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

Chapter 17 - The Hunter's Moon Part 2

Van Helsing left Lady Helena's home and immediately hired a hansom to take him into the city. A little Russian silver quickly led him to a small French café where Inspector Clarke was having his lunch. Van Helsing approached the table where a man fitting the Inspector's description was seated facing the door. There was an impatient looking constable to his right. The table itself was crowded with food enough for four men and piled high with enough paper to keep a small army of clerks busy for a week.

"Pardon my intrusion, Inspector Clarke. I was wondering if I might have a word with you." Van Helsing approached slowly under the watchful glare of the constable.

The Inspector looked up with a flaky pastry in one hand and a well-worn pen in the other. "Yes, of course my good man. I notice by the salt clinging to your wool sash that you have just arrived from a long sea voyage...Transylvania was it?"

Van Helsing was taken aback by the accuracy and directness of the man's guess. "I traveled from Macedonia, but my homeland is actually Romania."

"Ah, yes of course. I should have guessed from the feather. Is that from a Romanian pheasant?"

Van Helsing reached up to his hat and fingered the long feather. "How astute of you. My name is Doctor Nicolai Van Helsing. I must confess I have a somewhat morbid fascination with the human body, particularly in studying how it reacts at the moment of death."

The Inspector lowered his pastry slowly, suddenly distracted from the delicate treat. "You don't say."

"I have seen many medical accounts of strange deaths and observed a few for myself. A Lady Helena informed me that you have had some quite peculiar murders in the city recently. I was wondering if you would be willing to share with me any details of the wounds that were inflicted. Perhaps I could assist your investigations with some medical insight."

The Inspector beckoned Van Helsing to join him at the table. "Constable McDonaugh, please make room for the Doctor to join us. What sort of strange deaths have you made a medical examination of?"

Van Helsing pulled up the open chair at the table as the constable moved several stacks of paper into a large wooden crate on the floor. "Mostly large animal attacks."

The Inspector licked his finger and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper. "Fascinating. What sort of animals?"

"Lion attacks, panther kills, one man who was eaten by a bear, and several wolf attacks."

The Inspector began making notes. "How did you know they were animal attacks and not the result of one man killing another? I once had a case involving a serial killer who disfigured his victims with animal claws and even placed imprints in the mud using the stuffed foot of a beast."

Van Helsing closed his eyes as he remembered the scene of his father's death. "In the small details really. A madman could mimic the ferocity of the beast, but the wounds he inflicts would be different. In the case of an animal attack, there might be bite marks at the neck aimed at crushing the carotid artery or partially eaten exposed intestines. The fingernails of the victim could identify their attacker by what type of material they contain."

The Inspector reached down into the large wooden crate and removed something. "You do seem quite knowledgeable, Doctor. Tell me, what do you make of this hair sample?"

The Inspector handed Van Helsing a folded piece of wax paper. Inside were two clumps of matted, dark gray hair. His one eye grew large, first with fear and then hate. He spoke only one word in a hushed tone. "Vârcolac."

The Inspector leaned in closer. "Are you familiar with this type of hair? I collected it from two different crime scenes with more destruction and ferocity than I have ever seen before. In your expert opinion, is the hair human or animal?"

Van Helsing returned the sample and sat back in his chair. As soon as he had touched the hair, his demon eye had begun gently burning. The sensation subsided slightly as he broke contact with the sample. "Neither."

The Inspector looked doubtful. "What do you mean?"

Van Helsing stared at the man with his good eye. "I suppose it is closest to the hair of a large wolf. But few have ever seen a wolf like this."

Constable McDonaugh rolled his eyes and sighed. The Inspector's reproachful look returned him to silence. "But you have?"

Van Helsing regarded the two men carefully. "Once. If you allow me to assist you, I would like to see these crime scenes and, with your help, search the surrounding woods. I do have some experience in tracking large animals."

The two lawmen exchanged meaningful glances. "Perhaps we can help each other. Your arrival might be the stroke of good luck we need to finally track down the killer—be it animal or human."

Van Helsing smiled with the toothy grin of a predator. "More like bad luck for the killer."