Driving back from Rochester

“Why do we always end up in these wretched situations?” Jules Pollack broke the silence as he spoke to his friends in the crowded car heading down from Rochester and the Blackwood cabin. They were all worse for wear, with injuries mixing with dirt and grime from their ordeal in the old cellar. Lake was sleeping, having been sedated by Franz Alter after Moira Baker tended to his wounds. Mackie MacNamara was awake, but in no pain despite her arms being doused with lye through the misguided efforts of Franz Alter. Short sleeves would really not be an option in the future. The mysterious ring that was found in the cellar was now on Howard Lake’s right ring finger, and that had made whatever horror they had been facing disappear. So, Lake’s mother’s family had some 18^th century forefather that bound malign forces to cabins in New York State? Jeez…   

Jules Pollack continued, despite the deafening silence in the car. “Ok, let us get back to that lawyer, Joseph Klein, provide him with the evidence that Howard’s uncle Arthur Blackwood didn’t kill his wife, bid our adieus, clean up at the Waldorf, and then take a nice train trip back to Arkham and one of Mrs. O’Flaherty’s legendary dinners? Let's have Klein deal with Harvey Dent, that NYC prosecutor who was after ole' uncle Arthur.” Moira nodded slowly, while Felix just shrugged. Franz Alter was looking out through the window, and he was methodically reviewing some of the spots he had reconnoitered for a pharmacy. His mother would be ok, he told himself. After all, she had the cat.

Joseph Klein

Karen had finally calmed down, and Mackie was leaning over the cage. She would worry about her job and her future later, after a nap. The MacNamara Expedition was still weighing her down, and she kept on going over what could have been done differently over and over again. Perhaps she’d just devote her remaining career to quiet research and publishing before… she was out as a light before she could complete her thoughts.

The Blackwood cabin

Jules Pollack looked at the dormant figure of Howard Lake through the rearview mirror. He remembered the dashing young antiquarian that he had met on the train to Los Angeles, where he was to purchase a book for his bookstore, Lakeview Books. The original store had been destroyed by that automaton that had chased Howard Lake due to something that might take place in the future, in 1929. Fortunately, Lake’s mother, Melissa, and sister, Violet, were not in the store when it blew up, and a new Lakeview Books had since opened. Lake really didn’t look all that dashing now, but Jules hoped that perhaps the psychiatric skills of Dr. Henrietta Queeg might help him get a grip and return to a semblance of normality. Funny, though, this entire story about Mrs. Lake’s brother Arthur and their heritage…  

The cellar below the Blackwood cabin

Tentacles in the cellar