Streets of the Ripper

Chapter 7 - The body

"Inspector." Beth said, as she turned her gaze from the Sargent to Reid. Not giving Drake a chance to say anything to her, or about her, as he walked into the station. She was here to do a job, to try and help catch the man that had killed poor Emily, and that was what she was going to do.

"I would appreciate if you could take me to where Emily's body was found. Reading the reports are one thing; but seeing the actual scene would allow me to get a better sense............."

"Why.........?" It will have been cleaned up by now............."

"I am well aware of that, thank you Drake. But I believe that would allow me to understand not only the killing, but the killer better if I saw where Emily died." Beth quickly interrupted, already not in the mood for anything that might come from the detective sargent's mouth.

"And.........." Beth added, as she turned to look at the American.

"I would also like to see her body, if she is still here............."

"Are ya sure about that. Its not pleasant........"

"I am well aware, Captain. I have seen the post-mortem photos; but would like to see the injuries for myself. And believe me when I say, that while living in Whitechapel for the last two years, I have seen more than my fair share of some very unpleasant things...." Beth replied, watching as Homer looked at Reid for a moment. Only nodding his head after the detective inspector nodded his.

"You can't be serious." Drake scoffed in disbelief, as the captain gestured for Beth to follow him.

"You can't let him show her the body............"

"And why not?" Beth countered, as she moved to stand in front of Drake.

"Cos........cos ya a woman..........." The sargent pointed out. Fighting back the urge to also say that she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever lain his eyes on. And there were thoughts currently going around in his head, that probably shouldn't be and most definitely should not be spoken about. Well, not in polite company, anyway.

"Well, thank you for pointing that out, Drake. Without your observation, I would have never realised. Tell me.....what gave it away?" The female agent retorted; her arms crossing firmly over her chest. The action only exaggerating her bust and revealing more of her cleavage; Bennet doing his best to not let his eyes fall from the obviously now angry woman's face.

"You know, with deductive powers like that, I am not only surprised that you didn't see that James Walker was really a woman; but that any crime goes unsolved in Whitechapel. You really are wasted here. You should be a detective chief inspector at Scotland Yard." She continued sarcastically, before turning back to look at the captain.

"Well, Captain Jackson.....shall we.........?"

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

Homer looked at Beth. The agent nodding slowly, before he pulled back the white sheet that concealed the body. Beth closing her eyes for a moment, blocking out the awful scene in front of her, just long enough so that she could collect her thoughts. She had never thought of herself as a particularly emotional woman. Not one prone to fainting or bursting into tears for no reason. Nor was she one to be offended easily or be shocked by awful sights. But at this moment she couldn't help but feel a sickness grow in the pit of her stomach. Not that she would let the captain, or, as Reid and Drake made their way into the room, let the inspector and sargent know that. Beth moving over to the body and examining it.

"The cut to the throat went right down to the spine, yes.........?"

"Yeah, nearly took her head, clean off......" Homer replied, as he looked at the two other men in the room. It obvious from the look on his face, that Bennet still didn't like the fact that a woman, a lady was seeing such a thing. The captain struck at how gentlemanly, and concerned for their new colleague, Drake was being; yet forgetting about it, as Beth focused her attention on poor Emily Macurdy's abdomen.

"When he cut her open, did he do anything with her organs? Did he cut any out.........? The uterus, the kidney, like the Ripper did with Catherine Eddowes........?" Beth enquired. The three men looking at one another again. All a little taken aback by the calmness of the woman, that was being faced with such a sight.

"No. The intestines were found pulled from the abdominal cavity and placed at her side; but no organs were taken............" Homer answered, as he leant back on the counter behind him.

"And were the cuts clean? No hacking at the organs. No marks that might suggest if he was just doing what he was doing, without knowledge of anatomy? Were there any signs that she had been attacked before she was killed, bruising around the face. Cuts, scratches? Did you find any drugs in her system..........?"

"Er.........no. There was nothing to indicate that this was just someone blindly cutting at her. Though, her left kidney had been sliced through; but that could just be because the knife slipped in the attacker's blood covered hand. And no there is no sign of any kind of other attack; no bruises or cut. Nor any of the usual suspects for drugs. Well, other than if you count a stomach full of gin, and nothing else............" The Pinkerton agent told her. (Y/n) taking one last look at the poor woman, before covering her back over with the sheet.

"If you don't mind me asking, Miss Quinn. How do you seem to know so much about the Ripper's victims?" Reid asked, as Beth washed her hands off in a bowl of water.

"Sir Warren had the files on all of the victims, left for me. I spent last night properly familiarising myself with each of them. Now, perhaps, inspector, if you have nothing pressing, you might be able to show me the crime scene." The female agent explained, before making her way out of the captain's room.