The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Ernest Dudley

Author:Ernest Dudley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: keywords
ISBN: 9781434443007
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Published: 2013-10-08T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THREE

A storm was breaking over London. Intermittent flashes of lightning were followed by rumbles of thunder. In his laboratory at the Nursing Home, Dr. Shlessinger was busy in his laboratory, handling a phial and a hypodermic syringe.

A lightning flash made him aware of the gathering darkness, and he paused in his work to switch on the laboratory light.

The light spilled through the open laboratory door into the adjacent darkened room. There came a further rumble of thunder and a distant lightning flash.

Shlessinger fingered his collar. “Phew…it’s damned warm,” he muttered.

Coming out of the laboratory, he crossed to the French windows, and opened one of them to let in some fresh air.

The front door bell was ringing, but a further rumble of thunder prevented Shlessinger from hearing it as he returned to his laboratory, and continued his dealings with the phial and syringe.

As the front door bell continued to ring again, more insistently, he abruptly became aware of it.

As he turned quickly to come out of the laboratory, he dropped the phial.

“Damn and blast!” he muttered, stooping to retrieve the phial.

As the front door bell continued to ring loud and long he shouted out: “All right…I hear you!”

Quickly picking up phial, he replaced it with the syringe on a laboratory bench, and hurried out of the facility, as the bell continued ringing.

Hurrying into the hall, he shouted again: “I heard you, I tell you!”

Yanking open the front door, he found Milverton glaring at him.

“What the devil’s happening?” Milverton demanded impatiently. “I’ve been ringing for hours!”

“All right…all right,” Shlessinger grumbled. “I was in the lab and I couldn’t hear you for the thunder.” As they crossed the hall, he switched on the lights.

Milverton looked about him. “Where’s the Colonel?”

“He’s not back yet…why, anything he needs to know?”

Milverton nodded. “He’ll want to hear about my meeting with Holmes.”

“So—how did it go?”

Before Milverton could answer, there sounded a muffled cry from the direction of the hall.

“Help…help me, help me, someone.…” It was Philip Green, crying for help.

Milverton gave a start. “Who the devil’s that?”

Shlessinger looked towards the door and shrugged. “It’s Philip Green…I’m just going to give him another jab.”

The French window suddenly slammed together with a bang; causing both men to jump. Quickly Shlessinger crossed the room and closed them, turning the key in the lock. “The thunder made it a bit warm in here,” he explained.

Green’s voice sounded again. “Help…help me…oh, help.…”

Milverton looked down at the syringe Shlessinger was now holding. “That the same stuff you used on Lady Frances?”

“No, it’s something I’m experimenting with,” Shlessinger said, going to the doorway into the hall.

Milverton gave a little shudder. “Gives me the creeps, that does.…”

Shlessinger looked at him cynically. “Bit squeamish, aren’t we?”

“Perhaps, but.…”

Shlessinger snorted. “Coming from you…a murderer of souls…as Justice Wade described one of your lot the other day, giving him ten years…!”

Milverton shrugged and remained standing at door, watching as Shlessinger crossed to one of several doors that led off from the hall and opened it.

Green screamed at him. “Help…!” he broke off, as he saw the syringe.

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