Read part 1 here
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‘Are we to expect you anytime soon Master Bruce?’ I asked with my usual evenhanded tone, hoping to get a reply in the negative.
‘No Alfred, don’t wait up for me. I’ll be out with, uh, a friend’
‘Very good sir, I hope you enjoy a wonderful golfing session’
‘Uh, Alfred. Did anyone call for a doctor?’ asked master Bruce suddenly just as he was stepping out to get in his car. His tone a shade concerned.
‘Master Dick I believe sir. He’s a bit under the weather. It’s the sudden seasonal change and I suggested he take counsel from a medical practitioner before engaging in self medication as both of you are wont to’ I spoke adjusting a note of stern inflection in my words, so as to defer Master Bruce from not only further probing but also so he make a rushed exit to avoid my abrupt comments on practicing caution in his line of work.
I’m never wrong about Master Bruce and he avoided these conversations like a cat avoids water, and I was left standing in a bloom of dust clouds as he raced his car towards the Manor gates.
Crisis averted, for the time being.
‘Ah Doctor, here you are then. How have you been doing?’
‘Outwardly it doesn’t look to be anything except sickness from drinking too much on an empty stomach. He should recover. Nothing that a days rest can’t cure. Make sure he drinks plenty water and has these tablets twice a day.’ Doctor Munro’s assuring words worked a salve and his lack of perturbed raised eyebrows did much to soothe our nerves, but what did he mean outwardly?
‘I mean’ said the doctor ‘if his condition doesn’t improve by tomorrow then you’ll have to bring him over to the hospital and we’ll run some tests on him to see what could be wrong. But I think that shan’t be necessary. Even now he stirs back to wakefulness’
‘What kind of tests are we talking about doc?’ Master Dick didn’t do much to hide his anxiousness.
‘Well, food poisoning for starters, but as I said it shouldn’t be that extreme. Let me know tomorrow.
Now that I’m here I might as well check your blood pressure Alfred’
‘I’m sure as hell it isn’t some food poisoning Alfred. It’s just not possible’ Master Dick reflected quizzically looking at me.
‘That is most certainly true, Master Dick. Every caterer being handpicked and well known to Wayne family, each dish dolled out under my supervision, though we might have to wait. Perhaps the young gentleman might be able to shed some light on last nights proceedings.
We have not till now even ascertained who he is except eliminating the possibility that he came with the intention of causing harm’
‘Getting sick in a strange house is pretty darn harmful in my book, Alfred. Let’s see if he’s carrying any identity-
Rise and shine fella. Can you hear me? Looks like he’s awake’
‘Where am I?’ was the obvious first question the young person elicited between gulps of water. He looked fearful of Master Dick, who seemed to be growling with his eyes at the now conscious person, holding out his medication.
‘In Wayne Manor. Now tell us who are you? Are you carrying any identification?’ Master Dick was good at a business like tone. I wasn't privy to this part of him and almost smiled at realizing that he had indeed grown up.
‘I’m, I’m Jean. My wallet, where’s my wallet’ Jean’s voice was suddenly high pitched with worry and grief. ‘I, I remember clocks. So many of them’
‘Alright, don't get hysterical kid and stop shouting. Here eat this sandwich and we’ll look for your wallet if it’s still in the house. Now how did you come to be in the house?’
‘So your father the French ambassador probably thinks you left early for your hostel? let’s corroborate that story kid.’ master Dick’s cold impervious tone had greatly frightened little Jean and it looked like he had a few confessions.
‘Y..yes you can speak to him, but please don't mention that I got drunk and passed out in your house. Please.’
‘We’ll see about that. Any luck Alfred?’
‘Yes Master Dick, seems like Master Jean is indeed telling the truth’ I said handing out his wallet ‘I also found this small glass containing a drink. Most of its contents seem to have been imbibed though a little still remains. It was lying inconspicuously under the couch. Can’t say I like what bending over to that extent has done to the crease of my trousers though’
There was a foreboding sense of despondency as I sniffed the contents of the glass and realized with much consternation that this wasn’t among the cache of drinks served at the party, nor was it in fact a beverage of any nature found in Wayne manor. This wasn’t right. No, in fact this was all wrong.
‘It checks out Alfred. Jean Marc son of Michel and Bubs Marc is supposedly at his School boarding, except he’s not’ said Master Dick ‘and you, Jean, you’re going to stay out of sight in this house. I need you to leave first thing in the morning. Heck, I’ll drive you to your school. Get it? And if you get in any mischief, or drink anything except water I’m calling your dad first thing’ Master Dick was brutal in his assertions and little Jean was on the verge of tears.
Can’t say I didn't enjoy that.
This was supposed to be a lovely autumn morning.
I relayed my trepidations to Master Dick regarding the contents of the said glass and we concluded that this was a deliberate attempt by someone at the party to poison Bruce Wayne.
‘There’s nothing else to be done save analyze these leftover contents Alfred. What do you say?’
‘To the Batcave, Master Dick.’
‘What I can’t understand Alfred’ spoke master Dick bringing his inquiring note into foray ‘is how did this glass reach Bruce’s study and why was it assumed he’d drink it?’
I was examining the drink contents under a microscope while the electronic microscope analyzed and fed data into the computer. There were something I wanted to be sure of. The moment I sniffed the liquid I’d been able to isolate at least one smell and although faint I knew what it could be extracted from.
The questions on master Dick’s mind were saddling my thoughts and the fact that someone was well aware of Master Bruce’s habits which he’d since assumed while recuperating were disturbing.
The small monitor had begun displaying a chaos of formulas, signifying the summation of different compounds and was now calculating the exact ratio of their assimilation.
‘Bufotenin. Just as you suspected Alfred, and that forms the largest part of this drink. What is it? some kind of weird poison?’
‘Yes master Dick, a powerful hallucinogen that can even kill if ingested in large quantities’
‘We almost had a dead body in this house’
This thought rattled my insides. Wayne manor was an impossible place to infiltrate and yet.. ‘Almost being the keyword sir, though I suppose it was only meant to cause grievous damage to a certain degree without fatal consequences, for it was diluted with wormwood extracts’
‘And what’s this? this other compound that was found in the glass, Alfred?’
‘Cat hair, Master Dick’
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