Murdoch and the Chimney Sweep

13.

"Julia Ogden" Murdoch gestures to a tall woman with golden straw coloured hair neatly tied up, she turns around at the sound of her name, "Meet Stephanie Lynn" He gestures to Stephanie, desperately trying to keep her cool.

"Stephanie" Julia greets with a warm smile that brings the girl a little more to ease, "I'm so sorry to hear about your parents" she speaks and gently squeezes the girls arm, Murdoch pulls Julia aside for a moment, catching her up on the latest findings, before Julia leads the way down into the morgue.

Two beds sat in the room both covered by a white sheet, one the an outline of a female body the other a male body. Julia stops at the head of the female's body, slowly removing the white sheet. Stephanie froze, as Julia uncovered the face of the male's body. The feelings of betrayal crushed and replaced by grief and loss. Stephanie couldn't move, she could barely breathe, everything she had felt over the years came crashing down. She tries to hold it all inside as Julia covers the bodies back up. The words of the Detective and Doctor voices in the distance, muffled and indistinguishable.

Gentle hands guide her to a seat as she sits through all motions, tears streaming down her face. After a few minutes she composes herself, the tears still spilling quietly.

"H-how?" Is all Stephanie can manage to ask,

"How?" Questions Julia Ogden breaking her conversation with Murdoch.

"Your parents were found under a shed that was demolished a few days ago." Speaks Murdoch, she wipes away a stray tear,

"They were found perfectly preserved, as if they passed yesterday" continues Julia, "How long has it been since you saw them last?" She questions,

"10 years" Stephanie replies, on the brink of tears, Julia's shocked expression meets Murdoch's calm and puzzled one,

"10 years? Murdoch," she whispers trying to get into the Detective's head, "How did you find her?" she questions,

"Ask the right questions to the right people, that's how" he replies, "What I still don't get is who took her in" he questions loud enough for Stephanie to hear, "Stephanie, can you tell me more about who took you in?" he questions and she looks up to them,

"I'm not supposed to talk about them with anyone, especially the Police" Stephanie replies frustrated, Murdoch pulls up a chair and sits opposite her

"I understand that, but whoever you're working for, whoever took you in killed your parents, don't you want to know why?" he questions as she thinks back to helping Murdoch catch the hooded man. "Don't you want to catch the person responsible?" he questions further as Stephanie thinks of the other children, were their parents also killed? were they taken in for the same reason she was? She had to find out, but it wouldn't be easy.

"William," calls Dr Ogden "Give her some time" she speaks and Murdoch backs away from Stephanie, "William, the girl just lost her parents, she also doesn't seem too fond of the Police" Julia points out,

"A constable turned her away when she tried to find her parents" Murdoch replies

"See, so she has conflicting emotions about the Police, on one hand she wants her parents killer to be found and brought to justice" Julia begins, getting Murdoch's attention "and on the other she doesn't trust them because of what happened when she was a kid" she pauses to think, "But if this organisation doesn't want her to talk, Murdoch, you can't force her to" he nods and looks towards an empty chair, where Stephanie was seated moments ago,

"Where did she go?" he questions moving forward in a rush,

"I'm not sure" Julia replies, as Murdoch looks into the morgue where Stephanie's parents lie, before rushing towards the door,

"Murdoch, wait!" Julia yells, stopping Murdoch at the open door, "Give her some time"