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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 with the aid of the dead became legal but not accepted widely. People believed in the concept of resurrection and thought dissection would disrupt the process. They considered being dissected after death was a punishment worser than death.
Dr. Riddle would receive the deceased with utmost gratitude and respect. He inculcated the same in his students. The students felt blessed each time when they got a cadaver for dissection because they knew how difficult it was to procure a cadaver. Infact, they gave real names for their cadavers. They believed that the dead taught the living and so their cadavers were held in high regard.
Dr. Riddle never married. He did not even date a woman. When asked him why he would say, "I am not single. Ofcourse I am married to my profession."
Somerville would joke that he is married to the dead. He was a man with the passion to teach and more importantly to know more about the human body. Dr. Riddle had submitted many research papers in Anatomy.
"Who even holds a grudge against this man?" Somerville mumbled.
................
CHAPTER 3
THE COFFEE TALK
Somerville had become closer with Dr. Riddle only in the last six months, wherein he had delivered him six cadavers of which four of them were Dr. Riddle's then patients who had suffered a mysterious disease. Somerville thought it was appropriate to hand in the four cadavers for autopsy to Dr. Riddle because only he had a good history of the deceased. The other two cadavers were of the infamous William lads (William Hare and William Burke) who were executed admist the crowd of more than thirty thousand people.
One day Dr. Riddle pinged Somerville over phone.
"Hey James, what about a cup of coffee this evening at my place?" asked the doctor.
Somerville was happy at the same time confused, because this man had declined the coffee everytime Somerville offered giving lame excuses.
There was silence for a minute.
" James, you online?"
"Yes, yes Doctor. Just wondering the reason for the unexpected coffee date." Somerville chuckled.
"I badly need a break James. So I thought to catch you up this evening."
"Sure doctor. At seven?"
"Wonderful. Good day James."
"Good day doctor." said Somerville and the doctor hung up.
The RIDDLES
7:06 PM
Somerville had knocked the door and called the doctor a couple of times. But there was no response. Somerville hesitated a bit but at last decided to try the door. To his surprise, it was not locked.
He went in calling for the doctor loud.
Dr. Riddle answered him from the last room, "Good evening James. Give me a moment, please. I will be right back."
"Cool doc, take your time." said Somerville.
It was fifteen minutes before the doctor appeared out of the room and said, "You can very well come inside my study room if... you do not mind."
Somerville hesistated but eventually said, "Ah, okay." and followed the doctor inside the room.
Dr. Riddle motioned him to take the chair beside him. Somerville obeyed.
Somerville took a glance of the room.
"Like it?" asked the doctor.
"Absolutely." Somerville lied and gave a meek smile.
"I called you so that we can discuss about the Dynamic duos." said the doctor.
"Duos, who?"
Before Dr. Riddle could come up with an answer, Somerville asked, " The William lads?"
"Exactly!"
"But you said you needed a break!! Off from your work." Somerville blurted out.
The doctor gave him a polite smile and stretched himself in his chair.
"The duos are refreshing compared with the mysterious disease." said the doctor.
Somerville did not comment.
"Do not worry. I have the coffee brewed already."
Somerville gave a half-suppressed laugh and said, "You work too hard."
"I do because I love it." said the doctor and handed Somerville his coffee.
Sipping in the strong coffee, Somerville exhaled loudly, "Too good."
"Thank you James. If not for this coffee, I will not be able to withstand a cadaver reeking of formalin."
"Right." agreed Somerville.
"What is so refreshing about the Burkers that you would like to know from me?"
"Rumours of something that Hare said in his last minutes." said the doctor.
Taking in another strong sip, Somerville started.
"The Williams were brought to the justice since they murdered and traded corpses for money.
They traded with doctor Knox."
The doctor nodded in agreement.
"At first Hare was granted immunity but the crowd chanted 'Burke Hare!' meaning 'Smother Hare!'."
"Yes I get you, and that is when the word 'burking' became famous." said the doctor.
"That is right."
"So we decided to hang Hare too.
But seconds before Hare was executed, he screamed ' we not only served Dr. Knox but also he-who-must-not-be-named. He proclaims I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.' "
"Oh holy." exclaimed the doctor.
Somerville saw the doctor spill his hot coffee on his shirt.
"You okay, doc?" asked Somerville.
"I am okay James. Age factor.
My hands do not cooperate with my mouth nowadays." said the doctor.
"Well, I have seen you dissecting beautifully with ease when it comes to work." Somerville commented.
"That, oh that...is when I am focused." Dr. Riddle stammered.
" A moment please." The doctor got up to wash off the stains on his shirt.
"Yes, sure." said Somerville.
Somerville continued, "Before anyone could comprehend what he said, Hare hung motionless.
Any idea doc? who could that possibly be?"
Dr. Riddle saw Somerville's reflection on the mirror and carefully studied him. After a long pause he said, "No idea James. I already have other cases to think of."
"Sorry doc." said Somerville.
"Any progress in other cases?" asked Somerville.
"Definitely, James. Looks like all my four patients suffered the same disease.
This mysterious disease causes gastrointestinal and neurological disorders.
Alopecia, recurrent skin rashes, painful peripheral neuropathy is the striking triad of symptoms accompanied by vomiting and arthritis.
All four had all of these symptoms and signs." said the doctor.
"Strange. Could this be any novel bacterial or viral infection?"
"Is this contagious?" added Somerville.
"No, James. As far as I have researched, it could not be an infection by a pathogen. The good news is it is not contagious. I could only provide the symptomatic treatment." said the doctor.
"Nice." said Somerville and kept the empty coffee cup on the table when his handheld transceiver burst to life.
"I think I got to go doc." said Somerville.
"Nice to have you James."
"Thanks for the coffee, doc. Bye."
"Pleasure is mine." said the doctor.
As Somerville was reaching the door through the main hall, he stumbled upon a bottle.
"Careful, James. Sorry for that. It is Thall-Rat. The rats nibble away my papers. They are troublesome."
"That is alright. Take care, doc." Somerville did not know it was the last time he would meet him alive.
.................
CHAPTER 4
THE PAPERS
Somerville applied the brakes as a conditioned reflex.
The car came to a stop.
He brushed off his thoughts, took a hot shower and addressed his apetite.
Somerville headed to the forensic department. He was informed that the samples were already sent for chemical analysis.
"Right." mumbled Somerville and took his chair.
He opened the Research Papers of Dr. Riddle that was laid on his table.
THALLIUM POISONING
FORM: Elemental, metallic state
COLOUR: White crytalline powder
ODOUR: Odourless
TASTE: Tasteless
SOLUBILITY: Readily soluble in water
SOURCE: Rodenticide and Insecticide
LETHAL DOSE: Acute- 1 gram
Chronic- unknown
MECHANISM OF ACTION: Thallium causes membrane depolarization by acting as a substitute for K+ in the Na+ K+ ATPase pump.
ADMINISTRATION: Food, drink or Medications
ONSET OF SYMPTOMS: Latent period of 12-24 hours
SYMPTOMS: ACUTE- Abdominal pain, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, delirium, depressed respiration, seizures, coma and death.
CHRONIC- Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, feeling of feet on fire, alopecia, insomnia, headache, delirium, coma and death.
DISEASE CONFUSION: Can mimic viral disease or a neurological disorder
VICTIM NOTES: Victim is often misdiagnosed.
BLOOD INVESTIGATIONS: Hypokalemia, increased WBC count, increased LDH, increased AST and increased ALT.
THALLIUM POSITIVE: Thallium levels can be assessed from the food, drink, blood and urine samples.
POSSIBLE ANTIDOTE: Stomach wash with prussian blue. Tablets Gabapentin, Amitriptyline, Pethidine, Tramadol, Lactulose and B complex. Antihistamines and calamine lotion for pruritis.
TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE
...........
CHAPTER 5
THE ALLY
Somerville was even more confused than before.
Just then one of his subordinates handed him the chemical analysis report.
"Any significance?" asked Somerville.
"Yes sir. Thallium levels are high in his blood sample. The strips of unnamed tablets are also salts of Thallium sir." said the subordinate.
"So what do you think?" asked Somerville.
"This is exactly the same finding in the four cadavers who were all supposed to have had a mysterious fatal disease sir."
"Oh I see."
Somerville was muddle headed. He took a look at the corpse of Dr. Riddle beside him.
The lacerations on the left forearm now came into view as words that had been seared.
He went near for a closer look. He could now make out letters. No, actually words.
It read, 'HE IS A SINNER AND IS THUS DISMISSED. I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.'
"I AM LORD VOLDEMORT."
The same riddle.
RIDDLE!!
It is Dr. Riddle himself.
Now it striked him hard, I AM LORD VOLDEMORT is actually a scramble of TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE.
Everything dawned on him, crystal clear.
Somerville had heard of the thirsty anatomists.
Herophilus dissected on live criminals.
Young medicos digging up the remains of their beloved and body snatching (dig up remains from graveyard of strangers) is not uncommon.
The eminent William Harvey, who discovered human circulating system dissected on his own father and sister.
And now Doctor Riddle traded his money for the greed of knowledge.
"Ofcourse. Dr. Riddle is no exception. Only thing, he was overcome with guilt."
Somerville sighed deeply.
He announced, "Suicide, case closed."
THE END
© நாச்சி
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 with the aid of the dead became legal but not accepted widely. People believed in the concept of resurrection and thought dissection would disrupt the process. They considered being dissected after death was a punishment worser than death.
Dr. Riddle would receive the deceased with utmost gratitude and respect. He inculcated the same in his students. The students felt blessed each time when they got a cadaver for dissection because they knew how difficult it was to procure a cadaver. Infact, they gave real names for their cadavers. They believed that the dead taught the living and so their cadavers were held in high regard.
Dr. Riddle never married. He did not even date a woman. When asked him why he would say, "I am not single. Ofcourse I am married to my profession."
Somerville would joke that he is married to the dead. He was a man with the passion to teach and more importantly to know more about the human body. Dr. Riddle had submitted many research papers in Anatomy.
"Who even holds a grudge against this man?" Somerville mumbled.
................
CHAPTER 3
THE COFFEE TALK
Somerville had become closer with Dr. Riddle only in the last six months, wherein he had delivered him six cadavers of which four of them were Dr. Riddle's then patients who had suffered a mysterious disease. Somerville thought it was appropriate to hand in the four cadavers for autopsy to Dr. Riddle because only he had a good history of the deceased. The other two cadavers were of the infamous William lads (William Hare and William Burke) who were executed admist the crowd of more than thirty thousand people.
One day Dr. Riddle pinged Somerville over phone.
"Hey James, what about a cup of coffee this evening at my place?" asked the doctor.
Somerville was happy at the same time confused, because this man had declined the coffee everytime Somerville offered giving lame excuses.
There was silence for a minute.
" James, you online?"
"Yes, yes Doctor. Just wondering the reason for the unexpected coffee date." Somerville chuckled.
"I badly need a break James. So I thought to catch you up this evening."
"Sure doctor. At seven?"
"Wonderful. Good day James."
"Good day doctor." said Somerville and the doctor hung up.
The RIDDLES
7:06 PM
Somerville had knocked the door and called the doctor a couple of times. But there was no response. Somerville hesitated a bit but at last decided to try the door. To his surprise, it was not locked.
He went in calling for the doctor loud.
Dr. Riddle answered him from the last room, "Good evening James. Give me a moment, please. I will be right back."
"Cool doc, take your time." said Somerville.
It was fifteen minutes before the doctor appeared out of the room and said, "You can very well come inside my study room if... you do not mind."
Somerville hesistated but eventually said, "Ah, okay." and followed the doctor inside the room.
Dr. Riddle motioned him to take the chair beside him. Somerville obeyed.
Somerville took a glance of the room.
"Like it?" asked the doctor.
"Absolutely." Somerville lied and gave a meek smile.
"I called you so that we can discuss about the Dynamic duos." said the doctor.
"Duos, who?"
Before Dr. Riddle could come up with an answer, Somerville asked, " The William lads?"
"Exactly!"
"But you said you needed a break!! Off from your work." Somerville blurted out.
The doctor gave him a polite smile and stretched himself in his chair.
"The duos are refreshing compared with the mysterious disease." said the doctor.
Somerville did not comment.
"Do not worry. I have the coffee brewed already."
Somerville gave a half-suppressed laugh and said, "You work too hard."
"I do because I love it." said the doctor and handed Somerville his coffee.
Sipping in the strong coffee, Somerville exhaled loudly, "Too good."
"Thank you James. If not for this coffee, I will not be able to withstand a cadaver reeking of formalin."
"Right." agreed Somerville.
"What is so refreshing about the Burkers that you would like to know from me?"
"Rumours of something that Hare said in his last minutes." said the doctor.
Taking in another strong sip, Somerville started.
"The Williams were brought to the justice since they murdered and traded corpses for money.
They traded with doctor Knox."
The doctor nodded in agreement.
"At first Hare was granted immunity but the crowd chanted 'Burke Hare!' meaning 'Smother Hare!'."
"Yes I get you, and that is when the word 'burking' became famous." said the doctor.
"That is right."
"So we decided to hang Hare too.
But seconds before Hare was executed, he screamed ' we not only served Dr. Knox but also he-who-must-not-be-named. He proclaims I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.' "
"Oh holy." exclaimed the doctor.
Somerville saw the doctor spill his hot coffee on his shirt.
"You okay, doc?" asked Somerville.
"I am okay James. Age factor.
My hands do not cooperate with my mouth nowadays." said the doctor.
"Well, I have seen you dissecting beautifully with ease when it comes to work." Somerville commented.
"That, oh that...is when I am focused." Dr. Riddle stammered.
" A moment please." The doctor got up to wash off the stains on his shirt.
"Yes, sure." said Somerville.
Somerville continued, "Before anyone could comprehend what he said, Hare hung motionless.
Any idea doc? who could that possibly be?"
Dr. Riddle saw Somerville's reflection on the mirror and carefully studied him. After a long pause he said, "No idea James. I already have other cases to think of."
"Sorry doc." said Somerville.
"Any progress in other cases?" asked Somerville.
"Definitely, James. Looks like all my four patients suffered the same disease.
This mysterious disease causes gastrointestinal and neurological disorders.
Alopecia, recurrent skin rashes, painful peripheral neuropathy is the striking triad of symptoms accompanied by vomiting and arthritis.
All four had all of these symptoms and signs." said the doctor.
"Strange. Could this be any novel bacterial or viral infection?"
"Is this contagious?" added Somerville.
"No, James. As far as I have researched, it could not be an infection by a pathogen. The good news is it is not contagious. I could only provide the symptomatic treatment." said the doctor.
"Nice." said Somerville and kept the empty coffee cup on the table when his handheld transceiver burst to life.
"I think I got to go doc." said Somerville.
"Nice to have you James."
"Thanks for the coffee, doc. Bye."
"Pleasure is mine." said the doctor.
As Somerville was reaching the door through the main hall, he stumbled upon a bottle.
"Careful, James. Sorry for that. It is Thall-Rat. The rats nibble away my papers. They are troublesome."
"That is alright. Take care, doc." Somerville did not know it was the last time he would meet him alive.
.................
CHAPTER 4
THE PAPERS
Somerville applied the brakes as a conditioned reflex.
The car came to a stop.
He brushed off his thoughts, took a hot shower and addressed his apetite.
Somerville headed to the forensic department. He was informed that the samples were already sent for chemical analysis.
"Right." mumbled Somerville and took his chair.
He opened the Research Papers of Dr. Riddle that was laid on his table.
THALLIUM POISONING
FORM: Elemental, metallic state
COLOUR: White crytalline powder
ODOUR: Odourless
TASTE: Tasteless
SOLUBILITY: Readily soluble in water
SOURCE: Rodenticide and Insecticide
LETHAL DOSE: Acute- 1 gram
Chronic- unknown
MECHANISM OF ACTION: Thallium causes membrane depolarization by acting as a substitute for K+ in the Na+ K+ ATPase pump.
ADMINISTRATION: Food, drink or Medications
ONSET OF SYMPTOMS: Latent period of 12-24 hours
SYMPTOMS: ACUTE- Abdominal pain, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, delirium, depressed respiration, seizures, coma and death.
CHRONIC- Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, feeling of feet on fire, alopecia, insomnia, headache, delirium, coma and death.
DISEASE CONFUSION: Can mimic viral disease or a neurological disorder
VICTIM NOTES: Victim is often misdiagnosed.
BLOOD INVESTIGATIONS: Hypokalemia, increased WBC count, increased LDH, increased AST and increased ALT.
THALLIUM POSITIVE: Thallium levels can be assessed from the food, drink, blood and urine samples.
POSSIBLE ANTIDOTE: Stomach wash with prussian blue. Tablets Gabapentin, Amitriptyline, Pethidine, Tramadol, Lactulose and B complex. Antihistamines and calamine lotion for pruritis.
TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE
...........
CHAPTER 5
THE ALLY
Somerville was even more confused than before.
Just then one of his subordinates handed him the chemical analysis report.
"Any significance?" asked Somerville.
"Yes sir. Thallium levels are high in his blood sample. The strips of unnamed tablets are also salts of Thallium sir." said the subordinate.
"So what do you think?" asked Somerville.
"This is exactly the same finding in the four cadavers who were all supposed to have had a mysterious fatal disease sir."
"Oh I see."
Somerville was muddle headed. He took a look at the corpse of Dr. Riddle beside him.
The lacerations on the left forearm now came into view as words that had been seared.
He went near for a closer look. He could now make out letters. No, actually words.
It read, 'HE IS A SINNER AND IS THUS DISMISSED. I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.'
"I AM LORD VOLDEMORT."
The same riddle.
RIDDLE!!
It is Dr. Riddle himself.
Now it striked him hard, I AM LORD VOLDEMORT is actually a scramble of TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE.
Everything dawned on him, crystal clear.
Somerville had heard of the thirsty anatomists.
Herophilus dissected on live criminals.
Young medicos digging up the remains of their beloved and body snatching (dig up remains from graveyard of strangers) is not uncommon.
The eminent William Harvey, who discovered human circulating system dissected on his own father and sister.
And now Doctor Riddle traded his money for the greed of knowledge.
"Ofcourse. Dr. Riddle is no exception. Only thing, he was overcome with guilt."
Somerville sighed deeply.
He announced, "Suicide, case closed."
THE END
© நாச்சி
