his girlfriend, Rosa, is killed in strange circumstances he discovers that her life was an illusion of a different kind. As he sets out to find out what really happened we learn a lot about magic and concealment as well as Rosa's secrets.
Rosa, drawing deeply on a cigarette, exhaled across the table. 'There,' she said, 'I've made him disappear in a puff of smoke.'
Everyone roared at that. Brilliant timing, impeccable delivery. I might've reached over and produced a cheese-and-onion crisp from behind her ear, but when you've just been upstaged in public the least embarrassing recourse is to play the supporting role with good grace. Besides, a crisp? So I laughed along with the rest of them.
