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The Riddle
(The characters I've used in this story are real historical personalities But this story is a fiction.)
CHAPTER 1
THE WAKE UP CALL
1834
Barts Quarters, London
5:53 AM
James Somerville woke up with a start by the continuous bang at his door. In a semiconscious state he opened the door.
"Sorry to disturb you sir, but this is really important."
His expression was grim.
Minutes later, Somerville grabbed his coat and headed towards Dr. Riddle's house accompanied by his messenger.
No. 13, The RIDDLES
Somerville slowly moved past the muttering crowd. As he did, he recognized some of Dr. Riddle's colleagues and gave them a puzzled look to which they responded with a slight nod. Somerville was led into a gloomy room which he knew is the study room of Dr. Riddle from his previous experience. As soon as his eyes adapted to the darkness, he shut his eyes tightly and let out an audible groan.
He saw Dr. Riddle lifeless on the floor lying on his back with eyes wide open. The corpse laid admist a pool of blood and vomitus. Somerville noticed that Dr. Riddle had suffered lacerations to his left forearm. The abdomen had already started to bloat. Somerville felt the scene and the offensive odour nauseating.
He quickly came out of the room gulping for fresh air. It took him ten minutes completely to come back to his senses.
"Got a hunch?" asked Somerville to his subordinate.
" No sir. We are yet to collect the evidences."
"Okay." said Somerville with a deep sigh and went on to collect the crime scene evidences.
Somerville now with a handkerchief covering his nose scanned the otherwise normal study room for clues. The chairs, table with some documents and papers, a cupboard full of lotions, tonics, oinments, syrups and strips of some named and some unnamed tablets, a full set of real human skeleton with a white coat and a stethoscope around its neck hanging on a drip stand beside the table, a huge bookshelf with fat books were all in order. One thing that seemed odd for the place was 'Thall-Rat', a rodenticide.
Soon Somerville remembered an occasion when Dr. Riddle had mentioned the trouble he had with rats in his house.
Somerville wore a pair of rubber gloves and collected samples of blood and vomitus.
By then a chalk outline around the dead body had been drawn and photographs of the crime scene taken from all possible corners.
The collected samples were put into separate bags and were sent to the Forensic Department.
Finally Somerville closed Dr. Riddle's eyes and motioned his subordinate to take his body for an autopsy.
...............
CHAPTER 2
THE GOOD FRIEND
Somerville felt drained and daunted since the early morning call. He got into his car and headed his home for some refreshment.
His mind reeled back to his memories with Dr. Riddle as he drove.
Dr. Riddle was a very good friend of Somerville in the recent times.
He was a fifty-seven years old renowned anatomist who instructed at the St Bartholomew's Hospital, London and Somerville was a thirty-two years old anatomy inspector of England and Wales.
Somerville always found humility and warmth in Riddle's soft brown eyes. He would bring him the unclaimed corpses for teaching anatomy to his fellow students or to find the cause of death by an autopsy. Those were the days when teaching...
CHAPTER 1
THE WAKE UP CALL
1834
Barts Quarters, London
5:53 AM
James Somerville woke up with a start by the continuous bang at his door. In a semiconscious state he opened the door.
"Sorry to disturb you sir, but this is really important."
His expression was grim.
Minutes later, Somerville grabbed his coat and headed towards Dr. Riddle's house accompanied by his messenger.
No. 13, The RIDDLES
Somerville slowly moved past the muttering crowd. As he did, he recognized some of Dr. Riddle's colleagues and gave them a puzzled look to which they responded with a slight nod. Somerville was led into a gloomy room which he knew is the study room of Dr. Riddle from his previous experience. As soon as his eyes adapted to the darkness, he shut his eyes tightly and let out an audible groan.
He saw Dr. Riddle lifeless on the floor lying on his back with eyes wide open. The corpse laid admist a pool of blood and vomitus. Somerville noticed that Dr. Riddle had suffered lacerations to his left forearm. The abdomen had already started to bloat. Somerville felt the scene and the offensive odour nauseating.
He quickly came out of the room gulping for fresh air. It took him ten minutes completely to come back to his senses.
"Got a hunch?" asked Somerville to his subordinate.
" No sir. We are yet to collect the evidences."
"Okay." said Somerville with a deep sigh and went on to collect the crime scene evidences.
Somerville now with a handkerchief covering his nose scanned the otherwise normal study room for clues. The chairs, table with some documents and papers, a cupboard full of lotions, tonics, oinments, syrups and strips of some named and some unnamed tablets, a full set of real human skeleton with a white coat and a stethoscope around its neck hanging on a drip stand beside the table, a huge bookshelf with fat books were all in order. One thing that seemed odd for the place was 'Thall-Rat', a rodenticide.
Soon Somerville remembered an occasion when Dr. Riddle had mentioned the trouble he had with rats in his house.
Somerville wore a pair of rubber gloves and collected samples of blood and vomitus.
By then a chalk outline around the dead body had been drawn and photographs of the crime scene taken from all possible corners.
The collected samples were put into separate bags and were sent to the Forensic Department.
Finally Somerville closed Dr. Riddle's eyes and motioned his subordinate to take his body for an autopsy.
...............
CHAPTER 2
THE GOOD FRIEND
Somerville felt drained and daunted since the early morning call. He got into his car and headed his home for some refreshment.
His mind reeled back to his memories with Dr. Riddle as he drove.
Dr. Riddle was a very good friend of Somerville in the recent times.
He was a fifty-seven years old renowned anatomist who instructed at the St Bartholomew's Hospital, London and Somerville was a thirty-two years old anatomy inspector of England and Wales.
Somerville always found humility and warmth in Riddle's soft brown eyes. He would bring him the unclaimed corpses for teaching anatomy to his fellow students or to find the cause of death by an autopsy. Those were the days when teaching...
