This morning, Robin didn’t want to work out, but she knew she had to keep to her routine or risk falling into despair, so she got her breathing under control, fought back her tears, got into her workout gear, and ran to McGill’s.
Portland’s Pearl District had been a dusty, decaying area home to warehouses and populated by the homeless. Then the developers moved in and replaced the grimy, run-down warehouses with gleaming, high-end condos, trendy restaurants, and chic boutiques. McGill’s gym took up the bottom floor of one of the few brick buildings that had escaped gentrification. It was dimly lit, smelled of sweat, and was home to professional boxers, MMA fighters, and serious bodybuilders.
Barry McGill had been a top middleweight many pounds ago and was one of Robin’s favorite people.
“Your buddy’s been here for half an hour, working out, while your sorry ass was still in bed,” McGill said.
Robin was certain that Barry knew what day this was, and she was grateful that he was his usual abrasive self and hadn’t mentioned Jeff or offered her condolences.
Robin walked over to the mat where Sally Martinez was waiting. Sally was a CPA, but she’d been a championship wrestler in college, who had just missed out on a spot on an Olympic team. After graduating, Sally had studied mixed martial arts. She was a few pounds heavier than Robin, but Robin had a few inches on her friend and they were pretty even in ability, although Robin had a slight edge.
“Sorry I’m late,” Robin said.
“Not a problem. I don’t have anything pressing at the office.”
Sally knew that this was the anniversary of Jeff’s death, and she came at Robin extra hard so her friend would be forced to focus. Robin was able to forget Jeff for an hour. Then the workout ended, and the two friends went into the locker room to change.
There were two shower stalls in the ladies’ locker room. Robin stripped and went into one of them. As soon as she was alone, memories of Jeff cascaded over her. Robin turned on the shower, hoping that the din of the rushing water would drown out the sound of the sobs that made her chest heave and her heart hurt.
Robin heard Sally’s shower stop, but she stayed in her stall. She didn’t want her friend to see her like this. She didn’t want pity, and she didn’t want to burden anyone else with her pain.
“I’m headed out,” Sally yelled.
“See you,” Robin managed.
A few minutes after Sally left, Robin gathered herself and wiped away her tears. After she dried off, Robin put on the pants suit she kept in her locker and started the twenty-minute walk to her office.
The weather fit Robin’s mood. It had rained last night, and there was still a threat of rain in the air. Robin stopped for a latte and a scone at the coffee shop across from her office before taking the elevator to the offices of Barrister, Berman, and Lockwood.
Regina Barrister had been widely recognized as the best criminal lawyer in Oregon. Just before she retired after the onset of dementia, Regina had promoted Mark Berman and Robin to partnerships in the firm and left her practice in their hands.
Mark had graciously let Robin have Regina’s corner office, which had spectacular views of the snowcapped peaks of Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens and the Willamette River, but today dark clouds hid the mountains from sight, and the rain was keeping most boats off the river.
Robin had hurt her shoulder when Sally executed a judo throw, and it was still aching when she closed the door to her office. She had just started to check her emails when her receptionist told her that she had a call.
“This is Robin Lockwood. How can I help you?”
“My name is Nelly Melville, and I’m calling for my father, Frank Melville. He has a legal matter he’d like to discuss with you.”
“When would he like to come in?”
“That’s the thing, Miss Lockwood. My father was in a terrible car accident several years ago. Katherine, his wife and my mother, was killed, and he was paralyzed from the waist down. He hasn’t left Black Oaks since he got out of the hospital. It wouldbe extremely difficult for my father to visit your office. Can you come here?”
“Where is Black Oaks?”
“It’s on the top of Solitude Mountain, several hours from Portland. We’re quite isolated, but the view is spectacular, and I think you’ll find Black Oaks interesting. It’s a re-creation of a famous manor house that’s on the English moors. We’ve even got a curse attached to the place.”
Robin was intrigued. “What does your father want to discuss with me?”
“I don’t know. He refused to explain why he wants to see you. Whatever it is has really upset him. I know this is an imposition, but I assure you that you’ll be well compensated for your time.”
“Can you tell me a little more about your father?”
“You might have heard of him. I know you practice criminal law. He was one of the top prosecutors in the Multnomah County district attorney’s office before he went into partnership with Lawrence Trent.”
“I’m relatively new to Oregon, so the name doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Oh, if you haven’t been here long, you probably wouldn’t know Dad.”