Melville smiled. “Don’t be modest, my dear. I can’t think of another attorney who could have done what you did.”
“Maybe you should show your gratitude by offering Miss Lockwood a part in our movie,” Corey Rockwell said.
Robin laughed. “I had my star turn in Las Vegas. Once was enough.”
Rockwell flashed a lecherous grin. “If we worked together, you might find a second time in the spotlight rewarding.”
Just then, the waiters rescued Robin by placing a hearty vegetable soup in front of the diners.
“I thought this would be appropriate for a night like this,” said Nelly, who had created the menu.
“It’s perfect,” Justin said, gracing Nelly with a smile.
“Has Mr. Alvarez told you what he plans to do, now that he’s a free man?” Frank Melville asked.
“No. I asked him about finishing his college degree, but he’s in his midfifties. He doubts anyone would hire him.”
Melville looked sad. “He’s probably right. So, he has no plans?”
“Nothing concrete. But he’s just out of prison.”
Melville brightened. “We’re going to work on this little problem. And I’d like any suggestions anyone can give me, because I am dedicating myself to making the rest of Mr. Alvarez’s life the success he would have had if he hadn’t suffered this horrible tragedy.”
The waiters brought out prime rib, and Corey Rockwell dominated the conversation during the main course with Hollywood gossip. Everyone seemed content to let the actor steal the limelight because his stories were entertaining and a distraction from thinking about the horrors their missing dinner guest had endured.
After everyone had finished the main course, the servers brought out apple pie and coffee. The level of conversation dropped while the diners dug into their dessert, and Frank Melville tapped his fork against his water glass.
“I have an announcement to make,” he said. “As you know, Katherine, my dear wife, died in the accident that left me paralyzed. After the crash, I resigned myself to being lonely, never believing that I could find true love again.”
Melville took Sheila Monroe’s hand. “Then Sheila came into my life, and, like Robin’s miracle, the impossible happened.”
Melville paused and looked adoringly at his dinner partner.
“I want you to be the first to know that I have asked Sheila to marry me, and she has accepted.”
There was stunned silence around the table. Then Rockwell started clapping, and everyone except Justin Trent joined in.
Sheila was about to say something when the sound of the wolf’s head door knocker echoed through the mansion. All heads turned in the direction of the entry hall.
“Who could possibly be out in this storm?” Nelly asked, stating what everyone around the table was thinking.
The knocker crashed against the door again, and, moments later, Luther led a middle-aged man into the dining hall. His pale, blue eyes were bloodshot, and rainwater dripped from his long, brown hair and down a face covered in a salt-and-pepperstubble. The man’s clothing was soaking wet, and mud stained his sleeves, his knees, and the lower legs of his slacks.
“I’m Carl Samuels,” the man said. “I’m a detective with the county sheriff, and I apologize for interrupting your dinner.”
“What happened to you?” Frank Melville asked.
“My car slid off of the road and through a guardrail. Fortunately, a thick tree stopped my descent.”
“Are you alright?” Sheila asked.
“The crash shook me up, but I only have a few scrapes and bruises.”
“Who should we call?” Frank Melville asked.
“I don’t think you’ll be able to get a call through. I tried calling for help, but there’s no cell service up here.”
“You can use our landline.”