- A hospital patient is spooked senseless by the fire in one of Tony's charity magic acts. His investigation into the young man's past leads him to a small town riddled with suspicious residents.
- While Tony performs his act at Kenbrook Institute, a private hospital in North Carolina, Ian Keefer, a young male patient, is traumatized by Tony's assistant seemingly caught in some flames. Tony learns from Ian's doctor, Dr. Sebring, that Ian has only been in the hospital a few weeks during which time he has been basically silent, unable to communicate coherently. All Dr. Sebring knows is that Ian was headed up to Elm Ridge, the local mountainous rural back country area, trying to locate a Mrs. Gilpin, a collector of local mountain music, but got lost and was missing for three days before he was found in his traumatized state. Upon his arrival in Elm Ridge, Tony quickly learns that it is a closed community with many secrets only known by locals, who will lie, and some kill, to keep those secrets hidden. Those people include the local sheriff, Platt. The only person who seemingly bucks that trend is Sheriff Platt's daughter, Maggie Platt, who detests the back woods way of life and tries to help Tony in any way she can to find out what fire-related incident traumatized Ian, with a possible risk to her own life.—Huggo
- At the Kenbrook Institute private hospital, Tony is in the recreation room giving a charity performance for the mental patients. Ian Keefer is laying in his bed in his room down the hall, and hears the applause. He goes to investigate, and watches through the window as Tony and his assistant Connie perform. Tony ignites a screen to make Connie disappear, and Ian screams in terror.
Dr. Sebring and the nurses come out, and Tony comes out as well as Tony tells Ian that it was just an illusion. Ian isn't reassured when Tony brings Connie out to show Ian that she's all right. Sebring has Ian touch her hand to convince himself that she's all right, and he hesitantly does so.
In Ian's hospital room, the doctors sedate Ian. Sebring tells Tony that it wasn't his fault, and admits that they don't know what happened to Ian. Two weeks ago Ian went up to the Elm Ridge area to find Eleanor Gilpin, a woman with an extensive collection of local music. When Ian got up there, he disappeared for three days and when the search parties found him, he was totally traumatized. There was no physical damage and the weather was moderate, and Sebring figures that Ian saw something. Tony wonders if there was a fire, and Sebring says that the report didn't have the information. Sebring admits that if he knew what happened to Ian, it would help him cure the man.
The next day, Tony drives to the Spirit. Max is aboard and dictating his column as Jerry looks on. Once Max is done, Tony comes in and tells his friends that there has been a change in plans. He tells them to go on to DC, and he's going to the mountains for a few days. Max figures that Tony is "enlisting in a cause" again, and Tony says that he doesn't need any help.
Tony drives to Elm Ridge and parks at the sheriff's station. Vic Reiser and his fellow thugs are across the street and note Tony's arrival. Tony goes inside and finds Maggie Platt strumming on her guitar. She says that she's Sheriff Platt's daughter, and explains that she's supposed to be giving the station "a woman' touch" while she's home on college summer vacation. Maggie says that her father is at the café across the street.
Vic and his thugs are at Tony's Corvette. Tony chats with Vic briefly and goes into the café. Platt is there, and Tony asks him for information about Ian. Vic comes in as they talk and listens to the two men talk, while Tony tells Platt that Ian's condition hasn't changed. Platt claims he has no idea where Ian was before he found him.
When Vic leaves, he goes over to the Corvette and cuts the front left tire.
Tony asks where Gilpin is, and Platt directs Tony to her manor outside of town. Once Tony leaves, Platt looks worried. Meanwhile, Tony find the tires cut, and Vic and his three thugs are across the street, laughing. Tony goes over and asks them if they saw who did it. They denying see what happened, and Tony cheerfully introduces himself. Platt comes out and Tony shows him the knife he pickpocketed from Vic.
Platt asks if Tony wants to swear out a complaint, and Tony figures it would be a waste of time. The sheriff holds onto the knife and sends the thugs on their way, and Platt says that he doesn't see how Vic could have anything to do with Ian. Platt has Maggie drive Tony over to Gilpin's while he gets Tony replacement tires. As they drive, Maggie says that she saw Tony at a performance a year ago in Richmond. She says that everyone in Elm Ridge sticks together, but admits that she doesn't know what secret Ian might have found.
Vic visits Platt in his office and demands his knife. Platt tells him to stay away from Tony, and points out that Vic piqued Tony's attention. The sheriff refuses to hand over the knife until Vic threatens to complain to the town's unofficial ruler. Platt hands over the blade, and Vic smugly walks out.
At the manor, Gilpin serves tea and cookies to Tony and Maggie. Gilpin says that she worships youth, and that Ian called her from the city. She claims that he never got there, and asks if Ian has a chance. Tony tells her that the doctors think they have a chance if they can find out what happened to him, and Gilpin advises him to give the townspeople time.
Ian sneaks out of the institute.
Back in Elm Ridge at the Platt house, Tony repeats his request to have Platt organize new search parties. Platt refuses, insisting that it's a waste of time. Maggie takes Tony's side, and Platt says that it would undermine him with the townspeople. When he says that he has to make compromises, Maggie says that she doesn't want to make compromises. Tony asks Platt to take him to the spot where he found Ian, and Maggie says that her father told her that Mrs. Thatcher found Ian. Platt says that he was trying to protect Mrs. Thatcher, and Tony asks for an explanation. The sheriff says that Thatcher lives in a shack and won't talk to anyone, but Tony insists and Platt takes her to Thatcher's shack.
The two men arrive and approach the shack. Thatcher comes out with a shotgun and tells them to stay away, and fires a warning shot in the dirt. Tony performs some magic, growing a plant from seeds, and compliments her on her plants. He talks about how Ian needed help, and points out that Thatcher drove Ian into town rather than chase him off. Thatcher says that Ian was hurting, and insists that she doesn't know where Ian was the night before.
Someone shoots Thatcher in the arm, and Platt goes after the shooter while Tony tends to Thatcher. The sheriff sees Vic running off and goes after him. Thatcher doesn't want to go to the hospital, and tells Tony not to trust any of the townspeople, including Thatcher. Thatcher says that Ian mentioned a barn, and she figures it was the Thompson barn from the way Ian was talking.
Platt comes back and says the shooter got away. Thatcher takes offense and insists she doesn't want to go to the hospital, but Tony persuades her to anyway. Once Platt and Tony drop Thatcher off, Platt returns to the sheriff. Vic wonders why Platt is helping Tony, and says that at the next election, there may be some changes. Platt slaps Vic and asks why he shot Thatcher when she's one of them. Vic says that he'll do what he has to, and Platt tells him that he will as well.
At the café, Tony calls the institute and discovers Ian is gone. When he hangs up, he notices that the customers and staff are all looking at him.
Maggie goes back to the manor. Gilpin tells Maggie that Platt has been under a lot of pressure, and Maggie shouldn't take his moods too seriously. She advises Maggie to leave town for a while so time can take care of the issues between them.
Tony drives to the barn and looks inside the barn. He narrowly avoids a trip wire and finds a still, while outside Vic arrives, realizes someone is inside, and draws his gun. Meanwhile, Tony finds a covering of ash over much of the interior, and hears Vic come in. He hides but steps on a board, and Vic shoots into the shadows. Tony puts his flashlight on the tripwire, turns it on, and slides it past Vic, who shoots at it. The magician tires a weight to a cord, calls Vic's name, and swings the weight at him, disarming him.
Vic comes at Tony with his knife, and Tony grabs a discarded faucet and pretends that it's a gun. When he throws his knife at Tony, Vic misses and runs out. Tony recovers his flashlight and looks around, and finds a charred government driver's license. As he drives away, Tony calls in the license number to Dennis. Dennis goes to work tracing it and confirms that his father is in DC, and says that Max has connection at the Treasury Department if moonshining is involved.
When he gets to the sheriff's station, Tony tells Platt about the still. Platt says that there's dozens of stills in the area, and Tony points out that there was a recent fire there and they can start at the barn to find out what happened to Ian. The sheriff tells him that he should go back to the institute and leave the townspeople to their own devices.
Maggie pulls up to the café and finds Ian outside, having just arrived on the bus. He perks up when Maggie mentions Tony's name, and Maggie tells Ian to come with him. They go into the café and call Tony, who meets with them. Ian mutters "him", while the customers and staff quietly leave. Tony asks Ian if he saw a man burn, and Ian sobs and says that the man was burned at the barn.
When she goes to call the institute on the payphone, Maggie notices that everyone is gone. Tony confirms that the people are gone, and looks outside and sees Vic's three his lackeys approaching. He has Maggie get Ian out the back and she takes him to Gilpin's manor.
When the three men come in, Tony casually greets them. Their leader, Tom, says that they're going to give Tony a "real goodbye" Tony pulls an egg out of his ear and smashes it in Tom's face, then grabs a pool cue and fends them off. One of them goes for his gun and Tony disarms them. Platt comes in and demands to know what's going on, takes the gun from Tony, and puts him under arrest for "disturbing the peace".
At the sheriff's station, Platt asks Tony if he's trying to get himself killed. Tony says that he was with Ian and Maggie, and they needed time to get away.
Dennis determines that the name on the license is "Roger Quinlan", and passes it onto Max. Max meets with Treasury supervisor Steve Yates. Yates tells Max that they haven't heard from Quinlan in three weeks, and figure he's dead. Treasury traced an illegal rejuvenation drug to the Elm Ridge area and the drug is responsible for sixteen deaths in North America in the last year. Max calls Tony, and Tom and his men hear the car phone ring. Tom answers it and then rips out the phone cord. Max calls Platt and tells Yates that Tony is trying to help a traumatized boy, and the boy saw Quinlan burned to death.
Platt answers phone and hands it over to Tony when Max identifies himself. Max tells his friend what he's learned, and when he hangs up Tony tells Platt what he's learned. Platt figures that time has run out for him, and says that he's covered up a murder. He asks where Ian and Maggie are.
At the manor, Maggie tells Gilpin what happened. Gilpin rings a bell for service, and Vic comes in and greets Maggie.
Tom and the other two draw their guns and go into the sheriff's station. They find Platt locked up in one of his own jail cells. Platt claims that Tony tricked him and went out the back. Tom and the others leave Platt locked up and go out the back. Tony emerges from hiding and frees Platt, and the two of them drive to the manor. Platt handcuffs Tony and takes him inside, pretending that Tony is his prisoner.
When Platt tells Gilpin that Tony knows all about her scheme, Gilpin says that Vic will take care of him and that she wouldn't hurt Maggie. She takes them downstairs to a laboratory where Vic is holding Maggie and Ian. Vic explains that the town protects Gilpin because they think she's running a still. Tom calls and tells Vic that Tony has escaped.
Platt, Gilpin, and Tony enter the basement,. Vic draws his gun on Platt, figuring that he helped Tony escape. He tells Gilpin what Tom told him, and Gilpin tells her thug to take Maggie and Ian out. She boasts about how she's making the "magic of youth", and admits that it sometimes kills. Tony easily frees himself from the handcuffs, and lights a Bunsen burner. He shoots the flame at Vic, blinding him, and Platt takes out Gilpin's thug and then knocks out Vic as he tries to run.
Gilpin comes back with Maggie and Ian, and Tony assures Ian that it's going to be all right. Gilpin is surprised at Platt's betrayal, and he assures her she'll stay young and healthy... in prison.
Later at the institute, Tony, Jerry, and Max meet with Sebring, who is working with a recovering Ian. Tony says goodbye to Ian, who thanks him for his help. Ian wants to fly an airplane when he leaves the institute, and Sebring assures Ian and the others that the boy is better.
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