Authors: Bryan Lightbody
“Five teeth missing, a slight laceration to the tongue and bruising on the right lower jaw. All consistent with a blow to the face, or pressure from being held. May or may not be linked to the homicidal injuries. Injuries to the neck, I shall catalogue in more detail but needless to say that the neck wounds are so deep as to go back through all tissues to the vertebrae. No wounds to the upper body cavity but to the abdomen we find several deep slashes, which again I shall elaborate on in my notes, all very jagged and caused by the same instrument being used violently downwards. They appear to have been done left handed, or cutting backhand.”
“Well, Doctor, what kind of man do you think might have done this?” said Abberline
“You’re the detective, Abberline, why don’t you tell us?” responded Spratling aggressively.
“Because I’ve only just arrived, John, but seeing as how you’ve been around all day, what do you reckon?”
“I think it’s just some local nutter, in fact two nutters as both the eventual states of the bodies are different, don’t know why there’s all the fuss of getting you Yard boys in.”
“Because, my Dear John, we don’t make some early shift assumption but look at all the evidence, so I wish to speak to Dr Llewellyn about both the month’s murders, so if you’ll excuse us John…….” Spratling stormed off from the mortuary.
“We’ll see him back at The Street no doubt, George. Now then, Doctor, you’ve examined both bodies, do you see any link between the two?”
“Well, Inspector, obviously only the second victim has such extensive mutilations, but both have had their throats cut deeply cut. Both would appear to have been cut by someone who is left handed as both initial slashes to the neck area are from the victims left to right. Also I suspect that the same or similar knives have been used on both victims judging by how much damage was created; only a powerful and sharp butchery knife could do it.”
“Or surgeons, doctor.”
“Surgeons save lives, Inspector, not take them.”
“But you would agree that a surgeon’s knife could do it?”
“I concede only in the weaponry, Inspector.”
“Doctor, can I take it you will be available should there be any other victims?”
“If I am on duty Inspector, then yes.”
“Well if you’re not I might like to call on your services for a continuity of opinion.”
“I don’t mind, Inspector, but please don’t set me against my divisional surgeon colleagues unnecessarily.”
“Don’t worry, doctor, I shan’t be doing that, good day to you.” Abberline and Godley left the mortuary.
“Fred, I don’t think it’s a great idea to try to upset the divisional surgeon.”
“I’m not trying to upset him, George, just gain a different view point, not a copper’s.” They walked briskly and from the mortuary to Commercial Street Police Station a relatively short distance. Abberline hoped that on arrival the incident room would be in the process of being prepared for the case to be launched in earnest the next week.
They were greeted by the desk sergeant as they entered and both walked through the station as if they had never left and found their way directly to the incident room they would be using. The two young constables and Sergeant Kerby had made a good job at making the place usable and presentable, the walls were clear although grubby from previous use and there were several cleared blackboards all set with chalk on their shelves and board wipers. There were several desks and wooden filing cabinets dotted around the room and just about enough chairs to match although not any two of them were the same. The floor had been swept and there were two doors into the room from different corridors. If they needed the space, Abberline thought, they could block off one of the doors. The lighting was from a dim electrical source but there were old gas units spread around the walls ready for use if necessary.
“Only one thing missing, George,” Abberline said as they surveyed the room. “Some tea making stuff, we need a little stove in one corner with all the bits, because I’m bloody parched.”
“I’ll make sure it’s done for Monday, Fred, because I feel exactly the same.”
At that time Sergeant Kerby stuck his bearded face around the door at them. “Everything all right for you, guv’nor?” He asked almost genuinely with a faint smile.
“Splendid job, Sergeant, but mind you two of your finest cups of tea, for me and George here would top things off.” The faint smile disappeared from Kerby’s face as he strode off to get refreshment for the detectives. In the meantime they exchanged a wry smile.
Saturday 1st of September 1888. Robert Ford arrived outside the London Hospital early for his one o’clock date with Mary Kelly. He could see over the road a large crowd gathering for what he understood to be a most unsightly freak show, ironically opposite the place of so many medical breakthroughs and healing. Whilst he was waiting for Mary he listened to the show announcer stood outside on the pavement of the Whitechapel Road.
“Roll up, roll up for the greatest freak show in Europe. You will feel terror, you will feel pity, you will feel amazement, you might well feel sick when you cast your eyes on a man who is quite simply not one thing or the other. His features are that of an unimaginable jungle animal, his skin has the texture of a hide; he does not have the bone structure of a man. Ladies and gentleman, and I must stress NOT boys and girls I invite you to come in for your viewing excitement, for your imagination overload, to enter and meet Mr John Merrick, THE ELEPHANT MAN!”
The crowds swarmed the grubby seedy ticket booth at the entrance to the shop desperate for some cheap thrill or titillation.
Robert looked on disgusted at these people indulging in another’s horrific misfortune and tried to put it to the back of his mind to be in a good humour for when Mary arrived. He hoped that she would not have a macabre interest in seeing the poor wretch in the show. Robert looked himself over in a reflection from a window in the London Hospital and was quite pleased with his efforts. He had turned out in his best three piece suit, plain black leather shoes and a wing collar shirt with a tie. He hoped Mary would like what she saw. He straightened his neck tie much to the delight to a couple of passing squaddies who could not help but comment in a falsely high pitched voice “Oo, you look gorgeous, luv,” who then chuckled to themselves and walked on in what was obvious to Robert a semi drunken state.
As he turned to view the main road again Mary was stood immediately in front of him, he could do nothing to help his mouth opening and his lower jaw dropping with what he saw. She was not in anything that resembled her working clothes; she was wearing a tight fitting crushed velvet Victorian lady’s dress in a deep blue with a cream coloured blouson jacket on top, a blue and cream bonnet to match her outfit with her radiant auburn hair tied back like flowing like the mane of a graceful thoroughbred mare, a lacy parasol and she was wearing high shoes of some kind with the height at which she stood and the way she held herself. He could detect the obvious but subtle scent of perfume which seemed to be of good quality and was pleased he had matched her effort with his own turn out.
“Mary, you look beautiful. I don’t know what else to say,” Robert could not stop staring at her shaking his head in amazement. He thought she looked lovely everyday when he saw her, but now she appeared both gorgeous and elegant.
“Well, Robert Ford, I must say you look the kind of gent who should be accompanying me, you look marvellous too.”
“May I accompany you to the boating lake, madam?” Robert said imitating as best he could an upper class voice.
“Certainly, sir,” Mary replied in her normally soft Irish accent which was of a very high class nature from her own attempts to always be more than she was by birth.
He stretched his arm for her to take it and they began walking east along Whitechapel Road in the general directions of Bow and Victoria Park. They walked and talked and turned along Cambridge Heath Road to head to the western end of Victoria Park. It was still quite a way to walk so they paused not far along the road at an omnibus stop. They continued effortlessly chatting as they waited but it was not long before the bus came along. They boarded with Robert eagerly paying the fare for the two of them and they sat themselves on the open top deck as the sun was out and the air was fresh and sweet, as fresh and sweet as it could be for the busy, clogged streets of the East End. In fact as they headed north and gradually further east the nature of the streets and the property that passed significantly improved, especially once they reached the wealthy environs of Hackney and Bow.
The omnibus turned right from Cambridge Heath Road and made its way along Victoria Park Road. ‘Vicky Park,’ as it was and still is known, stretches from the edge of Hackney east to the outskirts of Bow, nearing the borders with Stratford. A distance of just over a mile. As a result the buses made several stops along their way past the park stopping at the various points of activity or interest ranging from the boating lake to the tea rooms and bandstand or just by some of the quiet rolling areas of grassland or small copses of trees.
Robert and Mary alighted by the boating lake and then walked arm in arm through the ornate wrought iron gates forming just part of the Victorian railings surrounding the entire park. Being the weekend and a day blessed with fine weather the area around the lake and it’s various facilities was crowded with much of the East End’s populace more finely dressed on the whole enjoying a day out in stead of work, but Robert noticed the crowd was punctuated with some very wealthy types from outside the locality who were obviously enjoying the parks country atmosphere too. He noted the odd rogue around too who had made no attempt to alter their normal working appearance and eyed the people around them cautiously, looking possibly for victims or being wary of the police who also took time to stroll the grounds for their normal patrolling purposes. Robert found it sad that even in this haven people still had to be on their guard.
He noted that Mary’s appearance turned many a man’s head not only due to her exceptionally fashionable turned out appearance but also too because of her stunning natural beauty. What was she doing involved in such a deplorable trade in the East End? He was determined if some kind of relationship blossomed that he would take her away from this as soon as he could.
They strolled up to the queue for the boating lake chatting comfortably and enjoying a day out like the rest of the world around them and in a short while they were at the head of the line at the ticket desk with Robert handing over the money for their session on the lake. The ticket entitled them to a row boat for two finished in a somewhat weathered royal blue colour which quite coincidentally off set the shades of blue in Mary’s outfit and Robert’s suit bizarrely well.
They climbed aboard with the tatty little rowing boat listing characteristically from side to side as they did so, Robert got aboard first and confidently stood offering Mary his hand to help her on. She took it with her parasol swinging off of her forearm as her free hand pulled up her skirt slightly to avoid it snagging on the rough sides of the boat or skimming across the water’s surface. They both sat down facing each other with Mary more to the aft of the boat looking forwards and Robert facing backwards more towards the stern comfortably next to the oars.
He confidently took an oar in each hand and the boat keeper cast off their rope securing them to the shore it landing with a thump in the area behind Mary in the boat. With a bias with one oar Robert got them facing to the centre of the lake and he then rowed with languid strokes to not wear himself out to get as far away from any of the banks as possible. He pulled the oars in securing them along the boat’s sides and then moved to sit next to Mary.
“So, Miss Kelly, how are you enjoying your day?”
“Very relaxing thank you, Constable Ford.”
“Who’d have thought that the East End could look so tranquil and have somewhere that allows you to feel completely at ease and away from it all.”
“Reminds me of Ireland, calm inland waters, lush grasslands and swaying trees in colourful blossom. I shall go back there one day, settle and never leave.”
“Sounds wonderful, is that alone or do you see a man in your life?” Mary considered her reply carefully. She was very fond of Robert, feeling totally at ease with his company. He would be the kind she pictured this settled life with but was concerned not to scare him off, avoiding a sense of coming on too strongly. She could at least be assured that he was fairly unmoved by her profession or else she doubted he would be here now. “Of course with someone, don’t want to be some old maid in Limerick, all talked about behind me back.”
“What about Joe?”
“Oh, he’s really more of a house-mate than anything else, can’t see him being me man to be in Ireland. Anyway, what about you, Robert, what do you want from your future?”
“Well if I’m to marry whilst in the force, I need to move my wife out to the leafy suburbs to live so I can still get to work, but we can raise some kids in a decent environment.”
“All on a constable’s wage then, eh?”
“Well, if can make sergeant then we could do it at a struggle, but if I make inspector then it’s a real ambition.”
“I do like a man who plans a future, there’s more to you than a pretty face and a nice arse, Robert Ford,” she giggled in a suggestive way. All Robert could do was blush and start to laugh too.
“It would be un-gentlemanly to say what I like about you, Mary Kelly.” They continued giggling.
They stared into each others eyes as their laughter gradually subsided. After what seemed like an eternity of staring into the emerald pools which were Mary’s beautiful eyes Robert moved towards her and gave her gentle kiss on the lips. Mary responded simultaneously with equal pressure against him, he must know that she was developing strong feelings for him. He pulled back following that initial contact to look into her eyes again to gauge her response. She was looking longingly at him so he immediately took her in a passionate embrace in his arms and they began kissing with real intention as lovers do, tongues clashing and wrapping against each other heatedly, each signalling their desire to the other as a result.