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 qu
ickened. 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.
The Magic of a Billionaire Page 2
