Whaling City Vampires: Love Beyond Death

by Alison Fish

  Chapter 25

  Amy undressed and brushed as much of the street dirt from the hem of her cloak and skirt as possible as soon as they returned to the lair. Ruthie and Susie were more interested in what the newspaper had to inform them about the murder behind the hotel two nights earlier than the dirt and dust on the hems of their skirts. Susie lit the candles while Ruthie spread the crumpled newspaper and tried to smooth the folds and creases it had suffered in a city trash bin.

  "I've found something!" Ruthie exclaimed.

  "What does it say?" Susie leaned forward in anticipation.

  "I'll read it to you," Ruthie said.

  Search Continues for Murderer

  The search for clues continues in the murder of John Strapper a crewmember of the whaling schooner, Cheer, after being found in the alley behind the Bacon Hotel. According to the Reverend Horace Williams who found Mr. Strapper clinging to life behind a row of ash cans, when asked who had attacked him, Mr. Strapper answered, "Her," before succumbing to death. Officials have learned from witnesses at the hotel tavern that Mr. Strapper was last seen exiting the rear of the tavern with a recently hired barmaid named Susan Burdick who has not been seen since. Officials do not believe Mrs. Burdick capable of overpowering and murdering a man but would like to question her about the crime. It is feared that Mrs. Burdick may also have been a victim of crime. In addition to her disappearance, a visit to her residence found her children missing as well and two more bodies, the apparent victims of a brutal fight amongst themselves. The victims have been identified as Mrs. Burdick's landlady Marjorie O'Malley and an unidentified man. Anyone with any information is asked to visit the city hall.

  "Well, now," Amy smiled, "they don't believe you had anything to do with the murder after all."

  "Yes," Ruthie said, "isn't that a relief, Susie?"

  "In a way it is," Susie frowned, "but how is it they readily believe Mrs. O'Malley could kill an 'unidentified man' but I'm not capable of killing John Strapper?"

  "What difference does it make?" Amy sat at the table to her nightly hair brushing.

  "It's just curious," Susie said as she glared into the candle flame.

  "Mrs. O'Malley was a big strong woman, Susie," Amy explained, "you are quite petite."

  "I suppose," she leaned back in her chair.

  "That man was white and had some money," Ruthie noted, "he wasn't dressed like a dockworker. He was more of a business man."

  "What are you saying, Ruthie?" Amy asked.

  "I know what you're saying, Ruthie," Susie realized the truth, "the officials are hiding that man's identity to protect his reputation. They don't want anyone to know he was in my apartment with my landlady. It would be very suspicious for a respectable man to even be in my neighborhood."

  "I see," Amy replied, "the important thing is you aren't suspected of murder, Susie."

  "Even though the man's dying word was 'her,'" Ruthie whispered.

  "Well, he shouldn't have had enough breath in him to speak," Amy sulked, "he should have been already dead."

  "You were even more careless than we thought," Ruthie said.

  "Yes," Amy, frowning, slowly brushed her hair, "I suppose I was."

  "Why was this Reverend Williams in the alley anyway?" Susie wondered.

  "I don't know," Amy replied, "I'm sure I didn't see him. Did either of you see him?"

  Ruthie and Susie shook their heads as all three of them thought hard to remember any possibly forgotten details of the scene from two nights ago. Stunned by the incredible events taking place at the time, Susie couldn't hope to remember any details about that night such as strangers lurking in the shadows of the dark side streets as she was rushed away from the murder scene by the killers.

  "It does seem strange that a man of God would be out in the streets so late at night," Ruthie commented, "maybe one of his flock sent for him and he just happened to find Mr. Strapper on his way by."

  "But Mr. Strapper was on the far side of the alley behind a row of ash cans," Amy reminded Ruthie, "he must have been purposely looking for something or someone."

  "We will have to be much more careful in the future," Ruthie said, "now that we know there's a preacher who visits alleys at night."

  "Maybe we should find Reverend Williams before he finds us," Susie suggested as she rose from the table and moved to her coffin.

  "What!" Ruthie clutched her Bible to her chest in alarm. After Susie suggested tearing the most recent victim's head off with her own hands to hide his disfigured neck Ruthie was fearful of any suggestion Susie might have about ridding themselves of anyone else.

  "And what do you suggest we do when we find him, Susie?" Amy asked bewildered.

  "Instead of us fearing his finding us," Susie explained, "we should find him first. Then we will know where he is and be able to learn why he seems to frequent alleys at night."

  "I don't see what harm that could do," Amy said, "if we know where he is and why he is there we won't have to fear him finding us."

  "I'm not too happy with the idea," Ruthie said, "I'm afraid you two will decide to make a victim of him. Then we'll be guilty of killing a man of God!" Ruthie also rose from the table and carried her Bible to her coffin, "I could not live with that, no chance at all."

  "You'd be surprised at what you can live with," Susie replied casually, "we don't have to kill him. We simply need to know why he is spending nights patrolling alleys."

  "Then it's settled," Amy opened her coffin in preparation to rest, "we will find Reverend Williams and discover his motives. We will not drink his blood because, Ruthie, we have an agreement that I only victimize bad people. If he truly is a man of God, then he is a good person," she climbed into her coffin and lay back, "goodnight, ladies."