The Secrets of Whitechaple

Chapter 7

It's raining today. My elbow is resting on the table and my head is resting on my fist as I stare out the window. 

My last few patients of the day have sent cancellation messages because of the weather. I get up from my desk and move towards the little table I have placed near the door for decoration to retrieve the documents that I had my assistant set there nearly half and hour ago. They were for the Baker children, the two twins had gotten the measles and Mrs. Baker was very aggressive in making sure every possible treatment option was considered and studied before she would except any medications. 

I sigh and walk back to my desk. I read through the file and see that my assistant has already done mot of the work on every treatment that is available, all I have left to do is write my professional opinion deciding if it's something that could be used. She really is an amazing worker, I must tell her thank you. 

I flip through the pages of the file and select a few possibles then set the file down and begin collecting my belongings preparing to leave for the day. My hat, my cloak, my watch. Yes, I have everything. 

I walk to the door and open it to find my assistant sitting at her desk to the right. "Good evening, Melissa." I say in a chipper tone. Why wouldn't I be happy? She just did a large portion of my oh-so-despised work for me.

Melissa was a considerably pretty girl. Long blonde hair held up into a tight, faltering bun, a heart shaped face, blue eyes, she had a very outgoing personality,  she always had a smile on her face, and she was petite. She was going to make some young man very happy one day. That must be why she came to work for a doctor, to find a young wealthy man coming in for medical treatment and marry him. Not a bad idea. 

A bright smile lights up her face when she looks up to see me, "Good evening to you, Dr. Williams. Any plans for tonight?" She asks me this while still holding her large, bright smile. 

"Oh no, not for me. I'll just be at home reading." Lie. 

"Oh that's too bad. No friends to meet with then?" She always liked holding conversations. 

"No, I'm afraid. Us old people like to sit in dimly lit rooms and sadly look back on our youths." I poke a bit of fun at myself. 

"Oh no, Dr. Williams, you're not even that old." She gives me a playfully scolding smile and laughs a bit. 

I laugh a bit too. "I'm afraid, my dear, that I am." I add as a final note. "Well Miss. Kasey, I think it's time to close up." 

She nods and begins to gather her things. Once she is finished we walk out the front door together and I turn around to lock the two large iron locks that are just above the equally heavy and metal door knob. I turn back around to see Melissa standing on the side of the street. Hmm, I wonder when it stopped raining.  As I think this a carriage pulls up and the driver hops down to open the door for Miss. Kasey. 

She turns back to me, "Would you like to share a carriage, Doctor?" 

"No thank you, Melissa. I shall be walking tonight. I shall see you tomorrow." I nod and bring my hand up to wave her off. 

She nods and says " Goodnight, Dr. Williams." Sh climbs into the carriage. After closing the door, the driver climbs up to his seat and retrieve the reigns then they are off. I watch the carriage disappear down the street and think to myself that I should get her flowers to say thank you. 

*      *      *

It's not 12:30 AM. I spent quite a while after close up just roaming the city until I came across a little flower shop that suited my tastes. That's where I'm at now. 

"That'll be fiffteen euros." I handed the rotting shop keep the money and picked up the black flower box from the counter before exiting the shop. 

I was just about to turn left towards my home until I saw it just right of me. I froze and just stared for a few moments. It was dirty. Just like always. It was wearing a black jacket and skirt, the skirt had a sprat of flowers adorning it. It was also wearing a black crepe bonnet. I begin walking towards it. 

I stop just short of it, close enough for it to look up and show its horrible smile, "What's your name?" 

"They call me Long Liz." The heavy cockney was evident in its voice. 

"Your real name?" 

It laughs, how disgusting, "Oh, Hun. That don't matta." 

I don't want to scare it away, " How much?"

"For a cutie like you," It taps its chin as if thinking. "free euros."

'Only three?" It nods, " I think I might just take you up on that offer." It grabs my hand that isn't holding the flowers and begin to lead me somewhere. Once we are there I soon recognize the place as the back of the International Working Men's Educational Club. I glance at my watch and see that it is 12:50. 

"Do you think you might be able to tell me your real name?" I try to charm it. 

"Oh what the 'ell, you look like a nice enough man. Name's Elizabeth Stride." It smiled that horrible smile and I faked a smile back. I reached the hand that wasn't holding the flowers I had gotten for Melissa into my cloak, thankfully if was my right hand. I gripped my knife.

"What'er ya doin'?" It gives a a cautious and skeptical look. 

"Oh you know-" I cut myself off by flinging my hand out quickly and slashing its jugular. It gargles and falls to the floor. I'm just about to set the flowers down to do my regular routine of cutting the abdominal region when I hear a bang. It's the back door to the club. I don't even put my knife away first I just run. 

*    *    *

I'm back at home and all is well I was not spotted and I'm sitting at my desk writing another journal entry about my newest acomplishment.