Free The Deadly Curse by Tony Evans Page A

housekeeper did as I asked and the combined weight of Van Helsing and I soon forced open the lightly constructed door. As the two of us staggered into the room Mina stepped lightly between us and advanced to the bed.
    On it laid a grotesquely swollen corpse: that of a man in his late fifties, formally dressed in a dark suit and waistcoat, with his jacket removed. His bloated stomach and outstretched limbs were irresistibly reminiscent of Mr Tenniel’s illustrations of Tweedledum and Tweedledee, although there was little humour in the sight before us. The livid colouration of the face and the rigidity of the features made Van Helsing’s search for signs of life pointless.
    The Professor lifted up one of the dead man’s arms. ‘There’s a spot of blood here,’ he said, rolling up the sleeve of the shirt. ‘It’s Limonov all right, I recognise the poor man. Now, what’s this?’
    Mina and I pored over Van Helsing’s shoulder. There, on the inner forearm of the corpse, we could see two bright red puncture wounds, set about a quarter of an inch apart.
    Mina jumped backwards with a cry. ‘My G-d! Surely it cannot be! I thought we were rid of him forever.’
    I placed my arm around her shoulders. ‘Think, Mina. Those marks are far smaller than the wounds that were inflicted by Count Dracula.’
    She breathed deeply. ‘You are right, Jonathan. But just for a moment....’
    Van Helsing stood up from his examination of the body.
    ‘I’m afraid it’s quite clear what has happened. Jonathan is quite right – this is not the work of a vampire, or indeed of any warm-blooded creature. Dr Limonov has been killed by the venom of a particularly poisonous snake.’
    I swiftly looked about the room. ‘Then should we not find the creature before it strikes again?’ I said. ‘Mina, perhaps you had better wait downstairs.’
    ‘I think not,’ she said with a smile. ‘Three are better placed to search than two. Besides, if the reptile were to follow me and kill Mrs Garnett, I would never forgive myself.’
    With that we armed ourselves – somewhat inadequately – with a variety of objects from Limonov’s bedroom, and gingerly commenced our search. As I peered beneath the wardrobe I heard Van Helsing’s sharp intake of breath behind me and turned round to see him lifting one of the pillows on the bed. He held a clothes brush in his right hand poised to strike, but lowered it slowly to his side.
    Mina and I gazed at what his search had revealed. Resting on the sheet where the pillow had been was a broad and heavy bracelet of bright gold, in the shape of a flattened snake and of a size evidently designed to fit round a woman’s upper arm. One end terminated in a pointed tail and the other in the reptile’s head. The design appeared to be Ancient Egyptian, although neither Van Helsing, Mina, nor I were expert enough to identify it with certainty.
    The Professor shook his head. ‘What, I wonder, will Detective Inspector Delland make of this? Mina, I suggest that you go in search of a constable, and send him to bring Delland here. Please ask Mrs Garnett to remain downstairs and to ensure the servants are kept out of this room. Meanwhile, Jonathan and I will continue to look for the snake – although if my reading of this latest tragedy is correct, I fear our search will prove fruitless.’

 
     
    Chapter 7
     
    Less than twenty minutes after Mina had given her instructions to a constable and rejoined us in Limonov’s house, Inspector Delland came trotting up the stairs and joined us in the bedroom, where we had left the swollen corpse undisturbed, the golden armlet placed by its side. He was closely followed by an officer whom I recognised: Sergeant Drew. Instead of expressing dismay at yet another scene of inexplicable murder the Inspector appeared positively buoyant.
    ‘Ah!’ Delland cried, quickly taking in the bizarre scene in front of him. ‘This is all of a piece – the jigsaw’s coming together nicely. I’ve