Read Online Whispers of Bedlam Asylum (Sigmund Shaw Book 2) by Mark C. King - Free Book Online
Authors: Mark C. King
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all this out, I need to know where they came from.”
A look of disgust grew on Burke’s face. “A shriveled brain? That’s an awful way for a man to die.” Then, Burke stopped walking and with a look of anger, said, “You killed my mates! I don’t care what you want!”
Sigmund closed his eyes for a second to allow his patience to catch up to his feelings. “I did not kill your mates. I lied about the poison. They were just knocked out by a chloroform type liquid. They will be awake in a few hours and will be fine.” This news did cause some relief to cross Burke’s face. “Now, Reginald, where did the bodies come from? A local cemetery? Some gang of thugs? Where?”
“I have delivered a lot of bodies from many different places.” Burke finally answered. Sigmund’s heart started to sink, but Burke wasn’t finished. “However, a few over the years, and several recently, have come from Bedlam.”
“The asylum?” Sigmund asked. It was his turn to be shocked.
“Yeah, the asylum. Years ago an arrangement was setup – all through notes, no personal meetings – that provided bodies. I would get a note sent to me that would give a location. When I went to the location, there would be a crate that contained a body.”
Sigmund thought this over for a moment while they continued walking. The whole idea of it was ghastly. Repressing his disgust, he asked, “Wait, if you never met this person, how do you know that the bodies are from Bedlam?”
“At first I only suspected it. The locations were differing, but all near the asylum. Some bodies had clothing and it was always of a drab, consistent look – much like you would expect a patient to wear.”
Sigmund was not convinced as this seemed to be the result of a lot of guessing. However, all doubts were removed when Burke continued, “I knew for sure it was Bedlam when one of the crates contained my mum.”
“What?” Sigmund could not have heard correctly. “Your mum was one of the bodies provided in a crate?”
“Yes. We weren’t close, she was never the same after the fever. I was just a kid at the time, but I remember her acting strangely, even dangerously. My older brother took care of me and somehow got her admitted into the madhouse. We visited on occasion, but she stopped recognizing us and we stopped going. Even though it had been years since I’d seen her, when I opened the crate, I recognized her immediately. She was older, but one doesn’t forget one’s mum. I knew then that my suspicions about Bedlam were correct.”
Sigmund didn’t know how to feel. Should he feel bad for this man? Should he be disgusted? He tried to imagine opening a crate and finding a dead relative inside. It was all so far outside of ‘normal’ that he gave up on trying to understand it.
Thinking back to the favor – shriveled brains and an insane asylum made a sick kind of sense. “And you don’t know who the contact is at the asylum?”
“No. He communicated only by notes. It’s better for everyone if you don’t know who you are dealing with.”
Raising his wrist threateningly, Sigmund asked, “You are not lying to me, are you?”
“No! I swear it!”
Sigmund believed him. It was all awful and terrible and somehow completely true. He told Reginald that he was free to go and the man did not hesitate to part ways. Standing in a state of shock, Sigmund watched the man head back towards the pub through the cold and wet.
Making his own way to his carriage, Sigmund knew that he was one step closer in his investigation, but also knew that he needed more to satisfy Dr. Ferriss and to keep his family safe.
8.
Never had a building looked more intimidating to Charlotte than Bedlam Asylum.
The blue-eyed constable – his name was Arthur, she had overheard – was driving the police carriage they were currently in. The steam-powered vehicle was designed to hold criminals in the
A look of disgust grew on Burke’s face. “A shriveled brain? That’s an awful way for a man to die.” Then, Burke stopped walking and with a look of anger, said, “You killed my mates! I don’t care what you want!”
Sigmund closed his eyes for a second to allow his patience to catch up to his feelings. “I did not kill your mates. I lied about the poison. They were just knocked out by a chloroform type liquid. They will be awake in a few hours and will be fine.” This news did cause some relief to cross Burke’s face. “Now, Reginald, where did the bodies come from? A local cemetery? Some gang of thugs? Where?”
“I have delivered a lot of bodies from many different places.” Burke finally answered. Sigmund’s heart started to sink, but Burke wasn’t finished. “However, a few over the years, and several recently, have come from Bedlam.”
“The asylum?” Sigmund asked. It was his turn to be shocked.
“Yeah, the asylum. Years ago an arrangement was setup – all through notes, no personal meetings – that provided bodies. I would get a note sent to me that would give a location. When I went to the location, there would be a crate that contained a body.”
Sigmund thought this over for a moment while they continued walking. The whole idea of it was ghastly. Repressing his disgust, he asked, “Wait, if you never met this person, how do you know that the bodies are from Bedlam?”
“At first I only suspected it. The locations were differing, but all near the asylum. Some bodies had clothing and it was always of a drab, consistent look – much like you would expect a patient to wear.”
Sigmund was not convinced as this seemed to be the result of a lot of guessing. However, all doubts were removed when Burke continued, “I knew for sure it was Bedlam when one of the crates contained my mum.”
“What?” Sigmund could not have heard correctly. “Your mum was one of the bodies provided in a crate?”
“Yes. We weren’t close, she was never the same after the fever. I was just a kid at the time, but I remember her acting strangely, even dangerously. My older brother took care of me and somehow got her admitted into the madhouse. We visited on occasion, but she stopped recognizing us and we stopped going. Even though it had been years since I’d seen her, when I opened the crate, I recognized her immediately. She was older, but one doesn’t forget one’s mum. I knew then that my suspicions about Bedlam were correct.”
Sigmund didn’t know how to feel. Should he feel bad for this man? Should he be disgusted? He tried to imagine opening a crate and finding a dead relative inside. It was all so far outside of ‘normal’ that he gave up on trying to understand it.
Thinking back to the favor – shriveled brains and an insane asylum made a sick kind of sense. “And you don’t know who the contact is at the asylum?”
“No. He communicated only by notes. It’s better for everyone if you don’t know who you are dealing with.”
Raising his wrist threateningly, Sigmund asked, “You are not lying to me, are you?”
“No! I swear it!”
Sigmund believed him. It was all awful and terrible and somehow completely true. He told Reginald that he was free to go and the man did not hesitate to part ways. Standing in a state of shock, Sigmund watched the man head back towards the pub through the cold and wet.
Making his own way to his carriage, Sigmund knew that he was one step closer in his investigation, but also knew that he needed more to satisfy Dr. Ferriss and to keep his family safe.
8.
Never had a building looked more intimidating to Charlotte than Bedlam Asylum.
The blue-eyed constable – his name was Arthur, she had overheard – was driving the police carriage they were currently in. The steam-powered vehicle was designed to hold criminals in the
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