(no subject)
Chapter 3
Catherine Eddowes
October 7, 1888
“Elizabeth Stride was a remarkable woman. She was a worldly creature; fluent in English, Swedish, Yiddish, French, and she could curse in a further four languages. She was a woman of great courage and above all else a woman with a marvellous sense of humour. I was fortunate enough to have met her when I was just fifteen. I was a stranger in this country and perhaps knowing what that felt like was what made her take me under her wing. I owe Liz a great deal. When she would tell me stories about her life, she never left anything out; rather, I suspect she added bits in. But she was always open and honest with me about the choices she’d made in her life and how she learned from those choices. I knew what she did for a living, and respected her for never being ashamed to speak of it. I knew of her hardships and did what I could to help her as she had helped me. But Liz was an independent woman. Her life was her own and she was too proud to accept charity no matter whose hand it came from. Liz endured many hardships in her life and she rose to meet every one of them. In the darkest parts of her story was where I found her strongest and most ready with a joke. Now, I find myself in my own dark hour, the world has lost one of its finest examples of strength and perseverance, and I miss her terribly. But I knew her well enough to know what she would say to me now. I know what she would want me to tell the papers when they ask me what she was like. And I can tell you that while her life was cut needlessly short, I can assure you that in the time that she had, Elizabeth Stride truly lived. That is beautiful darling, it’s perfect.”
Chad turned and looked up from his desk at his wife hovering over his shoulder. He gave the paper back to his wife.
“The true test will be if I can get though all of it without crying.” Said Jessica as she folded the paper and placed it in her apron pocket.
“Who cares if you cry? It’s a funeral, you’re meant to cry, I certainly won’t think any less of you.”
“You say that now, but after we get through today I imagine you’ll have had just about enough of my weeping. Though, who knows, I’m feeling rather brave today, maybe I won’t cry at all.”
“Jess, we’re going to a mortuary today to look at the horribly mutilated body of your dear friend. I never met the woman and I might cry, so I’m afraid you’re going to have to be a little less brave so as to preserve the honour of your lily-livered husband.”
Jessica wrapped her arms around Chad from behind his chair.
“My husband is not lily-livered. I know you don’t like to talk about it but you must have seen your fair share of mutilated corpses while you were in India.” Jessica wasn’t sure where she was going with this line of questioning. She knew full well the sort of things Chad saw during his time in India during the few rare instances he’d been drunk enough to speak of it with her. Chad handled it graciously.
“That’s true enough. I think that’s just one thing I decided not to get used to, on principle if you like. I can look at something like that a hundred times but the hundredth time will still be as horrible as the first,” Chad cleared his throat and pulled Jessica round the chair and into his lap. “Not to worry. If you’ve decided to be brave, I am resolved to be just as brave. In fact I’ll see your brave and raise you a stalwart.”
“You’re on, soldier, first one to faint at the sight has to buy the other ice cream on the way home,” said Jessica as she offered him her hand to shake. Chad took her hand and kissed her palm.
“Sometimes,wife, you can be positively shocking. You know that, don’t you?” Chad eyed his wife, amused. Jessica kept her hand out.
“You shake my hand, Sir Chad of the Chessington Cheescloths, or the deal is off.” At this he laughed.
“You’re going to lose,” said Chad laughing as he took her hand and shook it.
“We’ll see about that,” said Jessica as she laughed and kissed him properly.
The Mortuary
One hour after the deal was made. The two brave soldiers found themselves stood in front of the City mortuary on Golden Lane. A gentleman in a long coat came to meet them. He introduced himself as Doctor Brown. He was the medical examiner for Catherine Eddowes.
“May I offer my sincerest condolences on the loss of your friend, madam. I am not sure what the Constable told you but it is not Ms. Stride’s body we need you to identify. Now I’m sorry I could not get a message to you sooner,” said Dr.Brown. “I’m afraid because of all the fuss between precincts we haven’t been as organized as we might be. I read from your testimony, Madam, that you were in the area on the night of the double murder. I was hoping you’d be able to have a look at the body of Ms. Eddowes, perhaps you might have seen her that night.” Dr. Brown opened the door to the mortuary and showed them in.
“Please sit down for a moment I will just go and see if everything is in order.” He gestured to a chair in front of a desk and Jessica sat herself down. The doctor smiled politely and left them alone in the waiting room. Jessica hated how quiet it was, how sterile. She could smell what she knew was decomposing tissue even though she had never smelled anything like that before in her life. The air in the room was stale and stagnant. Jessica fancied there was no air at all, it too had died. She looked up and caught her husband watching her intently. Another worry line was settling between his eyebrows. Jessica smiled up at him as bravely as she could manage.
“This is a sad place,” said Jessica.
“Yes it is,” was all Chad could offer. But it was enough.
The doctor returned then and went over to the couple.
“Now,” he said quietly, “I must warn you that Ms. Eddowes’ body was very violently mutilated. There are several wounds to her face which might make her unrecognizable at first so I will need you to look carefully. What you are about to see may be quite a shock for you, madam, so if at any time you feel faint or unwell, your husband and I will be right beside you. All you need do is say the word and we’ll get you out of there. Are you ready?” Jessica nodded. She took a deep breath and looked to her husband. The colour had drained from his face. She stood, took his hand and whispered into his ear.
“I’ll have a vanilla ice cream please, with lots of cherries on top.” She’d managed to reach his competitive side just in time. His eyes lit up and he leaned to her and whispered back.
“Not a chance. Oh, and mine’s a butter pecan, if it’s not too much trouble.”
Jessica smiled and wove her hand around Chad’s arm. The doctor led them through the corridor to a room at the end. There was a body on a table under a white sheet in the centre of the room. An older man in a white apron stood beside the table. The doctor beckoned Jessica closer. The smell inside the room was more potent than the traces Jessica had encountered in the waiting room. The room smelt of death and it nearly froze her to the spot. Jessica mustered everything she had and stepped forward into the room. She was the fearless child of the streets. She had untapped powers that no one but the gypsies knew about. Not even she knew the full potential of what she was capable of. She could be invincible. She let go of her husband’s hand and practically marched to the side of the table. Dr. Brown gave the signal and the other man drew back the white sheet.
“Oh, God,” said Jessica, under her breath.
Nothing at all could have prepared her for what she saw. At first it wasn’t human. It was an animal of some kind. It was a piece of meat, red and raw and rotten. But as Jessica looked she began to recognize features. The piece of butchered meat was a person. It was a woman. It was Liz. It was Andrea. It was her mother. It was Mrs. Allen, her housekeeper. It was every woman she ever knew and loved and held dear. Someone had done this to them; to all of them; someone whom she’d called to in the street that night. Someone she callously provoked. What the hell had she been playing at? This was something real, dangerously real. This could have and perhaps should have been her on the table had Andrea not got to her first.
“Do you recognize her at all, Madam?” said Dr. Brown gently.
Jessica looked down at the face of the corpse. Bits of flesh had been hacked away from her nose and lip and ear. Jessica’s imagination began a macabre descent. She imagined the face turning to her, talking, smiling, laughing, and then screaming. Was this face familiar? Could she been one of the many passersby Jessica had tried to disappear from as she waited for Liz? Without realising what she was doing, Jessica reached forward and placed her hand on the dead woman’s bare shoulder. It was unsettlingly cold. Jessica had never touched a dead body before and she had no idea what possessed her to do so now.
“Does she look familiar, Jess?” said Chad sounding like he was miles away, his voice cracking in the middle. Jessica could find her own voice. She simply shook her head.
Suddenly Jessica noticed that she couldn’t feel her hands. The coldness was spreading. It was running up her arms and numbing her blood. Death was infecting her. Was she turning into a corpse as well? Was the room turning into a coffin? White spots darted in front of her eyes and when she looked back at the dead woman’s face, and in that moment she stared down at the murdered version of herself.
“Please,” she croaked, “please, I can’t breathe, I…I’m sorry…I” someone grabbed her by the arm. Someone was calling to her in another room somewhere. There were people making a fuss. And if there was one thing she hated it was people fussing over her. And she told them as much.
“Will you please stop making such a fuss, I’m perfectly fine. I just need some fresh air,” she said, but to be honest she knew she wasn’t fine, the room was still spinning.
“We’re going outside now. If you’d let me carry you we could go faster,” said Chad who had his arm around her waist and was supporting most of her weight, she realized.
“Not a chance, I’m walking aren’t I? You just try and sling me over your shoulder, Mister; I’ll knock you into next Tuesday.”
“I’d like to see you try, but for now you can have it your way,” sighed Chad.
The doors opened and a cool breeze of clean living air inflated Jessica’s lungs. Chad set her down on a bench outside. Jessica covered her face in her hands and leaned forward, gasping greedily at the cool autumn air. Chad crouched down in front of her, steadying himself with one hand on the bench but not touching Jessica at all; he knew better than to crowd her right now. He looked over her shoulder and nodded towards Dr. Brown.
“I’m terribly sorry to have distressed you so, madam, is there anything I can do for you? A glass of water perhaps?” said the doctor hovering somewhere behind her.
“I’m fine, thank you Doctor. I just need a moment I think.”
“Thank you for coming by today, I understand how difficult all this must be for you. If you require anything I’ll be just inside.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” said Chad as he moved to sit next to Jessica on the bench. The doctor walked back up the steps of the mortuary and disappeared behind the door. Chad and Jessica sat in silence for a moment.
“Jess…”
“I’m sorry, Chad, if I was short with you earlier. I didn’t mean anything I said. I’m just a little humiliated and the thought of you carrying me around like an invalid in front of those people in there...”
“I know, darling, you scared me a bit is all, I wanted you out of there as quickly as possible. How are you feeling?” Jessica lifted her head which was clearing. She took another deep breath.
“I’m much better now. Really.” She looked into Chad’s worried face. “Really… I could probably go back inside in a minute.”
“We’ll see. In the meantime, stay here, I’ll be right back,” said Chad as he stood.
“Where are you going?” asked Jessica.
“There’s a man selling ice cream around the corner, I saw him on the way here. I believe I owe you one vanilla ice cream with cherries,” said Chad, smirking.
“But you won!” said Jessica, confused. “I practically fainted in there!”
“True enough,” said Chad as he moved closer to her. He then added quietly, “But I cheated.” Jessica stared up at him in surprise.
“You didn’t.”
“I did,” admitted Chad, “You didn’t see it but the second that man lifted the sheet I felt like I was going to keel over then and there. I was holding on to the door frame for support the entire time and I was nearly sick twice before you even flinched. You win.” Jessica looked at her husband. She smiled.
“I love you,” she said.
“And I you, my brave maiden,” With this he kissed her and went off down the street in search of ice cream.
No sooner had Chad turned the corner, Jessica realized she wasn’t alone on the park bench. She turned to find Andrea sitting next to her.
“You don’t look very well.” She said plainly.
“Andrea! How long have you been sitting there? I didn’t see you.”
“Not so long. You all right?”
“Yes I’m fine, I was just in there looking at Catherine Eddowes. It was …”
“A bit much?” guessed Andrea.
“Quite,” said Jessica
“I knew Kate. Good woman. She did not deserve what was done to her. None of them did.” Andrea looked up at the sky as if she were reading it.
“You knew Catherine Eddows?” Jessica looked at her in surprise.
“I knew all of them, all of them. I watched Annie Chapman die. Terrible the things I have seen.”
“You watched her die…you saw the killer? Did you get a good look at him?”
“You will not like my answer, Jessica.”
“I doubt after the things you’ve already told me there’s much more that will shock me. What did you see Andrea?”
“I saw the murderer, yes; I know who the murderer is. I know a lot of things, sometimes I think I know too much” said Andrea, still speaking into the sky. Jessica stared at her incredulously.
“But why if you know all of this will you not go to the police?”
Andrea turned to her and took her hands, she stared her straight in the eye.
“Do you remember what I showed you at the circus? With the cards, you saw, you know what I can do. This is how I know these women, this is how I see them when they…I have watched a lot of people die and I have stood by as their killers walk away. You must believe me, Jessica, if there is a way for me to save them, I try. Each time I can try, I do. But there are times when there is nothing I can do, and nothing I try to do will help. I go to the police I put my family in danger for nothing. You must believe me, Jessica. If I can help I do. When I cannot, I do not. That is why you are alive and why the others are dead. But these are things you will understand in time,” Andrea eyed Jessica carefully. Then she let go of her hands and stood up.
“So,” said Andrea cheerfully. “I know why you are here. You should ask me why I am here.”
Jessica smiled, a bit overwhelmed at the speed of the change in topic.
“Very well, what brings you here today, Andrea?”
“You,” said Andrea. “I know you come here today so I wait for you. We must meet again soon; you, me, Anna. There is something I wish to try. And there are some matters we need to discuss.” Andrea smiled and raised her eyebrows excitedly. “I do not think your husband will let you come to us because we are still in Whitechapel right now. And there are too many people at Drury Lane, too much risk.”
“Well, then come to my house! We’ll be at Liz’s funeral on Saturday morning. If you come along and bring Anna, I could have you both round for tea. It’s my housekeeper’s day off so we’ll be alone and I’m sure Chad won’t suspect a thing.” Jessica offered. The mere sight of Andrea reminded her of that night at the circus and it sent a shiver of excitement down her spine.
“This is good plan. I take it then you have not told your husband?” asked Andrea. Jessica shook her head. She’d not said a word to him about it since that night. He’d slept the entire carriage ride home. The only words spoken between them that evening consisted of Chad profusely apologising about not realising how tired he was, and how it must have been too much excitement. The next day was filled with yet more questioning from police, she barely had a chance to speak with him at all. She’d never kept anything like this from him before and she felt terrible about it.
“No, I don’t know how. I want to but I haven’t found the right way.”
Andrea thought for a moment.
“This is fine,” she said. “You must not fret so. You want to tell him, and I think you are right to tell him, so when the time is right you will. There is no rush. I must go now, but I will see you soon.” Andrea stood and took Jessica’s hand.
“Do not worry about your husband.” She said, smiling. “I’ll bring a little something for his tea.” And before Jessica could say anything else, she was off.
Chad came back a few moments later with a small paper box. Jessica stood and met Chad at the front steps of the mortuary. He presented her with the ice cream and a curt bow.
“I’m afraid there were no cherries, my dear. I do hope plain vanilla will suffice?”
Jessica took the box from him.
“You didn’t get anything for yourself?”
Chad looked down at his feet and cleared his throat.
“You might be feeling better, my love, but I think I shall have misplaced my appetite for the day, probably the week. Don’t mind me though, please, eat.”
Jessica opened the box and stared down at its contents. There was nothing about the slowly melting confection that was offensive. Nothing about it reminded her of a rotting corpse or a glinting blade or the smell of stale air. But as Jessica stood there looking at it this was all she could think of, and the distinct feeling of standing on the deck of ship overtook her.
“You know, perhaps I’ve lost my appetite as well.” Jessica looked up at her husband. Their eyes met in a familiar understanding. A look as old as the day they met and perhaps the chief reason why they were now happily married. Jessica smiled, rolled her eyes, and shook her head.
“Poor little ice cream,” said Chad thoughtfully, “it’s not your fault no one wants to eat you. I’m afraid you’re just going to have to melt.” Just then Jessica had an idea.
“Perhaps not,” said Jessica, her smile widening. “Perhaps this little ice cream belongs to the real winner of our little contest.”
Jessica was immediately hit with the unwelcome rush of stale air and decomposition. But this time she was ready for it. She was armed with a plan and nothing could disrupt her new mission. Jessica marched herself up the front desk where a young clerk sat.
“Pardon me, sir, but could you see that Doctor Brown receives this?” Jessica pushed the ice cream across the table so it sat neatly in front of the young man. “Oh, and you may wish to do it soon, it’s melting you see. If you could please tell him it is compliments of Mr. and Mrs. Cheesecloth and that we are grateful to him for his kindness.”
The young man simply looked at her strangely and nodded. With that Jessica smiled and left with a spring in her step.