Team of Seven Heroes Shorts Tales 3; Chapter 16

16.

The Ripper placed the two kidneys at the end. He then looked up from his crouched position. There was no one in sight for the rodents who was in wait for the Ripper to leave,

“Yes. My loves. Its feeding time for all of you. You are my test that I still have it.”

The Ripper then stood up and pulled at the gloves used and discarded them into the small bag. It will be discarded later into the garbage dump. The Ripper then straighten the overcoat and took the walk to the street where the carriage pulled up from the dark corner. The Ripper rubbed the sole of his shoes on the ground before he rode into the carriage and was soon gone from the kill scene. And hour later, the lady was discovered and the cries of help went off.

It was as planned but that scene was observed by one other.

“My love, I am telling you I met the Ripper. No, it was …… not that I met the Ripper but I saw the Ripper.” Victor broke down into the arms of his love. “I could have ….”

“No, Victor. You did not ….”

“Tell me of the Ripper. The real one…”

“The Ripper…. No one knew the Ripper. He was a ….” Lady Illinois replied. “I only knew what the papers reported. I was overseas then.”

“Then tell me what you knew.” Victor was insistent.

“Between the month August and November 1888, the area around Whitechapel, London was the attention of the murders attributed to the Ripper. Five victims; all prostitutes and were mutilated. There were suspects based on the methodology of the cuts; the wounds were consistent with the works of a surgeon with the removal of the human anatomy. The suspects varied from the commoner to the royals including the Duke of Clarence, the grandson of the Queen.”

“Women were not a privileged group then and even now. We were the subject of ridicule and most times regarded a category above the servants. Even for us at the so named Elites. We were brutalized at most instances. For the lower level, the prostitutes were worse off. No cared if they died most times. Then the Ripper murders created a sensation unfelt before. The women were to be protected. Just when it was beginning to take on seriously by all, the killing stopped.”

“Until I started it once more by myself.”

“No, you may not have. The murders may have been the works of extremists. There was talks of that at one of the crime scene area; the words ‘The Juwes are the men to be blamed for nothing’. It was scrawled on the wall with chalk. It was not reported for the authorities feared backlash by the community.

“I am not of London. I am a stranger here. I may be mistaken for one. I may be caught and lynched.” Victor sighed. “Like my namesake. Perhaps we are destined to be called monster.”

“No, Victor. You are not a monster. I am not one too. Neither is Igor.” Illinois defended herself. “The Ripper is the monster. We can lead the others to the Ripper. He will be ….”

“How do you know it was a him? I did not say so.” Victor asked.

“I assumed it was. Most killers are men. You… I did not mean it that way. I was just speculating on that. Please don’t get paranoia on it.”

“No, I must act. If I do not, the Ripper will strike again and again.” Victor pulled away. Illinois was upset but her concern was elevated by the arrival of her son.

“Igor, what ails you now?”

“The lady is of no help. She lay there without life.” Igor dressed in the shirt and dark pants leaned down to put on his shoes.

“Did you kill her?” The mother asked.

“No, she is alive. She is not…. keen with me.”

Alas, the mother sighed. She was with issues that day, and knew not what to do. She looked at the locked doorway and the crazy notion to hold a lady imprisoned as a child bearing creature was becoming then a burden. She could have the lady killed but that will mean more issues. She was unsure if Victor will even consent to kill anymore. He was on his own path of righteous task then.

“Igor, talk to her. She may be willing if you talk to her.” The mother pleaded with the son. “We are running out of time.”

So was Lestrade who was being told to solve the Ripper case or be demoted to Sergeant and posted to the far county. He was distraught by the order but he was adamant that he will solve the task and also find the heiress. The Bromfield household were wagging their tongues on their Mistress then to him. He was soon with a number of leads and one led to a Mr. Sidney Masters.

“I can assure you, Inspector. You are barking up the wrong tree here.” Mrs. Masters was harder than a nail to the wood Lestrade was hammering at. He had cornered the suspect in the good office of Lord Millard where Mr. Masters was the Accountant. He had the Accountant dragged to the nearby alley and interviewed in a rough manner.

“Lord Millard will be told of your action as a thug on me.” Mr. Masters arranged his bow tie and then pulled at the lapels of his coat. “Lord Millard is a …”

“Lord Millard may be gentleman compared to you but I have some other person to see you on Ms Innes.” Lestrade signalled the duo standing in wait at the distance. “Mr. Innes here have a loving concern on his sister, Helen. And you will reply to him.”

“Heaven forbids it! How could you? You are an officer of the law.” Mr. Masters looked with concern towards Lestrade.

“Consider it the blind side of the law, guvnor.” Lestrade replied before he released the Accountant to the duo. The treatment by the butcher and mason master was short but brutal. The tools of their trade were put to work and the mallet with the short handle did most of the damage. Soon the Accountant was spilling the numbers out.

“We got the news. This is the address of the next party tonight. Mr. Masters will be swimming by then in the Thames.” Lestrade ignored the last words and averted his sight when the duo dragged the Accountant away. He looked at his shoes where splatters of blood had tainted it. He sighed and left the alley. That was one good pair joining the Accountant in the river Thames at a different time of the tides.

Timing was also what Mycroft was planning. He was back with the Madame X and that time he was not a satisfied customer. He was refused an attendance and had to start off with his fist into the Nubian look alike in the face and then marched to look for the Madame. He heard the footsteps of the reinforcement. He found himself facing two burly looking scoundrels who were there to throw out the garbage.

“Gentleman, I am here to see the Madame. Please …” One of the scoundrels threw a punch at Mycroft. He evaded that and responded with his own right fist into the extended arm at the elbow joint. His fist broke the joint there while his left fist went in on the scoundrel face.

“A gentleman speaks of his intention first. Here is mine.” Mycroft turned his body and kicked at the second scoundrel at the groin before he laid the upper cut on the jaw with the right fist. Both scoundrels went down but Mycroft was then jumped on the back. He grabbed the pair of hands on his neck and tossed the one on his back in the Oriental fighting move. The lady who jumped on his back landed on her’ with a yowl of pain. Mycroft then saw another lady coming at him with the fire poker piece. It was a heavy iron piece but held in the lady’s both hands, it did resemble the devil’s foot long tool with the heated red head end. He stepped back and then chopped at the lady’s hands with his left hand, and did the unthinkable right fist into the red lips of the attacking poker lady. She went down with her mouth bloodied and Mycroft offering some apologies.

“Enough!” Mycroft heard the call. 

“We will speak inside.” And it was inside the same chamber that Mycroft had earlier had the talk on his sex life. The lady known as Madame X sat opposite him with the legs crossed.

“You came to ask on the Bromfield. Yes, she was one of the invited to the parties. She used to bring Helen as a companion. She was with some exceptional needs.” Madame X wets at her lips. “She wanted to teach Helen on the ways but I guess the other was not a participant and soon did not turn up. I heard that she was one of the Ripper’s victims.”

“Tell me of the ones who are at the party who may have some wild ideas.” Mycroft laid forth his question. “I was there before and seen some acts but I am asking of the extreme.”

“A great choice of words. I know what you mean. The ones that may like to inflict pain or be inflicted, or the ones that are rough in the act. Yes, there are a few names. Are you sure you want to hear them?” Madame X looked at Mycroft. “They may be one day your master too.”

Mycroft got a few names and only one stood out like a morning erection.

Oliver Millard, the nephew of Lord Millard. The only son of Illinois Millard.