A blank look crossed his face for a moment, but then recognition brightened his blue eyes. “Ah, yes. I did hire your law firm.”
“Jethro,” Nolan said. “Elizabeth has found something that you might be interested in reading. It’s about Aaron’s death.”
The light in the old man’s eyes dulled and his smile fell. He hobbled to one of the heavily cushioned chairs and sat. Nolan hooked his fingers around Elizabeth’s arm and took her to the nearest love-seat where they both sat.
“What did you find?” Jethro asked Elizabeth.
She withdrew the journal from her handbag and handed it to Aaron’s grandfather. “This is your grandson’s journal. From what I’ve gathered, you had asked him to write down things that happened to him after the will was signed. Correct?”
“Yes, I did.” Jethro took the book almost reverently, brushing his fingers across its cover with so much gentleness. His eyes watered. “I’m very happy to know Aaron had followed my instructions. He was such a good boy. I loved him so much.”
A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed it down. “I’m sure he felt the same way about you, Mr. Powers.”
He opened the book to the first page. A tear slid down his leathery cheek. Jethro was quiet as his gaze moved over the words, but then he stopped and closed the book. More tears had slid down his face.
“I cannot do this right now,” he said in a choked voice.
Elizabeth traded worried glances with Nolan. If the old man put the book aside and forgot about it, he might not discover its important contents.
“Mr. Powers,” she said with empathy, “I have read Aaron’s journal entries, and...” She paused, swallowing hard. “You really need to read them. I believe they contain evidence that your grandson’s death wasn’t an accident after all.”
Jethro’s head snapped up, his shoulders straightening slightly. “What?”
“Jethro,” Nolan added, “your grandson experienced many accidents leading up to that last show. Someone was rigging his props. Aaron suspected it and was going to report it to Chad Howell, an investigator with the police, but Aaron died the next day. He recorded the things that were happening to him in the journal.”
Jethro’s eyes widened, and his slightly pale face turned whiter. “Why wasn’t this brought out before? Why do we only know about this journal now?”
Elizabeth realized she didn’t know the answer to that. She hadn’t even thought of it. When Aaron had brought her the journal, it had been in a box. She looked at Nolan, hoping he’d be able to answer that since she couldn’t.
“Jethro,” Nolan patted the older man’s arm gently, “I am the one to blame. After Aaron’s death, your health was bad, and I felt like it was my duty to go through Aaron’s things and box everything up. I didn’t read his journal, because it was hard on me, too.”
Nodding slowly, Jethro’s eyes continued to fill with tears. “Then we need to give the book to Chad Howell. I recall when he and Aaron became friends when they were young.” His mouth twitched in a smile. “They always liked to play cops and robbers.”
Elizabeth’s heart softened at the thought of Aaron as a boy. “Mr. Powers –”
“Call me Jethro.”
The man’s wavering smile and his blue eyes that looked so much like Aaron’s made her heart leap. She couldn’t turn him down. “Okay, Jethro.”
“What is it, Elizabeth?”
“Would you mind telling me about your family?”
His chest puffed out just a little, but enough to notice. “Of course. I love talking about the ones I love.” He shifted in his chair, leaning his elbow on the cushioned armrest. “I took over my first vineyard at the age of eighteen. It was passed to me by my father... just as I’d wanted to pass my vineyards to my children.”
“How many children do you have?” she wondered.
“My beautiful Dorothy and I had three sons. My wife and I taught each boy the value of hard work. My oldest boy Lance was the first one to marry. He and his wife took over my Florida vineyard. They had two children, but each child was born with a severe disability and they won’t be able to take over for their father.” He paused and licked his lips. “My youngest son is Darion. He and his wife moved to a nice spot in California to raise their family. I let them take over the winery I have there. Thomas is their only son. He is running the winery with his father there.”
She nodded. “I’ve met Thomas. He’s a very nice man.”
“Yes. He has a heart of gold.” Jethro sighed wistfully. “Nathan is my middle son – Aaron’s father. He and his wife, Maggie, helped me with the winery here in Arizona. I gifted them the house in Surprise after their marriage, and that was where Aaron was born. When Aaron was six, his parents went on vacation... and never returned. They both died in a car accident.”
Hesitantly, she patted Jethro’s arm. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“That’s when Dorothy and I took Aaron in as our own. We raised him the best way we knew how, but Aaron was different. Learning about the wineries bored him. One year, I gave him a deck of cards to entertain himself with. I couldn’t believe how quickly he’d learned to shuffle. He also learned card tricks, which he played on me and Dorothy all the time.” Jethro chuckled lightly. “We bought him magic books, and he watched movies about magicians. Houdini was his favorite. Aaron had wanted to be just like him.” The older man sighed. “I guess Aaron got his wish. He was a marvelous illusionist but, just like Houdini, he ended up dying while performing.”
Her chest tightened. “Yes, I suppose your grandson did. However, unlike Houdini, Aaron’s death was not an accident. Aaron needs us to find the true killer and bring him to justice.”
Confusion marred Jethro’s face. “Elizabeth, you speak of my grandson in the present tense. Is there a reason for that?”
She looked over at Nolan again for help. The expression on his face clearly conveyed what he was thinking - good luck with that.
Elizabeth swallowed and turned back to Jethro, praying that her luck wouldn’t run out.
FOURTEEN
ELIZABETH TRIED TO piece together the thoughts spinning in her mind but, plain and simple, there was no easy way to say this. Please believe...
“Jethro, I hope you don’t take what I have to say as an attempt at humor in any form, because that is not what I have intended. However, I have reason to believe that your grandson, Aaron Powers, is... a ghost. His spirit is not at rest but is occupying his estate.”
She watched the older man carefully. For the first few moments, he wore a blank expression. No light flickered in his eyes, and his mouth didn’t tug into a grin. She must allow him to ponder what she’d just said, and let his mind absorb it all before she said another word. But after a few silent seconds – several of them, in fact – she began debating whether or not to repeat what she’d said.
Jethro lifted an unsteady hand to his forehead and wiped away a bead of sweat. “Aaron is a ghost?”
She nodded. “I’ve talked to him. He was the one who gave me his journal and told me to bring it to you.”
Jethro blinked, but no more tears fell. “He... wanted me to see it?”
“Yes. That is how I know how much he cared about you.”
His hand lowered just enough to wipe his nose. His eyes glistened, and she could see the spark of belief as well.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked.
Her heart leapt. “I suppose all we need is for you to help us find who did this to Aaron.” She glanced into Nolan’s sad eyes. “Right?”
“Yes. We need to find Aaron’s killer so that my best friend can cross over.” Nolan’s voice broke.
Elizabeth grasped his hand and gently squeezed. “Then we all need to put our heads together and think.” She looked back at Jethro. “Do you know if Aaron had any enemies? Do you know if someone wanted him dead?” She paused as her mind started to work. “From Aaron’s journal entries, he mentioned getting food poisoning, being run off the road, and props malfun
ctioning. My gut feeling tells me that whoever was doing that to him, would have been someone close. Maybe we could make a list of everyone who was close to him. Maybe we could even ask them questions—”
“Or maybe,” Nolan said, touching her knee, “we should let Chad do the questioning. After all, that’s his job, not ours.” Nolan frowned. “I don’t want you – or any of us – to get hurt, and if the person who killed Aaron has a criminal mind, then we would be smart not to get too involved.”
Jethro nodded. “Nolan is right. I think we should turn this over to the police now.”
“Yes, I’m sure that’s best.” Although Elizabeth said the words, she didn’t feel it in her heart. What else was she supposed to do while staying at Aaron’s estate now? She didn’t mind staying there and helping where she was needed, but if the sale of the house was going to be delayed, then her job was finished – for now.
Her chest tightened with emotion. She didn’t want to leave yet. She wanted to talk to Aaron more. She wanted him to show her through the tunnels. She sighed gently. She wouldn’t mind going with him to the hall of mirrors again...
“I’ll take care of that, Jethro.” Nolan stood and reached to shake the older man’s hand.
Her attention snapped back into focus. What did I miss? She’d been lost in thought and hadn’t heard what Nolan and Jethro were talking about. Slowly, she stood. Apparently, Nolan was ready to go.
“Elizabeth,” Jethro said. “I would like you to do me a favor.”
She smiled. “Of course, anything.”
“Tell my grandson...” He swallowed hard. “Tell him how much I love him, and that I miss him terribly.”
She nodded. “I will do that.”
“And one more thing,” Jethro said. “I’d like you to stay at the house a little while longer... at least until Mr. Howell completes his investigation. I’ll need someone to be the go-between so that I can communicate with my grandson.”
Excitement jumped inside of her, and at the same time, so did worry. Investigations could take several months. “As much as I’d love to be your go-between, I have a job already. I don’t think my boss at the law firm will understand.”
Jethro’s tender expression changed, and his face tightened into a small grin. “Oh, I’m sure I can get him to understand. I pay them well, and they will not want to lose my patronage.”
She almost giggled with delight but held it back. “No, they would definitely not want to lose you.”
Jethro clapped his hands. “Then it’s settled. Nolan, take her back to the house and make sure her needs are taken care of. I want Elizabeth to have anything she wants.”
Her heart softened. Aaron’s grandfather was so kind. “Thank you, Jethro, but I assure you, I have everything I need. Well... except for tires for my car so that I can get around town, but my insurance will take care of that.”
His gaze narrowed. “Tires for your car? Has something happened?”
Inwardly, she groaned. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything. “My tires were slashed, but I think it was my ex-boyfriend who did it.”
Jethro gave Nolan a stern look. “Make sure the gates are shut and locked at all times, and that Elizabeth has the card to open them. I will not have her things vandalized.”
“Neither would I.” Nolan nodded. “I’ll make sure she’s well cared for.” He smiled at her.
Jethro turned back to her. “Don’t worry about your tires, dear. I’ll make sure they’re replaced. It’ll save you the hassle with your insurance company.”
She’d never been treated so kindly before. But now she wondered exactly how well Nolan planned on taking care of her.
As they left the mansion, she thought about asking Nolan the question that had been on her mind since they first met. Was he purposely flirting with her? Was he thinking about asking her out? But the real question was... was she ready to go out with Nolan? Could she give her heart to him?
Sadly, now was not the time.
“I’m surprised,” Nolan said after walking off the porch, “that Jethro took so quickly to you.”
She glanced at him. “Why does that surprise you?”
“Because he is very distrustful of women who come into his grandsons’ lives.”
She chuckled. “I can see why he’d be so cautious, but you’re forgetting one thing, Nolan. Neither of his grandsons wants to date me. Plus, I’m not here to date Thomas. I’m only here to help find Aaron’s killer... and then to help Jethro find some closure by selling Aaron’s estate.”
Nolan moved closer, sliding his palm along her back and dipping to her waist. Her heart jumped to her throat.
“You are definitely one remarkable woman, Elizabeth.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth, and her body stiffened. He wasn’t thinking about that, was he? Why would he? They hadn’t even been out on a date. But then, she knew differently. Men didn’t kiss women just on dates. They kissed women when they were drawn to them and found the women interesting – desirable.
She wanted to push him away, but she didn’t want to be rude about it. After all, she liked Nolan. She wanted to continue their friendship. Nolan needed to work with her on this case because she couldn’t trust anyone else.
A movement from down the driveway pulled her attention from Nolan. A taxi had just stopped, and a man climbed out. The man walked with a slight limp, but his movements were determined.
She gasped. “It’s Thomas!”
Nolan swung around and faced the man still limping up the driveway. Nolan hitched a breath and broke away from her, dashing toward Thomas. She followed close behind.
“Thomas, what happened?” Nolan stopped near Thomas.
She realized his face and arms were scratched, and his brown hair was disheveled. Even his t-shirt and jeans were ripped in a few places. She touched his shoulder. “Are you all right?”
“Some jerk driving a black truck with tinted windows just ran me off the road a few miles from here. My car rolled and ended up in a field.”
Fear turned her blood to ice. She exchanged worried glances with Nolan. She looked back at Thomas. “Did the truck have monster tires and a rack on the back?”
Thomas’ eyes widened and his gaze moved to the bandage still on her head. He grasped her hands.
“Did he run you off the road, too?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. My car didn’t roll. We need to get you to the hospital.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m okay. I just twisted my ankle crawling out of the car. I called for a tow truck and for a taxi to bring me here.”
“You didn’t call the police?” Nolan asked.
“No.”
“Why not?” Both Elizabeth and Nolan asked.
Thomas scowled. “That’s not important right now. I need to see my grandfather first.”
Elizabeth released Thomas’ hands and stepped back. Why wouldn’t he call the police? There was something going on that she didn’t know about, but what she wasn’t sure about was whether his issues were the same as Aaron’s had been.
She could probably take Thomas off the suspects’ list. It seemed that accidents were happening to Thomas, too. If that were the case, it could mean only one thing – someone was after the Powers’ Family inheritance. What other explanation could there be?
She needed to talk to him about it. She needed to let him know about Aaron’s ghost.
“Thomas,” she said, touching his arm once more. “When you’re finished with Jethro, I would like you to come to Aaron’s estate. I think we need to talk.”
“About what?” Nolan blurted out.
Nolan’s sudden outburst startled Elizabeth. She didn’t like the distrust in Nolan’s eyes, or the jealousy in his voice either.
“Well, I figured if Thomas was run off the road like I was, that maybe we needed to compare notes.” It irritated her that Nolan would act so possessive. “Is that all right with you?”
Nolan’s stance seemed to relax. “Sure, that’s fine.”
Thomas nodded. “I’ll drop by later tonight if that’s all right.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Now if you two will excuse me, I have a matter to discuss with my grandfather.”
She watched as Thomas limped up the porch and into the house. She glanced at Nolan who looked just as confused as she felt.
“Nolan? Is it just me or did Thomas seem upset at Jethro?”
Nolan scratched his chin. “Yes, that’s very odd. He didn’t say it, but it felt like Thomas blamed Jethro for his accident.”
“I felt that way, too.”
Nolan turned back to her and placed his arm around her again. “Let’s get you home and cleaned up. After the kind of afternoon you’ve had, I would think a nice comfy bed sounds tempting about now.”
She nodded. “Very true.”
He led them toward his car. “And I’m sure you’re hungry, too.”
“I am, actually.”
“Then you won’t mind if I take us someplace to eat. I’m hungry, too.”
“I wouldn’t mind that at all.”
He opened the car door for her, and she slid on the seat. As she watched his gentlemanly moves, she wondered if he was considering this a date. She hoped not. And yet... she’d never had a man treat her so kindly. Well... except for Aaron. But then, Aaron was just trying to make her see how terrible Sam was and that she should dump him. Aaron wasn’t being sweet to her for any other reason, because he knew as well as she did that there was no way they could date.
Chuckling to herself, she rubbed her forehead. Why would she even think such a thing? It didn’t matter that Aaron made her heart sing whenever they talked. He made her smile and laugh. He made her feel special. But none of that mattered when there wasn’t anything they could do about it. Soon, he’d cross over. She must find a real man who treated her that way. If that man turned out to be Nolan, well, she’d just have to soften her heart toward him.
The Magic of a Billionaire Page 11