Cinco viudas negras

*Five Black Widows* by Clark Carrados is a mystery-horror story centered on the reading of a provocative will. Silas McDougal, recently deceased, has left instructions for his attorney Malcolm Weghson to read his testament while his body still lies in state. The document reveals McDougal's suspicion that his relatives coveted his fortune and plotted his murder. He bequeaths five thousand pounds to each heir but designates an unnamed universal heir whose identity remains secret. McDougal's curse warns that he will rise from his grave to punish any who attempt to murder his successor. The revelation sparks conflict among the assembled relatives, and it emerges that McDougal had amassed considerable wealth in secretly minted gold coins hidden in the house. The narrative introduces Melvin Yale, a visitor to the village of Kerbury, who encounters the ghost of McDougal fishing by the river, claiming he was murdered and demanding justice.