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One morning on the following week, Isabel was looking about Henry's house and remembering past events that happened while she had stayed there. When she came upon the basement door under the stairs, it was locked and none of the keys she had would open it.
Isabel recalled as children she and Henry played in the basement often and hid the key in the fireplace. Quickly going to the parlor, she removed the loose brick below the mantel and there was the key just as she recalled. Isabel replaced the brick, returned to the basement door, unlocked it and tentatively went down the steps.
At once, she was awe struck by the sheer magnitude of everything around her. "Oh my, look at this place. There is a laboratory down here." She saw a massive oak table covered with vials and flask of every kind and each filled with chemical of an unknown nature. On the wall, reaching from the floor to almost the ceiling, were shelves filled with books and, here and there, few specimen jars were tucked away. It recalled to her mind the last time that Henry spoke of his research in human nature. She never took him to be completely serious until now.
There were obvious signs of a hurried departure. Several bottles were smashed and broken glass covered the ground. Someone had burned the counter and there was a thick layer of ash on the table. Several books and papers littered all over the floor.
"Oh, there you are, Miss Durum. I was looking for you." Poole called from the doorway. He came down the stairway with a silver tray. "Dr. Jekyll never allows anyone in his laboratory, even me. How did you get inside? The door was locked."
"Yes, it was locked. I found a key," Isabel answered. "Do not look so concerned, Poole. Henry had mentioned his research to me, and I will be careful to be discreet about it." She assured Poole of this, even though she actually had no knowledge of exactly what the experiments might have been.
"I do hope it meets with you satisfaction, Miss Durum. Are you sure this is all you want?" He set the tray on the desk by the stairwell. She looked at it; a pot of tea, poached eggs on toast, fresh rolls, and jams.
"It all smells wonderful." She gave him a smile.
"Are you sure this is all you want? The cook worried it was not enough and will be glad to make more for you."
"He is probably used to fixing things for a man, but ladies do not eat much."
"Yes, I though so," Poole consider her words. "Although I do hope you find the master; I wish you will here stay as well."
"I had not thought about it; we will have to wait and see what Henry wants." She looked at the lab table covered with ash and glass. "I am going to clean this up for him."
"You do not want any help with it. Young Rose could come down, if you would like. Speaking of which, will she be suitable for your maid?"
"I like her. She reminds me of one of the girls I teach, but I can do this myself." She sat down at the desk. "Please tell me when Mr. Utterson comes."
"I will, Miss Durum."
"Poole, would you bring my coat? It seems a bit cool down here."
"Very well, Miss," He said and departed back up the stairs.
After she finished her breakfast, she went to work on trying clean up the laboratory. She brushed the broken glass and ash away, and then carefully reset the display of vials. Then she swept the floor.
She thought about what Henry told her about his study of mankind. This was his whole life's work. His one and only, great, all consuming quest. Why had he tried to destroy what had been so important to him? It made absolutely no sense to her.
She jumped back when she saw something was moving under the table. A large rat scurried across the floor. She tried to make it go away, but it only came closer, perched itself on a book on the ground, and looked at her with its pleading eyes. Then she noticed it was a white rat and seemed quite gentle.
"Where did you come from?" she wondered aloud. Isabel liked animals; she had a gray cat at Mrs. Ames' house back home in Devonshire. She bent down to look at the creature as it rubbed its head against her shoe. "Your poor little thing. You must be Henry's. How did you get out of your cage?"
She gently picked the lab rat up and set it on the table. "You're probably starving." She gave it a wheat roll she saved. The rat nibbled the roll and then began to clean its face. Isabel went on talking to it while she swept. "You are rather cute in a strange way. I bet you know what happened to Henry. What a great pity you cannot tell me."
"Now let me see what have you been chewing on down here..." She reached back under the table and pulled out a leather-bound book. It was a diary containing several dates and entries. Unfortunately, several pages were torn out, and someone had crossed out much of the writing. She flipped the last, remaining pages toward the end of the book and read the first words that she saw:
"...I have radically altered the balance of the formal to contain and overcome the powerful and darker forces at work inside me... I am aware of my peril and the need to control Hyde's evil influence which...disappears within me... like a stain of breathe upon a mirror...He has found the perfect hiding place." That was all she could discern of it. The rest of whatever else Henry had written she could not make out.
"Mr. Utterson has arrived now," she heard Poole's voice as he removed the tray and placed overcoat on the banister. He gave the rat on the table a funny look and shooed it away. It moved but did not leave the table.
"I shall be there shortly, Poole." She turned her attention back to what she read. It was obvious that this book was Henry's journal, or what was left of it. It was too bad so many pages were missing or she might have understood it better.
Was Henry altering his work, selling his formal, and taking more risks than necessary? Perhaps this Hyde person was some unscrupulous fellow blackmailing him. She recalling he mentioned to her sometimes he would speak out too quickly and rashly. He was more than outspoken about his beliefs in human nature; General practitioner seldom take kindly to those who would question their well-established methods.
Perhaps the writing meant nothing, except he was under a lot of pressure...She sighed deeply. There was no knowing what he had meant. Her head ached with trying to sort out Henry's motives...He was always saying things that sounded high and noble for mankind, but these things were better off left alone. Isabel believed people were responsible for their own actions and rarely changed. She closed the worn book and placed it on the desk. With John Utterson waiting for her, it was a mystery better left to another time.
Isabel had found a wire cage and put the white rat back in it. "There you are...Now, I must and look for your master. You be a good rat, and I will give you another roll when I return."
As she paused at the stairway, wrapping herself up in her coat, she
glanced around the room one more time. A strange sense of foreboding came
upon her. She wondered what other secrets this mysterious laboratory held
from the world.
At Scotland Yard, Isabel and John Utterson spoke to the chief inspector assigned to the case. The inspector's name was Matthew Grey, a middle-aged man, who seemed more than willing to share what he found. He told Isabel he could not give her too much new information. The last anyone had seen of the doctor was months ago as Mr. Utterson gave his report of the doctor's last known movements. They sat as John recounted his statements for Isabel to hear.
"Let me see if I understand you, Mr. Utterson. Emma said both of you left her house together after the engagement party. Then, Henry and you went to this place for a drink. Is that correct?" Isabel asked.
"Yes, we went for a walk around the East Side. The place was tavern called the Red Rat."
"I realize it is not ladylike to speak of these matters, but I must know the truth." She said slowly and cautiously, "Would I be correct to presume that this tavern also contain-how shall I put this - professional_bad_women?"
John Utterson raised an eyebrow. "You would assume correctly. I'm surprised you know about where a certain gentlemen may go to relax."
Inspector Grey looked a bit amused. "I doubt a woman knows very much about such things."
"If nothing else, I know where Mr. Ames goes on his days off from work from his daughters. Young girls will tell nearly everything to their governess." Isabel replied, a bit offended by his remark.
"I did not mean to insult you, Miss Durum. Only that you are young and have not seen all the vice and villainy that goes on in the world."
"Perhaps, but I think I am aware of some of the evils of this world, Inspector."
She motioned to John Utterson to continue his account. "You said Henry shut himself away from everyone, claiming he needed time alone to work on his research from several weeks, Mr. Utterson. One day, he asked you to retrieve some supplies for him at the apothecary. Please go on from when you arrive at his house."
"Henry gave me some money with the note to give to a certain woman that lived there- She was one of his new patients, I believe. Then I left Henry and headed for the tavern," John seemed to look far away, his voice grew softer and somber, "That was the last time I spoke to him..."
Isabel listened to John's narrative. He had obviously given this speech many times before, but it sounded a bit too rehearsed, as if something was missing in it.
Inspector Grey asked what was Isabel's relationship to Dr. Jekyll and Isabel acknowledged her lineage.
He began to fold his notes and put them away in his desk. "That is pretty much what you told us, Mr. Utterson. Well, I wish I could help you more, Miss Durum..."
"Inspector, what, in your professional opinion, has happened to him?"
"Ah, what has happened to Dr. Jekyll? Is he alive or dead?" He gave Isabel a weary shrug of his shoulders. "In truth, we simply do not know what occurred to prompt your cousin to vanish, Miss Durum. Dr. Jekyll is a very well respected physician with a nearly faultless record; however, we have no idea where he has gone, and, even if he does return, we may never know why he disappeared."
"Thank you, Inspector, for your honesty and for seeing us on such short notice."
He rose from his chair and moved to the front of the desk. "Before you go, I want you to rest assured that I will do everything in my power to see Dr. Jekyll return to his practice here in London. He has aided me in understanding the criminal mind better..."
He folded his arms across his chest, "You see, I am also on another case involving a serial murderer, and I could sure use any knowledge that might show some light on it...His would be most welcome."
"Inspector Grey, I know that my cousin would be very pleased to help you if he was here. Please do tell me if you find anything else that might be useful." She rose and came forward to bid him good-by.
"I will do that, Miss Durum, do take care of yourself." The inspector gently shook her outstretched hand; "There are a lot of strange people out there..."