Purgatory of the Werewolf - The Wolf of Dorian Gray (Book 2)

Chapter 2 - The Crime Scene Part 2

There on the wall hung the most marvelous painting that Inspector Clarke had ever seen. The colors were alive with life, a jubilant expression of passion and joy. The detail and brushwork were clearly the work of a master. He was no art enthusiast, but even his eyes could appreciate the skill displayed in the creation of this portrait.

Given the handsome features, muscular build, and disarming smile of the man featured in the painting, he could surmise that this was the likeness of the victim and the owner of this home. Mr. Gray was renowned for his good looks and infamous to the women of London. A painting of this quality would certainly have been very expensive to commission. That could mean that the victim's wealth had not been exaggerated and certainly provided a motive for either kidnapping or murder.

He made a few notes regarding the appearance and stature of Mr. Gray, before reluctantly averting his gaze and once more considering the crime scene. He scanned the writing he had jotted down in the vellum and cloth bound notebook that never left his side. Suddenly, something caught his eye near the window. He moved over for a closer examination. There between the jagged glass and bent metal appeared to be a small clump of dark gray hair. The hair was matted and thick. He leaned in closer.

"Ugh, and foul smelling."

Inspector Clarke carefully removed an embroidered white handkerchief from his pocket and brought it to his nose and mouth. The cluster of hair smelled of death and decay. It could have originated from a man, perhaps hair that continued to grow on a corpse even after death.

Inspector Clarke had found it helpful to assist various doctors as they examined corpses during the course of an inquest. He had drawn several detailed drawings of the human anatomy in his notebook while assisting in multiple dissections. The deceased human body could give so many clues about the last few moments of life. He found the process of rigor mortis fascinating. As he grew more experienced in murder cases, he discovered he could roughly estimate how long ago death had occurred depending on the state of contraction of the muscles and level of decomposition of the body. His train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the entryway.

Constable McDonaugh stepped into the room. "The perimeter has been set, sir. And there is a Lord Crawley here to see you."

Inspector Clarke frowned with annoyance. "I thought I said no visitors?"

The constable paused for a moment, unsure if he had made the wrong decision. "He says he knows the victim and has come on a matter of some importance."

Inspector Clarke sighed. It was clear the constable had meant to do the right thing. "Very well, send him in."

The constable dipped his head quickly and exited the room. A moment later, a tall man with short black hair and a thin mustache entered. He would have been described as handsome by some, in a dark and unconventional way. He wore a finely cut jacket and trousers that had seen some wear. They had once been expensive clothing but now were on the verge of becoming threadbare. It seemed that Lord Crawley had fallen on hard times.

The man smiled and gave a slight nod. "Ah, you must be Detective Inspector Clarke."

"At your service. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Crawley. I understand the victim was known to you?"

"Yes, Mr. Gray and I were once very close and had a number of business dealings together."

"Once?"

"That was some time ago and I have since had some rather bad luck that has kept me preoccupied. However, we did occasionally run into one another at certain establishments."

"What sort of establishments?"

"Err, I don't see how that is relevant."

"All details are relevant, Lord Crawley."