Stiffly, the woman nodded. “I’m ZoAnn, by the way.”
“Yes, I recognized you.”
ZoAnna’s expression relaxed. “You recognized me? Have you been to one of our shows before?”
“I’ve only seen bits and pieces on the internet, unfortunately.”
“Oh, yeah... well, thank you for noticing me.”
Elizabeth opened the door wider and let the woman inside. They didn’t talk to each other as she led the way toward the kitchen. She kept glancing at ZoAnn who was looking around at the furnishings and decorations with a sadly homesick expression. A few times Elizabeth thought she saw tears in ZoAnn’s eyes, but she would quickly blink to make the tears disappear.
“What would you like to drink?” Elizabeth asked, even though she didn’t know everything that the mansion had to offer, herself.
“Water is fine,” ZoAnn said. “Aaron never liked to keep much wine or alcohol in the house.”
“Really? Why not?” Elizabeth moved to the fridge and took out a bottle of water. She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear what Aaron’s former assistant had to say about it.
A hint of a smile sprang to ZoAnn’s face before she quickly hid it beneath a more relaxed expression. “Apparently, you never knew any of his friends very well.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I’ve only met Thomas and Nolan since I’ve been here.”
“Many of Aaron’s friends took advantage of his kind heart and his very large bank account.” ZoAnn took the water and unscrewed the lid. “Aaron knew how expensive alcohol was, and he didn’t think his friends should drink that much, anyway.” She took a sip. “I’m assuming you heard how his parents died.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Yes. That must have been very terrible for Aaron.”
“It was. I don’t think he ever really got over it.”
Elizabeth watched ZoAnn sip her water. Questions filled Elizabeth’s head, but she wasn’t sure how to approach the other woman with her thoughts.
“So, ZoAnn... do you know Thomas well?”
ZoAnn nodded. “Yes. Why do you ask?”
“I’m just surprised that he didn’t take over this estate. After all, since Aaron’s death, he is the sole heir to the Powers’ billions.”
ZoAnn’s face tightened again. “Thomas runs his own winery. He really doesn’t need another mansion.”
“Oh.” Elizabeth studied ZoAnn’s face carefully. It was hard to figure out what the woman was thinking, except... the way she looked around the kitchen with greed in her gaze, Elizabeth had a pretty good idea what was on the assistant’s mind. “I read in an article that you were with Aaron when he died.”
ZoAnn’s wide-eyed gaze jumped back to Elizabeth. “Yes. I was with him during his last show. I was the one...” her voice broke, “that killed him.”
Elizabeth sucked in a surprised gasp. “Really?”
“Usually, this particular act called for the assistant – me – to go inside the box, but Aaron had been having clumsy little accidents for a good two months before that day, so he didn’t trust himself to hold the sharp blades. He told me that he was going to climb inside the box, instead.”
Confusion filled Elizabeth. “Was anyone else aware of the switch?”
“Gina. She was my body double.” Pausing, ZoAnn narrowed her gaze. “Were you aware that magicians use body doubles?”
“Yes. Nolan told me, and he told me about Gina.”
“Well, she was the only other one who knew about the switch.”
“Was Gina involved in that particular act at all?”
“No. It was just Aaron and I for that act.”
Elizabeth’s heartbeat kicked into high gear as ideas swam in her head. “That... must have been awful for you to experience.”
ZoAnn nodded. “It was like a nightmare come true. I’d always hated that trick, but mainly because I was the one in the box. I’d have nightmares that I was the one stabbed.” She took a shaky breath. “I had no idea when I was sliding the swords in the box that they were cutting him. If he cried out, I didn’t hear him over the sound of the music.” She swallowed hard. “It wasn’t until I pulled one out and saw the blood...” Her voice cracked and she lifted a hand to her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes. “If I’d only known...”
Elizabeth patted ZoAnn’s arm. “Let’s go into the dining room and sit.”
ZoAnn nodded and followed her. When they reached the dining room, ZoAnn sat in the closest chair and Elizabeth sat next to her.
“You shouldn’t blame yourself,” Elizabeth told her, hopefully, in a soothing voice. “It was an accident, right?”
ZoAnn touched the tips of her fingers to the corner of her eyes. “Yes, but... if it wasn’t for me, he’d still be alive.”
Elizabeth couldn’t stop thinking about what ZoAnn had said. She was supposed to be in the box, not Aaron. Had the blades been meant for her instead? And if that was what happened, who would want ZoAnn dead?
Two names popped into Elizabeth’s head – Thomas and Gina.
“I shouldn’t have let him do that trick,” ZoAnn muttered. “He’d been so clumsy.” She lifted a hand to her mouth as if she was going to cry.
“Clumsy?” Elizabeth wondered aloud as her thoughts were pulled back to their conversation. “How so?”
“He had been dropping props or tripping on boxes all of the time, things that he’d somehow forgot were there on that side of the stage. Even around the house, he was cutting his fingers on things, or breaking glass.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what was bothering him. At times I’d wondered if he had a disease that he didn’t want anyone to know about, because he’d been acting strangely for the longest time.”
“Did you ask him about it?”
ZoAnn’s frown deepened. “He didn’t want to talk about it. Of course, he was still quite upset about our break-up.”
Elizabeth bit the inside of her cheek. The assistant was playing the victim since it was Aaron who broke up their relationship because of the will. “Yes, I’m sure he was.” She pulled out her phone. “Do you want me to call Thomas now?”
“Yes, please.”
Earlier, Elizabeth had added Thomas’s number to her phone’s speed dial, just in case she had needed him. After four rings, it went to his voicemail. “Hi, Thomas, this is Elizabeth Martin. I’m still at the estate and I have some questions for you. Also, ZoAnn is here and would like to talk to you. Call me as soon as you can. Thanks.” She locked her phone and slid it back into her pants’ pocket.
“His grandfather has probably been running him ragged since Aaron’s death,” ZoAnn said.
“Yes, probably. I’m sure there’s still a lot to do, even this long after Aaron’s passing.” She paused and then asked, “What do you know about Thomas and Aaron’s relationship? I mean, were they close cousins?”
“Not really. Aaron was raised in Scottsdale and Thomas was raised near Napa Valley, California. Thomas always had more responsibilities with the winery than Aaron because he was closer. When Thomas took over the winery, he oversaw both the Southern California winery, and the one here in Arizona. I’m sure the distance separated them, but when Jethro took Aaron in and raised him, he didn’t have much time to be a grandfather to Thomas.”
“As adults, did Aaron ever try to mend the separation he had with Thomas?”
“Yes, he tried. It was going well, in fact, but then...” ZoAnn nibbled on her bottom lip.
Elizabeth leaned closer. “What happened?”
“Well, Thomas’ girlfriend fell in love with Aaron, and Thomas hated his cousin after that.”
“You were the girlfriend, right?”
ZoAnn looked at her wide-eyed for a moment, and then sheepishly smiled. “Yes, that was me.” She drank from her bottle of water.
Elizabeth’s mind continued to spin, trying to piece everything together. But she didn’t have all the information yet, so the task was impossible. Plus, running her mind that fast would give her a headache. “Do you k
now if Aaron had any enemies that would want him dead?”
ZoAnn leaned her elbows on the table and ran her fingers through her long hair. “I honestly don’t know. Thomas had a hard time forgiving Aaron for what he’d done, but I don’t think Thomas would kill his cousin.” She sighed heavily. “And then there’s Nolan...”
Elizabeth sat forward, more alert. “What about Nolan?”
“He and Aaron were best friends, but a month before Aaron died, they had a terrible argument, and they said some cruel things to each other.”
Elizabeth leaned toward ZoAnn and touched her arm. “Do you know what they were arguing about?”
ZoAnn looked at Elizabeth and shook her head. “I wish. The first time I heard them arguing was during one of our rehearsals. They were in Aaron’s dressing room. When I knocked, they both got quiet and Nolan quickly left. The anger on his face frightened me. However, before I knocked, I overheard Aaron calling Nolan a selfish friend. Then Aaron shouted at him, telling him to leave and never come back.”
“I’m assuming Nolan didn’t abandon him, right?”
“Nolan stayed, but they didn’t talk to each other much after that.”
Elizabeth’s stomach twisted at the thought of Nolan possibly being involved in Aaron’s death... again. Inwardly, she groaned. She really should talk to Nolan herself. He just didn’t seem like the kind of man who would do something as horrific as tampering with the props to ensure the death of a good friend.
She leaned back, pulling out her phone. “So, while we’re waiting for Thomas to call back, why don’t you tell me what you’re doing with your life now that Aaron is gone?”
A small smile tugged on ZoAnn’s mouth. “I’ve found another magician to work with. He’s not as good, but with my help, I’m sure he’ll be as good as Aaron – or better.”
It wasn’t hard to notice how arrogant ZoAnn was. Elizabeth was afraid to ask if she was the reason Aaron was so good because she was sure that ZoAnn would try to claim his success as her own. Then again, Elizabeth already knew the truth. Aaron was very talented, and it had nothing to do with his assistant.
As ZoAnn continued to tell her about the other magician she was with – Jacob or Jake... or something that wasn’t important enough to remember – Elizabeth’s thoughts took a different turn. What if the killer had wanted ZoAnn dead and not Aaron?
Elizabeth’s heart clenched. If that were true, then Aaron had been a needless victim. She wondered if that were the case, and if she helped him try to find the killer, would it matter to Aaron? Or would she just be wasting her time?
Her thoughts wandered again. Was Aaron somewhere near, listening to their conversation? Elizabeth sniffed, trying not to be too obvious. She couldn’t smell his cologne. Maybe he hadn’t regained enough energy to hang around and listen.
But, with any luck, she’d be able to help him out in some way. After all, he had promised to help her chase Sam out of the mansion – it was only fair that she repay his kindness. Plus, with a handsome ghost around to talk to and stare dreamily at... she couldn’t wait to start thinking of ways to pay him back for everything he would do.
NINE
THOMAS NEVER CALLED – and he never came to the house.
It relieved Elizabeth that ZoAnn didn’t stick around to wait for him. Elizabeth had learned so much information that her head felt full. She also worried that Sam would be back soon to make her headache worse.
She returned to her room and laid on her bed. Staring up at the mirrors that held the same gold leaves and vine designs as the other mirrors in the house, she watched her own reflection, her mind buzzing with everything ZoAnn told her. What she struggled with the most was whether she could trust ZoAnn or not. The more Elizabeth thought about it, the more she wondered if she could even trust Nolan or Thomas?
Strange as it was, she knew in her heart that she could trust Aaron. Ghosts wouldn’t lie...
“Aaron?” she said softly. “Can you hear me?”
She waited to hear something – anything that would let her know he was lingering – but nothing happened.
“I know I told you we’d talk tomorrow, but I really need to talk to you today.” Sighing, she rolled on her side and stared toward the window. “I need to know if what ZoAnn said was true,” she added softly.
Silence continued to prevail, and she grew tired of waiting for a reply. She closed her eyes, hoping sleep would take over soon, but the house echoed with the slamming of a door. She jumped upright, immediately thinking of Aaron. But the sound of heavy footsteps marching up the stairs grew louder, as did Sam’s grumblings.
Groaning, she laid back down and turned away from the door, hoping that if Sam came into her bedroom, he’d think she was asleep. She even closed her eyes, hoping it would add to her illusion.
As she listened to his heavy footsteps, she cringed with each pound on the floor. Their relationship was ridiculous. This needed to end today... or at least soon.
The footsteps stopped in front of her door, and seconds later, the door flew open. She kept her eyes closed, praying he would just leave her in peace. But when her door slammed as quickly as it had opened, she knew her prayer had gone unanswered.
Sam grumbled again but... it sounded like he was still in the hallway.
Her door opened again, and just as before, it slammed almost immediately after. She peeked over her shoulder, wondering what Sam was doing.
Sam cussed loudly and banged at the door. “Lizzy! Open this door and stop slamming it in my face.”
She chuckled, quickly covering her mouth. It wouldn’t be wise to have Sam hear her elation knowing that her ghost friend was helping.
“I’m not slamming the door,” she called out. “I’m lying on my bed. I have a headache.”
The doorknob jiggled and he opened the door. Just as before, the door slammed before he had a chance to come inside.
Her heartbeat flittered with excitement – and a touch of fear. After all, it wasn’t every day that she was able to see a ghost at work trying to scare someone.
“Lizzy!” Sam’s voice lifted in anger.
She growled, climbed off the bed, and marched to the door. “I was on my bed,” she said loudly and opened the door.
Sam’s face was red, and his arms were folded over his chest. His glare was hotter than she’d ever seen it and, for the first time since going out with him, she felt he could actually hurt her if provoked. “What do you want?” she snapped.
He stormed inside the room. “Why did you keep slamming the door?”
She rolled her eyes. “I told you, I wasn’t doing it. I was on the bed trying to sleep.”
“Then who...” His expression turned fiercer. “Are you trying to make me think it’s the ghost that’s doing it? Well, you’re not going to trick me. This place is rigged, I tell you... and I’m going to put an end to it once and for all.”
As he rushed out of the room, her heart dropped. What was he going to do? But what worried her more was wondering how much damage he’d cause doing it...
She hurried out of the room after him. “Sam, whatever is in that tiny brain of yours, please keep in mind that this is not our house! If you break something – you will have to pay for it.”
She followed him all the way through the kitchen, then the pantry, and to the entrance of the basement. Downstairs! Her heart lurched. “Sam, you can’t go down there.”
He wasn’t paying any attention to her – as usual. But when he sidestepped the stairs and stopped in front of a panel on the wall, she calmed herself a bit. He flung open the panel door, revealing the mansion’s main breaker panel. He reached up and flipped the large switch, shutting everything off. Immediately, the lights went out, and a strange silence filled the house as all of the electronic devices fell silent.
She gasped. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He sighed and displayed a victorious grin. “I’m ending these stupid games. Someone is playing with our minds, Lizzy. Whoever is trying to make us
believe in ghosts just got put out of business.” He pointed to the breaker. “They can’t use their electronic hocus-pocus on us anymore. I’m smarter than they are.”
Placing her hand on her chest, she breathed slower, trying to calm down. This was just ridiculous. Sam was the reason why she hadn’t been able to relax for the past several months, and having him in the house was only making it worse.
“That’s it,” she growled, folding her arms and pinning him with a glare. “I’ve had enough of you, Sam. This is not your house. You have no right to go around flipping switches or—”
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the hallway, sounding like... doors slamming? Again?
She rushed out of the pantry, out of the kitchen, and into the hallway with Sam on her heels. Every single door on the main floor and the second floor were opening and shutting, just like what had happened the last time, but in greater intensity. Aaron was pissed! Of course, the ghost had every right to be.
“What the...” Sam’s white face was stiff, but his gaze moved from door to door. “This can’t be happening.”
Sighing, she folded her arms again. She tilted her head and looked at the pitiful creature she’d once called her boyfriend. “I think you upset the ghost.”
“No... There’s no such thing as ghosts.”
Immediately, all the doors stopped slamming at once. In a flash, every single light within view began flickering on and off. Sam gasped loudly.
“I think you’re wrong, Sam. How else can a house have electricity when you turned it off?”
He shook his head and spun around, throwing open the front door and rushing outside. At first she thought he was running away, but she didn’t think she’d be that lucky. She followed him out of curiosity and concern. He ran around the house until he found the main electrical box against one of the back walls. He yanked at the box, trying to open it. His hand slipped and he cut his fingers on the metal. Cussing, he kicked at it, trying a different method to get it open.
The Magic of a Billionaire Page 7
