“Yeah. Tony quit the stuntman business after we filmedHard to Kill,and I lost contact.” Rockwell shrugged. “We worked together and I liked the guy, but we were never close.”
Melville looked surprised. “I heard that Mr. Clark wanted to open a bar, and you helped him out with some money.”
“That’s true. I was flush with cash afterHard to Killbecame a megahit, and a lot of people came to me with their hand out. Tonywas a good guy so I loaned him some cash. I can’t even remember how much.”
“Oh, it was a loan?”
“Yeah, but he never paid me back. Like I said, we didn’t keep in touch after he quit the movie business.”
“Okay. If you do remember anything or think of other people we should talk to—people who could tell us how Claire’s death affected you—please tell Miss Monroe or me.”
“Will do.”
“And now, I am guessing, you’d like to discuss your compensation.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Frank Melville had insisted on celebrating Jose’s freedom at Black Oaks, and it had taken all of Robin’s powers of persuasion to convince Jose to go. On Saturday morning, Robin parked in front of the Jefferson just as a light rain started to fall. Jose got into the passenger seat. Ken Breland was sitting in back.
“Are you surviving normal life?” Ken asked as Robin pulled into traffic.
“Yeah, but it’s not easy.”
“What’s the biggest difficulty?” Ken asked.
“All the choices. Every day was the same on death row, and someone always told me what I could and couldn’t do. Now I have to decide when I go to bed, when I get up, what I want to do during the day. And everything works on a computer. I get so frustrated.”
Ken smiled. “Computers frustrate everyone our age. But you’re a smart guy. You’ll figure it out.”
Jose laughed. “I don’t know. I still haven’t figured out the TV.”
“Join the club,” Ken said. “And always remember that Robin and I are here to help you with the TV or anything else.”
Robin had been relieved to hear Jose make a joke, but that was the last light moment on the trip to Black Oaks. Jose spent the rest of the ride staring out of his window at scenery that had been hidden from his view for so long. Then they passed the hospital for the criminally insane, and his features darkened.
Moments after they passed the asylum, they started the climb to the summit of Solitude Mountain, and the light rain that had greeted Jose outside the Jefferson transformed into a torrential downpour. Jose looked over the side of the cliff and pressed against the car door. Robin didn’t blame him. The rain was loosening the soil on the cliffside, and small rocks fell on the roadway and ricocheted off the car.
Robin used the call box to announce their arrival. Moments later, the metal gate swung open to admit them. Robin had tried to prepare Jose for Black Oaks during the ride by giving him a description of the manor house and telling him the legend, but Jose still stared when they rounded a turn and a bolt of lightning lit up the mansion.
“What is this place?” Jose asked.
“Weird, huh?” Ken said.
“It’s even creepier inside,” Robin said. “And don’t gawk at Luther, if he lets us in. He’s the houseman. He’s huge, and one side of his face is horribly scarred, I’m guessing by a fire.”
The front door opened when Robin parked her car, and she could see Luther and Mrs. Raskin standing in the hall. Ken ran inside, but Jose stayed in the car. Robin pulled up the hood on her jacket to ward off the rain and opened his door.
“Come on. Let’s get out of this downpour,” she said.
Jose hesitated. Then he climbed out and followed Robin into Black Oaks. As soon as they were in the entryway, Luther stepped aside to reveal Nelly Melville standing behind her father. Frank rolled his wheelchair forward.
“I’m so happy that you can enter Black Oaks as a free man, Mr. Alvarez.”
Jose mumbled a thank-you, clearly embarrassed by the attention and torn by his feelings for the man who was responsible for his freedom.
“This is my daughter, Nelly.”
“Welcome to Black Oaks,” Nelly said, gracing Jose with a warm, welcoming smile. Except for his lawyer, Jose hadn’t been the recipient of a beautiful woman’s smile in thirty years, and he felt heat in his cheeks.