Murdoch and the Chimney Sweep

1.

"Winds in the east, there's a mist coming in, like something is brewing and about to begin" she sings sweetly looking over the rooftops of Toronto, she stands to reveal long black pants, sooty long sleeve shirt and suspenders holding up her pants, her long brown hair flowing in the breeze.
"You ready, Stephanie?" Questions the familiar voice of Alexander from behind, wearing similar attire, as she pulls her hair back and whistles, more children spring from chimneys as they hear her call,
"Step in time" she calls and the crowd of children respond, singing, "step, step, step" and begin to dance on the rooftops
"Step in time" she sings, turning to face the group of kids as they sing, "step, step, step",      "Never need a reason, never need a rhyme" they imitate,

"Never need a reason, never need a rhyme" she sings slightly higher, the children imitate and sing loudly, "If you pick your knees up, pick your knees up, pick your knees up, pick your knees up, step, step step step step step step, never need a reason if you step in time" they all chant at the top of their lungs, after a moment of cheering Stephanie claps her hands twice and the children leap over rooftops and set to work. She turns around to the boys behind her,

"Good luck" she speaks earning a smile from the boys, a familiar saying towards other chimney sweeps,

"See you later, hu?" speaks the other boy who earns a smile from Stephanie,

"Always, Henry. Always" she speaks picking up her sweep and leaping away from the boys onto a rooftop to get to work.

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"Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee, a sweep is as lucky, as lucky can be" Stephanie sings as she climbs to the top of her last roof for the night. She stands atop, and looks out towards the city of Toronto. The house she stands on is away from the city, however she likes it out here. The countryside, breathing fresh air. "Now as the ladder of life 'as been strung, you may think a sweep's on the bottommost rung" she begins to sing jumping into the chimney, "Though I spends me time in the ashes and smoke," objects clutter to the floor within the building, she creeps down slowly and quietly as a man raises his voice,

"What am I missing?" he questions himself, Stephanie inches closer to the unlit firewood at the bottom of the chimney, "Richard Hartley, found drowned by the river, his teammates have confessed to injuring him in an 'initiation' but... the evidence isn't conclusive"

"What evidence do you have, Sir?" Stephanie questions knowing she shouldn't be talking to people while working

"Hello? Who is there?" the man questions again, she hears his footsteps shuffle in an attempt to find the voice,

"Just your chimney sweep Sir" she speaks with enthusiasm, 

"Ok" he pauses taking small steps towards the chimney, "How about you come down from there?" he questions, as his shadow forms over the wood, her heart begins to rush, the pounding probably heard through the walls,

"Not allowed to be seen on the job Sir," she speaks her voice rising in fear, creeping slowly back up the chimney. Her foot slips, part of a brick clatters to the ground landing at the mans feet,

"I realise my mistake" he speaks genuinely, stepping away from the chimney, "You wanted to help... chimney sweep?" he questions her,

"Yes please" she speaks positioning herself comfortably inside the chimney while she listens to the man, whose name was revealed to be Detective William Murdoch from Station House No. 4. The detective explains the case, all the details as vividly as possible for the chimney sweep, "Is there a possibility that the man survived  the initiation?" she questions after hearing his spiel about the case,

"Why would you..." he begins but the silence confirms that he knew what she would say next, "His finger nails" he speaks louder with a tone of revelation, "Of course! You're right!" he exclaims unsure of why he didn't figure it out before, he walks up to the chimney "Thankyou. You have been a great asset to this case" he speaks genuinely thankful,

"Your very welcome Detective" she speaks proudly, "But I'm afraid I must be going" she speaks forcing her body to wriggle out of her comfortable spot and clamber up the chimney,

"When will I hear from you again?" he questions, his voice echoing through the walls of the chimney,

"Just remember when you know," Stephanie begins to sing, "Feeling in the warmth, someone's up your chimney, and it isn't Santa Clause" she continues sweetly, "If you need us, if you don't, doesn't make much laws, we'll be watching over you, never need a reason, never need a rhyme, over the rooftop step in time" her voice cuts off suddenly as she jumps into trees behind the house and heads back into town.