Hunting Down the Darkness

by European P. Douglas

“No, we thought she was with you, in the shop?” Sarah said and Mullins couldn't miss the accusatory tone in her voice.

  “That Alderman came and took her away to talk to her this afternoon. She never came back; I thought she’d be here.” He suddenly felt very stupid and neglectful of the duty he’d taken on to look after her.

  “What?” Kate was incredulous; she grabbed her shawl and turned to Sarah, “You stay here in case she comes back,” and then with a frowning look to Mullins, “You come with me; we’re going to go and look for her.” Mullins didn’t argue the point. If Mary was out and alone now that it was dark that meant she was in danger.

  “What did the Alderman want with her anyway?” Kate asked as she walked briskly along the street.

  “I don’t know; he didn’t say,” Mullins answered peering into a laneway as they passed by. “Where are we going?” he asked her.

  “I don’t know, just around the streets, I suppose. Do you know where the Alderman took her?”

  “They walked off towards High Street.”

  “Where would they have been going in that direction?” Kate wondered aloud but Mullins didn’t answer.

  “I hope we don’t run into any soldiers,” Mullins said after a little more silent walking.

  “Just keep looking for Mary,” Kate said without looking up at him. Then she reacted as if she’d seen something and he followed her eye. “That might have been her going around the corn...;” Mullins did not hear the rest.

  At that moment, a heavy force like a tonne of bricks ploughed into his side and he was sent sprawling to the ground, winded badly. Before he could even react, he heard the mocking laughter of Lord Muc and knew he was not being attacked by the killer.

  “Come on,” Kate said, she must have seen Muc just before he struck or she would have screamed he thought, “We need to get Mary.” With horror Mullins suddenly realised he was listening to Kates running footsteps as she set off after who she’d thought was Mary up ahead.

  “Kate!” he called trying to shove the heaving form of Muc from him. Their legs had become tangled and as Muc was laughing, he wasn’t of any assistance in the getting up. “Will you get up ya fuckin’ eejjit!” Mullins cursed him, “She’s running off on her own!”

  Mercifully, Muc sat up at this and it freed Mullins enough to get up and start after her. No sooner had he planted his foot for the first step, though than he heard a scream that froze his blood in his veins.

  “Kate!” he screamed and he set off running. He heard the slap of feet behind him and knew thankfully Muc was coming after him, no more laughter for now.

  Mullins could feel his heart pounding in his chest and knew that it wasn’t only from the effort of his body; he loved Kate, had never loved her more than he did at this moment and that love and the fear it bore was what drove him on. He rounded the corner onto Audeons Arch just in time to see Kate bang hard against the wall of the buildings there and her black cloak cast in front of his eyes blocking his view of the attacker. A heavy fist came through the cloak and Mullins was stunned. He swiped with a large fist as he stumbled but it met nothing and he went to pull the cloak from his face.

  “I’m after him!” he heard Muc shout and then felt the gust of the man mountain running past him at speed. When he finally got the cloak from his head, he saw only the back of Muc moving away fast. He looked to Kate at once and ran the short distance to her.

  “Kate, are you alright?” he asked bending down and taking hold of her.

  “I’m not hurt,” she said though the tears came at once and she put her arms around Mullins and wept.

  “You’re safe now,” he said holding her and stroking the back of her head and down over her shoulder blades in slow motions.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, but he knew she did not have anything to be sorry for.

  “Don’t worry, it’s over now,” he said softly. “Did you see who he was? Did you recognise him?” he asked her after a moment of quiet. He felt her shake her head,

  “No, I didn’t see him properly at all; he had something on over his face.”

  “A mask?”

  “Like an executioner's hood,” she said. “I’ll be seeing that in my dreams for a long time to come.” Mullins held her close thankful that she was going to be able to have those dreams, that she was alive. Her face turned up to his and he gazed into her eyes. They did not say anything and their lips met for the first time in so long.

  Chapter 73

  “I’m after him!” Muc shouted as he passed the fumbling, stumbling Mullins. Muc had seen the blacksmith’s body go rigid at the blow that had come from around the corner before Muc got there. Now he could see the hooded and caped figure fleeing into the distance, his size and shape impossible to make out with all the flowing of the cape behind him.

  He was fast too, there was no denying that, Muc pumped as hard as he could but he didn’t think he was gaining any on the man. He would have to hope his stamina would outlast his opponent and then he would get him.

  They ran onto Cook Street and then across to Chapel Yard and the distance remained the same. The attacker crossed onto Ormonde Bridge and Muc smiled as he thought of his old enemies The Ormonde Boys who used to fight with his own gang until a few years ago. How he missed those days, perhaps he might run into some of his old enemies over the far side of the river.

  Up Charles Street and the man took a sharp left onto Monrath Street which curved around onto Pill Lane. Muc knew these streets but not well; there could be a door or arch or alleyway along here where the man could suddenly disappear and Muc would lose him easily. He was gaining; however, the man was becoming larger to him.

  The man ahead must have sensed this and now he weaved in to Hammond Lane between the hanging clothes of the people who live there. He kicked washing tubs and buckets that had been left idle for the evening out from their tidy spots against the walls and Muc had to start jumping and meandering to avoid the debris as it piled up in front of him. The gap was going back out and now Muc was getting angry.

  He wasn’t sure if this was Olocher or not but he didn’t think so; from what little shape of the man he saw this one seemed to have much broader and more muscular shoulders. There was something about him, however, that was familiar to Muc but he couldn't put his finger on it.

  What Muc saw next was neither familiar to him nor anything replicable by him. The man jumped up and grabbed an awning leaning out over a doorway and he pulled himself up like he bore no weight at all and then tumbled on top of it before springing to his feet and launching upon the roof of the building in what looked like all one sweeping movement. Muc pulled up in shock and saw the man disappear over the crown of the roof and he knew at once that the game was up. There was no way he could get up there in time to see where the man had gone and continue after him.

  Muc stared up at the roof with a rueful smile on his face. Never in his life had he seen a movement such as he just had. He’d heard of people from the Orient who practised fighting skills with movements that sounded like what the man had done, but he wasn’t sure such a thing even existed.

  He walked back the way he’d come, letting his breathing come back to normal. At first, he had assumed that he’d be coming face to face with his former student Steven Olocher but it was not him. He’d suspected Edwards was going to use the boy for some nefarious purpose and when the killing had started Muc thought it was Olocher but perhaps he had been wrong.

  What this man had displayed tonight in front of Muc’s very eyes made it easy to understand how he’d been able to kill twice in each location and leave undetected each time. No one searching for a killer would look up to the high rooftops as a likely escape point. He probably arrived at the point of the murders from the same vantage point taking his victims unaware from above. No one would see him either arrive at or leave a murder scene. Well, at least now Muc would know where to look.

  Off the top of his head he could think of a couple of thieves who used their climbing skills to get in
side buildings and houses and though he didn’t imagine for a second either of these was a killer, it wouldn't do any harm to talk to them when he could track them down. It was possible one, or both, of them had seen something as they moved about in the night.

  As he walked, he heard the familiar sounds of a tavern and he smiled. He followed the noise and came to a place he recalled having been in once before, a long time ago on Stable Lane. He was sure to run into some of his old adversaries in there. A good fight might be on the cards, he thought gleefully.

  “Perhaps this chase wasn’t such a waste after all,” he said cracking his knuckles on striding into the tavern.

  Chapter 74

  Lisa found the house easily enough. Everyone she asked on her way knew who Edwards was and where he lived. The only problem was that he wouldn’t be expecting her yet so there was no way of knowing what he would say to her. She made her way around to the back of the house to the servant’s entrance and knocked on the door.

  A maid answered and she had the look of the head of the staff despite her being a woman.

  “Can I help you Miss?” the woman asked looking cagily at her.

  “My name is Lisa,” she said, “Mr Edwards recently hired me on his trip to Waterford.” This wasn’t strictly true but she thought it was a way to get her foot in the door.

  “He didn’t mention it to me,” the woman said, “What position?”

  “He just asked me to serve my notice and then come to Dublin,” Lisa lied again, “He didn’t say what I would be doing.”

  At this, the woman raised an eyebrow and looked over Lisa taking her body into that view.

  “I see,” the woman said with an unmistakable air of disdain. Lisa was offended knowing that this woman thought Lisa had only been hired for her looks and her body and what Edwards wanted from her. She didn’t raise any protest however as it looked like she had made it past this first guardian now. “Come in and wait by the door here,” the woman patted a chair, “I’ll go see if Mr Edwards is here.”

  When she was alone Lisa stood up and walked about a little in the small room she was in trying to peer through a small crack in the door at the house proper. It was hard but she could see the ornate fittings on the walls and the thick carpets in the hallway. Before coming here she had no idea how much money Edwards might have but now in this small snippet of hallway she could see that it must be a lot. The house was very impressive from the outside and even this servant’s entrance room was nicer than anything back at Wild Boar Hall.

  After a few minutes the woman came back,

  “You’re to go to the Master for instructions,” she said, “Up the stairs and he will meet you on the landing.” Lisa thought this very odd but she thanked the woman and went into the house.

  As soon as she was inside, she saw she had been right about his wealth. It was on show everywhere and she had no doubt now that he was worth more than Lord Stapleton could even wish for. She stared at everything as she made her way to the stairs and then looked at every painting that lined the walls on the way up to the first floor.

  So engrossed in everything that was on display around her was she that she jumped in fright when hands grabbed her about the waist and she was pulled close to the warm body of Edwards.

  “What has you here, now, little miss?” his jocular voice asked but she could feel his hands on her body already and knew why she had been called upstairs so soon.

  “I’m here to work for you,” she said and turned to see that he wore no clothes on his top half and only short trousers on his bottom.

  “Well come in here and get to work,” he said pulling her by the hand and into the bedroom.

  This was nothing new to Lisa and she went through the motions as she had many times with Lord Stapleton. She felt ashamed at what the maid would think of her and how the rest of the staff would react to her when they found out that going to his bed was the first thing she’d done in his employ. Still, if this place was anything like Waterford, her being Edward’s girl would mean better treatment than the rest and no one would dare challenge her for fear she would let slip a bedtime whisper in Edwards’ ear and they would be out on the street as quick as that.

  Afterwards they lay on the bed and Edwards smiled at the ceiling.

  “I bet old Stapleton will be miffed when he notices you are gone!” he suddenly laughed aloud.

  “He’ll find someone else very fast, I’m sure,” Lisa said. Edwards got up and started to get dressed.

  “You don’t think he’ll look for you?” he asked.

  “I don’t see why he would,” she answered and with a pang she realised it was true. She had only ever been a plaything for him. Edwards only shrugged to her answer and continued dressing.

  “Any more murders down there since we left?” he asked.

  “No, all is quiet again, just like before.”

  “Pity,” Edwards said but she did not ask what he meant by this. She was worried now about facing the rest of the house.

  Edwards was just about finished getting dressed and he pulled on the bell for the staff,

  “How about some breakfast?” he said looking at her.

  “That would be nice,” she smiled though she didn’t like the idea of another servant coming into the room and seeing her in the bed like this. She jumped up and started pulling on her clothes. She saw Edwards smile at this out of the corner of her eye.

  She wasn’t quite ready when a knock came on the door.

  “Come,” Edwards called and the same woman as before came in. She never looked in Lisa’s direction at all; her attention was on her employer.

  “See that this woman has a hearty breakfast and then show her out,” Edwards said with a grin, “I have no need of any more staff at the moment.” He then left the room through the open door without even looking at Lisa again.

  For her part, Lisa couldn't believe what had just happened and there was no stopping the tears that came to her face. The maid looked sadly to her, then came over, and took her into a hug.

  “I’m sorry dear,” was all she said but it sounded sincere. “I’m sorry, dear.”

  Chapter 75

  Mary was in the storage yard of the blacksmith tidying it up a little when Mullins came out to get something. She’d been avoiding him as much as possible after causing so much upset the previous evening. After talking to Alderman James in the chocolate house- a drink she felt she would never forget now that she’d tasted it—she walked the streets for a time with him.

  They talked about the Dolocher and the Spencer killings - or not- and he asked about the market and such. It was nice to talk to someone different and she had lost herself in it and hadn’t even noticed that the light was fading and then had disappeared. It was only when he said he should get her home that she knew she’d done something wrong and the girls would be worrying about her.

  She hadn’t been wrong, but it turned out to be even worse than that. When Mary got home only Sarah was home and she gave Mary the first scolding. Later on Mullins and Kate came home and both Mary and Sarah could see that Kate was badly shaken.

  Mullins told the story of what had happened and how Muc had gone off after the man but hadn’t come back- also stating that he wasn’t worried about Muc being in danger, it was the ‘other fella’ who was in danger. As he spoke, it became clear to both Mary and Sarah that something had changed between Mullins and Kate and it looked like for the better. At least some good has come of my mistake, Mary thought later as she lay awake in bed. Mullins was out in the main room but she knew it would only be a matter of time before Kate and he would be sharing this bed again. It made her happy to think it.

  It did lead to the troubling idea, however, that them all living here would soon come to an end too. Mullins wasn’t going to want them around forever, especially if he’d reconciled with his wife. They would probably be looking to start a family soon, that was what married people usually did. Although what a time this would be to try bring a child into the world.
Killing everywhere you looked and for years now, seemingly endless. How she’d like to get away from here.

  At that moment, out of blue, came the face of the sailor who’d helped her lock up the stall that night when she was alone. How nice he had been. Where was he now, she wondered. Her thoughts ran away with her and she saw him whisking her off on a ship to some sunny and happy place where she could be free of the constant fear of her life forever.

  “If only,” she whispered into the darkness.

  The next morning Mullins took her to the blacksmith as he had for a few weeks now.

  “New rule today,” he said as he took his long strides ahead, “You don’t go off anywhere with anyone, agreed?”

  “Yes, Mr Mullins,” she said running a little to try keep up with him. He looked at her with sympathy and slowed his pace,

  “It will only be for a short time more,” he said, “I’m sure whoever is tormenting you will be caught soon.”

  “I hope so,” she said.

  When they got to the shop, Larry was there before them waiting.

  “What did I tell you about not coming down here early,” Mullins growled at the boy.

  “I’m only here a minute,” the lad said cheerily.

  “I don’t care; I don’t want you sitting around here in the dark even if it is the morning.”

  “Alright, I’ll come later from now on,” he said exchanging a smile with Mary as Mullins leaned to open the lock on the door.

  Now as she stood in the yard when Mullins came out she felt it was time to say a more specific thank you for everything he’d done for her.

  “Mr Mullins,” she said.

  “Yeah,” he answered not turning around and still looking through his metal heaps for something.

  “I wanted to say thank you.”

  “For what?” he asked,

  “Well, for everything I suppose,” Mary said. Now Mullins did turn to face her.

  “You don’t need to thank me for anything,” he said smiling at her.