The Frankenstein Murders (4 page)

Freame understands completely the need to make haste; that much time has passed, memories have grown dim, and evidence has been lost. He has chosen to make the use of an associate, William Moutton, to aid in the investigation. Let me assure you of Moutton's complete trustworthiness. Moutton has worked with Edward Freame on several occasions, including the Grosvenor Square case.

So much of this letter has been the cold efficiency of a letter of business. I can only hope that you understand that behind it lies the concern and care of an old friend, whose greatest wish is to
help in any way he can. Once again, I pass on my warmest regards to your wife and daughters and remain your well-wisher and friend,

Sir Arthur Gray

Holmwood, Gray, Cameron, and Associates

Dear Sir,

In the morning, I shall leave London on the first stage of the investigation of Mr. Clerval's case. Before I go, I should like to set before you my initial considerations upon reviewing what has been gathered so far in relation to this case. Much of this may alter, dependant on what is discovered from this time forward; nevertheless, I have found that in cases such as this that it is beneficial to create an initial list of potential suspects. For this particular case, I can find only three possibilities. My initial analysis leads me to believe that there is only one logical line of thinking, and that is the suggestion put forward by Mr. Clerval that some acquaintance of Victor Frankenstein is responsible for the murder of Henry Clerval, Elizabeth, and William Frankenstein. As my investigation has just begun, all possibilities must be entertained, no matter how unlikely they might appear.

Victor Frankenstein, the only link between all three victims, could most easily be considered a suspect, yet that the victims were all dear to him would suggest his removal from the list. Admittedly, it is not unknown for someone to murder a loved one. Too many of the murders I have dealt with have been just so; however, based on the notes provided by Captain Walton, Victor
Frankenstein was deeply affected by each of the deaths, to the point that after each murder he collapsed and was ill for some time afterwards. Were Victor Frankenstein a suspect, this would also raise the question of why he should murder his youngest brother, best friend, and bride. It cannot go unacknowledged that Victor Frankenstein was said not to be in the vicinity when at least two of the three murders were committed.

The mode of killings is identical. William Frankenstein was snatched away from his friends and strangled:
the print of the murderer's fingers was on his neck.
Elizabeth Frankenstein, only a few hours wed, was found in her wedding bed:
the murderous mark of the fiend's grasp was upon her neck.
In the case of Henry Clerval, it was the same. There
was no sign of any violence except the black mark of fingers on his neck.
The murderer consistently chose strangulation, which in itself leads to a number of questions. Strangulation is no simple way to kill a man. It takes a strong person, and one intent on murder, for it requires the strangler to get close to the victim. Other forms of killing would be easier and place the murderer himself in a less vulnerable position. Victor Frankenstein chose a pistol and dagger to defend himself and did not rely on his own physical strength in order to try to protect, albeit unsuccessfully, his new bride and himself from the murderer's wrath. This too would appear to rule him out as a suspect.

The second suspect is the monster, Victor Frankenstein's creation. To maintain the monster as the one responsible for the murders is to take all that is told by Frankenstein as true — that he accomplished the miraculous and took the corruption of death and transformed it into the blooming cheek of life. To consider as fact the whole of Victor Frankenstein's story, my task then lies not in solving the murders but in confirming both the creation and self-destruction of the murderous monster. A significant portion of my investigation will be dedicated to the discovery of Victor Frankenstein's dubious achievements in the natural sciences.

As I have mentioned, it is with the third possibility where the greatest potential suspect becomes apparent. Mr. Clerval's suggestion, I believe, holds a great deal of merit and thus makes it worthy of investigation. It would not be impossible to believe that an unknown party, some acquaintance of Victor Frankenstein, made perhaps while in attendance at university in Ingolstadt, is responsible for the crimes. The only other explanation that comes to my mind is that the murders represent an uncanny set of coincidences. That would reduce Victor Frankenstein's story to the ravings of a bereaved and unwell man. It would also mean disregarding the personal connection among the victims and the fact that each was killed by the same method.

More needs to be discovered and confirmed before the truth of the matter can be determined. I shall endeavour to keep my conscious mind attuned to all I perceive so that I might not miss any evidence and mistakenly come to an erroneous conclusion. In all, it is far too early in the investigation to make any firm judgments; I wish merely to set before you my observations at this moment. Shortly, I shall leave London and direct my path towards the home of Mrs. Saville, where her brother, Captain Robert Walton, resides. It is conveniently on the way to Edinburgh. I feel it is incumbent upon me to meet with the man who last saw Victor Frankenstein. I have written to Henry Clerval's friend, Lyall Peacock, in Edinburgh so that he should be prepared for my arrival.

For the sake of expediency, I would propose certain tasks be handled by Holmwood, Gray, Cameron, and Associates. Specifically, the investigation of the DeLacey family from Paris, and the story of Safie and her father, the Turkish merchant. I would also ask you to request that Mr. Clerval find the exact whereabouts of Ernest Frankenstein, as I am certain that I shall also need to speak with him. I have attached a list of certain texts mentioned by Victor Frankenstein as those that most influenced his thinking. I would request from you any information about the texts and their authors,
and perhaps also that copies of the texts be procured and sent on to me in Edinburgh. I have no doubt they will prove useful in my investigations.

You have my assurance that I shall handle this case as I have my previous cases. Above all, I understand that the investigation must be conducted in a discreet yet effective manner. Discretion and expediency shall be maintained at all times. I shall strive for the objectivity and presence of mind I have depended on in the past to ensure that a satisfactory solution is found for Mr. Clerval.

Edward Freame

Once I had read Captain Walton's entire journal thrice, and felt I had a strong understanding of the case, then my investigation began in much of the same manner as other investigations I have recently undertaken.

I made my way to a narrow dark street, in truth more alley than street, in search of a particular public house made up of a catacomb of haphazardly joined rooms. A weather-beaten shingle hanging precariously above the main door names the establishment The Lion and The Goat, yet most who venture there refer to it only as “The Academy.” The reason behind this I have yet to discern. The purpose of my presence in that less-than-savoury part of London was due to the fact that I have found it the most efficient way to locate my assistant William Moutton, or, as he is called by the owner, barmaids, and patrons of the public house, Mutt. Mutt's employment with the public house is conveniently accommodating, and so far it has been of no consequence for me to take him away for a number of days. Perhaps the owner knows the rarity of finding such a great tall and broad fellow who not only keeps a careful eye on the barmaids, but who is also an abstainer. In the short while that I actually passed in the public house, I did not go into any great detail about the Clerval case; I did imply that it would certainly be more complex than any of our previous cases. Instead,
I merely informed Mutt that my investigative services had been requested and asked that he join me. After a brief exchange of no more than a dozen words with the tavern owner, Mutt collected his coat and followed me out.

As Mutt accompanied me back to my chambers, where I would apprise him more thoroughly of Mr. Clerval's case, I occupied myself by appraising his person. Even as a very young boy, I have been fascinated by human nature, and I could be content to sit for hours watching people pass, observing their behaviour and mannerisms, and from these deducing their character. This interest of mine has aided me in my profession, as it has helped me when examining those persons involved in a case. My fascination with human nature is piqued by my curiosity of how the criminal mind functions. Many times have I wondered how it is that an otherwise educated and knowing person can be responsible for acts of violence and yet feel no remorse, yet furthermore, have no compunction against laying the blame elsewhere. Sadly, this observation could be applied to many of the cases and criminals with which I have dealt.

On this day, as we walked, I studied Mutt. He has acted as my associate for close to a dozen cases, and first joined me in my investigations after I had been working with Sir Arthur Gray and Holmwood, Gray, Cameron, and Associates for a little over a year. Although Mutt has told me little of his education and his background, particular elements of his makeup and character are known to me through my own observations. Certainly, the area I know best of him is how he deports himself in our investigations. Mutt's greatest talent is his ability to gain a great deal of information in a relatively short period of time.

His colouring is dark, and he speaks with an accent I find hard to distinguish. His heritage is mixed. I would guess by his looks that he has Spanish or Italian blood in him, yet his speech and accent patterns tell of an upbringing from the more northern part of continental Europe. He demonstrates a wide knowledge
of many continental countries, which supports this supposition. In all, he is a man of limited culture, but with a considerable amount of brute strength both physically and mentally. He is not a reader of books, but he has travelled far, and he has seen a considerable portion of the world. He remembers all he has learned and observed.

His appearance is youthful. Only in his eyes can the age he carries with him be determined; at times, those eyes look to be over a hundred years old, although he can be but thirty at the most. Early on in our acquaintance, I concluded that my associate was not unaccustomed to rough situations. His visage is disfigured by a scar, which runs along the side of his face and down his neck. The blade must have been fine and sharp, and the stitching up of the wound done carefully, for the scar is little more than a thin white line. I have glimpsed similar scars on his arms and legs in such a large number that I could well believe he had been patched together by a number of accomplished seamstresses.

Mutt's largeness, strength, and fearlessness can truly be daunting. His size is often his greatest asset in our mutual undertakings, for occasionally all it takes is for his impressive bulk to enter the area and even the stoutest of men hesitate to confront him. Yet even with the size of him, he can slip in and out unnoticed, or is paid no more heed than the smallest street urchin would prompt. Numerous times I have been amazed that his presence has gone completely unnoticed or forgotten. He is something of a sheep in wolf's clothing. His skill with the knife has also proved essential in more than one instance where our investigations have found us in perilous circumstances.

Once we had reached my chambers, my first task was to give Mutt what details I felt he needed. I began by giving him a summary of the tale that Victor Frankenstein told Captain Robert Walton, and how our employer, Mr. Clerval, came into possession of the Captain's journal. As he listened, Mutt's eyes took on a peculiar
light that no doubt mirrored the strange excitement I myself have felt upon embarking on a new case. Much as I feel now, I am drawn to this case. Our investigations have taken us to many strange places. We have dealt with supposed ghosts and spectres, and other apparently unnatural phenomena, but never have we ventured where a man of science claimed to have given life to that which was long dead.

In addition, I carefully detailed for Mutt Victor Frankenstein's general description of the monster: dark hair and eyes, white teeth, taller than most men, skin yellow and stretched over arteries and muscle, limbs in proportion and able to strangle the life out of a man with apparent ease. Mutt listened attentively to my observation that the unusual size and appearance of the monster-murderer could only help us in our investigation, for if anyone has seen such a creature, they are not likely to forget him. Mutt was also in complete agreement that if a monster such as the one Victor Frankenstein describes still roams the earth to this day, then indeed it should be stopped.

I presented Mutt with the possible solutions to these murders, pointing out that the most likely solution is that some miscreant acquaintance of Victor Frankenstein's killed three innocent people in order to revenge himself upon Frankenstein for some underhanded activity — gaming debts, adultery, or some other unsavoury activity. Although the story as presented by Victor Frankenstein is hard to credit, we will investigate his studies and experiments, and endeavour to keep our thoughts as judicious as possible. Mutt attended my initial considerations regarding Mr. Clerval's case, and did not provide, by either word or action, any indication that he found any fault with these initial considerations. Among other difficulties, the murderer's trail is close to two years old, and we do not need our own thoughts causing us even more impediments.