The Whitechapel Case [abandoned]

Part 2: The Connections (Chapter 2)

The Whitechapel Case
Fox-Trot-9

PG-13
Horror/Suspense/Mystery (How-Catch-'Em)
Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt or Death Note.

Part 2: The Connections
Chapter 2

[From here onwards, all papers included in this work, although stemming from the author's fervent imagination, are inspired by several real events in the history of Whitechapel, London and elsewhere in Great Britain. Through diligent research and astute observations, the author aims to create the most comprehensive and realistic overview (a fictionalized casebook, if you will) of several unsolved crimes. I repeat: These papers are completely fictional. Any and all resemblances to actual published papers are solely coincidence and not an act of infringement upon the copyrights of the Guardian and other published papers.]

Day 2—Noll was a mile up the block when Lin went out the front door, still visible along the sunny stretch of sidewalk beside Langley Drive. Lin called out to him and got no reply; he called out again, this time waving his arms, but the kid kept on walking. Figures. He guessed Noll was probably still pissed off about his remark of having two girlfriends. Of course, he assured Luella and Martin that their boy's relationship with them was completely professional, before walking out. Nothing unusual going on amongst the three of them. He ran to catch up, and when he finally reached Noll, he was winded and sweating.

"Noll..." he said, taking a breath in between. "Don't make my life harder than it needs to be... Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the library."

"You mean the one at the Croydon Clocktower?"

"Yes. I'll need to do some research on Jacob Meiler, and anything else that's connected to him."

"But the library there doesn't open until nine a.m."

"That's why we're walking," said Noll; Lin groaned. "What? It's only twelve miles from here. Besides, it's good for you."

He groaned again. His boss was making him sweat it out, all right. "Why Jacob Meiler? Do you think he might be a suspect?"

"No. It's a possibility, but no; it's not plausible, especially when you factor in his reaction when he woke up in his office, yesterday."

"What did you question him on?"

"Among other things, whether he had ESP or not." Lin looked at him. "Yes, like Mai, he has ESP, but of what kind, I'm not sure. But I do think he holds the key to solving this case."

"How did you know that?"

Noll shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just call it a hunch." Believe it or not, given his penchant for skepticism, Noll did believe in hunches, because when the facts seemed out of line with the evidence, when the records became scarce, and when the theories conflicted with each other, hunches can come in real handy. Consider it the investigator's sixth sense, if you will.

With that, the two walked on in silence for the better part of three hours. They passed the houses and the parallel-parked cars, the mom-and-pop shops, the Woodside Green, the Warehouse Theatre and the Croydon College, until (lo and behold) they reached Katherine Street where the famous Clocktower stood beside a big block of a building that is the Croydon Central Library. The library was a monster of red brick and gray marble, constructed in the Gothic Revival style of the 1890's, looking more like a town hall than a library. You can even look it up on Wikipedia; it's there.

Noll knew that place like a book, because he was a regular bookworm there five years ago. He wondered if the old librarian he knew still worked there; he was one of the few people Noll truly respected. On entering the ground floor (the first floor anywhere else), he didn't find him. In the old man's place at the reception desk was a buxom brunette who kept a steady eye on Noll, as he and Lin walked over. She was interested in him, all right; Noll could tell.