A tragic accident – or cleverly disguised murder? Only one woman will
be brave enough to find out.
Paralegal, Elizabeth
Martin, has two reasons for staying at a mysterious mansion – to help get the
property ready to sell, and to investigate
the rumors of the ghost who is haunting it. After shockingly finding the rumors
to be true, one question stirs in her mind. Had the renowned magician’s death really
been a careless accident – or was it a cleverly disguised murder?
The deceased heir to the
Powers’ billions, Aaron Powers, is only after one thing. Revenge. He couldn’t
use his magician’s skills and illusions to keep his murder at bay, so now he
must depend on the strikingly beautiful paralegal’s help. Unfortunately, he
can’t stop himself from becoming attached to her – both heart and soul.
Solving a murder is no
magician’s trick, but can Elizabeth and Aaron see through the smoke and mirrors
to bring the criminal to justice? And can they do it without their growing
feelings for each other getting in the way?
PROLOGUE
Aaron Powers stood on the
Rockwell Theatre stage, as a sold-out room of spectators sat and watched him as
he prepared his next act. Sweat formed on his forehead and behind his neck.
Even his palms were moist. The frantic rhythm of his heartbeat only made things
worse.
He silently cursed the
doubts scrambling his mind, confusing him. It had been five years since Aaron
experienced the jitters during one of his acts. But no longer was he an
apprentice when dealing with magic. In fact, last month, Forbes magazine had
interviewed him and given him the title of a Rising Star. Of course, it didn’t hurt that his billionaire
grandfather owned three wineries, which helped give him a leg up. The magazine
had written that Aaron’s sold-out shows and fame would make him wealthier than
his grandfather one day.
Taking a steady breath,
Aaron prayed that day would come. But with all the accidents that had been
happening to him lately, he worried he’d never get to see that day.
The loud music with the
intense beat boomed throughout the theatre, heightening the moment when Aaron
would climb in the box for his swords-through-the-box
illusion. This trick had never failed before, and because he’d checked all
the props for tonight’s show two hours ago, he was sure everything would go
smoothly.
And yet… there was still
that niggle of doubt in his mind that caused his nerves to jump and his hands
to tremble.
His beautiful assistant,
the very lovely blonde bombshell, ZoAnn – a woman he’d dated for a while until
realizing they’d be better as friends – sashayed in front of the coffin-shaped
box, opening the cubby doors to show the audience that there was no way for him
to escape, and no extra room once Aaron was inside.
He grinned to himself.
What the audience didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. Once he was inside, there
would be plenty of room for him and the swords.
Once she connected the
doors around the box, she stepped in rhythm to the pounding music, slinking her
way around stage. When she reached him, she pressed herself up against him and
slowly moved around his body, sliding her hands over his chest, his shoulders,
back, and finally around to his front again. He grasped her roughly, pulling
her closer as if he was going to kiss her, but just as their mouths were a
breath apart, he moved her aside and stepped inside the box.
Continuing to stand in
the box, he moved his arms as he motioned from one side to the other of his
short-lived tomb. He had arranged to have the fan on high at this section in
the act, which blew his wavy hair, but especially, the wind lifted his white
silky shirt away from his throat, giving the ladies in his audience a glimpse
of his muscular chest.
ZoAnn raised one of the
swords, blade-side up, showing the audience. Aaron withdrew the silk scarf from
around his throat and tossed it toward the sword. As soon as the cloth touched
the blade, the scarf immediately split in two, showing the audience how
incredibly sharp it was.
Finally, he slid down
into the box horizontally as ZoAnn finished locking up the doors. The slight
tremble was still in his hands as he reached for the lever that widened the
side of the box that the audience couldn’t see. He barely heard the clicking
noise of the gears over the booming music in the theatre.
The wood beneath him
shifted ever-so-slightly… and then stopped. His heart stilled momentarily. His
throat tightened, as did his chest. This
wasn’t enough room!
He moved the switch
again, but the box extension beneath him didn’t widen any further. Gently, he
pushed with his legs and hips, trying to get the extension to widen, but it
wouldn’t budge.
Panic filled him. The
frantic beat of his heart pounded through his ears, blocking out any other sounds.
He must make ZoAnn aware of the faulty box extension, and yet – how could they
stop the show? His act would be ruined. So would his name.
However, sharp swords
slicing through the box would definitely kill him.
“ZoAnn, stop the act,” he
shouted, but the music was too loud. Using his fist, he hit the side of the
box, but that didn’t accomplish anything. The music was just too loud.
Suddenly, a sword pushed
through the flimsy box. Pain shot through his arm. Clenching his teeth, he
cussed.
Taking in deep breaths,
he tried controlling the fear rising inside him. “ZoAnn,” he shouted again, but
seconds later, the second sword slid through the box. Pain exploded in his leg.
Warm, sticky blood oozed down the side of his leg.
“Stop the act!” This time
when he screamed, he tried rocking the box. He prayed like he never prayed
before. Someone just had to hear him.
Suddenly, another blade
entered the box, cutting into his stomach. He couldn’t tell which was worse –
the fiery pain that made him want to vomit or the numbness slowly spreading
over his body.
“ZoAnn…” he cried out
again as tears rolled into his ears. His body told him it was too late, anyway.
Slowly, his body weakened as blood continued to gush out of him. An artery had been
severed, he just knew it.
Closing his eyes, he
pictured his grandfather’s kind and loving face – the face Aaron had grown to
love as a father-figure since his own parents died when Aaron was
six-years-old. Out of everyone he knew, his grandfather would mourn Aaron’s
death the hardest. They’d been so close over the years…
Aaron’s mind filled with
childhood memories that quickly meshed into adult memories. He’d had a good
life. He’d made some good friends… but apparently, he’d made enemies, too.
As he lay dying, he said
one last prayer – that he would not cross over. Being a ghost and haunting
those responsible for his soon-to-be death was what he wanted now. That was the
best kind of revenge.
ONE
Elizabeth Martin’s
fingers flew over the keyboard as she finished typing the research notes she’d
done on an embezzlement case. Out of all the research she’d completed the past
three years working for Taylor, Baker, and Swift, Attorneys at Law, this
particular embezzlement case had been the easiest. The bank employee hadn’t
covered his tracks while stealing money from his company, and the fool bragged
about it to his friends. This was an open and shut case. Easy-peasy.
Once finished, she saved
it to a folder and closed the program. She pushed away from her desk just far
enough to rest her hands in her lap and sigh with relief, smiling. She loved
her job, however… a job like this gave her the advantage of getting inspiration
for her next story. Not many of her co-workers knew about her love for writing
romantic suspense.
Lately, her muse had been
a little dry – so much, in fact, that she started spending more time with her
boyfriend, Sam Livingston. The smile quickly left her face. Now she knew why
writing came first. At least in her novels she could get away from life’s
stress. In her stories, the hero adored the heroine, and everyone had a
happy-ever-after.
She grabbed her bottled
water from her desk and drank the remaining liquid. It had grown warm since she
had bought it, and she decided she needed something cold to hydrate her.
Otherwise, she was in danger of dozing off at work. She looked in her drawer
for some loose change, and then headed to the breakroom. After retrieving a
fresh, cold bottled water from the office’s new vending machine, she leaned against
the counter and sipped the refreshing liquid.
Just then, two of her
co-workers walked inside the breakroom. She nodded to them but kept drinking.
They were in the middle of a conversation, anyway.
“It was like watching a
scary movie, I tell ya.” Susan shook her head, her eyes growing wider by the
second. “It wasn’t until the assistant pulled out the bloody swords that she
realized something had gone wrong with the act.”
Tonya opened the
refrigerator and pulled out a baggy of carrots and celery sticks. “I’d heard
rumors that someone was purposely trying to kill him.”
Susan shrugged. “I’m
assuming it was investigated, but his death was reported as an accident.”
Elizabeth lowered the
water, suddenly caught up in her friends’ conversation. “Who died?”
Susan spun around, her
long, auburn hair flying over her shoulder. “It was about three months ago, but
it was all over the news. Didn’t you hear? It was Aaron Powers, that famous
magician.”
Nodding thoughtfully,
Elizabeth tapped her finger on the bottle. “I think I’ve heard his name
before.”
“His shows were all over
– in California, Nevada, and even Arizona.”
Elizabeth stepped closer.
“And he died?”
“Yep. One of his acts
went wrong, and his assistant stabbed him to death with swords.”
Elizabeth’s stomach churned.
“While on stage?”
“Oh, yes.” Susan nodded
vigorously. “I was in the audience. It was surreal. I still can’t believe I
watched it happen.”
“How sad.” Elizabeth took
another sip of her water.
“You should look it up on
the internet. Like I said, it was all over the news.”
“I think I will.”
Elizabeth turned and took slow steps toward the door.
“So, who inherits his
grandfather’s billions?” Tonya asked.
Elizabeth came to a
sudden halt and glanced back at the other two ladies. “The man was rich, too?”
“Well, you see…” Susan
walked toward Elizabeth. “His grandfather, Jethro Powers, owns three wineries. Aaron
was his oldest grandson. Powers’ billions would have gone to Aaron, but now…”
She shrugged. “I guess everything will go to the surviving grandson when the
old man kicks the bucket.”
“That definitely makes an
interesting tale.” Although it was sad what happened to Aaron Powers’ life,
Elizabeth’s mind spun with story ideas. It had been a while since she’d been
energized like this about a story. She’d have to do more research and see what
she could find. Within all of those details was a suspenseful romance story
waiting to be written, and she was anxious to find it.
She returned to her desk
without even thinking about it as her mind whirled with ideas. As soon as she
found herself in front of her computer, she reached for the keyboard and
quickly searched the internet for the magician’s name. She clicked on the first
link that popped up.
Aaron Zeke Powers of Surprise, Arizona, died March 10th,
while performing on stage at the Rockwell Theatre in front of a large crowd. He
was performing the famous, yet dangerous, swords-through-the-box illusion. The
props used were not working correctly and he was stabbed multiple times. He
bled to death on the way to the hospital. He was the oldest grandson of the renowned
winery owner, Jethro Powers. Well known in the winery communities, Jethro
Powers had accumulated a large fortune that was to pass to Aaron upon Jethro’s
death, including the wineries. With Aaron’s passing, Thomas Powers, the next
grandson in line, is now poised to inherit the fortune.
Elizabeth continued
through the article and studied the pictures taken of the handsome magician.
Aaron appeared to be in his early thirties and looked very confident. He had a
charming smile that made his blue eyes sparkle. She couldn’t tell if it was his
costume that made him appear so robust, or if it was just his nature, but
either way, he was one finely built man. She found it sad that something so
terrible could happen to someone as good-looking as him.
She kept searching the
internet and came across some videos of his performances. As Elizabeth watched,
she caught her breath quite a few times. The way he looked deeply into his
assistant’s eyes made Elizabeth wonder if Aaron had been in love with the
blonde woman with the Barbie-doll figure. While his magic tricks kept her mind
buzzing with wonder, his hypnotic smile kept her eyes glued to the screen. His
electrifying blue eyes, framed by his dark hair, captivated her imagination,
and one question stuck out in her mind.
Had his death really been
an accident? Or, could it have been murder?
She clicked another link
that displayed a magnificent mansion in Surprise, Arizona. As she read the
article, she discovered that this had been Aaron’s home before he died.
According to the article, the man had been alone for most of his life. His
parents had died in a tragic car crash when he was only six. Aaron had never
married and had no children.
Another paragraph
mentioned that visitors to the mansion since Aaron’s death had thought they’d
seen Aaron’s ghost. They’d heard doors shutting on floors where nobody entered,
and whispers in the ventilation system.
“Ah, perfect! You’re
doing your research already.”
Elizabeth jumped from her
boss’ deep voice. She swung around in her chair and faced him. Heat burst in
her cheeks for being caught playing on the internet. “Todd, I didn’t hear you
come in.”
Chuckling, he pointed to
the computer. “The horrific story of Aaron Powers’ death would enthrall anyone.
I don’t blame you for being so caught up in that.”
“So, why do you think I’m
doing research?”
“Carey hasn’t told you
yet?”
“Told me what?” By her
suddenly racing heart, she already had a feeling she knew, but she didn’t want
to get too excited until she knew for sure.
His grin widened and he
waggled his eyebrows. She always thought her forty-five-year-old boss was a
handsome man.
“The elder Mr. Powers,
Jethro, has hired us to help him get the mansion ready to sell. As part of the
process, we are to check into these ghost rumors and see why people are saying
the property is haunted.”
As she pondered his
request, she couldn’t stop the laugh bubbling up from her throat. “Are you
serious? We’re lawyers, we’re not detectives.”
“While that is true,
Jethro is a longtime friend of the head of this firm. Jethro is also a
billionaire, which means he has the power to get whatever he wants. In this
case, he’s asked for us to oversee the mansion’s legals.”
She shrugged. “Okay, so
how are we supposed to see if the place is haunted?”
Todd rested his hand on
the desk as he leaned toward her. His expression changed to one of mischief.
“I hope you’re not afraid
of ghosts…” his leery grin widened, “because you’re the one we’re sending to
the mansion.”
Part of her wanted to
shout with glee. Staying at a rich guy’s mansion was just what she needed to
give her newfound story idea more fuel. And yet, the other part of her was
intrigued with the mystery of getting to know more about the famous magician
who had died so tragically. Plus… she had never seen a ghost.
Chuckling, she shook her
head. She didn’t believe in ghosts, anyway, but she had to admit that spending
a week or two there did sound like fun. “How soon do I need to pack?”
* * * *
Surprise, Arizona.
Elizabeth chuckled to
herself. She’d never known the place existed. However, being a native to Los
Angeles, she had always found enough to keep her busy in California that she
had never wandered to other states.
You’re not in California anymore.
The five-and-a-half-hour
drive through seemingly endless desert was enough to make anyone sick, and even
the lizards she passed looked dehydrated. But Surprise, Arizona, was quite a –
dare she say – surprise? Several palm
trees lined the streets, shading the fronts of the city’s adobe-style homes.
The further she ventured, the more she realized that this was a golfing
community. In just the few minutes she’d been there, she’d already counted more
than fifteen golf carts on the road. Her GPS continued to lead her through the
heart of the city and to the other side, into the richer neighborhoods.
Thankfully, the town was
small enough that it didn’t take her very long before she reached the road
leading her toward the Powers’ mansion. The property was surrounded by large,
full trees she didn’t recognize, as well as an ornate rock wall. As she began her
journey up the very long driveway, the iron gate was opened automatically and
allowed her to drive straight up to the mansion’s front porch.
Four massive white stone
columns jutted out of the sunflower-colored brick, framing three stories of
glistening windows. Never had she seen a mansion close up, but this one seemed
to have an older style of architecture. It was very nineteenth century, but
something seemed different about it. Elizabeth put the thought from her mind.
She was more excited to go inside and get a view of how a billionaire lived.
As she pulled around the top of the driveway,
she was surprised to see a red Ferrari parked in front of the house. Elizabeth
turned off her car and opened the door to step out. A man in the Ferrari also
climbed out at the same time. He was definitely not the man she thought she’d
be meeting today. Instead of an eighty-something-year-old, the man appeared to be
not much older than she was. He wore a beige tee-shirt stretched across his
wide shoulders and chest, and crisp blue jeans on his lean legs, with white
athletic sneakers on his feet. His hair was dark brown, and his face resembled
the pictures on the internet that she’d seen of Aaron Powers.
He smiled, stopping in
front of her. “You must be Elizabeth Martin.”
She nodded and stretched
forth her hand to shake his. “I am. And you are definitely not Jethro Powers.”
He chuckled. “No, Jethro
is my grandfather. I’m Thomas Powers. My father was Jethro’s second son.”
She had read a little
about Thomas from the article on the internet. She also recalled that her
co-worker, Susan, had said he would inherit all of Jethro’s billions once the
old man kicked the bucket. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Powers.”
“Call me Thomas. Around
here, people call my grandfather Mr. Powers.”
“Okay, I will.”
“I’m glad you arrived when
you did. Had you been earlier, you would have had to wait for me. As I got
ready to leave my house, I found that someone had slashed my tires.”
“Oh, that’s terrible.”
He gestured toward the
Ferrari. “Thankfully, I had another car to drive, despite my travel plans being
set back a bit. I’m glad I didn’t keep you waiting.”
“That’s okay. I would
have waited.”
He motioned toward the
house. “Are you ready to go inside?”
Her heartbeat hammered
with excitement as she silently repeated in her mind, I can do this! “Of course, I’m ready.”
After taking two steps
toward the mansion, Thomas paused and glanced back at her. “You’re not afraid
of ghosts, are you?”
She laughed. “Thomas, can
you honestly tell me that there are ghosts in this place?”
He shook his head. “No,
there aren’t ghosts.” He hesitated.
“There is only one ghost, and it’s my cousin, Aaron.”
She tilted her head,
studying the good-looking man. “Really? You’ve seen him here?”
“Let me tell you
something about this place.” He continued toward the door. “Gramps bought it
when my dad and Aaron’s dad were young, and the family lived in it until Gramps
wanted something bigger. Gramps had another mansion built in Scottsdale, and that’s
where he lives now. The house was then given to Aaron’s father, and Aaron was
born here. When his parents were killed in a car accident, Aaron went to live
with Gramps until he was old enough to live in this house by himself.”
Thomas pulled out a key,
unlocked the door, and held it open for her. He motioned for her to enter
first. She walked inside the spacious hallway; the many curtained windows
stifling the bright sunlight, casting shadows of various lengths across the
room.
“So why does that
information have anything to do with ghosts?” she wondered.
Thomas casually leaned
his shoulder against the wall as he clicked on the lights. “Because this place
has great memories for Aaron. When he was alive, he felt close to his parents
here, too.”
She moved toward Thomas
and stopped in front of him, crossing her arms and giving him a serious gaze. “Then
what are the odds the ghosts are his parents?”
He nodded slowly and
pulled away from the wall.
“That’s an excellent
point, and…” he grasped her shoulders, “that’s why we want you to do some
research during your stay.” Grinning, he released her and walked past her. “So,
as I said before, I hope you’re not afraid of ghosts.”
TWO
Elizabeth blinked,
adjusting her vision to the room’s dim lighting. As Thomas walked toward the
grand staircase, she noticed the furnishings of the entryway. Brass-framed
mirrors hung on the walls along with other pictures and ornaments; all objects
sparkled with polished perfection. The wall paneling was dark colored – royal blue
and mauve mixed with natural brown and black. While it was obvious that someone
cleaned this place on a regular basis, it definitely showed that a man had been
living here alone for many years since the décor lacked any sort of flowers or
other feminine items.
The temperature in the
house was cooler than it should be for being an empty house in Arizona. The
central air was definitely working properly.
“Nolan Ricks is the name
of the caretaker,” Thomas said, moving through the entryway toward the grand
staircase. “He’ll come and go throughout your stay, so don’t be alarmed if you
run into him.”
“That’s good to know,”
she muttered. Perhaps she should pay more attention to Thomas, but she couldn’t
help but study each room as they passed.
The first room to the
right was a sitting room furnished with antique couches, tall-backed chairs,
and a modern-looking minibar filled with liquor. Across the hall on the left
seemed to hold an office, defined by a large dark-oak desk with a few filing
cabinets. The next room looked to be a family room, with heavily cushioned
couches placed around the largest fireplace she’d ever seen. Above the mantle
hung a theatre-size flat screen television. Another room was connected to the
family room, and contained two pool tables, an air-hockey table, a ping-pong
table, and another minibar.
“Just so you know,”
Thomas said as he began his climb up the stairs, “Nolan was Aaron’s best
friend. They met in their young teenage years in school, and they bonded like
brothers. If there is anything you’ll need to know about Aaron, Nolan will be
the man to ask.”
“Oh, good. I’m sure I’ll
have many questions.” She glanced up the stairs. “Where are you taking me?”
“To your bedroom, of course.
There are six bedrooms on the second floor that hardly ever get used, so I
asked Nolan to prepare one especially for your stay here.”
“That’s very kind of you,
but I would have been happy sleeping on one of the couches. From what I’ve
glimpsed so far, I’m sure they are a lot more comfortable than my bed at home.”
He chuckled. “Aaron did
like nice things. Of course, growing up with Gramps as his guardian, I’m sure
Gramps’ expectation for buying only the best had rubbed off on Aaron.”
The tone in Thomas’ voice
shifted slightly when he mentioned Jethro’s and Aaron’s relationship. Had he,
as the cousin and second in line to inherit the billions, been jealous of
Aaron? With Aaron’s golden-child status, she couldn’t help but suspect.
“Will I get to meet your
grandfather?”
Thomas shrugged. “I don’t
know. Gramps has been quite depressed since Aaron’s death and hasn’t had many
visitors since then.”
“I can imagine.”
After what seemed like
hundreds of steps, they reached the second floor. The hallway was long and wide
with three doors on each side. She could only wonder about the size of each
bedroom. More pictures hung in the hallway, depicting Aaron during many of his
different performances.
“So, if Aaron wasn’t
married and didn’t have children, why would he want to live in such a large
house with so many bedrooms? I would think he’d be lonely living in such a
place by himself.”
“Aaron wasn’t married to
a woman, but he was married to his magic. Most of these rooms were where he
practiced his illusions until he mastered them. However, he made it a point not
to be alone very often. He was always hosting private performances and parties
for his closest friends. He always made sure to have at least three of the
bedrooms ready in case a friend ever needed to stay overnight.”
Thomas stopped at the first door on the left
and rested his hand on the knob, sighing. “I wasn’t close to Aaron as an adult,
but from what I’d heard about his life, he had a kind heart. This house was
rarely empty.”
He opened the door to the
bedroom and motioned for Elizabeth to enter. She walked inside and gasped,
nearly choking on the air in her throat. This single bedroom was larger than
her whole apartment.
A king-size bed with a
four-post wooden frame sat in the middle of the adjacent wall. Its comfy
cushions reflected in the mirrored ceiling above the bed. The rest of the room
was arranged with antique furniture; couches, loveseats, and heavily cushioned
armchairs… not to mention the fireplace on the other wall with an opening large
enough to fit a ten-person kitchen table. The entrance to two walk-in closets, as well as the adjoining bathroom were nestled
along the back wall. When she stepped inside the bathroom, she gasped again;
the sound of her wonder echoing on the porcelain tile. Luxuriously fluffy
towels hung on the towel rack, and on the opposite side, hung a gigantic mirror
lined with more lights than a Christmas tree. A bathtub as big as a hot tub sat
near the back window, complete with spa jets, spouts, and knobs. The thought of
immersing herself in the wonderful jets of water and not coming out for at
least a whole day began to tempt her mind.
“Is the room to your
liking?” Thomas asked, smiling.
She walked back toward
him. “Liking? The words I’m looking
for go much deeper than just liking. In fact, you just might have a very
difficult time getting me to leave once my stay is over.”
He laughed. “Well, we’ll
see about that. Maybe a night or two of ghostly encounters may change your
mind.”
His comment sent a chill
down her spine as she pulled back the curtains and gazed over the courtyard
below. Despite the crispness of the well-manicured lawn, the enormous swimming
pool and the covered Jacuzzi, and the Arizona sunshine, she couldn’t shake the
feeling that had come over her. Even if Aaron’s ghost did reside here, she
would just have to make friends with it. Staying here one week – or however
long it took to get the place ready to sell – would be so much more relaxing
than any vacation she’d ever taken. And oh… the inspiration for stories that
she’d receive here was just the icing on the cake.
She turned and leaned
against the window. She smiled, happy to find Thomas still staring at her. Was
he married? Would he be interested in dating someone like her?
Shaking the thought from
her head, she sighed. Before she could even think of dating other men, she’d
have to figure out a way to get Sam out of her life, first. While there had
been something at the beginning, the love she had thought she’d felt for him
had diminished quickly over time. Mostly, due to Sam’s controlling personality.
“So… what do you want me
to do first?” she asked.
“For today, you can relax
and get to know the house. I want you to wander around and familiarize yourself
with the layout. There are many secret passageways in this place, so you’ll
need to familiarize yourself with those as well.”
Was he serious? “Why are there passageways?”
“Are you forgetting what
kind of man Aaron was?” Thomas shook his head. “His heart and mind were
constantly in his magic.”
She nodded. “Understandable.”
“The only place in this
house that you’ll need to stay away from is the basement.”
“Basement?” She blinked
as surprise washed over her. “Why does this place have a basement?”
“There are actually two parts to the basement.
There is the wine cellar, of course, but the other room is where Aaron had
hidden his props. After all, it wouldn’t be smart to have them out for all of
his guests to see them.” Thomas chuckled. “The storage area has been securely
locked and they won’t be brought out until the auction before the house sells,
so please don’t try to get into there.”
“Hey, I’m here to do
whatever Mr. Powers needs help with, so if you tell me no, then I won’t do it.”
He stepped forward and
held out a ring of keys. “These are to the house,” he said and then fished
around in his pants’ pocket. Holding out a business card, he continued, “And
this is my phone number. Call me if you need anything.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“I expect Nolan will be
by shortly to give you more instructions.”
“I can’t wait to meet
him.”
He turned to walk through
the bedroom door and paused, looking back at her. “I wish you luck, Elizabeth
Martin. You’re going to need it.” He winked, turned, and left the bedroom.
She softly turned the
keys over in her hand. Luck? No, she
wouldn’t need luck – not when she was in a place as grand as this.
After a few minutes, she
heard Thomas open and close the front door. The silence of the house quickly
became unsettling, and she resolved to make some sort of noise before her mind
started playing tricks on her.
She hurried back down the
stairs and outside to retrieve her luggage, laptop, and briefcase holding all
the legal documents Todd had given her to complete the firm’s transaction with
Mr. Powers.
Once the trunk of her car
was shut and doors were locked, she gazed up at the mansion. This time, she
studied each window carefully. Was she really by herself now? Or would Aaron’s
ghost try to frighten her?
Whatever happened, she
prayed she’d have the strength and courage to make it through this assignment.
“Aaron,” she whispered,
“if you’re really here, I’m not going
to let you chase me away.”
Suddenly, she saw
movement in one of the second-floor windows. Her heartbeat quickened. Were her
eyes playing tricks on her, or did she really see something?
Elizabeth kept her eyes
on the window, and seconds later, she witnessed the same movement again. A lump
of fear formed in her throat.
Nodding, she arched an
eyebrow. And so, the haunting begins.
* * * *
The kitchen was amazing!
Elizabeth had never spent
a lot of time in her small apartment’s kitchen, but the expansiveness of this
particular room was making her reconsider a career in the culinary arts. The
cupboards and counters matched the room’s nineteenth-century aesthetic,
although she was sure that people from that era would have been amazed by the
silver double ovens and the chrome-finished dishwashers that had been
installed. The center island in the kitchen had a polished countertop, and the
island held many more drawers, in addition to a trash compactor, an extremely
large sink, and cabinets filled with other gadgets she couldn’t name. The
built-in China hutch on the side wall made her green with envy, as well as the
two chandeliers hanging above the island… and the three large refrigerators.
She could definitely get
used to something like this.
The ding of the microwave
against the far corner of the long counter jerked her out of her dreams and she
withdrew the cup of hot water. She dipped a teabag inside and took the mug and spoon
to the adjoining room, a dining area with one ornate, twelve-chair table.
She hadn’t even been here
two hours, and already she was lonely. How could anyone want to live in a place
like this without having a family? Thomas mentioned that Aaron had his friends
over quite frequently, so perhaps that was his solution to the house’s
solemnity.
The sound of the front
door opening and closing made her jump, and her heart rate accelerated as
footsteps thudded on the entryway floor. She tried to convince herself it wasn’t
Aaron’s ghost. Why would a ghost just walk through the front door?
On unsteady legs, she
rose from the table and moved into the hallway. Instead of finding a ghost, she
found a man wearing a green short-sleeve polo shirt, khaki shorts, and black
flip-flops. He had his attention on the letters in his hands, placing one
behind the other as he read their fronts. He looked to be in his mid-thirties.
His light brown hair was longer than she liked, barely brushing his shoulders,
but at least it wasn’t long enough to put up in a man bun.
Finally finished with the
mail, he lifted his gaze and walked toward her.
“You must be Elizabeth
Martin.”
“I am.” She walked toward
him.
“I’m Nolan Ricks, the
caretaker of the estate.”
She shook hands with him.
“And, you were best friends with the deceased.”
His smile disappeared and
he nodded. “That, too.”
“Please accept my deepest
condolences.”
“Thank you.” He nodded
and took a deep breath. “Thomas sent me a text to let me know you were here and
settling in.”
“Actually, I just
finished unpacking.” She pointed to the dining room. “I was just having some
lemon balm tea. Would you like some?”
“Tea? In this heat? I’m
sure there is some iced-tea in the fridge.”
“I’m an herbal woman.
Plus, it helps me focus.”
He shrugged. “Whatever is
best for you, I guess. I don’t need anything to drink right now, but I’ll sit
with you while you finish your tea.”
He followed her into the
dining room and sat beside her. Nolan was a nice-looking man. Not as handsome
as Thomas, and of course, nowhere near as handsome as Aaron’s many pictures
that she’d seen since she first heard about him.
She drank the last of her
tea and leaned back in her chair, looking at Nolan. “What exactly does Mr.
Powers need me to do in order to get the estate ready to be sold?” She glanced
toward the window before looking back at him. “From what I’ve seen of the
inside, and the outside, the place looks ready to me. So now I think I’m
missing a piece of the puzzle – something neither you nor Thomas has told me.”
Nolan’s eyebrow rose
slightly. “What do you think that is? Thomas did tell you about Aaron’s ghost,
right?”
“He mentioned the ghost.”
She drummed her fingers on the table. “But I can’t help but doubt his stories.”
Nolan linked his fingers
on the table and leaned forward toward her. “You’re not a ghost believer?”
“No, not entirely.”
“I’m sure within the next
twenty-four hours you’ll change your mind.”
Elizabeth couldn’t stop
being suspicious of Nolan, and even Thomas. But Nolan was the one who looked as
if he knew something more.
“Nolan? Have you
personally seen Aaron’s ghost?”
Sighing, his gaze dropped
to his hands. He was silent for a few moments. “Although Aaron and I were best
friends, I haven’t seen him.” He lifted his gaze to her. “I’ve felt him here. I’ve heard noises in his
room when nobody else is in there. And… I’ve smelled him.”
“Smelled him?”
Nolan nodded. “Aaron’s
favorite cologne was a fragrance by Giorgio Armani. It’s an unmistakable scent.
Whenever I know Aaron’s spirit is nearby, I can smell his cologne.”
Elizabeth honestly didn’t
know what to believe. Nolan looked so sincere – so trustworthy, and remarkably
enough, he didn’t look crazy. Of course, neither did Thomas, although she felt
the cousin had a bad case of jealousy.
“Nolan? Do you think
Aaron’s death was an accident like all the articles I’ve read have described?”
His mouth tightened and
his forehead creased. “I’d bet all the money I have that my best friend was
murdered.”
She held her breath. If
she had been watching all of this on the movie screen, this would be the part
where she’d hear the music – dun, dun, duuuun… Yet, this was not a movie. This
was really happening, and she was now involved.
This would definitely
make a great book once it was over.
“Tell me, Nolan. If you
were the police investigator for this case, who would you suspect of killing
Aaron?”
His face hardened and his
green eyes turned so dark, she thought they were black.
“ZoAnn, his assistant.”
Sucking in a quick
breath, Elizabeth knew her work was cut out for her, and she couldn’t wait to
start poking her nose into things that weren’t her business. If there were any way,
maybe she’d be able to uncover more about his death and potentially solve his
murder. Maybe if she did that, he would have enough peace to cross over…
If his ghost really was
here, of course.
THREE
Elizabeth stood in the
kitchen, washing out her porcelain cup and spoon. Nolan reached into the fridge
and pulled out a cold bottled water.
“I knew from the start,” Nolan
said, “that ZoAnn only wanted Aaron because of his grandfather’s money. It was
common knowledge around these parts that he was the grandson who would inherit more
of his grandfather’s billions. Thomas would inherit some as well, just not as
much.”
Elizabeth grabbed a dish
towel to dry her dishes. “So, if it was obvious to you that she was after his
billions, why didn’t he see that?”
“I believe that was part
of her game.” Nolan shook his head as he unscrewed the lid and tipped the
bottle to his mouth. He took several gulps before moving away from the fridge.
“Aaron actually met ZoAnn through Thomas. She had been going out with Thomas,
but when she showed interest in being Aaron’s assistant, Thomas knew he
couldn’t compete with his cousin, so he broke it off with her. ZoAnn wasn’t
actually Aaron’s first choice when it came to his assistants, but she resembled
his existing assistant, Gina, so Aaron hired her.”
Elizabeth placed the cup
back in the cupboard and the spoon in the drawer, before waving her hand to
stop him. “Hold on. I’m confused. Why does it matter if his assistants look
alike?”
Nolan grinned. “I’ll tell
you, but I’ll be giving away a magician’s secret here, so don’t tell anyone.”
“A secret?” Elizabeth
moved closer to Nolan as excitement pumped through her. “I love secrets.” Of course, she would take mental notes for the story
she was formulating, but Nolan would never know.
“Have you ever seen a
magic act where the magician makes his assistant disappear, and within a split
second, she’s across the room?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“The only way that trick
is possible is with two assistants that look very similar to each other. After
the main assistant disappears, she
hides in one of the stage props. The second assistant that nobody knows about
is the one that suddenly appears whenever she’s needed. It’s all about timing
and distance. If she’s far enough away from the audience, they think they are the same woman.” He
shrugged. “It’s all a clever illusion.”
“Okay, that makes sense. So, were there any
relationship problems between Aaron, Gina, and ZoAnn?”
“Gina flirted with Aaron
every chance she got. She’d do anything for
his love and attention. However, Aaron really didn’t want a relationship with
someone as clingy as Gina. Once ZoAnn entered his life, her treating him as a
friend and not throwing herself on him was a refreshing change. It ended up
distracting him from what I saw in her when he wasn’t looking. I could see the
lustful dollar signs in her eyes.”
“I’m assuming they dated.” Elizabeth leaned
her elbow on the counter.
“They did. He’d even
thought about proposing at one point.”
“What stopped him?”
“Grandpa Powers.”
Elizabeth widened her
eyes and hiccupped a small laugh. “He stopped it?”
Nolan nodded. “Gramps had
suspected the whole time that ZoAnn was being underhanded, so he added a clause
to his will. The change made it clear that if Aaron married, his spouse
wouldn’t have access to his inheritance. Even more, upon Aaron’s death the
money would be passed on to Gramps’ other grandson, Thomas. With that one
change, Jethro made sure that money-hungry women his grandson would encounter
would never get their clutches on his billions.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Let
me guess… after ZoAnn found out about the change, she was the one to break off
their relationship?”
Nolan winked. “Actually,
it was Aaron. He noticed a change in her demeanor. She began acting more
indifferent to his grandfather and him. That’s when Aaron finally realized that
ZoAnn wasn’t the woman for him, so he broke it off with her. He was not only
protecting his heart, but his wallet.” He took another swig of his water before
recapping the lid.
“Okay, so ZoAnn was upset
at Mr. Powers’ changing his will, but that doesn’t really explain why she’d
want Aaron dead.”
“ZoAnn didn’t want to
break up with Aaron. Although she’d never get his money if they were married,
she still wanted to enjoy the life of a rich man’s wife. Aaron tried to break
off their relationship nicely. She was a good assistant, and he didn’t want to
lose that. He promised he’d pay her well for being his assistant and that he’d
never find anyone else who could replace her.” He drained the last of his water
and tossed the bottle in the kitchen’s recycling bin. “Then one day, ZoAnn decided
to try and get back together with Aaron, so she stopped by to see him at the
house. He was in the Jacuzzi with Gina… and she was in his arms.”
Elizabeth sucked in a
quick breath, her mouth forming a surprised O.
“That happened a week
before he died.”
“So ZoAnn assumed he was
replacing her, both as an employee and as a girlfriend.”
“Exactly.” Sighing, he
crossed his arms over his chest. A few moments passed and he smiled. “Hey,
would you like to see one of Aaron’s favorite rooms in the house?”
Her heartbeat quickened.
“I’d love to.”
She followed Nolan out of
the kitchen and across the spacious hallway, into the room where she’d seen the
pool table earlier. She wasn’t much of a pool player, but she had messed around
in billiards bars with her friends during her college years and knew enough to
get by.
Once inside the room, her
mouth dropped open in awe. There were more than just pool tables, air hockey,
and ping-pong tables. One entire wall that was on the opposite end of the room
was nothing but mirror from ceiling to floor. Strange golden vine-like designs
were traced across its surface, and the occasional bit of gold-leaf catching
the light from the nearby window, making it sparkle.
She slowly walked over to
one of the arcade games and brushed her hands across its faded buttons. It’d
been a while since she’d seen arcade games like this. Some of the titles Aaron
owned were among the first video games that had come out in the ‘80’s. She
grinned, imagining Aaron trying to beat his high score surrounded by a group of
his friends. Her gaze shifted to the minibar filled with glass bottles and
decanters of various shades of amber liquid.
“Nolan?” she asked,
walking to the bar and picking up one of the bottles. “Was Aaron a heavy
drinker?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“Because I’ve noticed a
lot of liquor bars in this house so far, and I haven’t been through every room,
yet.”
Nolan chuckled. “Aaron was
just a social wine drinker. He always preferred wine over the heavy stuff, but
he always made sure to have a decent selection for his friends. I’d imagine his
preference had something to do with being raised by Gramps and being around the
wineries so often. Plus,” Nolan sighed and frowned, “that’s how his parents
died. His father had too much to drink one night and tried to drive himself and
his wife back to their hotel where they were staying. They didn’t make it. It
was one of the reasons Aaron only drank wine – and very little of it, at that.”
Elizabeth nodded. While
the story of his parents’ death was sad, she seemed to be liking Aaron a little
more with every story she heard. “Wise man.”
“Yes, he was.” Nolan
moved to the pool table and placed the eight-ball in the center. “So, would you
like to know why this was Aaron’s favorite room?”
“Sure.”
Nolan gestured for her to
move to the other side of the pool table, and then grinned. “Even as a boy
first learning magic, Aaron loved to use his skills to play jokes on his
friends. As an adult, he improved his craft. Watch…”
Nolan lowered his
eyebrows and focused on the eight-ball. He leaned in closer, making sure not to
touch the felted green surface. Suddenly, the black ball twitched. First once,
then twice, then it shot across the table toward one of the corner pockets.
Then, as if by magic, the eight-ball reversed directions and rolled back to the
center of the table, stopping right in the center, perfectly still.
Gasping, Elizabeth jumped
away from the table, her hands over her mouth in awe. Nolan laughed and
motioned for her to come and stand next to him.
“Don’t be afraid,” he
said. “It’s all an illusion that Aaron designed. He had this table custom made
to perform the trick. All you have to do is press this hidden button.”
Cautiously, she moved
beside Nolan and studied the area underneath the table where his hand was
touching. The intricate scrollwork of the wood seemed to be seamless.
“Go on,” he urged. “Put
your hand right here. You’ll feel a slight indentation. Slide it to the right
and see what happens.”
She slowly moved her hand
to the spot he had indicated and did as he’d directed. Once again, as if by
magic, the eight-ball shot across the table and smacked another ball right into
the corner pocket. She laughed and stepped back again. “Aaron was the little
trickster, wasn’t he?”
Nolan leaned on the
table, giving her a lazy grin. “He especially loved scaring beautiful women
because it gave him the chance to take them in his arms and comfort them.”
Elizabeth’s heart flipped
as butterflies danced in her belly. Why was Nolan looking at her with dreamy
eyes? Had he wanted to comfort her
for her momentary freak-out just a second ago? Despite the fluttering feelings, she knew
she’d have to turn him down. Although he was easy to talk with and was rather
good-looking, she just couldn’t think about getting involved with someone right
now. And to be fair, she needed to give Sam his walking papers, first.
She moistened her
suddenly dry throat with a hard swallow. “Was the pool table the only reason
this was Aaron’s favorite room?”
“No, there’s more.” He
motioned his head toward the mirrored wall. “Come with me.”
He took her hand without
asking, and while not completely unexpected, she decided she wouldn’t get upset
about it yet. After all, Nolan was quite entertaining, even if the only thing
he was doing was telling her about a dead man’s life.
When they reached the
mirror, he lifted her hand to the glass and pressed her palm against a cluster
of ornate designs near the top corner. The mirror shifted. Once again, she
gasped and jumped back. Slowly, a large piece of the mirrored wall pulled
itself backward a few inches and then slid to the side, revealing a darkened
pathway.
She threw Nolan a
confused look. “Are you kidding me?”
“Not at all. Weren’t you
told about the passages?”
“Well… yes. Thomas did
mention them.”
“This is one of the
entrances.” His grin widened. “Care to take a tour through the secrets of the
mansion?”
She wasn’t afraid of the
dark, but this kind of darkness terrified her. If she entered, she knew she’d
find rats or spiders or… lizards, since this was Arizona. Besides her phobias,
she wasn’t sure she knew Nolan well enough yet to trust being alone with him
inside darkened passageways where she knew he expected her to jump into his
welcoming arms for comfort at the first sign of trouble.
“Thanks for the tempting
offer, but I’m going to pass this time.”
He shrugged, pressed
another spot on the mirror, and the panel slid closed again. “Just let me know
whenever you want a tour.”
“I will.”
Nolan stared at her as if
trying to read her thoughts. She hoped he couldn’t tell what she was thinking
right now. Finally, he pulled away from the wall and withdrew his cell phone,
checking the time.
“Oops, I’ve chatted with
you longer than I should have. I have a few things to do before I leave.” He
stuffed the phone back in his pocket. “Is there anything I can get you before I
go?”
“Nothing I can think of –
except your phone number.” His eyebrow shot up as a cocky grin stretched his mouth.
Inwardly, she groaned, knowing she’d given him the wrong impression, so she
quickly added, “I need your number just in case I do need something.”
His expression relaxed
and he nodded as he pulled out his phone. “What’s your number and I’ll text it
to you.”
She gave him her number
and he punched it in his phone, and then called her. When her phone rang, she
saved it. “Thanks again.”
“Well, have fun.” He
turned toward the door. “Call me any time – day or night. With any luck, the
ghost won’t bother you too much.”
“I think I can handle
it.”
“Okay. See ya.”
As she watched Nolan
leave, she prayed she was right. Hopefully, she really could handle a ghost.
* * * *
This is so much better than a nice hotel.
Elizabeth sighed and
relaxed in the surprisingly comfortable Jacuzzi. The warm water bubbled over
her bikini-clad body, and she sank further into the soothing water.
After Nolan had left,
she’d wandered inside each room on the first and second floors, taking pictures
and sending them to Todd. For some reason, none of the keys Thomas had given
her had worked for the third-floor door, and she still couldn’t figure out how
to get inside.
Todd had called her once
he received the pictures, but he didn’t know what exactly she needed to do,
either. “Just pretend you’re on vacation for now,” he’d told her. “Enjoy the
beautiful, big house while you can.”
So, following his advice,
relaxing in the Jacuzzi was the first thing on her list to enjoy while she could.
She’d turned the music on
her phone to a classic rock playlist; love ballads were her favorite. Smiling,
she closed her eyes and relished the gentle massage from the jetted tub.
As she relaxed, she
reflected on the other things she had done today. She’d spent a lot of time
searching the internet as she ate dinner – a wonderful spread of grilled
chicken breast and steamed broccoli and cauliflower. She was surprised at how
the kitchen seemed to have so many of her favorite foods. She had mainly been
searching the internet for anything related to Aaron Powers’ death. One of the pieces
of research she’d found was a video from someone who’d been in the audience
during Aaron’s last performance. While the video wasn’t very long, the owner
had recorded the disturbing scene, and her mind hadn’t been able to stop
replaying it.
She pictured the video in
her mind again: she saw the assistant, who Elizabeth assumed was ZoAnn,
strutting around the box that had several hilts protruding from its top. She
reached for the one in the center and pulled it out with flair – and then froze
as she saw the crimson blood on the blade. She stared at the blood for a few
unsettling seconds, and then screamed as she dropped the sword and slowly
backed away from the box. At this point, some people in the crowd had also
began screaming and four men from backstage rushed onto the stage, attempting
to open the lid to the box. Security guards began running down the aisles
attempting to calm the crowd, as someone backstage started to close the curtains.
As the curtains were halfway closed, the video ended abruptly.
Elizabeth couldn’t help
but put herself in his situation; inside a box and couldn’t get out, knowing
the swords would slice through the box at any second. And then, she imagined
the pain…
She shivered and shook
her head, trying not to think of something so traumatizing. The articles she
read all said it was an accident, and yet, Nolan firmly believed Aaron was
murdered.
Suddenly, the motor in
the Jacuzzi stopped, and the bubbles ceased bubbling. She snapped alert. She
pushed the button on the control panel to start it up again, but nothing
happened. She looked around, trying to see where it was plugged in. Her gaze followed
the power cord to one of the walls of the gazebo… and stopped on the plug that
was now on the cement floor.
Her heartbeat
accelerated, and she paused her music, listening for any nearby sounds. Someone
must have unplugged it, but she didn’t see any signs of someone being there.
She climbed out of the
Jacuzzi, picking up her towel to dry her hands before plugging it into the
outlet again. The motor started up again, and she moved back to the tub. As
soon as she slid one leg inside, it turned off again. She snapped her gaze
toward the outlet. The plug was lying on the ground again… but nobody was
around.
Fear pumped through her
body as her mind raced to explain the mysterious unplugging. She couldn’t
believe… she didn’t want to believe.
Slowly, she moved out of
the tub and picked up her towel again, wrapping it around her body. “Who is
there?” She paused and then added, “Because I know someone is there. I don’t
scare easily,” she lied. Her inquiries were met with silence.
From the other side of
the gazebo, she heard the limbs from the bushes shake – and yet, there was no
wind. She spun around. The movement of the bushes transferred from one plant to
the other, slowly moving closer to where she stood.
She clutched the towel
tighter as her heartbeat shifted into overdrive. She needed something to use as
protection, but she hadn’t even brought her shoes out with her. Running in the
opposite direction and screaming was the first thing to cross her mind, but fear
paralyzed her as she realized she was all alone. Who would hear her cry for
help?
Nobody.
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