grail of death and clockwork.

Chapter VI

Dakoda turns to leave but pauses.

"What are your thoughts on the suicides?" She questions, lucca pauses and hums in thought.

"Well I'd say it's an interesting and strange occurrence, although I must admit I was only aware of one, has there been another since?" lucca answers.

"Ah, I see she the inspector has not released and information to the public about his death yet," Dakoda mutters, she glances between her employee and the child.

"Yes there has been another, someone very dear to me, and I confess I am highly suspicious of it all," Dakoda explains quietly.

"Well I would suspect so, two people who you have personally known, that must be a horrible thing to have to bear on your conscious without questioning why," lucca utters. With a small nod of appreciation Dakoda smiles.

"I appreciate your understanding, detective inspector keeland seems to think it an overreaction," she discloses.

With a curt nod of farewell Dakoda steps out of the shop and adjusts her skirts before walking towards the carriage.

"Menachem, You may take us home now," She instructs.

"Affirmative, my lady," The mechanical maid replies gathering the reigns. Dakoda steps up to enter the carriage only to be halted by an erie tingling down her spine, glancing around she spots nothing out of place, except possibly the beggar at the corner street. She pulls out her purse and becomes the poor young man over,

"Hear sir, Go buy yourself some food," Dakoda mutters handing the raggedy man 20 pounds,

"That should be enough to get you by for a while, I encourage you to find work," She adds

"God Bless you, Lady, You are a lifesaver," the man thanks before hurrying away towards the market, with a sigh Dakoda enters the carriage,

"A life saver? If only that were so, Then Virgil would still be hear and I would not wish death upon myself," She murmurs under her breath leaning back into the soft carriage seats, she leans over and draws open the carriage windows curtains. Gazing out at the city as it passes by she lazily observes the common folk.

The carriage passes by an alleyway and as it does so dakoda catches a glimpse of something she had hoped she would never have to bear witness to again in her lifetime,

"Menachem! Stop the carriage immediately!" she shouts her eyes widening as she leaps out of the slowing carriage, she lands on the metal grates -which make up the majority of the sidewalk ground - with a harsh thunk. Slowly standing and brushing off her skirts as passerbys stare at her in shock she turns to the closest person to her,

"Call...Call inspector Keeland," She breathes out as the adrenaline coursing through her causes her breathing to become uneven.

"Tell him there's been another one," She adds taking a step towards the direction of the alley, her ankle twists under her and she lets out a shriek as she crumples to the filthy ground. A crowd had begun to gather around her as Menachem rushes from the carriage,

"Lady Cipher! What were you thinking hurling yourself out of a moving carriage like that you could have had yourself killed!" Her maid scolds as she assists Dakoda in standing,

"Oh Hogwash, It is merely a bruise," She mutters once again brushing off her skirts, she hobbles in the direction of the alley not giving any protest to the crowd in follow, as she arrives at the entrance of the alley she turns to the crowd,

"Has anyone gone to fetch Scotland yard yet?" She questions, when no reply came she turns with a groan of irritance to the alley way. Taking a deep breath she limps into the dark alleyway in order to observes the crime scene, not yet looking at the body which hung from the steam pipes above her she scrutinized the ground around the alley, Dakoda deduced that their had been some form of struggle between at least two people, Weather that had happened before of during the death of the man above her she was not sure, she took notice of how few items which could be used as steps there were, a few crates hear and there but not many close enough to be considered the item which the man could have used, just as she takes note of a trail of footprints leading away in the dirt and grime of the alley she hears the clatter of footsteps behind her and the sounds of Keelands men cordoning off the crime scene from the public's eyes.