Autumn of Terror || h.s. au

Chapter 2: Stride and Eddowes

     We step out of the carriage and onto the street, in front of a wide alley between two buildings. At least twelve men were in the alley, investigating and sharing clues. The only people I recognize are Freddie and Mr. Roth. I don't think I like Mr. Roth very much.

     We stroll down the stone road into the alley. Further down there is a yard, with a broken down carriage and a flight of stairs leading into the back of the building that was facing us. We were stopped before we could actually reach the dead body.

     "This area is closed off to citizens," a mustached-man in a blue police uniform stands in front of us.

     "They're not just citizens," Freddie interrupts. "They are detectives and have full access to the scene," the policeman nods and steps out of the way, allowing us through. "Mary, I'm glad you're here."

     Mr. Roth's eyes widen. "Mrs. Styles! Your attire is completely inappropriate for a woman!"

     I look down at my outfit, and back at Roth. "You know what, Roth? I want you to try wearing a tight corset and a dress as heavy as yourself all day without any problems. And maybe you could also try thinking before you speak."

    That shut him up quickly, and he walks away with a sour face. Freddie sighs, "Sorry about him. Don't know how the idiot got a job with us in the first place. Anyways, let me introduce you to the team."

     "I'd rather just get to the investigating, Freddie," I reply. "I'd like to catch the Ripper before he strikes again."

     Freddie nods. "Then the only man you need to know is him," he guides me to a blue-eyed young man dressed in a black police uniform with a red and white striped pin that resembles a shield on the collar, and a black hat with a golden sigil. "Mary, this is Chief Inspector Louis Tomlinson. He's in charge of this investigation."

     Chief Inspector Tomlinson turns to me with a bright smile, "Hello, and you are?"

     I get a good look at his face, the face of a man no older than twenty-five, meaning he must have been very bright to have been made Chief Inspector at such a young age. Or he merely has a relative who helped him get the job. He has light brown hair, from the look of his sideburns. He's obviously only started growing facial hair no more than a year ago, the multiple tiny cuts on the lower half of his face tell me he's not used to shaving.

     "I'm Detective Mary Styles," I introduce myself. "And this is Harry, my assistant."

     "Yeah, I'm actually kind of her husband," I hear Harry say.

     "And this is Detective Niall Horan," I introduce Niall to Chief Inspector Tomlinson, who nods. "May we please see the body now, Chief Inspector?"

     He clears his throat, "Of c-course, right this way. And please feel free to call me Louis."

     I smile, "Thank you, Louis," the poor man fancies me. Someone of such a high status would rarely be referred to by his first name, especially at his age. If I were a young man and was given so much power, I'd want everyone to call me Chief Inspector.

     He guides us to the middle of the yard, where the victim's body is lying on the ground, covered by a large, bloody cloth. "The victim's name was Elizabeth Stride. Occupation: prostitute. It seems as though the Ripper only goes after prostitutes, not sure why."

     "Remove the cloth, please," I say. A policeman slowly removes the cloth from the body, and I gasp, screwing my eyes shut. It really is a gruesome sight. After a few moments, I open my eyes again. She was lying on her side, faced towards the nearby wall, with her feet outstretched in the direction of the street. She has a handkerchief around her neck, but it looks torn, revealing a large, deep cut through her throat.