That Butler: Secrets

The Real Ripper

Chapter 7 

That evening found three unhappy people standing on a nondescript corner in the night fog. Two of them looked like nothing more than street urchins, though if any had looked closer, it would be easy to tell they were not. They were far too clean. That image was further made null by the tall man that stood next to them.

The silence was absolute, as they were all caught up in their thoughts. The two humans thinking of what had brought them to that point, and the demon was as inscrutable as ever. Ciel barely spared a sideways glance at his butler as he remembered the conversation that had brought them to this point.

"Do you make a mockery of me with this!?"

His demon butler bowed with grace as he closed the doors behind them. "Of course not, young master. This list included every aspect you gave me. Any person that did not have an alibi on the night of the murders, and that had knowledge or skills in medical procedures."

He was cut off by the boy. "Then, you have lied to me!"

Sebastian gave him a devious smirk. "I have sworn never to do so. Do not fault the tool when the hand that wields it cannot see past the ordinary."

Ciel looked as though he had a scathing comment, but he paused. His voice was low when he spoke. "So those people could not have done this?"

Sebastian chuckled. "No. Humans are incapable of this."

"You may not have lied to me, but this-" The boy paused and held up the list of names. "This is a joke of an investigation!"

When he flung the pages at his butler, the demon sidestepped with another chuckle. "Are you taking it out on me? Surely you knew I was like this. That is why you keep me by your side, after all."

Ciel growled in frustration and pushed his hair back before he pinned his servant with a glare. "Do you think it could be one like you?"

Sebastian stood from where he had been picking up the mess. "No, I do not believe so. I would have noticed had they been a demon. It is something else."

At that point, Ciel was pulled from his thoughts by a scream coming from the home they had been standing watch near. All three of them jumped and raced down the enclosed alley to the only entrance of the small house, but as soon as they flung the door open, Sebastian grabbed him and threw his hand over the boy's eyes. "Do not look!"

Not that he had not already seen enough to know they had walked into a nightmare. Sebastian pulled him back, and he could hear Lucienne close by, trying to stifle a gasp.

The girl had thrown a hand over her mouth to stop not just the sound but also the nausea that was threatening to crawl up and escape. She had seen many horrors in her long life, but this was beyond what she had been prepared for. Luckily her gaze was jerked from the sight in front of them when Sebastian spoke.

"Really now, that was rather over the top. It's all over the floor, Jack the Ripper. Or should I say Grell Sutcliff?"

Lucienne's eyes widened as the other butler stepped into a shaft of light before they narrowed. She was not as shocked as she should have been. Despite the blood across his face, the man tried to plead ignorance.

"No! It isn't what it seems! I heard screams, and I rushed in to see what happened."

Sebastian lifted one brow and gave him a sardonic smile. The sight of it both bolstered Lucienne's nerves and sickened her. Though it shouldn't have. He was a demon, after all. This was probably no worse than carnage he had himself caused in the past.