Robin followed the detectives and Sergeant Pine into the library, where Nelly had been waiting with Sheila while the police interrogated her housekeeper.
“What’s going to happen to Emily?” Nelly asked Robin.
“She harbored a fugitive. That’s against the law. But a good lawyer can probably keep her out of jail.”
“Can you represent her?”
“I’m a witness, so I can’t. Did you know Luther was Mrs. Raskin’s son?”
“No. She just said that she’d known him for a long time. My father wanted to help him once he saw his scars. Dad was very compassionate. Luther always did an excellent job.”
“Hadn’t you heard about the fire at the state hospital and the escaped inmates?”
“Yes, but a month had passed, and Luther’s wounds had healed up by the time Emily introduced him to my father. We never suspected that he’d escaped from the hospital.”
“Mrs. Raskin said you had a houseman named Gilbert who disappeared without leaving a note or giving notice. Is he alive? Have you had any contact with him since he left?”
Nelly looked worried. “No. And he never asked for his last check.”
“We should have the police conduct a search. It’s possible that there’s another body buried near Black Oaks.”
Nelly shivered. “I hope you’re wrong.”
“That makes two of us.” Robin paused. “There’s something else I wanted to discuss with you. It’s about Jose.”
“You want to know if I’ll help him like my father was going to.”
“Exactly. He has no one he can count on, and it’s going to be tough for him to find employment.”
“I won’t know my financial situation until I know the provisions of Dad’s will. I will help him, if I’m able.”
“Fair enough. And I’m going to try to get him a job, so, hopefully, he can be self-reliant.”
“I’ll also help Emily, if I can. Can you recommend a good attorney?”
“I’ll write you a list and give it to you before I leave. What are you going to do now that you don’t have to care for your father?”
“I haven’t had time to process the fact that he’s gone. My whole world revolved around Dad.”
“You can resume your studies.”
“I don’t know if I have the energy to go back to school.”
“Do you have any plans for Black Oaks?”
“That’s something else I haven’t thought about. I’ll probably move out and get a place that’s a little smaller,” she answered with a smile.
“That would be just about any place,” Robin said, returning the smile.
“I guess I’ll try to sell it, but I don’t know who would buy it if I put it on the market.”
“There must be an eccentric millionaire out there who will fall in love with a haunted mansion.”
“I doubt it.”
Robin yawned. She looked at her phone for the time.
“Wow. The sun is about to come up.” She laughed. “I just realized that I’ve been up most of the night.”