Sergeant Pine ordered the search party into the dining hall. Robin and Ken followed him in.
“Mrs. Raskin, Luther, and Nelly Melville can take teams through the house,” Robin said. “They know every place Zelko can hide.”
“Will Mrs. Melville be up for this? Having her father and Mr. Trent murdered has to have taken an emotional toll.”
“She helped when we searched before. But I’ll ask her.”
“Who is Luther?” Pine asked. “I don’t think I’ve met him.”
Robin frowned. “He’s the houseman, and, now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him since you arrived. I’ll ask Mrs. Raskin to find him.”
“Is there anyone else who can lead a search team?” Pine asked.
“Sheila Monroe has been living here, but you’ll have to ask her if she knows Black Oaks well enough to help with the search.”
“Okay. Get our guides together and we’ll get going.”
Robin left the dining hall and found Nelly, who was slumped in one of the armchairs in the library. She looked exhausted.
“The police are going to conduct a thorough search of the house. Do you feel up to leading one of the teams?”
Nelly nodded, but Robin got the impression that she’d prefer climbing into bed and sleeping for a week to escape from reality.
Robin squeezed Nelly’s shoulder. “Thank you. I’m going to find Mrs. Raskin and Luther to see if they’ll take the other teams around the house.”
Robin went in search of Mrs. Raskin. She tried the kitchen before climbing to the second floor and knocking on the door to her room.
“Yes?”
“Mrs. Raskin, this is Robin Lockwood. May I come in?”
“One moment, please.”
Robin was surprised when the door opened. Mrs. Raskin was always so prim and proper, but her eyes were bloodshot, as if she’d been crying, and her normally well-tended hair looked like it had been straightened in a hurry during the pause between asking for a moment and answering the door.
“Are you okay?” Robin asked.
Mrs. Raskin forced a smile. “I’m fine. It’s just all the excitementand poor Mr. Melville…” She paused and took a breath. “He’s always been so good to me, and to go like that… He must have been terrified.”
“He’s at peace now,” Robin said, falling back on a cliché because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Did you need me for something?” Mrs. Raskin asked.
“The police are organizing a search party to scour the house for Victor Zelko. We want you and Luther to show the searchers every place Zelko might be hiding. Do you feel up to helping?”
“Certainly.”
“Do you know where I can find Luther?”
“Isn’t he with everyone else?”
“He’s not on the ground floor.”
“Then I don’t know where he might be,” Mrs. Raskin said.
“You met Sergeant Pine?”
Mrs. Raskin nodded.