The Magic of a Billionaire
Page 18
No, he didn’t dare.
The sound of someone walking into his house on the main floor woke him from his thoughts. He rushed out of his room and to the railing of the stairs, listening for voices.
“Aaron?”
Her gentle voice flooded him with relief, and he hurried down the stairs. “Beth? I’m here.” He reached the main floor and she wearily walked toward him. Her hair was messy, and her face was drained of color. “What happened?” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his frame.
“I don’t know. One minute I was fine, the next I was puking my guts up.”
He pulled back enough to examine her face as he pushed back her hair. “Was it something you ate?”
“I think so.”
“Where did you go?”
She sighed. “Thomas took me to a nice pizza restaurant in Napa.”
“California? He flew you in his jet?”
She nodded. “He was trying to impress me because he was rich.”
Aaron’s gut clenched. “Did it work?”
She weakly slugged his shoulder. “You should know me better than that.”
He turned and walked them into the sitting room, taking her to the couch. “Then what happened?”
“He took me on a tour of his vineyard.”
They sat, but he kept an arm around her. “What did you think?”
She smiled. “It was so lovely. I fell in love with the place.”
“Yes, they are very beautiful.”
Sighing again, she leaned her head against his shoulder. “Then we left to come back here. On the jet, I became violently ill. When the jet landed, Thomas had an ambulance waiting for me. I’ve been at the hospital having tests run on me.”
“Did they find anything?”
She shook her head. “They think it was food poisoning, but they can’t pinpoint it to any food in particular.”
He held her and stroked her shoulder. His mind thinking over everything that had happened to him before someone killed him – that was now happening to her. He’d had food poisoning, too. Hadn’t she mentioned that Thomas was having things happen to him as well?
Aaron groaned and buried his face against her head. There was only one thing to do – one that could be done.
“Beth,” he said, kissing her head. “You need to return home to California.”
She pushed out of his arms and looked at him. Pain and confusion were etched on her expression.
“You want me to leave? But why?”
“Beth, my love, I don’t want you to go. Believe me, if there was something I could do to keep you here, I would. However, I think it’s obvious – whoever killed me is trying to kill you and Thomas. You are not safe here. You’ll be safe if you go home.”
“Aaron, no.” She clutched his shirt. “I can’t go home. I won’t! I promised that I would help you, and I don’t back out of my promises.”
“You’re not backing out. I’m letting you go.”
She gasped. “You’re firing me?”
He chuckled sadly. “I suppose you could look at it that way. I just don’t want you hurt. I don’t want ZoAnn to get rid of you, too.”
She hitched a breath and her eyes widened. “What? ZoAnn? What does she have to do with any of this?”
He shook his head. “The person who broke into my home the first time decided to try it again last night while you were gone. I stopped him but spoke to him this time.”
“It wasn’t Sam?”
“No, it wasn’t. I never did get the man’s name, but when I asked who he worked for, he told me it was ZoAnn.”
“Aaron!” She caressed his face. “We finally have a lead. I’ll let Detective Howell know and he can check her out.”
He nodded. “But unless he finds some of my props, he won’t have enough evidence to arrest her.”
“It’s still better than nothing.”
“True.”
“Oh, Aaron.” She slid her arms around his neck and pressed against him. “Please don’t make me go. I want to be here... with you.”
“My dearest Beth. I don’t want you to go, either, but that’s the only way I know you’ll be safe.”
“You’re forgetting one thing.” She relaxed and kissed his cheek.
“I am? What?” He gathered her closer.
“That there is no possible way I could die as you did.” She kissed his other cheek. “I don’t do magic.”
He grinned, loving how the mood had suddenly changed. “Do you promise to never step inside a magician’s sword box?”
She left a soft kiss on his mouth. “I promise I’ll never do that.”
He sighed as desire flared inside him. “And do you promise,” he kissed her top lip, “to love me always?”
“Always...”
She pressed her mouth against his and kissed him so very sweetly. Although he still worried about her, she had a way of distracting his thoughts. For now, though, he’d put them on hold. They could contact Chad later. Right now... energy coursed through Aaron and he wasn’t about to let any of it go to waste while this passionate woman was in his arms.
TWENTY-FIVE
ELIZABETH PACED THE floor in the hallway, waiting for Detective Howell to arrive. Today’s meeting was necessary, but she felt he was starting to try her patience. She and Aaron had a suspect and, hopefully, Chad saw it the same way. ZoAnn needed to be questioned and her place needed to be searched for some of Aaron’s props.
“Elizabeth?” Nolan asked. “Would you like some wine?”
She rolled her eyes and looked at Nolan. “Why would I want wine at a time like this?”
He chuckled and lifted a glass to his mouth and sipped. “Actually, stressful times are the perfect time for a glass of wine.”
She shook her head and resumed her pacing. It would be some time before she dared to drink wine or eat chocolate again. The hospital was still running tests to see if one of those two items was the reason she got sick on Thomas’ jet. She suspected it was the chocolates. Thomas hadn’t had any, and he had seemed to be fine. Of course, if the chocolates had been tampered with, it meant whoever was responsible had connections with people at the airport or was able to get into the plane to taint the candy.
Spending all day yesterday with Aaron had been a dream. There were a few times he had to leave to regenerate, but he’d always returned a few hours later. They’d played board games, laughed together, and he even took her to his secret rooms and showed her the security system. It didn’t matter much to her what they did, as long as they were together. It had been the best date ever.
Sadly, though... she couldn’t help but wish that he was still alive. How could she go through life having a relationship with a ghost? Every day the thought of him crossing over and leaving her weighed heavily on her mind.
The chimes from the doorbell jerked her out of her thoughts and she rushed to open the door. Chad smiled at her as she let him in.
“I’m sorry it took so long.” Chad walked in. He saw Nolan and nodded. “After your urgent call, the squad was called out to a crime scene. I had to put that first.”
“That’s understandable,” Nolan said. “Please, come in. Would you like me to pour you a glass of wine?”
“No, but thanks. I’m still on duty.”
Elizabeth followed Chad into the sitting room, and everyone took a chair. He looked at Beth, waiting for her to say something.
“Detective, I think... Well, actually, it’s Aaron who thinks... we think we have a suspect now.”
Chad scooted to the edge of his chair, leaning with his elbows on the armrests. “Who?”
“Aaron’s first assistant, ZoAnn.”
Chad nodded. “She’s on the suspects’ list we made. Tell me why Aaron thinks it’s her.”
Elizabeth explained about the two break-ins and how this last time he’d caught the man – sort of. She told him the name the man had confessed as who had hired him.
Chad stood and paced the floor. His expression l
ooked as if he had several thoughts spinning in his head. She knew that feeling, well.
“And the other man got away?” Chad asked.
“Yes. Aaron was so shocked that he didn’t have the strength to run after him.”
“He’d be able to identify him again, correct?”
“More than likely, Detective.”
Chad stopped and looked directly at Nolan. “In your opinion, why would ZoAnn want Aaron dead?”
Nolan shrugged and shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you. She never seemed like a vicious woman, but after he jilted her, she became a little vindictive. I don’t think it would’ve driven her to murder, though.”
“But she didn’t do the actual killing,” Elizabeth said, rising from her chair. “She was probably not the one who rigged the box so that the bottom wouldn’t lengthen.”
“Actually,” Chad said, holding up a finger, “ZoAnn was the one who killed him. She pushed the swords through the box, remember?”
Groaning, Elizabeth rubbed her pounding forehead. “Well, yes, but he died because the bottom of the box wouldn’t lengthen.”
“Let’s look at this differently.” Nolan stood and walked to the minibar to refill his wine glass. “Maybe the question shouldn’t be why she wanted him dead. Instead, let’s ask why she would she want the props.”
Elizabeth scratched her head. “To destroy any evidence that she tampered with the box?”
Nolan turned, grinning wide. “Exactly.”
Elizabeth gasped. “So, she hired some guy to come into the house and steal the props for her, so that none of us would see her or suspect her?”
Nolan nodded. “That’s what I think too.”
Chad resumed his pacing. Silence filled the room for several minutes. Nolan traded glances with Elizabeth while he sipped his wine. He hadn’t asked about her outing with Thomas, but she was sure he’d heard about it. She did notice that he was looking at her differently tonight. The sad puppy-dog eyes he’d had when he gazed at her were gone. He hadn’t even tried to touch her or get close to her like he had done before. Did he know she’d given her heart to Aaron?
“I have an idea,” Chad suddenly announced.
She pulled her attention away from Nolan and focused on Chad again, anxious to hear his idea.
“What if I get everyone together who was there helping with the show and we’ll do a reenactment of the night he was killed?” Chad rubbed his hands together. “I’ll watch to see who set up the stage for that trick, and who could have had access to the props. Aaron had mentioned he’d checked the props two hours before the show started and everything was in working order.”
“Detective?” she asked. “What do you think this reenactment will prove?”
Folding his arms, his fingers tapped against the long sleeves of his shirt. “I’m hoping it will provide a chance for someone to remember if they saw ZoAnn somewhere where she wasn’t supposed to be, or it might show us someone with a guilty expression.”
She glanced back at Nolan who’d been watching her. He gave her a positive nod. Sighing, she turned back to Chad. “Then let’s do it.”
“Good! I’ll contact the theatre and see if they’ll let us use it for a few hours.” Nolan took his glass back to the minibar for yet another wine refill.
She scowled. That man drank entirely too much wine. There must be a reason he was acting this way. She’d wait until after Chad left to say something to him. After all, she still considered herself his friend.
“I think we should plan to have the reenactment in two or three days,” Chad said.
“Yes, Detective. I think that’s a good plan.”
“I’ll contact you if there are any complications.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. We’ll find Aaron’s killer.”
Elizabeth didn’t know what to say as Nolan walked Chad outside. She moved to the window and pressed her forehead against the glass. As much as she wanted justice, she also wanted some normalcy... anything to let her be with Aaron. Her chest grew tight. Would finding his killer free the way for him to cross over? If that happened, her life would be in ruins. How could she go on without him?
When the door to the sitting room closed, she turned. Nolan moved toward her, giving her a leery gaze. At least she couldn’t see a spark of desire in his eyes. That was a good thing.
“He’s gone?” she asked.
Nolan nodded. “Do you mind if we have a talk?”
“Not at all.” She moved to the couch and he followed. “I need to talk to you too.”
“What about?” He sat beside her.
“I worry about how much wine you’ve been drinking. I realize it’s tasty, but—”
“You do care about me.” A small smile touched his mouth.
“Of course, I care. I’m your friend, aren’t I?”
He took her hand and cradled it in his, patting it slowly. “Yes... friends.” He exhaled deeply. “Elizabeth, I want you to be honest with me.”
“Okay.” She had a feeling what he was going to say next. This was exactly like what happened with Thomas. It was Déjà Vu.
His gaze dropped down to her hand as he caressed it. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you Elizabeth, and sometimes I feel like there might be something more than friendship between us.”
Inwardly, she groaned. How could she explain herself without sounding insane?
“But lately, I’ve realized that it’s all one-sided.” He lifted his gaze and looked at her. “Because you don’t feel that way about me, do you?”
“Nolan, you are such a sweet man—”
“Just answer the question.”
His voice had turned gruff. She suspected he already knew her answer. “I really like you, Nolan... as a friend.”
“Is it because you’re in love... with Thomas?”
Hearing Thomas’ name made a snort of laughter escape her throat. “Thomas? Why would you think that?”
“Because of your elaborate date.”
She rolled her eyes. “He was trying to impress me with his money. It didn’t work.”
Nolan’s expression relaxed slightly. “I’m relieved to hear that. But if you’re not in love with Thomas, then why do you only like me as a friend?”
Here it was... the moment of truth. The moment she told Nolan about her feelings for a dead man. Hopefully, he wouldn’t think she was too crazy.
“Well, you see,” she took in a deep breath, trying to find some courage, “I have fallen in love – a growing love that even I don’t understand.” She swallowed hard. “But I can’t deny it. I’m in love with Aaron.”
Nolan’s eyebrow arched. “Aaron – the ghost?”
She nodded. “Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I can’t stop my feelings. He’s a wonderful man and... I don’t want to live life without him.”
He cocked his head. “So, you’re saying that you want to spend your life loving a ghost instead of a real, living man?”
She grumbled and pulled away from him. “You don’t understand.” She stood and moved toward the window again. “Shoot, I don’t even understand. I only know what my heart is telling me.”
A slow laugh filled the room, growing louder by the second. She glared at Nolan, wondering what his problem was.
He stood, shaking his head. “All these years as Aaron’s best friend had taught me one thing. He always gets the girl. I’m always just a friend – a forgettable acquaintance that pales in comparison with The Great and Marvelous Aaron Powers!” His laughter grew. “And now, even as a ghost, he still gets the girl. Amazing...”
She’d never liked hurting people, and seeing his pain caused her chest to clench. She moved toward him, but he held up a hand, stopping her.
“No, no.” He pointed a finger at her. “I don’t need your pity.”
The aching in his eyes stabbed Elizabeth to the core. Nolan turned, picked up the half-empty wine bottle from the minibar, and left the room. She rubbed her forehead and sighed heavily. Was it really so wrong
to love a ghost?
TWENTY-SIX
AARON PULLED BETH CLOSE as they sat outside on the porch swing. The sunset was quite beautiful tonight – or was it the special woman next to him that made everything so special?
She’d been extra quiet tonight, and he didn’t need to ask why. Tomorrow was the big day – the day of the reenactment. She’d already told him what Chad’s plans were. Aaron hoped it would work. He wanted the killer to pay for what they’d done to him.
As he gazed at the twinkling sky, a shooting star darted across the horizon. “Quick, make a wish,” he told her. There was only one wish he wanted to make, but he doubted it would come true.
He kissed the side of her head and sighed. What would the future hold for him? Did he have one at all? But a future without Beth was no future at all. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
She shook her head. “No.”
Her answer made him smile. “No? Why not?”
“Because it’s too depressing.”
He cupped her face and lifted it so that their eyes would meet. “Whatever happens tomorrow, I want you to know how much I love you. I’ve had the best time with you, and I’ll never forget it.”
She frowned. “How long is never for a ghost?”
He nodded. “That’s a very good question.”
Tears slowly filled her eyes. “Aaron, I want to find your killer, and yet... I don’t. If finding your killer means that you can pass over into the next world then... I don’t think I want to do it.” Her voice cracked. “I’m selfish, I know, but I’ve never felt this way about someone before... I don’t want to lose this feeling. I don’t want to lose you.”
He pushed the hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. “You’re not the only one who feels that way. I don’t want to lose you, either.”
She stared at him in silence for a few moments, and then her eyes lit up and twinkled almost as brightly as the stars. “I wonder... What if, when you get to Heaven, you ask one of the angels if you can have a second chance? Your life was taken too soon, after all.”
Sighing, he cupped her face. “Oh, my precious Beth. That sounds like the perfect plan, doesn’t it?”