The only part of the house that had not been cleaned and emptied was the cellar. The representatives of 'Harkness & Associates' explained to Dr Cale that the door to the cellar was locked and unfortunately no-one had a key. If he wished they could break open the door, however Dr Cale told them to leave it for the moment - nothing was pressing about entering the cellar.

When he asked where the access to the cellar was he expected a kitchen access or garden one, his surprise was evident when they told him that the only access to the cellar was via the study.

After the cleaners etc had gone he spent some time walking through the empty rooms of the house before finishing in the study. The door to the study was before him, even knowing it was locked he couldn't resist trying the handle.

To his surprise the door opened easily and without any hesitation he descended into the cellar. The smell down here was vile, something he remembered from the medical school autopsy room, it was the smell of cadavers. The gas lights still worked and he turned them all on before starting to explore the cellar. The first room he entered took his breath away.

It was a cross between a laboratory and a junk room, scinetific instruments and piles of books were in the room as were a broken chair. The floor was filthy and the walls disgusting. In the middle of the room was an old chair bolted to the floor.

To his disgust there was a pool of old dried blood near the chair and sprawled in the stain was a skeleton, some fragments of long dried hair and clothing still hugged the bones.