She expelled a relieved sigh. “There’s an explanation for that –”
“That’s not all.” His eyes widened more. “Then I saw a man in the mirror. He watched me. He had the evilest scowl I’ve ever seen. He just stood there, glaring at me. When he realized I saw him, he... he...”
Elizabeth’s heartbeat picked up rhythm. “He did what, Sam?”
“He... vanished,” he whispered.
“What did the man look like?”
“He looked like... the dead magician.”
“Sam, come into my room and sit down before you collapse.”
She led him into her bedroom, and he plopped into the nearest armchair. She pulled a chair closer to his and took hold of his shaky hands. “Yesterday, Nolan showed me the pool table that Aaron had rigged up when he was alive, in attempts to scare his guests.”
Slowly, Sam’s face grew red. “Rigged?”
She nodded. “There’s something in the table that moves the balls by itself. I really think someone is trying to scare us. And as much as I don’t want to point fingers until I have proof, I think it might be Nolan. I think you’re right that maybe he lives here, and he doesn’t want anyone to sell his house. I mean,” she swept her hand around the room, “a magician lived here for several years. He practiced his illusions here. Surely, he designed other illusions that he could have built into the house. They were even holding haunted tours here for a while. So why wouldn’t the place be rigged up?”
Sam jerked his hands away and scrubbed them over his face. “This... is all a joke?”
“I don’t know if it’s a joke as much as it’s someone trying to get us to leave. But I really don’t think it’s a ghost.”
Sam quickly jumped out of the chair, nearly knocking her off her own. He marched to the door.
“Well, I’m going to put a stop to that!”
Her stomach dropped and she rushed after him. “Sam? What are you going to do?”
He didn’t answer her as he hurried down the stairs and toward one of the back rooms. She followed him the best she could, but when Sam was mad – nothing and nobody stopped him. Except maybe a stun-gun, and she unfortunately didn’t bring hers.
“Where are you going?” she asked, out of breath.
“We’re going to find the jerk who is playing tricks on us and stop him.” He stopped at a wall and ran his hand over the wallpaper’s seam. He pressed hard, and a hidden door opened. “I found this last night after you’d gone to bed. I didn’t want to explore it without you.” He grabbed her arm and yanked her inside. “You first.”
Just like the other passage they’d been inside, it was dark. “Sam, I don’t have my phone. I can’t see without a light.”
“I have mine.” He turned on the light and held it high. “Now start walking.”
Anger pumped through her, and she wanted to scream at him. She wasn’t afraid anymore. Not now. Not when the jerk was controlling her again.
They came upon a door, and he pushed past her and opened it. She didn’t get a chance to see what was inside because Sam quickly withdrew, closing the door.
“Keep walking.”
“Do you really think we’re going to find the person responsible?”
“Yes. And when we do, I’m going to beat the crap out of him.”
She gritted her teeth and shook her head. She was sure the person responsible would easily get the upper hand over Sam. She knew from experience that his anger blinded him from making any decent decisions.
When they came upon another door, he opened it, peeked inside, and closed the door without letting her look again. By now she was tired of Sam’s childish game. She’d rather deal with the person playing tricks on them than go on a wild goose chase through the mansion’s claustrophobic tunnels.
They came to another door, but instead of hurrying and opening it, Sam motioned his hand to have her do it. She stepped closer to the door and opened it.
“I can’t see anything. Give me your phone.”
“Just go in. You’ll be able to see just fine.”
He pushed her before she knew what he was doing, and she stumbled inside. The room – or whatever it was – had no light at all. Nothing but darkness surrounded her.
“Really, Sam. I can’t see. Just give me the light.”
Suddenly, the door slammed behind her. Fear turned her blood to ice. She turned and felt the door, looking for the knob. She grasped it and pulled, but it wouldn’t open. She pounded on the door. “Sam, this joke has gone far enough. Open up now!”
“Lizzy? Why did you close the door?”
“I didn’t. You did,” she snapped. He knew she hated it when he called her Lizzy.
From the other side of the door, the knob rattled, but still the door didn’t budge.
“Lizzy, I can’t open it.”
“Well, neither can I.”
Not being able to see frightened her more than anything. If only the selfish man would have let her have his phone...
A light breeze passed by her, and a man’s cologne filled her senses. Aaron? No, it wasn’t a ghost. It was the person pulling this prank on her.
“Don’t be afraid,” a man’s voice whispered somewhere in the darkness.
Her throat tightened. “Nolan? Is that you?”
“No.”
Something brushed against her hand. Cloth.
“Take hold of my cloak. I’ll lead you out of the tunnel.”
Her heart repeatedly slammed against her ribs, taking her breath away. The man’s voice was soothing... kind... and even a little sexy.
She frowned. Sexy? Really Elizabeth? Now was not the time to think something was sexy.
“But what about Sam?” she asked in a low voice.
“He found his way through my tunnels, so he can find his way out.”
“Your tunnels?”
“Yes.”
“Are you... Aaron?”
A deep chuckle reverberated through the small tunnel. “Take my cloak and I’ll lead you to safety.”
Her hand shook as she grasped the material brushing by her fingers again. Although she followed behind him slowly, she still couldn’t see where she was going.
If this was Nolan or Thomas tricking her, she was going to be very irate. But if this was a ghost... she was in big trouble.
SEVEN
THE PHRASE, the blind leading the blind came to Elizabeth’s mind as she clutched the cloak with one hand and used her other to help block her from running into any walls. So far, they moved at a slow pace, but that was all right with her. The smell of the cologne had started to grow on her and, as unbelievable as it seemed, it calmed her.
“Please tell me,” she said, “if you are the ghost, Aaron Powers.”
“I thought you don’t believe in ghosts.”
How would he know... unless he was Nolan? In fact, she probably mentioned it to Thomas, as well. “Then apparently, that’s a no. If so, you’re either Nolan or Thomas.”
Her toe knocked against something hard and she tripped. Flailing her hands out to try and find something to hold onto, they were met by the shape of a man’s wide chest. Strong arms wrapped around her, keeping her from falling. Whoever this man was, was a good six or seven inches taller than her. But that didn’t give away his identity, because both Nolan and Thomas were taller than her, as well.
“Are you all right?” he asked in a gentle voice.
It surprised her how good it felt to be in this man’s arms. And since she could feel him, he was clearly not the ghost. “Yes. Thanks for catching me.”
“I’m sorry I don’t have any light, but I know these tunnels well enough to walk them in the darkness. I’ll get you out of here soon.”
His fingers moved to her cheek and caressed. Tingles shot through her, unnerving her more than she was prepared for. Why would she feel like this over a stranger? Unless... was it Nolan playing tricks on her? Silently, she grumbled. She really needed to discover who was doing all of this, because she really didn�
�t want to think Nolan had murdered his best friend.
“What is your name?” he asked.
“Elizabeth.”
“Can I call you Beth?”
Her heart jumped. At least it wasn’t a name she loathed... but she was very relieved that he asked her permission first – unlike that jerk she’d wasted the past few months with. “Yes.” She swallowed hard again. “And what can I call you?”
“Aaron.”
Butterflies danced in her stomach. “Are you trying to tell me I’m in the arms of a dead man?” She chuckled as she carefully slid her palms up his chest. “Strange, because in all of the ghost movies I’ve seen, they’re intangible.”
“This isn’t a movie, Beth.”
“Then why can I touch you?”
“I’ve realized it’s all about the energy around me. You see, if I have enough energy, I can appear to people – in image or in solid form. But I’ve learned quickly that it doesn’t last long. It takes several hours to gain enough energy to make an appearance again.”
How could she believe this? And yet, the softening of her heart told her she must. If this was really Aaron Powers – and he was really murdered – someone had to help him. She still didn’t know why he had picked her.
“Then I suppose,” she pulled away from him, “you’d better get me out of here before you turn ghostly again.”
“Good point.”
He slipped his hand against hers and she held onto him as they started on their way again. A few moments later, he stopped.
“There is a door here,” he said. “We’ll enter into another room, and then we’ll get you to your bedroom.”
Immediately, the bathroom mirror popped into her mind, and the words that had been written on it. “Aaron? Were you in my bathroom earlier today?”
“Not physically, no.”
“But you wrote on my mirror, right?”
“Yes.”
“So... you didn’t see me in the shower?”
He chuckled. “As much as the idea sounds tempting – and quite enjoyable – I wasn’t physically in there, so didn’t see you.”
“Good. Let’s keep it that way.”
He laughed harder as he opened the door. Finally, a room that held a little more light, and yet... it wasn’t sunlight shining through any windows or light from any other bulbs. Once she had stepped inside and her vision adjusted, she found herself in a room of mirrors. She could definitely see Aaron better now.
Mercy, heavens above! He was one handsome man. He looked just like his pictures – and those videos she’d watched. His dark hair was long enough to run her fingers through, but not long enough to be considered shaggy. He was tall and slenderly built, but she’d been pressed against his chest a few minutes ago, so she knew he had been muscular. He wore the magician’s cloak, a black shirt, and black slacks. Had he been wearing that when he died? Unless... it was what they dressed him in for his funeral.
He smiled. “It’s nice to see you – seeing me.”
“Yes, um... I suppose that being a ghost you don’t get many people looking at you.”
His smile left his face. “No, I don’t.”
It was hard, but she had to pull her gaze away from him. She didn’t want to start drooling as that would not be very polite. “So, a room with mirrors, huh? I’ve noticed you have a fascination with mirrors.”
He nodded. “I like mirrors. If placed just right, mirrors reflect something very beautiful, like seeing to infinity. They can also confuse people by giving them a false sense of direction. For me, now that I am dead, mirrors help me communicate with people I need to speak with.” He shrugged. “I’m still new at this being-dead-thing, but I feel a connection with mirrors, so I use them when I can.”
“Sam mentioned he saw you in the game room mirror.”
Aaron nodded. “Yes, he did.” He scowled, his tone becoming more serious. “I don’t like him. I don’t like the way he treats you.”
She studied him intently. “But why do you care? You don’t even know me.”
“It upsets me to see men treating women like a rug to wipe their feet on. Plus, I can see the anguish in your eyes.”
Her heart throbbed. Could he really tell how much Sam’s attitude hurt her? Most men she had met never took the time to care.
Aaron slowly moved behind her, and she stiffened, not knowing what he was doing. Slowly, he slid his arms around her waist. Warmth seeped into her, filling her with an odd feeling she’d never experienced before. Her heartbeat palpitated so fast she wondered if she’d lose consciousness. Through the mirror, she kept her gaze locked on his eyes, and she found herself leaning back against him.
They didn’t know each other, not really, and yet, the comfort she felt getting this personal with Aaron was something she’d never felt with Sam, or anyone else for that matter.
“Women should be handled like delicate flowers,” Aaron said.
His palm moved from around her waist, slowly up her side until it connected with her arm. But he didn’t stop there. It continued over her shoulder until it reached her neck. His fingers trailed lightly over her skin.
“And men should speak to women as if they were fine glass, not wanting to use harsh or negative words for fear of breaking them.”
This man couldn’t be real. She must have created him in her imagination and was dreaming right now. If she was dreaming... she never wanted to wake up.
“Aaron... men don’t talk that way, you know. Shoot, they don’t even think that way.”
He caressed her cheek, keeping his gaze glued on hers through the mirrors.
“Real men think that way. And I’m sorry to say, the man you’re with doesn’t deserve you.”
“I know.” She smiled lazily. “I plan on breaking up with him, but I can never find the right time. I didn’t invite him here – he just showed up.”
“You don’t want him here?”
“No.”
One side of his mouth lifted, forming a wry grin. “Then let me help you get rid of him.”
His mischievous expression made her lighthearted. Why was she feeling this way for a man she’d barely met? But worse... why was she feeling this way knowing that he was dead?
His hand dropped suddenly as if he had gone weak. He stumbled back, grunting slightly. She reached out to help him, but he held up his hand.
“Don’t touch me. I’m losing my energy.” He turned to one of the mirrors, pushing it slightly until it shifted, revealing a short tunnel with a door at the end. “That’s your bedroom.”
“Are you all right?” Once the words were out of her mouth, she couldn’t believe she’d just asked that to a dead person. What an idiot she was!
“I’ll be alright, but I’ve done too much today.” He moved carefully to the mirror opposite of the short tunnel and leaned back against it as to support himself. “We’ll have to talk again tomorrow. For now, I need to regain my energy.”
She stepped toward the door, but before turning the knob, she glanced at him over her shoulder. “Do you think we’ll be able to catch your killer?”
His face softened, as did his incredible blue eyes. “I hope so. It’s not right that the killer got away. And I won’t pass over until that person is brought to justice.”
She nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
“You will.”
He winked at her and stepped backward through the surface of the mirror. She gasped quietly and watched as he slowly faded into nothingness.
As she stepped out of her closet and into her room, she realized she’d been smiling wide. Giddiness filled her and she felt as though she were walking on clouds.
The feelings left as quickly as she had recognized them as a thought entered her mind. These feelings couldn’t last. She’d have to remember to guard her heart, because once his killer was brought to justice, Aaron would finally be able to pass over.
After meeting Aaron, it was a moment she selfishly hoped would never come.
EIGHT
THE THING THAT IRRITATED Elizabeth more than anything wasn’t that Sam had gone into town to the store, but that he had only left a note to let her know. The dirty rat hadn’t even checked on her to see if she had gotten out of the tunnel. Then again, she’d been too dazed after reaching her room to check on him. The second floor had been peaceful for at least a half hour after she had woken this morning, before her solace had been interrupted by him stomping up the stairs. He had passed her bedroom and didn’t even stop to see if she was in there.
But it didn’t matter. Not anymore. The fluttering sensations in her chest were what she concentrated on now. Her mind tried to convince her that what she had experienced was too unbelievable, and yet... she had actually seen and talked to a ghost! Aaron wasn’t scary in the slightest. In fact, he was quite the opposite.
She wandered downstairs and headed toward the kitchen, but the bell at the front door stopped her before she reached her destination. She turned and went to the door, opening it. Standing on the porch was a pretty woman with long, blonde hair. Immediately, Elizabeth recognized ZoAnn from the many photos and videos she’d seen as she’d done her research.
The woman on the porch eyed Elizabeth up and down warily before giving a fake smile.
“Hi. I was looking for Thomas. Is he here?”
Elizabeth found it odd that the other woman would ask such a question. After all, wouldn’t ZoAnn know Thomas didn’t live here since she had been close to Aaron at one time?
“No, he’s not,” Elizabeth answered politely. “I haven’t seen him since yesterday.”
ZoAnn cocked her head slightly. “And... who are you exactly?”
“I’m Elizabeth Martin with Taylor, Baker, and Swift Law Firm. Mr. Jethro Powers invited me to the house to help him get it ready to sell.”
The woman’s face tightened and anger sparked in her eyes. “The old man is really going to sell this place, even when it means so much to him?”
Elizabeth didn’t know the woman at all, but she had a feeling that getting to know Aaron’s former assistant would help her find more pieces to the puzzle of his death. “Would you like to come in for a drink? I could call Thomas to see if he is going to drop by today.”
The Magic of a Billionaire Page 6
