Entry 4

"It is a little early to be looking for The Ripper, I reckon," I said as we headed down the stairs. "Why do you think they call her that anyway? 'Jack the Ripper'?"

"I take it you did not make it to the letters, then."

"I'm sorry?"

"Evelyn referred to herself as 'Jack the Ripper', or at least someone did so on her behalf," Shirleigh explained. "The police received a great many letters and postcards supposedly written by The Whitechapel Murderer. Only the most recent few are thought to be genuine and are signed by one 'Jack the Ripper'. The ones in that file which you hold are indeed written all by a singular person."

"Huh..."

I glanced down at the case folder that I brought along with me and flipped through the papers. Finding one of the letters Shirleigh mentioned, I read it as we came to a halt in front of Mr. Hudson's desk in the main lobby. My skin crawled as I skimmed through the contents of the writings and I closed the folder again, unable to continue.

"Or maybe she was forced to write them..."

When I looked up, Shirleigh was standing with her arms folded in front of her chest, her head tilted to one side and she tapped her foot impatiently. As she leaned against the desk to finally say something, Mr. Hudson came around the corner with a few items in his possession. He smiled at us and my face warmed.

"Good morning," he greeted. "I hope you are both well-rested, it seems you have quite the day ahead of you."

"You know what we're going to do?" I asked.

"Not exactly," he replied. "As I have stated before, Shirleigh rarely relays to me her plans or whereabouts. However, she does come to me with rather specific requests and I can more or less figure out what it is she is up to."

Shirleigh grumbled and crossed her arms again.

"Apologies, Shirleigh, I know how you dislike needless conversation," Hudson turned to face her, placing the items he held on the desktop. "Here is everything you asked of me."

Among the items was a walking cane similar to the one I used, a curious device that resembled that of a miniature telescope and a leather pouch which Shirleigh handed to me. It was of considerable weight.

"What is this?"

"A revolver," she said bluntly, turning back to Mr. Hudson.

"A firearm?" I exclaimed. "Why? Surely I won't have to use it?"

"You will if your life is in jeopardy," Shirleigh told me, placing the tablet-like device in her satchel. "I trust you know how to shoot."

"What makes you say that?" I said. "I have never even held such a weapon before!"

She shrugged and took the cane within her grasp before turning to me. I had never realised just how tall she truly was.

"You shall figure it out when the time comes."

"That isn't very reassuring," I sighed.

Mr. Hudson chuckled.

"I wish you both the best of luck, not that Shirleigh believes in unseen forces," he said, smiling before a more serious expression crossed his face. "And Miss Watson, do be careful. I wish I could come along with you, but my services are needed here. I look forward to seeing you both return safe and sound."

Shirleigh nodded, her attention now focused on the front doors. Her grip on the cane tightened and then relaxed before she took a determined step forward. I waved farewell to Mr. Hudson and followed closely behind Shirleigh. She pushed open the large doors and the hunt began.

»»————-　♔　————-««

"He's really nice," I said aloud after we walked a good deal down the cobblestone. 

Shirleigh gave an inquiring hum.

"Mr. Hudson," I told her.

Shirleigh gave an indifferent hum.

"How long have you two known each other?" I asked, hoping she would tell me something about her past.

"It does not concern you."

I should have known better than to think she would have opened up to me so easily. Sighing, I watched as her long legs carried her down the road. She had a much longer stride than I did, and I often found myself occasionally jogging to keep up with her. Her arms were strong by her side, and her hands clenched into fists as she stared ahead, not letting anything take her focus from her ultimate goal.

"You never did tell me why we left so early," I wondered. "The Ripper only works at night, right?"

"That is precisely why we are confronting her during the daytime," Shirleigh told me. "If we wait until tonight, it may already be too late before she claims another life. We do not have any clues as to who or where her next victim is. We do know the perpetrator's real identity, however, meaning we know exactly who she is and where to find her."

My eyebrows knitted together in thought.

"Wait," I said. "We're going to her place of work?"

»»————-　♔　————-«« 

The woman at the front desk was growing rather agitated with Shirleigh's persistence to see Evelyn who was most likely working in one of the rooms in the back of the building. My leg had grown tired and I rested on a chair near the entrance, my head resting in my hand.

It had been at least thirty minutes since we arrived at the local hospital and entered the mortuary building where Evelyn was occupied. Shirleigh was doing her best to ask permission to speak with her, in Shirleigh's unique kind of way, but the receptionist was adamant about not having visitors who had no business being there—especially ones who claimed to be self-employed investigators hunting down a serial killer in a morgue.

 I insisted multiple times, that we leave, but Shirleigh was not leaving until she got what she came for. The woman at the desk had threatened to call the police, but after Shirleigh told her that if the police were letting a murderer run free, what would make her think that they would apprehend someone causing a mild disturbance in a hospital? Or something along those lines. Shirleigh proceeded to talk the ear off of the woman who casually ignored her.

My eyelids grew heavy and just as I was about to doze off, I heard a clatter and the receptionist shouted. Jumping to my feet, I witnessed Shirleigh sprinting down the hallway. Grabbing my things, I apologised to the receptionist before taking off after my flatmate.

I stopped in front of an open door, inside, Shirleigh took a defensive stance, the cane she brought with her was tied to her side with her muffler. Peeking around her, Evelyn stared in bewilderment, a scalpel in her hand. She stood beside a table where a corpse lay. Shirleigh must have barged in on her amid her work.

"I- Shirleigh?" Evelyn spoke breaking the silence. She glanced over at me. "Junie? Why are you two here? Is something wrong?"

"Who is that?" Shirleigh asked, motioning toward the corpse. "Another victim of the Whitechapel Murderer?"

Evelyn turned her attention to the body on the table, her grip on the scalpel tightened and her jaw clenched.

"It's awful, right?" she said. "Mutilating women, leaving their bodies to the elements."

"How does it feel to know that you have brought these women to such ends?"

A furious countenance overcame Evelyn and I halfway hid behind the doorframe. I had seen such an expression before. Just this morning. It sent shivers down my spine. I noticed Shirleigh's right hand come down by her side, her fingers outstretched and her palm facing me as if to tell me to stay calm.

"I seriously hope you didn't come in here to accuse me of killing these poor girls," Evelyn said, her voice like steel. "Not only have you come here uninvited, which is trespassing, by the way, but you also have the nerve to say that I am a murderer? Me? A coroner?"

"It is quite the cover if you ask me," Shirleigh replied, unbothered. "It is not unnatural for you to be around deceased peoples. You are able to examine those you have killed and cover your tracks without attracting an ounce of suspicion."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Evelyn's voice grew louder. "This is ridiculous! I examine these bodies to bring closure to their families! To help the police solve cases! I work in a hospital for crying out loud!"

Just as I went to say something, I heard footsteps from behind and turned to see the receptionist accompanied by two officers. Knowing that I could not let them disturb Shirleigh as she worked, I stepped in front of them and had my arms stretched to either side, blocking their path.

"What is the meaning of this?" the receptionist yelled. "You're with her, right? The one who came running down this way?"

"I am," I responded without hesitation. "We are investigating a string of murders. I am sure you have heard of the killings here in the East End, officers. The Whitechapel murders?"

"This again!" the receptionist threw her hands in the air. "They claim they're investigators, officers. They do not have badges or any kind of identification saying that they are. What I do know, is that they are trespassing and causing a disturbance and therefore be apprehended immediately."

Without saying a word, one of the officers pushed past me while the other grabbed my wrist. As I tried to shake him off, I reached out to call for Shirleigh, to warn her. When I looked into the room again, Evelyn looked like a predator ready to pounce on its prey. Shirleigh calmly reached for the cane by her side. She pulled the handle unsheathing a sword. What I thought was an ordinary walking stick was actually a rapier in disguise.

"They're armed!" the officer relayed to his partner. "Stay with her!"

The officer who had hold of my left wrist reached for my right but I avoided his hand, pivoting on my heel. The receptionist had slinked her way down the hall from which she came.

"Put the weapons down!" the officer in the doorway called out, raising a pistol.

Shirleigh's back was facing the officer, so I am unsure if she knew that a gun was aimed at her. There is a part that thinks that she would not care even if she did know. She stood strong, pointing her rapier directly at Evelyn, who firmly gripped a scalpel in her left hand. Her eyes were filled with rage.

After dodging the officer a few more times, I watched as Evelyn lunged at Shirleigh. The sound of metal clanging echoed throughout the hallway and rang in my ears. I couldn't recognise Evelyn anymore. Her expression contorted her features and she resembled something of a wild animal. During one of her swings, her bangs lifted and I could see a wound on her forehead. I remembered the night in the alley when I had locked eyes with her. Blood dripped from her face and it set in that she really was the one who committed these heinous acts.

I could hear a sharp inhale after Evelyn stepped back, and a wicked smile spread across her face.

"Shirleigh!" I shouted.

Blood covered Evelyn's scalpel and I knew my flatmate had been slashed. I wrestled free from the officer's grip and staggered to reach her.

"I'm fine!" Shirleigh told me through gritted teeth.

She regained her composure only this time she had changed the way she stood. Before she had assumed an orthodox stance, using her right hand to control her attacks. Now she maintained an unorthodox stature and wielded the rapier in her left hand.

"You are resisting arrest!" the officer I escaped from called out. "Stop resisting or we will have to use force."

He stepped toward me and I held a hand out in front of me. The other went for my shoulder bag that hung at my hip.

"Hey! Hands where I can see 'em!" he demanded.

His shouting drew the attention of his partner who stood beside me.

"I-," my voice shook with nerves. "I...have a gun..."

Both of the officers kept me in their sights. One of them motioned for the other to check my bag. I slipped out of his reach and drew the weapon, holding it in front of me.

"Stay away!" I shouted, my hands violently shaking. "Don't come near me!"

The three of us were at a standstill, each of us with a weapon focused on the other. If I could keep them at bay like this, Shirleigh would be able to detain our culprit and we would be able to prove our suspicions. I just hoped she would do so soon.

The sound of the scalpel and rapier clashing began to give me a headache. When it seemed like my guard was weakening, one of the officers would try to close in on me but I would urge him away by turning my revolver onto him. My leg was growing tired from how long I had been standing but I knew that I had to give Shirleigh more time. So as long as she fought, I would remain on these two legs.

After a few long moments, there was a shriek and the sound of metal falling onto the ground. I whipped around to see Shirleigh standing wide, breathing heavily. Evelyn was curled up on the ground holding her midsection. Shirleigh flicked the blood off her rapier before flourishing and sheathing it, making it appear like a normal cane once more. She fell on one knee, attempting to catch her breath.

When I started to rush to her side, I was promptly tackled by an officer who clicked handcuffs around my wrists.

"Hey! What's going on here?"

An unfamiliar voice resounded down the hall. I turned my head to see a woman in a police uniform jogging toward me. Her curly hair bounced, seemingly defying gravity.

"Help her up," she told the officers.

They assisted me to my feet and I rotated my shoulder which had hit the ground quite harshly when I was tackled.

"Are you alright?" the woman asked me. She whipped out a badge. "Giselle Lestrade, Scotland Yard. You wanna tell me what's going on?"

I shook the officer who had a firm grip on my shoulder away and stepped toward the woman.

"My...my friend," I muttered, still shaking. "She's hurt."

Lestrade took a step into the room and walked over to Evelyn who was still whimpering in pain. Lestrade then walked over to Shirleigh and knelt to look her in the eyes.

"You do this?" she asked, pointing to Evelyn.

"It had to be done," Shirleigh said. I could tell that she was trying to hide the fact she was in pain.

"Had to?" Lestrade repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Can you not see? That is your Ripper."

"Ripper? Jack the Ripper? How can you be sure?"

Shirleigh sighed and got to her feet.

"Examine the deceased females in this room," she said. "You will find that all of them have been victims of the Whitechapel Murderer. Once you have had a coroner take a look at them, one that is preferably not a serial killer, you will find all that you need to lead you back to Evelyn Merriweather."

Lestrade looked back at Evelyn, whose cries grew quieter as time passed. The officer exhaled and rose to her feet, placing her hand on her hips.

"Was it self-defence?"

"Of course," Shirleigh replied. "She came at me, so I struck back. Rest assured, I have pierced her left side, just below the stomach, not very deep. She will be fine."

"She with you?" Lestrade made eye contact with me.

"She is."

Lestrade scratched her head, silent.

"Listen, I'm going to let you both go," she said after a while. "But only because you may have closed a case that has been plaguing me for months. If I find out you harmed an innocent woman, I will have you both arrested in a heartbeat."

Lestrade waved her hand and one of the officers freed me from my shackles. Rubbing my wrists, I ran over to Shirleigh and tripped over my own feet.

"Are you alright?" Shirleigh asked after catching me in her arms.

"I'm okay," I answered, standing upright. "Where did she slash you?"

Shirleigh shook her head, telling me not to worry about it.

"Luckily, this took place in a hospital," Lestrade said to the other officers. "We should be able to get her medical attention so we can take her into custody."

I glanced over at Evelyn who was once my friend. Now I was unsure of who she was. If we ever truly were friends. Her eyes opened and she gazed at me, almost through me.

"Ju..." she mumbled, reaching out toward me. "Junie..."

I took a step toward her and she reached for something in her pocket. Shirleigh held her arm out, stopping me in my tracks. Evelyn removed a folded envelope and held it out with a shaky arm.

"I would never...do something like this...if there wasn't a good reason..."

"This is addressed to Shirleigh," I said, taking the envelope from her.

"I feel as though..." Evelyn's voice was barely above a whisper. "...I am not the only one...I am sorry for all that I've done."

As I was about to pose a question, a group of doctors and nurses rushed into the room and Shirleigh slipped out. I followed on her heels as we exited the hospital, completely exhausted.