The Doctor and the Dead Man's Chest Read Online Free

thing he did know—of the two, “stored blood” would be easier to come by.
    Fenimore heard a motor start up. He shoved the small bottle into his pocket as Jenks rounded the corner of the barn mounted on the tractor. He was pulling a cart behind.
    As they watched, with a few deft backs and fills, Jenks positioned the cart directly under the carcass. Balancing himself precariously on the tailgate, he reached up and cut the rope with one stroke. The jolt caused by the carcass hitting the floor of the cart nearly knocked the small man to the ground. He jumped down, indicating to Fenimore that he was free to do his examination.
    Fenimore climbed into the cart and went over the flesh inch
by inch, brushing away the flies every few seconds, trying not to breathe too deeply or too often. He had to ask Jenks and Horatio to help him turn the carcass. An unpleasant job. It bore no marks of any kind.
    Next question. How did it get here? The Ashleys may have raised cattle once. But that was over a century ago. It had to have been brought in from outside on wheels, or … Fenimore turned his gaze from the barn to the river. Such a load would need a fairly large boat to carry it. It must weigh over a thousand pounds.
    Jenks, anxious to get moving, came up with a large tarpaulin and a spade.
    Fenimore jumped down.
    â€œDo you ever get any bigger craft on this river? Any yachts or schooners?” Fenimore asked.
    â€œSometimes—in the summer.” His expression turned sour. “When the tourists come exploring. Some of them actually come looking for pirate treasure!”
    Horatio perked up, but Fenimore’s interest in such fantasies had faded in the face of recent events.
    Jenks spread the tarpaulin over the carcass and tossed the spade in after it. These two actions transformed the piece of meat into a corpse for Fenimore.
    Jenks remounted the tractor.
    â€œWhere are you off to?”
    The caretaker waved toward the vast expanse of empty field beyond the house and barn.
    â€œAshes to ashes, eh? Don’t you need help?”
    For answer, Jenks turned the tractor and took off. They looked after him as he slowly made his way across the field.

    CHAPTER 5
    F our cars had joined Fenimore’s old Chevy in front of the farmhouse. A yellow Saab, a gray Pontiac, a blue Taurus van, and a mud-spattered Jeep. When Fenimore and Horatio re-entered the parlor, it was empty. But Lydia’s lilting tones could be heard in a distant room. With typical determination, she was carrying on the tour.
    They edged into the dining room just in time to hear Lydia describe her husband’s ancestor’s attempt at central heating. Standing in the huge walk-in fireplace, she pointed out two holes in the bricks on either side. “The heat from the fire was carried up through these holes to provide some heat to the master bedroom above,” she explained.
    As each guest took a turn examining the holes, Fenimore examined the guests. There were only four: three men and a woman. A tall, dapper man in a blue blazer and white ducks; a stout, balding man in a gray business suit; and a lanky young man wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and a sullen expression. The woman was small and sharp-featured, her figure completely hidden under a long skirt and baggy pullover. Fenimore realized that Lydia was still rattled from her earlier shock when she failed to introduce Horatio
and himself to her guests. She was usually meticulous about such matters.
    After everyone had had a good look at the fireplace, Lydia summarized the history of the house.
    â€œIn 1724, my husband Edward’s ancestor, Jonathan Ashley, came to this country on the ship Amelia … .” She pointed to a portrait hanging over the mantel depicting a ruddy-faced Englishman.
    â€œJonathan was a Quaker and had been persecuted in England for his radical religious beliefs, such as refusing to remove his hat for the King. And he applied to William Penn for help.”