Hunting Down the Darkness

by European P. Douglas

  Was it possible she’d already been and gone, or was she running late? She had always been so punctual any time he’d followed her; what was different today? He set off at a faster pace along her usual route hoping to overtake her if she had been early.

  A scream rang out and somehow Olocher just knew he’d been bested this time. People were running to the scene and he joined with them. A large crowd had gathered in the tight space of Goodman's Close. He couldn’t see what was in the centre but he heard the talk.

  “She’s dead!” a woman’s voice wailed.

  “Who is it?” someone called out.

  “The Ryan girl,” someone else said. Olocher pricked up his ears at this. It was Sheila! And in the very place he’d planned to kill her! Feeling sick, he began to look around the crowd for the eyes of the man who must have done this. No doubt if he was here he would be looking at Olocher now for his reaction.

  All the time Olocher had thought of himself as a master of stealth and observation, and someone had been stalking and watching his every move. So much so that they even knew what he had planned to do, right down to the place he was going to do it.

  No eyes were searching out his own, and as more and more cries and shouts went out from the assembled crowd, Olocher thought it was best if he left before the army came and started asking questions.

  He cut a lonely figure and he walked away from the crowd, the sun shining down on his back. Doing his best not to appear to be rushing he walked down Bride Street thinking only of getting home. The nausea he felt was not going away and he wondered if it was in fact fear that he was really feeling. An elongated shadow that cut fully the width of the road caught his eye and he looked up just in time to see movement on the roof of the building behind him. Someone had been standing up there looking down on him. It could only have been the man who had killed Sheila.

  A moment’s glance around made it clear to Olocher that there was no chance he was going to be able to climb up the side of the building in pursuit without being seen. Their meeting would have to wait until a later time, he thought. What was this man up to? Why was he copying and now predicting what Olocher was doing? Did Edwards have anything to do with this? Had he set up some kind of sick competition between the two men? That didn’t sound too far outside the realm of possibility. Edwards was a twisted man and who knew what he thought or did that no one ever knew about.

  Olocher continued to walk towards home, looking up every now and then at the roofs of the buildings though he didn’t actually expect to see anything. He wondered if perhaps Edwards had been behind Olocher’s fathers killing spree and even that of the Dolocher and Spencer too? Had he been at this for years? Olocher couldn’t rule it out and he fully intended to ask Edwards in his next letter.

  Chapter 56

  The morning after Kate had seen Spencer in Edwards’ apartment and the rats had been thrown at Mullins’ door, Mary was last leaving the house. Mullins had ordered her to bring the keys to him and she would be spending the day in the blacksmith with him and his apprentice until they figured out who was after her.

  “You didn’t have much to say last night, Mary,” the voice startled her and she dropped the keys. Kate was standing there looking harshly at her. Mary bent to pick up the keys, as much as to avoid Kate’s glare as to retrieve them.

  “It was very scary,” she answered timidly.

  “I’m not going to pretend I know what’s going on,” Kate said, “But you better explain yourself.”

  “What are you talking about?” Mary said, she locked the door and holding the keys up added, “I need to get these to Mr Mullins.”

  “Mr Mullins can wait!” Kate said snatching the keys from Mary’s hands.

  “Give those back!” Mary protested,

  “Not until you tell me what Spencer was doing in our old place.” Kate’s eyes were unwavering and Mary couldn't hold them. She looked at the closed hand that held the keys and wished there was some way this moment would end without her having to say anything.

  “I don’t know what he was doing there,” she said.

  “The door was locked when I got there and the windows were closed. The only way he could have gotten in was if he had a key or someone let him in!”

  “He was friends with Edwards,” Mary said, “Perhaps he had a key from before?” It sounded plausible in Mary’s own ears but the look of derision on Kate’s face told her that her friend did not feel the same.

  “I know you’re helping him,” Kate said, “I don’t know why though.”

  “He’s innocent,” Mary answered.

  “Why are you so sure?”

  “I can tell,” Mary said and as she saw Kate’s eyes begin to roll added, “His diary has already cleared him of two of the murders he's accused of!”

  “Two out of how many, ten?” Kate said sourly.

  “If he’s innocent of one he’s innocent of them all,” Mary said.

  “So, who committed all those murders then?”

  “He doesn’t know that yet, but he thinks it was someone who was in the Hellfire Club with him.”

  “Edwards?” Kate asked, recalling her own suspicions at the time.

  “He doesn’t seem to think so, but I can’t say for sure.” They were silent a moment in thought.

  “So who’s throwing rats and shouting out your name? Who chased you that night?”

  “I don’t know,” Mary answered shaking her head, “But it scares me.” There were tears trying to form in her eyes and she did her best to fight them.

  “Well, Tim is looking after you now, so you needn’t worry,” Kate said.

  “You won’t tell the others will you?” Mary pleaded.

  “I don’t see why we should hide it from them.”

  “Please, I’m not involved anymore now anyway.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He told me to stay away, that he had taken up enough of my time and he didn’t want me to get into any trouble or danger.”

  “That was big of him having already gotten you in trouble,” Kate said with contempt.

  “Just promise me,” Mary said.

  “If you’ll promise you’re really done with him?”

  “Agreed,” Mary said.

  “Fine, I won’t tell, but I’m not happy keeping this secret and it will be the last one I do keep for you,” Kate warned.

  “Understood,” Mary said a nervous smile of relief coming to her lips.

  “Come on,” Kate said bumping her hip into Mary’s, “I’ll walk to the blacksmith’s with you.”

  They were only walking a few moments in silence when Mary recalled how scared Kate had been coming home last night and she felt it was only right to apologise for this. She hesitated a moment wondering was it best to let the matter lie now that they had made up but she couldn’t hold back.

  “I’m sorry you got such a fright in the apartment last night,” she said, “I should never have let Spencer in there without letting you know first.”

  “It’s alright,” Kate said, “I don’t suppose you had a choice knowing as you did I would have said no.” There was a devilish smile on Kate’s lips as she said this.

  “There was one plus to it all,” Mary said after a short walk.

  “What’s that?”

  “It was very clear to both Sarah and myself that Mr Mullins was very worried about you. He went out looking for you after all.”

  “He came out looking for me?” Kate asked in surprise. Mary nodded.

  “He was only short of climbing up the walls once it started to get dark.” Kate nodded as she thought about this. “I think he was very happy to see that no harm had come to you too when you did get back.”

  “I suppose so,” Kate said, “But I don’t think it means anything,” she added quickly.

  “I don’t know, Kate, he looked like a man who cared for you to me and I bet if you ask Sarah about it she’ll tell you the same thing.”

  “Still,” Kate said and then after a long pause,
“Probably best not to get my hopes up just yet. You know, just in case.” Mary nodded in sympathy with her friend. She could see how hard it was for her being apart from the man she loved, especially now that they had been put back under the same roof by what had been going on.

  Chapter 57

  The excited voice of Sheriff Dunbar carried well beyond the entrance hall as Alderman James made his way to the dining room.

  “I need to see him, it’s very important!”

  “If you can give me your name, Sir, I will go and tell the Alderman that you are here,” the stolid and firm voice of Hodges said.

  “It’s alright, Hodges,” James said moving towards the entrance, “I know him.” Hodges took a step back to see the approaching James and bowed his head in acquiescence.

  “Very good, Sir,” he said taking in Dunbar once more and then leaving as James came into the hall.

  “What is going on?” James asked Dunbar roughly when Hodges had departed, “I hear nothing from you for days and now you show up in the evening down here?”

  “I’ve sent you four letters, Alderman! It was only when I didn’t hear anything back from you that I had to finally come down to see you, to make sure you got my message this time!” Dunbar whined.

  “What message?” Here all the urgency drained from Dunbar and he looked meek and worried. “Out with it!” James snapped.

  “There’s another killer,” Dunbar said unable to look James in the eye.

  “What!” James cried “How many?” His mind was rushing to the panic and fear of times past.

  “Four so far,” Dunbar said recoiling from the response he must have known would come.

  “Four!” James shouted pushing hard at the sheriff’s chest, “Four and only now I am hearing about it!”

  “I sent you the letters,” Dunbar cried, “I couldn’t understand why you didn’t reply.”

  “I didn’t get them!”

  “Why?” was all Dunbar could think to say.

  “What do you mean why? How the hell would I know why I didn’t get them?”

  James was pacing about the entrance hall now and Dunbar didn’t say anything more. He waited for his instructions or some further reprimand.

  “What links the murders?” James asked after a minute.

  “Nothing so far,” Dunbar said, “Save there were only two murder sites.”

  “Two people killed at the same time in each place?” James asked in surprise. Dunbar shook his head,

  “No, two killings in each place, with a short interval between each.”

  “What is going on here?” James said though he wasn’t addressing Dunbar with this and the sheriff had the good sense not to answer.

  “Ready a carriage for me,” James said, “We ride back to Dublin tonight.”

  “Where’s your carriage?” Dunbar asked perplexed and looking around as though it would be in the house somehow.

  “Find Owen, he’s in the village just up the hill. Tell him we are leaving now. He will see to everything,” James said and he walked towards the dining room to let the family know of his parting.

  On his way he met Lisa coming from the opposite direction, he stopped in his tracks and she stopped too thinking he wanted something of her.

  “I’m going back to Dublin tonight,” he said stiffly. He didn’t know why he was telling her this or what he thought she might have to say about it. She looked surprised,

  “Oh, really?” she said. James nodded,

  “I’ll be back to finish off the work here, but something pressing has come up that I need to see to.”

  “The murders in Dublin?” she asked and James was annoyed that she knew of them before he did.

  “Yes, I have to go tell Lord Stapleton,” he said unable to find a way to say goodbye to this woman who’d so enraptured him.

  “Yes, you better,” she said absently. He expected she would ask him once more if she could come to Dublin and if she did, he would not be able to say no to her this time. But Lisa said no more and James felt the pressure of time move him on to the dining room.

  “Goodbye for now,” he said as he set off and she smiled sadly in response.

  The family and Deek were in the dining room when he came in but no one was seated yet.

  “I’m very sorry, Lord Stapleton,” James said going up him, “I’m afraid I have to leave for Dublin at once.”

  “If you have to go you have to go, but I don’t envy you travelling all that way at night,” Stapleton said.

  “I wouldn’t do it only the circumstances demand it,” James said.

  “What about the investigation here?” Lady Stapleton asked.

  “I will come back to this, Lady Stapleton, but I cannot say for sure when that will be,” James said apologetically.

  “Do you mind if I come for the journey with you?” Daniel Deek asked and the whole room looked at him in surprise.

  “Goodness it will be suddenly very quiet around here again all of a sudden,” Fredrick said.

  “You want to come to Dublin?” James asked, “Tonight?”

  “If it would not be trouble for you. I can ride my horse alongside your carriage if that suits better,” Deek smiled.

  “No, not at all, I just didn’t think anyone would willingly make this journey at night,” James smiled back nervously. It did not suit him at all to have this strange man tagging along for the ride and interrupting his thoughts and most probably his sleep on the way. James could only hope Deek would not ask to stay in his house once they got to Dublin.

  “Is there anything we can do for you?” Stapleton asked.

  “Wrap up some of the food for these gentlemen on their journey,” Lady Stapleton said to one of the maids by the door.

  “Thank you, some food for the journey is more than enough,” James said. “I promise to be back to find out who killed your man,” he said again.

  “I will go and get my things and say my goodbye when I come back down,” Deek said bowing and then leaving the room.

  “What should we do while you are gone?” Victoria asked James.

  “Just take care,” he answered, “Don’t be outside the house alone if you can avoid it. I don’t think any of you are in any particular danger but it’s always better to be safe.”

  “Don’t worry about us, Alderman,” Stapleton said with a laugh, “We’ll be fine.”

  James hoped so. In his mind there was a worst-case scenario of him not finding out who was the killer in Dublin while the killer down here in Waterford struck again and again with impunity.

  Chapter 58

  Edwards could tell at once that Olocher was agitated when he got home from Waterford. The younger man paced up and down in the study carrying a glass of whiskey in one hand. Thus far, Edwards had not seen him drink and he had also discouraged it. Alcohol was something that would very easily upset any plans a man had if you let it. Edwards glanced at the open bottle on the table and again to the glass; it was likely Olocher hadn’t drank any of it as yet.

  “You look odd with a glass in your hand,” Edwards said coming forward and reaching for the glass. Olocher looked at it and handed it to him without argument.

  “I didn’t drink it, I just wanted something to calm me,” he said.

  “What happened to get you so riled?”

  “Someone knows what we are up to!” Olocher said and Edwards saw that he even glanced around the room in case someone should be listening.

  “What makes you think that?” Edwards asked calmly taking a sip from the glass he now held.

  “They have copied two of my kills almost exactly and then after I chose the third, I followed her, getting her routine down but he killed her before me. He knew what I was doing!”

  This was not what Edwards had expected to come back to and for a moment he was taken aback by it but outwardly, he didn’t show this. He took another sip, buying time to think and then calmed.

  “This person is no threat to us,” he said, “They are playing a game, that’s a
ll.”

  “That’s all!” Olocher exclaimed, “You don’t think this is terrible for us? He knows!”

  “We don’t know what he knows other than you have been following and killing people,” Edwards said, “What can he do, go to the Alderman, with blood on his own hands?”

  “Not that,” Olocher conceded and in doing so seemed to become confused.

  “We’ve been a little careless, that’s all,” Edwards went on. “We just need to find out who it is and silence them.”

  “And how do we do that?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but I have a suspicion already as to who we may be dealing with.”

  “Who?”

  “I won’t say just yet, but I want you to be on your guard. Keep an eye out no matter where you are or what you are doing.”

  “Why won’t you say?”

  “I may be wrong, and I don’t want to influence your thinking on this matter.” Olocher didn’t say anything to this.

  “You look tired,” Edwards said to him, “Go have a hot bath and a rest and then we can discuss all that has been going on over dinner.” Olocher nodded absently and then walked to the door where he paused,

  “We have to do this before we go on,” he said, “I can’t focus with this hanging over me,”

  “I know, I know,” Edwards said and Olocher left.

  When he was alone Edwards sat by the fire and stared into it, sipping the whiskey slowly. He wondered about what Olocher had told him and had already concluded that there was only one person it could be. Lord Muc.

  The only surprise in this to Edwards was that it had taken so long for Muc to resort to outright murder. He was a man of violence, it was deep inside him. The gang fights, vicious as they had been in their heyday were long over now and that was where he used to let loose the power building within him. Edwards had suspected him for a time to be responsible for the Adam’s murders that Spencer was blamed for. The man was so bent on violence that he took on a huge wolf alone and killed it, not caring about the reward that had been on offer for the beast.