There was a time when Soho wore two faces. By day, it was a maze of cafés, tailors, music shops and market stalls. By night, it became something else entirely. The glow of red and blue neon reflected from rain-slick cobbles, cigarette smoke drifted from basement clubs, and every doorway seemed to conceal another story. It was a world of late-night drinkers, crooked bookmakers, strip clubs, backstreet casinos and women quietly offering companionship to strangers who rarely gave their real names.

Most people who came to Soho were looking for something, a drink, a thrill, an escape, or simply someone to share the night with. Some found exactly what they were looking for. Others were not so lucky. In a place built on secrets, nobody asked too many questions, and nobody expected honest answers. The streets remembered everything… even when the people walking them did not.

Backstory

London. Autumn, 1976.

Shortly before dawn, the body of an unidentified man was discovered in a narrow alley behind Old Compton Street in Soho. There were no obvious signs of robbery, no witnesses, and nothing to explain why he had been there. The post-mortem offered few answers. The case was eventually filed away as another unsolved death in a part of London where people often preferred not to ask questions.

The only personal effects recovered from the victim were unusual. In one pocket was a bookmaker’s envelope containing a collection of ten calling cards—the sort discreetly left in red telephone boxes in Soho during the 1970s, each advertising the name and telephone number of a young woman offering her company. In another was a worn cigarette packet containing a couple of dog ends and a cigarette coupon.

Detectives believed the cards might hold the key to the man’s final hours, but they had no way of knowing which woman he had intended to meet. Every lead came to nothing. Every name reached a dead end.

With the investigation at a standstill, an unconventional decision was made. A psychic was invited to examine the recovered items. Not to identify the killer. Simply to determine which of the ten names still seemed connected to the victim.

Effect

The performer recounts how a man’s body is discovered in a narrow Soho alleyway. There are no witnesses, no obvious motive, and almost nothing to identify him. The only clues police recovered from the scene are an envelope containing ten calling cards belonging to women who worked the streets after dark and a few personal items.

They describe how the police couldn’t find a motive or suspect, and with the investigation going nowhere, an unconventional decision was made. A psychic was asked to examine the victim’s belongings in the hope of uncovering one final lead. They suggested it may have been one of the prostitutes he had planned to meet.

While telling the story, the performer removes an old bookmaker’s envelope from their pocket. They open the envelope and remove a selection of 1970s calling cards. The performer goes on to state: “These aren’t police exhibits. They’re actually the belongings of the psychic consulted during the investigation. According to her family, she asked to keep them after the séance because she believed they had become ‘imprinted’. She never spoke publicly about the case again.”

The performer shows the cards one by one and explains how these were placed in telephone boxes in the area surrounding Soho in the 1970s.

Next, the performer states that they will attempt to solve the mystery and that they will play the part of the psychic, but they will also need the help of a spectator. The ten calling cards are shown, mixed, and one is freely chosen; the rest returned face down into the bookmaker’s envelope. That freely chosen calling card now becomes the focus of an impossible psychic reading, revealing intimate details that no one could know. As the story unfolds, a final piece of forgotten evidence points to one name… the woman the victim intended to meet on the night he died.

The police never found her. Perhaps your spectator will.

Details, details

Blue Murder: A Date with the Devil comes complete with everything you need to perform. It’s an easy-to-master routine requiring no forces, no sleight of hand and no complex memory work. If you can remember two words, you can perform this effect. Rich in atmosphere, unusual, period-correct props and a compelling narrative, Blue Murder unfolds like a forgotten police case-with an ending your audience won’t see coming.

What’s included:

• Ten period-correct calling cards – lightly aged
• Special bookmaker’s envelope
• Reproduction cigarette packet and coupon – lightly aged
• Blue Murder performance manual PDF download containing the full routine, performance tips and techniques for ageing your props further

Supply your own dog ends!

WARNING: This is an unsettling effect; due to the subject matter, this is not for the squeamish or for those who may be easily offended.

Availability, backorders & shipping information

PLEASE NOTE: shipping will begin in August.

If an item is not showing any stock it may still be available for backorder. If this product is available for backorder, please allow 4 weeks from the date you place your order for the product to be shipped.