The Devil [NYSM]

ABANDONED CARDIO

"During the intermission, we asked you to write down your current bank balance and seal it in an envelope."

Eva stepped up besides Merritt and gestured for the crowd to participate, "Pull out those envelopes and shout out your name!"

Voices overlapped each other as names trickled out from close by and far away. Merritt held his hand up to his ear as a way to tell them to be louder. He repeated names as he heard them sparsely thrown out.

"Clement Frannick?"

Someone from the top tier of seats stood up and announced themselves. Eva waved back at them as Merritt shouted out another name.

"Dina Robertson?"

A lady stood up as well.

"Josepha Hickey?"

Another lady stood. Merritt decided on staying with that choice and he focused on her for the moment, giving instructions on the next steps. Eva mostly tuned it out since it was mainly a stall to get to the real point.

As she waited, she looked back over her shoulder to see Danny and Henley waiting behind the curtain with a giant check. Jack was besides them and he gave her a thumbs up.

She smiled and turned back to Merritt, who had gotten the whole audience to stand up for the next part. She motioned for the other three to come on stage.

"Unfortunately, every single one of you are wrong about what's in your accounts."

Eva whispered in Merritt's ear to remind him about Arthur Tressler. But she stepped away as the man did the ass kissing for the rest.

"Come on down for the finale, Art!" Henley encouraged.

The spotlight focused on the man, urging him to participate. He eventually conceded with a hearty grin and he joined them on the stage. Eva and Henley escorted him to the front, motioning for Jack to bring the man's bank envelope.

Jack came on stage with a giant flashlight and a check in his hands. Henley and Eva took the check and showed it to the crowd.

"Now Art, I took a guess on your balance. I'm saying about north of 140 million."

"But Merritt, how can you be right about his balance and everyone else is wrong?" Henley questioned.

"I think it's because he is also wrong."

Eva let Danny take her side and she moved to the front. She gestured for the audience to participate in the instructions she gave.

"Everyone pull out your envelopes! And using the flashlight under your seat, you need to start to warm up that paper."

Flashlights were pulled out and shaken across flimsy pieces of paper. Eva smiled as the excitement in the room grew.

"Your correct balance will begin to appear."

Murmurs confirmed her statement.

"Don't worry, Art, we didn't forget about you," Danny assured. He motioned for Jack to begin warming up the paper with the large flashlight. Soon enough, the numbers began to change and gasps erupted.

"A second ago, it said $144,576,651. But now it says $70,000 less."

Merritt pointed out to one of his first examples, "Josepha, can you please stand up and tell us your new balance?"

The woman trembled in disbelief and her voice shook as she spoke, "$70,562 now in my account."

Sparsely scattered claps came from the crowd.