For a while, Robin had been able to dull the pain of losing Jeff by immersing herself in a few challenging cases, but her current caseload offered little mental stimulation. The mysterious summons had piqued her interest and going to Black Oaks would take her away from all the sights that were a constant reminder of Jeff.
“I can drive up Wednesday. Is that okay?”
“Thank you. My father will be very grateful. When you get close, phone the house.” Nelly gave Robin the number of her celland the Black Oaks landline. “Cell phone reception is spotty on the mountain, but there’s a call box at the gate. Use it if your call doesn’t go through. Oh, and pack a bag. You’ll probably want to stay the night rather than drive back to Portland, but we have plenty of guest rooms and an excellent cook.”
As soon as Robin disconnected, she used the intercom to summon Loretta Washington, one of her associates. Loretta was a five-foot-one, African American dynamo, with eyes the color of milk chocolate, who had recently started to style her hair in cornrows. Robin had nicknamed Loretta “The Flash,” because she was always in motion.
Like Robin, Loretta was the first person in her family to graduate from college. She’d grown up in the Bronx, graduated from Queens College in New York, and traveled to Portland when she received a full ride from Lewis & Clark Law School. Loretta’s hire had nothing to do with diversity. She had finished fifth in her class, had clerked on the Oregon Supreme Court, and was not only a brilliant appellate attorney but was showing promise as a trial lawyer. She was also fun to be around.
“What’s up, boss?” Loretta asked as soon as she settled into a client chair across from Robin.
“I need you to tell me everything you can find out about a man named Frank Melville. He was a DA in Portland and a partner in Lawrence Trent’s law firm. A few years ago, he was in a very bad car accident. His wife died, and he was seriously injured. He’s wheelchair-bound, and he lives in Black Oaks on Solitude Mountain.”
“Sounds spooky.”
Robin smiled. “It does, doesn’t it? An isolated mansion called Black Oaks on the top of a mountain named Solitude. That’s rightout of one of those old B movies that starred Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.”
Loretta’s brow furrowed. “Who?”
Jeff had been a movie buff, and he’d insisted that Robin watchDracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man,and a raft of black-and-white horror classics.
“Look them up too. Consider it a part of your education.”
“How soon do you need this? I’m knee-deep in the research in theKimcase.”
“Pull yourself out of that quagmire and hop on this. I’m driving up Wednesday, so I need the info ASAP.”
“I’ll have it to you when you get in tomorrow.”
CHAPTER FIVE
By the time Robin went to bed, she was emotionally exhausted and had a deep, dream-free sleep. She felt a little better when she woke up, but her shoulder was still bothering her, so she decided to skip the gym.
Robin was excited about her mysterious mission to Black Oaks, and she was anxious to hear what Loretta had discovered. Her associate was waiting for Robin when Robin walked into her office the next morning carrying two lattes and two croissants.
“What do you know about werewolves?” Loretta asked after taking a bite of her croissant and a sip of the latte.
“Other than what I learned watching those old horror movies, not a lot.”
“Then you better get up to speed if you’re going to Black Oaks.”
“And that is because…?”
Loretta scooted up to the edge of her chair and leaned forward.
“Black Oaks is cursed. Everyone who has lived there has met a horrible end.”
Robin smiled. “They get eaten by werewolves?”
“A few have, which should worry you.”
Robin laughed. “You have my attention, Loretta. Please go on.”
“In 1673, Angus McTavish built Black Oaks on a desolate part of the moors, several miles from Sexton, a small English village. McTavish had two sons. His wife and the youngest boy died from a plague that ravaged the area. Niles, the eldest son, began a career in the clergy, but was defrocked a year into his first posting. McTavish was the wealthiest man in the area, and the reasons for Niles’s expulsion from the church were hushed up, but there were rumors that Niles had been experimenting with the occult.
“Soon after Niles moved back to Black Oaks, Angus went for a walk on the moors. When he didn’t return, search parties were sent out.” Loretta flashed a satanic grin. “They found his body. His throat had been torn out, and, according to a contemporaneous historical account, ‘his face had a look of horror that haunted the dreams of all who looked upon him.’
“Niles McTavish took over Black Oaks as soon as his father was laid to rest, and the manor soon became the scene of—and I quote again—‘debauched and drunken revels shunned by decent folk.’ There were rumors that satanic rites were performed and orgies took place in the secret passageways and dungeon of the manor.