Rockwell held the sliding gate open for Robin.
“After you,” he said.
“I’m not going downstairs. I’m meeting Mr. Melville.”
At that moment, Sheila Monroe walked onto the landing from the wing with the Melville family rooms.
“I’d advise you to tread carefully where Miss Lockwood is involved,” Sheila said. “She used to be a professional fighter.”
Rockwell snapped his fingers. “Of course. You’re Rockin’ Robin Lockwood.”
“Not for some time, Mr. Rockwell. Now I’m just plain old Robin Lockwood, Esquire.”
Rockwell got into the elevator. As soon as it descended far enough so Robin didn’t think Rockwell could hear her, she turned to Monroe.
“Please don’t seat me next to Rockwell at dinner.”
Monroe laughed. “I’ll make sure there’s a buffer zone between the two of you. He’s already come on to me and Nelly, and he only just arrived.”
“Rockwell said that Mr. Melville is financing a film project.”
“There’s more to it. That’s one of the reasons Mr. Melville wanted you to bring Mr. Breland along.”
“Oh?”
“Mr. Melville will fill you in when he’s ready,” Monroe said.
“Will there be any other surprise guests at the dinner?”
“No surprises, but Justin Trent is joining us. He’s Mr. Melville’s attorney and the son of the late Lawrence Trent, his formerpartner. And now let’s collect your investigator and Mr. Alvarez. Mr. Melville is anxious to talk to you.”
When Jose, Robin, and Ken Breland were seated across from him, Frank Melville addressed Jose, who looked very uncomfortable.
“When I asked Miss Lockwood to bring you here, she told me that she wasn’t sure you would come. I know this was a difficult choice for you, and I want to thank you for deciding to meet me at Black Oaks.”
Melville paused and waited for Jose to respond. When he didn’t, Melville forged on.
“I don’t blame you for being angry. I’ve been sick about your situation since Stallings confessed. Miss Lockwood has told you why my hands were tied. If I’d gone to the authorities and claimed that Stallings had confessed to killing Miss Prescott, he would have denied it. If I’d persisted, any court would have barred my testimony because an attorney cannot reveal what a client tells him in confidence. There was no way I could think of to tell anyone about Stallings’s confession.”
Jose stared at Melville for a moment. Then he said, “Miss Lockwood figured out how it could be done.”
“You can’t blame Mr. Melville,” Robin said. “I’ve told you that we couldn’t raise the imminent danger exception until Stallings was dead. If he was alive, he would have denied confessing. And even after Stallings died, it was a long shot. We were lucky Judge Davies bought it. I can think of a number of judges who wouldn’t have.”
Jose turned to her. “At least you tried, which is more than I can say for our host.”
Jose stood up and looked Melville in the eye.
“I only came here so I could say this to your face. If you’re looking for forgiveness, you’re wasting your time.”
Then he walked out of the room.
Robin stood up and turned to go after Jose, but Melville stopped her. He looked lost.
“Let him go. I knew he might never forgive me, but I hoped…”
Melville shook his head and sighed.
“Don’t give up,” Robin said. “Jose is still adjusting to life outside of death row. He needs time to think.”