Ken led the way to Samuels’s room. He took hold of the doorknob and turned it slowly. Robin tensed. Ken signaled Robin to stay in the hall as he edged the door inward. Then he squatted to make himself a difficult target before moving into the room and aiming toward the bed as he flipped up the light switch.
The bed was empty, and it didn’t look like it had been sleptin. Ken stood up and motioned Robin to come in. There were two places where Samuels could hide.
“Cover the closet,” he whispered as he moved to the bathroom door.
Ken stood against the wall and opened the door to the bathroom. Robin aimed her gun at the closet, ready to shoot at the slightest movement. Ken moved into the bathroom.
“It’s clear,” he said after a minute.
Then he walked to the closet. Samuels wasn’t hiding inside.
“Where do you think he’s gone?” Robin asked.
“I don’t know, but we have to get everyone together and let them know what we’ve found.”
Ken knocked on the doors in the guest wing and brought Jose Alvarez and Corey Rockwell downstairs. Robin rounded up Mrs. Raskin, Luther, and the caterers after going into the Melville wing to rouse Nelly and Sheila.
Ken had advised against using the library as a gathering place. It had only one exit, and Samuels could trap them inside. So, Robin and Ken herded Jose, Sheila, Nelly, Rockwell, Mrs. Raskin, Luther, and the caterers into the dining hall.
“Where’s Justin Trent?” Ken asked Robin.
“I have no idea. He wasn’t in his room, and it doesn’t look like he ever went to bed.”
“What about the detective?” Corey Rockwell asked. “Why isn’t he here?”
“He’s missing too,” Robin answered.
“What do you mean?” Rockwell sounded panicky. “How could he and Trent be missing? What happened?”
“Ken and I made a number of very disturbing discoveries tonight,” Robin answered. “They’ve led us to believe that Samuels is really Victor Zelko.”
Everyone started talking at once, and Robin had to hold up her hand and shout to be heard.
“Calm down and I’ll tell you what we found.”
When the noise stopped, Robin explained that the telephone wires had been cut. Then she told everyone about the wrecked car, the dead man inside it, and what she’d deduced from these discoveries.
“My God,” Nelly said. “Do you think Zelko murdered Justin?”
“I have no idea,” Robin said. “Has anyone seen Trent?”
There was a chorus of “Nos.”
“Is Zelko armed?” Sheila asked.
“We have to assume he is,” Robin answered. “I couldn’t get close enough to be certain, but I think the driver of the car was shot. If he was in law enforcement, he’d have been armed, and we have to assume that Zelko has his weapon.”
“What are you going to do?” Corey Rockwell demanded.
“Are there any guns in the house?” Ken asked.
“Dad wouldn’t allow them,” Nelly said.
“I’ve got one,” Rockwell said.
All eyes turned toward the actor. He looked embarrassed.
“I’ve got a license. It’s for my protection. I can’t count the number of times some asshole has challenged me because of my on-screen persona.”