ThePerfectPoison
THIRTY-NINE
THE LABORATORY HAD BEEN STRIPPED OF ANY VALUABLE instruments or notebooks that it might once have contained. All that remained was some shattered glass and a few bottles of common, readily obtainable chemicals.
“Hulsey and his son would have been in a great hurry to disappear after they gave Thaxter and Norcross the poisoned drug,” Edmund said.
Caleb turned up the lamp and studied the chaotic scene. “Something died in here quite recently.”
“There’s a cage at the back of the room.” Edmund walked forward cautiously, nose wrinkling in disgust. “Rats. Half a dozen of them.” He turned away. “Well, it appears that the Jones agency has two mad scientists to track down now.”
“Both of whom will no doubt soon be looking for someone to finance their research. That is the thing about science. It is impossible to pursue it without money. Sooner or later Hulsey will find a new patron. When he does, we will find him.”
“It strikes me that you will be needing assistance in tracking down Hulsey and his son and the other members of the Cabal.”
“You do not need to remind me of the enormity of the project that lies ahead,” Caleb growled.
“I would just like to take this opportunity to let you know that I stand ready to offer my professional services to your firm at any time in the future.”
“This isn’t an employment agency, Fletcher.”
“Right.” Edmund cleared his throat. “Just thought I’d mention it. What do we do now?”
“Search the place. The last time Hulsey was forced to flee, he left behind some of his papers. With luck he might have left us something that will tell us where he went.”
“I wonder if he had Miss Bromley’s fern here,” Edmund said, looking around. “I see no sign of it.”
“I will bring Lucinda here immediately. She may be able to find some evidence of a botanical nature.”
“I doubt that there will be anything for her to discover.”
Caleb crossed the room to the cage. He looked at the motionless bodies of the six rats inside.
“I’m not so certain of that,” he said.
“MY AMELIOPTERIS AMAZONENSIS was here,” Lucinda said, fuming. “I can sense it. That nasty little thief Dr. Hulsey took it with him when he cleared out the laboratory. That makes twice that he has stolen it.”
“The rats, Lucinda,” Caleb said patiently.
With a sigh, she crossed the room to the cage and contemplated the dead rats. Her senses shivered. She pulled her cloak around herself.
“He fed them the same poisoned version of the drug that you found in the snuffboxes that Lord Thaxter and Allister Norcross carried,” she said. “He must have tested it on the rats first to make sure it would kill.”
“Hulsey wanted to be certain of his revenge,” Caleb said.
Wyszukiwarka
Podobne podstrony:
quin?81101129081 oeb?9 r1Blac?80440337935 oeb?8 r1de Soto Pieniadz kredyt i cykle R1Pala85515839 oeb toc r1mari?81440608889 oeb?9 r1Pala85515839 oeb?6 r1Thom?80553904765 oeb?4 r1knig?81440601187 oeb fm3 r1Bear53901087 oeb qts r1byer?81101110454 oeb?2 r1knig?81440601187 oeb?0 r1Lab2 4 R1 lab24anon?81101003909 oeb?6 r1Bear53901826 oeb p03 r1byer?81101086520 oeb?0 r1knig?81440601187 oeb?1 r1R1 1schw?81101134702 oeb fm1 r1więcej podobnych podstron