Mr Lynch's Prophecy by Evelyn James

Author:Evelyn James [James, Evelyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Raven Publications
Published: 2019-06-25T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Captain O’Harris’ arrival had delayed Clara, not that she would begrudge him her time, it just meant that she arrived at the Institute only a few minutes before it was due to close its doors to the public. The door porter was reluctant to let her see Professor Montgomery and it took some persuading to convince him to ring the academic and see if he would make time for Clara.

“He has to think about his dinner,” the porter grumbled as he picked up the telephone. “It gets served at half-six prompt.”

Clara was sure, if it was necessary, the kitchen staff at the institute would keep a plate aside for the professor, though she didn’t say it. Like a university, the institute incorporated several buildings for accommodating both students and their tutors. Most of the higher staff, and certainly the professors, had suites of rooms on site. It was essential, as otherwise they would have to find accommodation further afield and would have the complication of travelling back and forth to the Institute each day. It was a self-contained world. A vast refectory enabled students and academics to have their meals without leaving the grounds. It was easy to see how Professor Lynch had been able to exist within the walls of the Institute and never stray further away. It was also possible to see how this had enabled him to mask his illness from his colleagues.

The porter finished his phone call and turned back to Clara. In a begrudging fashion, he said;

“Professor Montgomery says he will see you. You can go up at once, you know the way.”

The porter than removed himself from his little office and made a point of locking the front doors. Clara left him to it, heading upstairs to see the professor.

Montgomery was pouring over paperwork as she knocked on his open door. He waved her in.

“You have news?” He said, as Clara closed the door behind her.

“A little, but it will not cheer you,” Clara explained, approaching his desk and taking the chair before it. “Professor Lynch’s old doctor is still alive and remembers his patient well.”

“Old Dr Finnigan is still going?” Professor Montgomery said with some surprise. “I thought he must have died years ago. He was a good friend to Professor Lynch. Took care of him right up to the end. What did he have to say?”

“In the opinion of Dr Finnigan, there was nothing about Professor Lynch’s manner in his final days to suggest he had lost his rationality,” Clara explained carefully. “His last sickness would not have caused mental decay either. According to Dr Finnigan, Professor Lynch was as sane on his last day as he had ever been.”

Professor Montgomery fell silent; that was not the news he had wanted to hear.

“Did he say anything else?” He asked, a faint hint of hopefulness in his tone.

“He did. Professor Lynch had suffered a debilitating digestive complaint most his life, which he had managed to hide from everyone until his final sickness. This condition caused Lynch a lot of misery and suffering.

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