“If I left…” I asked all of a sudden amidst idle chat, immediately realising it was a mistake to bring it up, but at the same time unable to restrain myself. “If I left would you come with me?” Perhaps it was my way of dealing with the guilt. It Lilly came with me, then I would not have to feel remorse for leaving her behind.
“Eric, you know I would go to the ends of the world for you if needs be.”
“But would you stay there?” I asked, but she did not respond. The silence was the most damning and truthful answer I could receive. At that point I simply wished to save her from Gilbert, from London. If she could only feel what I felt when I was away, then perhaps she would have said yes in an instant. Or maybe she would not. Perhaps she did not see the world as I did, as a grand opportunity for something more. Some people prefer their ponds, whilst others prefer the ocean. She gave me no response, and I probed no further.
She said instead, “Your bag full of clothes. How did you retrieve such a thing following the fire? Did it not perish?”
“It was all they could save from the fire. That is all I have to my name now.” I felt content knowing that this was only a partial lie.
We talked idly for a while longer, until I heard the front door clatter and knew that Gilbert was home. He entered the living room and said hello to Lilly, but did not acknowledge me. He went out shortly after.
“He will be fine,” Lilly said before I could even ask. “You know his temperament. Just leave him be and he will be fine.”
Gilbert came in several moments later and walked up to me, handing me a small envelope. “Here, a letter for you.”
“For me?”
He threw the letter at me. “Do I have to repeat myself?”
I unravelled it with curiosity. Inside was a plain piece of paper with a hasty scrawl on it:
Meet at my house, Tuesday night, 7pm.
~ Lucius
Was this an invitation to another meeting? I had thought we had seen the end of them, but this appeared to indicate that things were going to continue as normal. That nothing had changed and that nobody had been deterred. As if Jack would continue as normal since the law had failed to stop him or our group.
But even I knew it was not that. Lucius knew we could no longer go back down that path. This was something different.
I turned to Gilbert. “How did you end up with this?”
“Lucius came into the shop looking for you today. I seem to remember telling you to stay away from the man; you would do best to listen to me. Anyway, he handed me the envelope and asked me to deliver it to you as soon as I could. I did not tell him you were staying with us.”
“Thank you.”
“Heavens! Do not think I was protecting you, Eric. I just did not fancy admitting to the shame of allowing you to sleep under my roof.”
I nodded. I knew it was best to not retort. Instead, I finished my tea, I bid my Sister goodnight, and went upstairs. The bedroom I was in was a small spare bedroom that was barely furnished, but it felt more like a home than staying at an inn. I made myself comfy, wishing only to go to sleep and forget about the day's activities.
I woke in the depth of night at some indeterminable time. I do not know what woke me, there was neither sound nor movement, and I merely chalked it down to bad thoughts and dreams that may have stirred me. I could not remember my dream from the night, only remembering slowly drifting off into sleep.
I tried to return to slumber, but my mind was too full of thought to be able to settle. Bored of sitting in the dark I lit a candle on the bedside table and turned to tuck myself up in bed whilst pondering for a while. I listened to the night; the occasional quiet murmur of nightlife roaming the streets broke the quiet. I thought of Jack still out there, roaming about as if He owned London. Was He any closer to finding me? Was He simply toying with me? Perhaps my time was already over. Cold fear ran over me as I thought about it. Perhaps He vowed to drive me insane, to torture me, before killing me. He had killed Rufus so quick and mercilessly for He was under Shaw’s command, but now He was free to do things at His own pace. Or perhaps He had tortured Rufus, too. Toyed with him before death. I shook my head; I would never know for sure, so it was best not to dwell on it.
I stared blankly at the message from Lucius, uncertain of what to do. I was sure this was no mere meeting, perhaps Lucius simply wished to reaffirm that all was lost. Where does one run when nowhere seems safe? There was nobody to tell who could take action, unless James found a way. Anyone else I told would only fear me. Lilly worries about me enough without divulging to her that I may be bringing a murderer amidst our company.
I wanted to go back to sleep, but the bed no longer seemed safe. Instead, I wrapped myself up in the blanket on the edge of the bed, watching the words as if they would do something. This I did until sunrise, and even then the world did not seem much safer.
When morning rolled round I made a concerted effort to visit James. Despite having little sleep and feeling ill in myself, I knew resting was out of the question. When I knocked there was simply a call from within to enter, and when I did so I found him slumped in his chair, his hair wild and unkempt.
“Should I even ask?” I questioned as I sat down on the sofa opposite him.
“Nothing. No matter how I dig, I cannot find a thing. Still, I guess an assassin who cannot be researched only lives up to their profession. I have gone through articles and statements, descriptions the witnesses supplied.” As he spoke he pointed as a stack of papers and portfolios in the corner of the room. “There are plenty of them, but each one is different. Witness reports describing tall men, short men, thin men, fat men, bearded, clean shaven, blue eyes, red eyes, fire breathing, leaping, flying, the list just becomes more ridiculous as you read!”
I opened one close to me and flicked through it. “So the witness reports are useless?”
James nodded. “Most witnesses were either too panic stricken, or saw too little, to give an accurate report.”
“So Jack could be anyone,” I said, more so to myself.
“Jack is anyone. Do not search for logic in this, Eric, for you will find none. Do not expect to recognise Jack when he is unveiled, for you will be disappointed. Jack is Jack, and the face under it will just be some poor sod that simply never was.”
“So, what is your next move?”
“I need to catch him in the act. It is the only way.”
“But, how will you know when he will next strike?”
“I have eyes, Eric. Although the investigation is now cancelled, many on the force feel aggravated by the fact that they put so much time into the case only to be pushed aside. Many officers have willingly offered their help in my cause. I have them on lookout all over London, where I can anyway. At first sight of him moving, we will know.”
“But James, it was actions like this which lead to the Mayors death.”
“And what would you have be do otherwise? I am an officer of the law, Eric. Risk is part of my job. I need to do it for the greater good, as my service to the public.”
I could not agree with him. James was setting himself up as a martyr. If I were to stop him, I was squandering all hope of freeing myself from this horror. If I were to remain quiet, I was risking his life.
I said nothing and agreed.
Chapter XXIV
Following the instructions of Lucius’ letter, I made my way to his house the following Tuesday. When I arrived his maid led me to the door of the parlour, where I could hear talking coming from within.
She opened the door and stepped in. “Master Godwin is here, Sir.”
I could hear Lucius from within. “Eric? Very well, let him in.”
I walked into the parlour where Lucius, Palmer, Harry, and Francis had already gathered to drink and smoke as they played cards and talked. As far as I could tell, the cards were merely social; there were no wagers of cash nor human lives at stake here. It was strange to think that I was surrounded by the benefactors of the grandest scheme possib
le known to the highest ranks and police and linked to the murders of several high profile people across the year, and yet we sat here drinking.
“Are you not afraid of holding these meetings anymore, Lucius?” I asked as I made myself comfy.
Lucius looked smug, as if he were greater than any man in the world. “The police found no evidence of my foul play, they have no reason to turn up nor to suspect us. If it is the other matter you allude to, we are not playing… what did you call it, Palmer?”
“The Killing Hand.”
“…yes. We are not playing that infernal card game. We are simply meeting as associates, and doing so here prevents any eavesdroppers.”
“Do you know who it was who rumbled you?” Palmer asked.
Lucius shook his head, but said nothing further.
Francis shifted in his seat. “If people notice us here, it will raise suspicion.”
Lucius nodded in agreement. “It is not impossible that they could still link the murders to this group, but I daresay we have bigger issues at hand.”
“Yes,” Palmer growled. “Jack did not kill my target.”
“He will not be killing any of our targets,” Francis said. “He is done with us, and that can only mean one thing.”
Lucius spoke, “Yes, I believe that to be correct. We will be Jack’s next targets.”
Palmer leant forward slightly. “But why? We did nothing wrong. We did exactly as expected!”
Francis said, “Do you not see? This was the intention all along. This is what I was trying to tell you, but you were so foolish you would not listen!”
Palmer huffed and plodded back into his chair. Harry, who had been sat in the corner silently, whimpered to himself.
Lucius said, “Even though we are in great danger, I do not believe we will be the next targets. Jack still has others that pose him a great threat.”
I said, “You mean the police? The investigation is over.”
“The official investigation, that is. I believe you know what I refer to, and most likely you too, Francis. James has not kept his business to himself. It is known to those in certain circles that he is leading his own case. This information may filter down to Jack, or it may already be in his hands.”
Palmer writhed in his seat, sweating profusely. 'It is still possible James could further link the murders and our group.'
“Yes, I believe that if James continues then that will be the case,” Lucius continued. “I fear that James will not simply let it go. From what I know of the man, despite the case being officially dropped, he will not cease his own investigation. Without resources I hope he poses no threat, but we must be aware that his eye is upon London, any mistakes may bring his gaze upon us. The growth of our personal companies during the recent months is freely available to anyone who may research it.”
Harry shook his head slowly. “That is not good...”
I said, “This situation is out of control and will not resolve itself. Either we will be found out and arrested, or we will continue on long enough for Jack to turn his claws on us. I wish neither to happen.”
“Jack will not turn his claws on us as long as we remain loyal,” Palmer said, but nobody responded to him. He then turned to Lucius and said, “So what are we going to do? If James knows about us and Jack, we are done.”
Lucius said, “He will die.”
Francis and I called out in protest at the same time. Lucius simply raised a hand and waited for us to silence.
“I have not asked for it, nor do I desire it,” Lucius said. “But, knowing Jack, if someone poses Him a threat then they will die. I believe James may be next.”
“No harm must come to James,” Francis said under no uncertain terms. “He is my friend and I will not have him come to harm as a result of these meetings.”
“It is not I who is making the decision, Francis. Perhaps I can suggest you chose better friends? An association with an officer of the law never a thing we needed in this circumstance, you may have subconsciously drawn him to this case.”
“I will not turn my back on my friends purely because of this group’s bloodlust.”
Lucius placed his glass down on the table. His face looked worn, as if he had not seen sunlight in an age. “I have no doubt that Jack will have already taken an interest him in, and I fear that no man at this table will have the power to stop him – not even I, as you all appear to assume. I have neither connection with nor control over Jack. I believe James is already a dead man, and that his time is fast approaching with his recent actions.”
Francis stood and screamed, “You heartless fuck, Lucius!”
I did not have time to scream. I understood that Lucius was entirely right, and whilst we sat around and talked about it, the countdown had already begun. I ran out of the room.
There was an eerie silence in the air as I rushed through the streets at lightning pace towards James' house. The sound of ringing bells rode ominously on the wind. Dark clouds gathered in the sky above. The streets seem to wind forever and it felt like his house was an eternity away. I did not know how much time he had left, it could be day or hours, but as I rushed it felt like minutes.
When I finally reached his house, I charge at the door and bring my fist against it. "James! James! Answer the door, now!"
My relentless hammering went unanswered. I feared for a while that Jack had already struck, that James may lay dead within. I kept hammering, refusing to let this thought be true.
I caught sight of an upstairs room laminating. There was a muffle from within the house and finally the sound of the door being unlocked, which revealed a hazy looking James. “Eric, what is the matter?”
I pushed into his house, closing the door behind me, hoping that tonight was not the night. “We have to get out of here, now.”
“But, what is going on?”
"No time to explain, you need to get out."
James cocked his head, but did not argue further. "Let me get my coat."
He rushed back upstairs as I kept a keen watch out of the windows. I could hear him rustling about and in mere moments he returned fully clothed, heading straight for the coat rack.
He said, "Will you explain as we go?"
"Yes, yes of course, but first we need to get out of here."
With unwavering loyalty James followed me back onto the street, locking his house behind him, and we immediately began to move. As we marched hurriedly through the darkened cobblestone streets, I realised I had no idea where to go. Where could I take James? Jack would be hunting him and, if he knew that I had saved him, he would most certainly be hunting me as well. I was glad, at least, that I no longer staying at my home, but what about James? I could not simply tell him never to return home. I had nobody to go to, except from seeking refuge at my Sisters. There I would have to come clean and explain, and hope that James would forgive me, but I would deal with that when it came.
James struggled to keep up with my quick pace. "So are you going to tell me what this is all about then?"
I flinched. Do I tell him now? If I informed him, maybe we could have made a plan of action, some way to prevent Jack from striking again. Maybe we could stop this. On the other hand, would James still trust me? Would he remain bound to his duty and turn me in?
"Eric?"
"James..." I held for a moment. I did not want to tell him, but there was no way around it. I could not march him through the streets of London without him knowing the truth, that he had been marked for murder. "Spring-heeled Jack is going to kill you."
He stopped in the street, gasping. "W..what? But how? How do you know this?"
"I cannot tell you... Not yet." There was not enough time to tell him the entire story even if I wanted to. "You just need to know that he is after you... he plans to kill you tonight."
I try to beckon for him to keep moving, but he remains still on the street, unable to muster a response. "Y... you have been behind the murders? You have been involved with Lucius?"
I
do not know what to say. Put so bluntly, it all seems so horrific, so unjust. I try to explain my innocence, that I did not mean it to be this way, but James silences me. "I knew it. I saw it all, but I chose not to believe it. I cannot believe it Eric... why would you do such a thing?”
It was the way that he said it that got me most. The words themselves were of little importance, but the wavering in his voice, the sheer distress, was enough to crush my nerve. I had no response. I tried to apologise, but it seemed so feeble next to the weight of the accusation. James gave me a long, cold stare, examining my every movement and reaction.
He said, "I am sorry Eric... but you did this to yourself." With that he turned in the street and fled.
I did not know what to do. James was most likely heading for the station. By leaving me, he had given me chance to escape, but that was the only chance he would give me. My days in London were done.
I remained frozen to the spot as he vanished down the street and around a corner. Do I chase him? No. I knew James, and I knew no amount of reasoning would bring him to sense now. I had messed up.
Then, suddenly, there was a crash. The sound of a window shattering from where James had gone. I ran, my heart sinking deeper and deeper with each step, until I rounded the corner and saw it all. From one of the second stories of a nearby shop, Jack had crashed through, showering James in shards of glass. The entire thing played like some awful scene where I wished to scream, but my throat simply swelled and my legs remained rooted. Jack had hurtled through the air and smashed into the ground near James with tremendous force.
Straightening up, Jack looked as dangerous as ever. Tall, built and strong. His metallic armour under his cloak shining in the reflection of the moon. That sickening grin under his mask still visible.
The Killing Hand Page 20