Streets of the Ripper

Chapter 1 - Flash by name

Early evening on the streets of Whitechapel. The scene was as busy as it normally would be even at that time of the day. Horses still pulled carts laden with goods, children still played out the front of their family's humble domiciles; the occasional copper on his beat, attracting their attention. The older boys following behind the portly man, and mocking the way that he would walk, so that they could make the girls giggle. Then there were the women that were already out plying their trade; even after all that had happened, after five awful deaths at the hands of the man who called himself Jack the Ripper, they needed to earn a living. The person that appeared to the world as a rather well-dressed young man, just glad that she had not found that that was her fate.

It was strange in a world the way it was, but in her disguise or out of it, she had been able to make quite a name for herself. As a woman, she was a graduate of Girton College, Cambridge. A woman that had excelled academically; proving herself to be more intelligent than many men that hadn't had to fight for their position at the illustrious university, like she had. Her intellect causing that much of a stir, that she had been sought out by certain people that held positions of power in the War Office for a job that she could only ever have dreamed of; to keep an ever-watchful eye on the goings on in the areas of Whitechapel, where enemies of Britain; subversives, that seemed to multiply quicker than rabbits, liked to hang out. And that was where her alter ego came in.

She had been James Walker, or as most of Whitechapel had taken to calling her 'Flash', for a little over two years, now. Integrating herself into all areas of Whitechapel and with its inhabitants. The strong, but not large man, that walked down the old, cobbled streets, with a confident swagger, always attracting attention. Jim Walker was a supposed thief, and a damn good one too, given the fact that the coppers had never been able to pin anything on him; and the way that he dressed and could afford to buy rounds of drink of the local hostelries, hence his moniker, Flash. Flash by name, flash by nature.

"Flash!" A number of voices suddenly called out. Jim turning and pulling on the front of his hat respectfully, as he saw the group of women.

"Evening, Alice, Bea, Flo. You girls are out early........" Jim replied, as he had his way over to them, giving them one of his best smiles.

"Well, some of us have ta work, ta get a roof over us head fa tha night, Flash. Not all of us just seem ta be able ta make money appear like you..........."

"Alice don't be like that. Flash is one of the good ones, ain't ya Flash. He's tha one that took me ta tha docs when that bastard Harry Campbell tried ta break me jaw. And he helped old Misses Taylor when her landlord threatened ta throw her out an tha street. So, be nice..............." Bea interrupted, as she linked her arm through that of the man's. More than happy to reprimand the other women for her words.

"It's alright, Bea; I got a thick skin, don't worry yaself. And anyway, I was after seeing Alice, ta thank her fa that name she gave me tha other week......" Jim replied, as he pulled his arm away from Bea and pushed his hand into his pocket, coming out with a number of coins and placing them in Alice's hand.

"And just ta show there ain't no bad feelin, here's fourpence each for a bed fa the night. And don't go spendin it on gin, cos.............." Jim continued, as he produced another three pennies.

"That is what this is for............" Flash handing over the coins to each of the girls. Each of them giving him a hug, before Alice caught Bea's arm and began pulling her to the pub just down the street.

"Flash..........." A soft voice came, causing the man to turn back round.

"Flo, luv......you alright...........?" He asked, as he looked down at the girl that was probably no older than sixteen.

"Fine. Just........I saw a man today around that coffee shop ya go to. I ain't ever seen him before. I thought ya might want ta know.........."

"Thanks, darlin. Here............." Jim replied, as he reached in his pocket again and pulled out another penny.

"That's fa you. But don't tell Alice, yeah............."

"I won't, thank you Flash. And........and..........." Flo said, as she looked up at him nervously.

"I know ya could have any girl ya wanted; but if ya feel like some company any evening. I won't make ya pay..........."

"Ya a good girl Flo. And I'll keep that in mind. Now, get yaself inside. Looks like it gonna rain." Jim smiled, nodding at her in thanks, before she quickly rushed off, to join Alice and Bea at the pub.

                                                     >>------------------------------------<<

Quietly, Jim made his way into the coffee shop. To the rest of Whitechapel, it was just another shop, nestled in one of the busier streets; but to the agent, it was where messages and reports were dropped off and picked up. And given what Flo had said, it was obvious that a message would be waiting. Flash making his way to his usual table. A slender man with a rather impressive handlebar moustache, nodding in his direction, as he took a seat. Jim moving his hand underneath the table and pulling out a small white envelope, before discreetly opening it and taking out the note inside. Brows furrowing as he read the words; words that spoke of a new job and that he would be expected at 8am the next morning at an address Jim knew all too well; the police station that house H division. The home in Whitechapel of a certain Detective Inspector Edmund Reid, Detective Sergeant Bennet Drake, and the Pinkerton agent Captain Homer Jackson; all of whom Jim Walker had had run ins with at one point or another. Jim and Drake in particular, never having seen eye to eye. But there was no point in arguing; no point in trying to figure out what the powers that be, were up to now. Jim just pushing the note into his pocket and taking a sip of the coffee, that had just been placed in front of them.