Fear

4- London

"So you don't pay any credence to the HH Holmes theory?" Andersson asked, the guide smiled.

"Well you Americans always want to claim everything for your own."

"Is that right?" Andersson smiled. Before quickly getting a jab in the ribs.

"Quit it," Abby said and although she was smiling Andersson realized that perhaps she'd been a bit too flirty with the guide. It was after all just the first few minutes of the tour.

"Yeah so as I was saying there are lots of stories to tell and theories to explore and we'll cover all of them even the incredulous idea that he may have been an American as we walk around Whitechapel."

Abby's surprise for the last night of their break was a Jack the Ripper tour.  Taylor was buzzing. She looked at her fiancée with a huge grin. "I love you. This is amazing, thank you."

"Good. Now try your best to one not flirt with the guide and two not show off too much. There are other people on this tour, okay."

"So I can flirt with other people just not the guide." Andersson smirked.

"Yeah sure babe, and see that lovely large bath that you wanted to take with me later, you can find out how comfy it is to sleep in." The brunette didn't miss a beat.

"Okay so the story starts here, on what used to be George Street. On 2nd April 1888 a woman by the name Emma Smith, a local prostitute was attacked on her way home from an evening of drinking and working. In the area between Spitalfields and Whitechapel. When she arrived home the person she lived with told a police inquest that Emma was on a terrible state bleeding from the face, and body and that she'd been complaining about pain in her nether regions. She was persuaded by these other lodgers; Margaret Hayes and Annie Lee that she should walk to the hospital, infact the women accompanied her. There was definitely a safety in number needed in this area which was synonymous with violent crime and gang violence.

"The house surgeon Dr George Hyslip stated later at the inquest that the injuries that she had were truly horrific.

"A portion of the right ear was torn, and the peritoneum and other internal organs had been ruptured, which, he later stated, led him to believe that the injuries had been caused by some blunt instrument having been thrust into her with very great force.

"Emma died of her internal injuries in the early hours of Wednesday 4th April. Was she the first victim of Jack the Ripper? Probably not but what is significant is it was the murder of Emma Smith  which caused the police at the time to create a file called the 'Whitechapel Murders'." The guide stopped for a moment before adding, "Okay so if you want to follow me let's go to the location of who I think is the first victim of Jack, oh and American lady this will blow your theory out of the water."

The group followed on behind the guide who was casually chatting with some people on the tour. Abby snuggled into Taylor while they walked at the back of the crowd. There was a chill to the air now that the sun was quickly setting.

"Right. So who can tell me who the first victim of Jack the Ripper is?" The guide smiled and asked as the mass gathered around her. Taylor watched as some people mouthed their answer to the person they were with none of them brave enough yet to offer anything up to the group.

"Martha Tabram and it doesn't blow my theory out the water." Andersson offered. She felt Abby punch her in the arm.

"Point two, remember that one, about showing off."

"Okay so why don't you think it's Mary Ann Nicols like most of the people were muttering under their breath?"

"Well my fiancée has asked that I refrain from showing off and let you do your tour."

The guide laughed. "Just this once. Go on, give me your answer."

"Well the kill site, it was very close to Catherine Eddows and the MO, the positioning of the body and the way it is left discarded, is so similar to that of Mary Ann a few weeks later most people now consider that Martha was the first. In the answer to your other point, a passenger list shows Holmes arriving in London approximately a week before the murder of Martha."

The tour guide shook her head. "Okay then, you're convinced, you're wrong but you're convinced."

"I'd listen to her." A middle aged woman on the tour piped up. "You know who she is, don't you?"

Abby sighed this is exactly why she wanted Tay to be cool this evening; they didn't need anymore attention.

"No. Are you some famous detective or something?" She joked.

Taylor shyly replied, "em no ma'am. I'm just here to enjoy the tour like everyone else."

"I have read the book." The woman in the crowd responded.

"So you're an author." The guide smiled and shook her head. "Well if your book is about proving Holmes as the Ripper then I hope this tour helps your see the error of your ways."

"Okay so Martha Tabram."

"See you can't help yourself." Abby whispered. "You've gotta show off and draw attention."

"I'm sorry. I love talking about all this stuff and you know that this case has always intrigued me."

"You think you would have solved it, at the time?"

"No probably not, no science, no cctv, really new police force, I really think that short of being caught in the act nobody would have solved it."

At the end of the tour the guide moved over to speak. "So you going to tell me who you are and why my audience was so sure I should listen to you."

Taylor turned to Abby almost seeking permission, surly this didn't count as showing off.

"She's Special Agent Taylor Andersson of the FBI, last year she caught the biggest modern day serial killer in US history and I'm sorry she disrupted your tour." The brunette almost apologized.

"She wasn't too disruptive. But you are wrong."

"I know." Taylor smiled. "There isn't an answer to the Who is the Ripper? That's the beauty of the story. Anyway it was nice meeting you. My very beautiful fiancée promised me a curry and I believe this is the best area in london for that."

"Chaudry Jeffery's" the guide smiled. "My boyfriend is the chef. Enjoy."