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 n
odded 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.
The Magic of a Billionaire Page 3
