The Last Customer: An Eli Marks Short Story

The request was a first for Eli Marks: “Can you help me make my tuba disappear?”
Magician (and magic shop owner) Eli Marks is confronted with this odd demand just before he is about to close up shop for the day. 
Over the next few tense minutes, he finds a solution to that question which also, fortunately, puts him the positive side of what turns out to be a life-or-death situation.
★★★★★ Praise for the Eli Marks Mystery Series
“An intriguing cross between noir and cozy, with fascinating details about magic tricks and plenty of quirky characters. An easy, enjoyable read for mystery buffs seeking a bit of an escape from the usual crime fiction fare.” – Library Journal
“A finely-tuned, diabolical, sneaky, smart, stylish mix of magic and mayhem that plunges our hero Eli through a tangled web of danger and deceit that’ll keep you guessing.” – Steve Spill, Magician and Author of I Lie For Money
“With twists and turns, flurries of romance, and a cast of characters that seem to be the unholy spawn of The Maltese Falcon and The Third Man, The Miser’s Dream keeps the pages turning and the reader delighted from start to finish.” – Jeffrey Hatcher, Screenwriter, Mr. Holmes
“I loved this book. From beginning to end I was hooked. The story is fantastic and the cast leaves you wanting to know more. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.” – Bookschellves 
“This is an instant classic, in a league with Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Arthur Conan Doyle.” – Rosebud Book Reviews
“Has as many tricks up its sleeve as its likeable magician-hero. As the body count rises, so does the reading pleasure.” – Dennis Palumbo, Author of the Daniel Rinaldi Mystery Series
“A wonderfully engaging, delightfully tricky bit of mystery. Fans of magic will delight in John Gaspard’s artful use of the world of magicians, onstage and offstage. It’s a great story and great fun!” – Jim Steinmeyer, Author of Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear
“A real winner of magical proportions. Filled with snappy, delightful dialogue and plenty of sleight-of-hand humor, Gaspard’s latest mystery in the Eli Marks series does not disappoint.” – Jessie Chandler, Author of the Shay O’Hanlon Series
“The author does a fantastic job juggling the separate plots and keeping readers’ minds thoroughly engaged…and the pure entertainment of the industry will leave all readers hoping that there will be a ‘number three’ very soon.” – Suspense Magazine
“The Ambitious Card is intelligently written and...entirely engrossing.” – Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine“The deftly-plotted mystery is enriched by Eli’s relationships with his ex-wife, her new husband, his old-school stage magician Uncle Harry, and an interesting collection of people and places in and around St. Paul…This stylish novel is filled with interesting details, snappy dialogue, and appealing characters.” – More Than a Review
“This story is very well-written and fun to read. I would definitely read another Eli Marks Mystery.” – A Simple Taste for Reading