Murdoch and the Chimney Sweep

10.

The following day...

"Hey" calls Henry as he approaches Stephanie, they begin to walk the square together, "You know, Alex didn't freak out as much as I thought he would" he speaks, Stephanie smiles and looks around to see Constable Higgins and Crabtree approaching the Station door. George explaining something to Higgins as they walk in and close the door behind them.

"Hey" calls Alexander catching up to both of them,

"No more secrets?" Stephanie questions looking between her brothers

"No more secrets" they agree and pull her into a group hug,

************************

Night fell hours ago, after Stephanie told her brothers about her helping Detective William Murdoch they agreed that she could continue helping him as long as they were updated on some of the cases every once in a while. Stephanie had climbed down Murdoch's chimney and makes herself comfortable before he speaks.

"Is that you chimney sweep?" questions Murdoch as his footsteps come closer to the chimney, "Thank-you for your help last night" he speaks genuinely thankful that he had some extra hands, "Were you hurt last night?" he questions remembering the muffled cry he heard from the heat vent above him before he continued his job and catching the murderer,

"Just a scratch, nothing I'm not already used to" she speaks and rubs her hand over the bandaged arm, Henry patched her up while she was telling her brothers about her deal with Murdoch and his cases.

"Are you sure, I can patch you up if you need it-"

"It's perfectly fine Murdoch, I've had the best doctor in town patch me up" she speaks giving credit to Henry,

"Oh ok, well I'm glad you came tonight, there's something I wanted to ask you" he begins and walks to the chimney "I have a new case-"

"Already!" she exclaims surprised at how fast people die in this town, 

"Ah yes. I was wondering if you knew a girl, she'd be about sixteen years old" he speaks and waits for a reply,

"I don't know many sixteen year old girls" she replies wondering what Murdoch's play is, "Do you have a name, or a sketch of this girl?" she questions and Murdoch shuffles some paper,

"Her name is..." he begins, leaving Stephanie in suspense, "Stephanie Lynn." her eyes grow wide and she covers her mouth with her hands, holding back emotion, holding back from jumping down the chimney and confronting Murdoch face to face, she calms herself down before even thinking of speaking,

"I-I don't know a girl by that name" she stutters, her voice shocked and scared, "What's the case, 'she do something?" Stephanie questions getting her voice back to normal before Murdoch walks away from the chimney and over to his desk shuffling more papers. Stephanie takes this short moment to steady herself for what she might hear,

"Well, found her parents bodies" he speaks still shuffling papers, Stephanie's eyes wash over with new emotion and before Murdoch returns to an empty chimney.

A/N

Again, apologies. It's been too long since I've visited this story, I need to stop starting things and then leaving them.

Happy reading!