by Skye Knizley
“Two things,” he said.
He entered the room and dropped onto the only available chair, a feminine chaise designed for lounging rather than sitting. He wriggled, looking for a comfortable position then looked up at Chastity. He blinked and slapped a hand over his eyes.
“Don’t you think you should cover up a bit more?”
Chastity closed the door with a shrug and walked toward her private bathing area.
“You used to change my nappy, Mal,” she said. “Not much has changed since then.”
She heard Malachi swallow.
“Things have changed in many ways,” he said. “Chas, most assuredly you have become a woman. An attractive one, at that and it isn’t proper for a man to see a woman in the altogether, even if he is her brother.”
Chastity laughed from behind the flower embroidered changing screen and began filling her tub with warm water.
“You know I am not a woman overly concerned with what others think is proper, dear brother. What is it that brings you to my door before noon?”
Malachi cleared his throat and opened the copy of the Times he’d kept tucked under his arm.
“First, Father William wishes to know why you burned down Doctor Bond’s office last night. Did you find some sort of monster within?”
Chastity peeked around the screen. “I did nothing of the sort! When I left this morning the building was safely locked and I had left everything exactly as it was before I arrived.”
Malachi nodded and used a scrap of charcoal to slash through the article.
“That is one thing off the table then. Doctor Bond’s office burned to the ground in the wee hours of the morning. There were no witnesses and we only knew you had been there from your report. Did you see anyone when you were there?”
Chastity sat in the tub and began soaping her body, her mind a turmoil of anger and concern. Obviously someone else knew what Doctor Bond had uncovered and was anxious to destroy his files. It seemed silly to burn the office down when the Yard had copies of all his reports.
“I did not see anyone,” she said over the splashing of water. “The building was empty and there were no lights in the adjacent shops. Does the Times article indicate if any remains were found?”
Malachi ran a finger down the paper and nodded. “Indeed it does. The reporter states that unidentifiable human remains were found in the wreckage, though Doctor Bond confirmed the building should have been empty. Is that important?”
Chastity began soaping her hair with shampoo she’d purchased in Geneva.
“I think that is what whoever set fire to the building was after,” she said. “The doctor had kept the body parts for study and they must have been locked in the office somewhere. The arsonist decided to kill two birds with one stone and just destroy everything.”
Malachi whistled through his teeth and sat back in the chair. “If that is the case, someone really didn’t want anyone investigating those limbs.”
Chastity splashed water on her torso. “Agreed. What was the other item you wished to discuss?”
She heard the rustle of newspaper.
“There was another murder last night,” Malachi said. “It may be connected to the case you are working on. A scientist named Davis was found dead in his rooms by his assistant this morning. The story is so new the paper is still wet.”
“People are killed all the time in this city, Mal,” Chastity said. “What makes this one different?”
“According to the paper…he was in a locked room, and he was killed by decapitation,” Malachi said.
He turned the paper so Chastity could see the artist’s rendering of a headless man seated at a desk, a quill clutched in his hand. “Davis’ head was missing from the locked room.”
Chastity smiled. “Now that sounds quite interesting. Does it say who the officer in charge is?”
“Yes, it is your Inspector Price, the copper you met yesterday,” Malachi said. “Do you know he is an American? He was a Texas Ranger or something before coming here.”
Chastity finished washing her hair and stood, letting the soapy water cascade off her body. The tub emptied at her feet with a sound like a straw at the bottom of a glass and she used another pot of warm water to rinse the remaining soap from her skin.
“I knew he was American from speaking with him,” she said as she worked. “I didn’t know he was one of the famous Texas Rangers. Do you know why he is in London?”
Malachi folded the newspaper and stuck it under his arm, replying, “I don't, but I am sure you will find out soon enough. I know what that tone means, Chastity.”
Chastity giggled and peeked around the divider again. “What tone? I merely find the idea of an American in London intriguing. It must have taken a bit of time to get here, even by steamship. I want to know what made the trip worth taking.”
Malachi shrugged. “Perhaps it has something to do with their Civil War. I am not particularly interested. Regardless, Father William wants you to add the deceased scientist to your agenda for the day.”
“I will see to it forthwith. Will you hand me my drying cloth, please?”
Malachi rolled his eyes and plucked the sturdy cotton cloth from its place on the drying rack. He thrust it behind the divider without looking and blushed when his knuckles brushed what was clearly his sister’s breast.
Chastity giggled at the touch and said, “Mal! You’ve taken an oath!”
Malachi blushed even further and tossed the cloth on his sister’s shoulder before leaving, the slam of the door echoing behind him.
Chastity laughed at her brother’s discomfort and prepared for the day. She donned a two piece dress of maroon cotton that accentuated the blue of her eyes and the rose in her cheeks. She left her hair in an unfashionable waterfall down her back and finished the look with a black and red hat that perched at a jaunty angle above her eye. When she was through, she gathered a few useful items from her desk and placed them in a wrist bag, then exited the room and hurried to the exit where a Hansom cab was waiting to take her to the nearest crime scene. Malachi must have ordered it for her; she’d have to remember to thank him later. She gave the driver the Belbrook Common address and sat back into the not too uncomfortable seat.
The drive to Belbrook Common was quiet and dull; when the driver knocked and opened the stagecoach door, Chastity was relieved to step out into the overcast afternoon. She looked up at the large brick building where the late Richard Davis had kept his laboratory and frowned. It wasn’t at all what she had expected. It was four stories tall and made of sturdy brick shot through with oak timbers. The bottom floor consisted of a bakery and the smell of warm pies wafted through the open door. Mr. Davis’ rooms took up the remaining three stories, and Chastity found the building to be altogether too boring to have housed the strange crime from the night before.
Two uniformed policeman were standing near the side entrance that would lead to the upper floors. They were sharing a roll-up in the lee of the building and Chastity could tell they were shaken by what they had seen in the scientist’s lab. Both men were pale with hooded, dead eyes like men who have witnessed horror on the battlefield. Other officers were walking up and down the street speaking with residents and passersby, Chastity presumed about the bizarre murder of Mr. Davis, yet there was no sign of Inspector Price.
Chastity assumed that the inspector was still upstairs, she didn’t think he was the type to leave the scene with men still working. She paid the driver with coins from her purse and crossed the street to where the two officers were standing. The taller of the two tried to hide their cigarette in a cupped palm and the two men pulled themselves into some semblance of attention.
“Good afternoon, Miss,” said the shorter, stouter officer. “This building is currently under investigation, may I ask your reason for entering?”
Chastity smiled at the officer as if he were the most attractive man she had ever seen, “Oh, officer I am here to see Inspector Price, I understand he is upstairs?”
The taller officer nodded and his helmet dropped lower over his eyes. “He is upstairs conducting an investigation, Miss. What is your business with him?”
Chastity waved her trusty notebook. “I’m writing an article on the Inspector and just had a few more questions. I promise I won’t be a moment.”
She smiled and started past the two officers. The taller one barred her path and raised his helmet. “I’m sorry, Miss, the inspector said no one but police was to go upstairs until he said otherwise.”
“But this is very important,” Chastity said. “I am sure my readers want to know about the dashing American Inspector’s methods on a crime scene. Certainly you don’t want to spoil the inspector’s story for my readers or ruin the inspector’s chance at fame, do you?”
The officer shook his head, making his loose-fitting helmet swivel like a top. “No Miss. Certainly not, but the inspector said—”
Chastity smiled and patted the officer on the arm. “I’ll be sure to mention you and your partner as well. Your service is impeccable. He’s this way, is he?”
She didn’t wait for him to speak, instead she pushed her way past the officers and trotted up the stairs. As she climbed, she could hear their voices echoing up the stairs behind her.
“Cor, she’s a good reporter, ain’t she?” That was the taller one.
“Wot you mean?” asked the other.
“Well, she’s going to put us in that rag of hers, and didn’t even have to ask our names!” said the tall officer.
“Too right! Maybe she ought to be in the Yard, eh?”
Chastity stifled a giggle and continued up the stairs.
Inside, the building was just as plain as the outside had been. The walls were covered in stained white plaster cracked with age and neglect and the floor was made of wood that creaked even under Chastity’s light footfalls.
The first two floors consisted of living quarters, most of which was stuffed with sheet-covered antique furniture. The only livable room was a large chamber at the north end of the building. This room was clean and freshly whitewashed making it seem bright and inviting. A large mahogany bed sat against the wall opposite a small dining table and three chairs. A cold iron stove sat like a squat demon next to a window that overlooked the park and a large, comfortable looking chair was placed within easy reach of the tea pot atop the stove, affording a view of the outside world where, presumably, Mr. Davis sat to enjoy the occasional sunset.
Chastity paused here on her way to the third floor, torn between investigating what was likely Mr. Davis’ private sanctum and seeing the crime scene. After a time, her curiosity got the better of her and she entered, closing the door behind her for what privacy it would offer. She moved slowly, taking in everything in the room. It was very neat and orderly, from the small rows of books near the large chair to the bed which didn’t appear to have been slept in for quite some time. It was too neat for a bachelor living above a bakery.
She crossed the room to the dining table where the remains of a meal still waited. The doctor had last supped on mint-jellied lamb, potatoes and bread. By the look of it, he hadn’t had much appetite, though a hearty meal, the plate remained almost untouched.Chastity tapped her nails on the table and turned to survey the rest of the room, her eyes falling again on the chair and the neatly stacked books. In the glow of the sun, she could see that there were drag marks on the floor indicating the chair had recently been moved to that position. Something glittered in the marks and Chastity knelt to examine them. She pulled the magnifier from her purse and poked at the grooves. Embedded within them was a small amount of colored chalk of the type used by witches to draw sigils and spells. Puzzled as to why a scientist would be attempting magik, Chastity collected a small sample of the powder for testing in the Sanctuary’s lab. Magik of any kind was uncommon. A well-known scientist resorting to magik was almost unheard of; magik and science didn't mix well and often resorted in grisly deaths.
Chastity stood and moved around the chair, searching the floor for more signs of chalk. Now that she knew what she was looking for, she was able to see the remains of some sort of circle around the chair. Someone had taken great pains to wipe away the residue, but there was enough that an experienced eye could connect the dots. The question was, what kind of circle, and who had erased it with such care?
With too many questions and no answers, Chastity continued her search, starting with the books. The majority of them were novels of the sort used to entertain young children during the cold winter months. At the bottom of the stack, however, were such titles as Les Admirables Secrets by Albertus Magnus, His Triumphant Chariot of Antimony, by Basilius Valentinus and the Necronomicon, by the possessed arab Alhazred.
The books were thick with bookmarks and Chastity flipped through a selection of them hoping for some kind of clue. Most of what Davis had marked dealt with the concept of the living soul, though he had also highlighted a variety of protection spells and summoning circles with scraps of the Times.
“What were you doing, Mr. Davis?” Chastity asked the room. “What was worth killing you over?”
The texts were too dangerous and obvious to carry with her, so Chastity returned them to the bottom of the pile. She would send a runner for them once the investigation had quieted down. The power held in those ancient tomes was a bomb just waiting for a layman to light the fuse.
When she was through, she dusted off her gloves and returned to the hallway. She could hear someone moving about on the third floor and she assumed it was the Inspector trying to determine how Davis had been killed and his head removed from a room locked on the inside. Chastity gathered herself and started up the stairs making as much noise as possible. She didn’t want Price to think she was sneaking up on him. She reached the top of the stairs to find Price kneeling in front of the door. He looked up when Chastity entered and frowned.
“Miss MacLeod,” he growled, “I ordered my men downstairs not to let anyone up, what are you doing here?”
Chastity smiled and waved her notebook. “I am still working on my story, Inspector Price. The nice officers downstairs agreed the public should know all about you and what methods you bring from the Colonies. May I ask what you are doing? For my readers, of course!”
Price’s frown deepened, but Chastity could see the smile in his eyes.
“I'm examining the lock for tool marks,” he said. “I'm looking for any indication that this lock was picked.”
Chastity licked her pen. “That is fascinating! I didn’t know you could do that, was the lock opened by a thief, then?”
Price shook his head, straightened and brushed the dust from his pants.
“There's no sign at all of any forced entry. None at all. I don’t get it.”
Chastity scribbled notes in her book. “So there is no way anyone could have entered the room? What about the windows?”
Price folded his arms and looked back into the room. “There is a large fireplace in the lab; it hasn’t been lit due to the warm weather. A small person could have entered that way.”
Chastity half turned to look past the Inspector into the lab beyond.
“So you think someone, perhaps a dwarf, entered through the chimney, killed Davis and took his head back out the way he came in? That seems a little far-fetched, even to me.”
Price held up a hand. “I didn’t say that, Miss MacLeod. I said it was possible someone had entered through the chimney. You filled in the rest. I am surprised you know so much about this case.”
Chastity smiled and slipped her notebook back into her purse.
“I read the article in the Times this morning,” she said. “I filled in the blanks from what you said. May I see the crime scene?”
“Miss MacLeod, this is an active investigation, you really have no business—”
Price trailed off as Chastity walked past him into the laboratory. She paused just inside and smiled back at him. “Inquiring minds want to know. You wouldn’t want to disappoint my readers, would you?�
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The laboratory took up most of the third floor, with only the single door into the stairwell serving as entrance and exit. All of the eight windows had been boarded up and the room was nearly stifling from the combination of stale air and summer sun beating down on the shingles above. Long tables covered in equipment that looked like it had crawled out of a glassblower’s nightmares lined the walls, the vials and jars full of bubbling green fluid.
In the center of the room sat a strange apparatus that looked more like a distillery than a piece of scientific equipment. An operating table with straps for tying down a patient sat next to the device, quiet and ominous. What looked like blood covered the straps, thick and crusted like old mud.
Chastity looked over everything before walking across the room toward the far wall where the fireplace sat. Made of rough cut stone, it dominated most of the eastern wall. A set of fireplace tools rested in their stand next to the hearth and a small clock ticked to itself on the mantle.
She bent and looked at the area around the fireplace for any sign that anyone had entered or exited through the chimney. The hearth contained a sizeable amount of ash and soot. Anyone passing through the chimney would have disturbed the pile and tracked it all over the room yet there was no sign of any ash outside the hearth.
“You really think someone entered through here with all the ash in the hearth?” she asked.
“My inquiries are continuing, Miss MacLeod,” Price drawled. “It's a working theory.”
Chastity straightened and dusted off her gloves. “It’s not a very good one. There are no footprints, the ash in the hearth isn’t even disturbed, it seems unlikely to me that a person, even a dwarf, came and went through here.”
Price smiled and leaned against the fireplace, his eyes focused on Chastity’s.
“Alright then, Miss, how do you propose someone came and went without being seen and without unbarring the door?”
Chastity pursed her lips and turned to survey the room. “The windowsare boarded shut, the door was barred, the fireplace seems undisturbed and there are no other exits…”