I opened the large wooden door with my hand, feeling the familiar twinge of pain in my wrist as I twisted it to do so. For a moment my heart beat quicker in fear, I did not recognise the figure on the doorstep, as he was shrouded in black, and I saw in my mind's eye a flashback of all the newspaper print tales of the 'Ripper' who stalked our streets, but then the figure discarded into my aching arms his cloak, and with an even faster beating heart I recognised his face. Alas, it is a face I would rather not remember.
"Dr Kearns." Even I heard the disdain in my own voice, and prayed he had not.
John Kearns, as he liked to go by, although to my knowledge that was one of just many different labels he used for himself, was not a man you would want to get on the bad side of.
He appeared to be in a jovial mood however, bestowing his flashiest smile upon me and pushing past to enter the house.
"Master Will Henry how very excellent it is that I once again find myself in your companionable company. I have missed you a lot my boy. I often think back to your hand in our last adventure together. Pray, may I ask, how is that wound?"
He was referring to the cuts on my arm, a large bite wound, which he had, 'on our last adventure together' used to trick me into being bait for him.
"It is fine thank you Doctor. Dr Warthrop is busy sir. Could you come back later?"
He gave me another jovial grin, which were already grating on my exhausted nerves, and disagreed. "No he is not Master Henry, and no I cannot. Do not try to lie to me Will Henry."
I shook my head, afraid, and offered him a cup of tea.
"Why yes my dear boy that would go down very well. Very well indeed. I trust you remember my beverage preferences?"
How could I not.
As I prepared the tea, boiling the kettle, I heard the infuriating man let himself into Warthrop's study. I leant against the counter and rested my head into my hands, ignoring the twinge it brought. I zoned out for a moment, focusing on my throbbing temple. I felt like the blood was trying its best to pound straight out of my veins. My muscles ached, and my eyelids were so heavy every blink was hard to recover from. It had been a very long and tiring night. I suddenly came back into myself, realizing I could hear loud shouting and that the kettle had stopped boiling a few minutes ago.
A loud, resolute crash echoed throughout the house and I abandoned my task of making the tea, racing through the house to where the crash had come from, to the Doctor's study. Inside both he and Kearns were facing each other, breathing heavily. I looked to the floor, where an entire bookcase lay face down, several books spilling from a pile underneath it. Someone had pushed in over in a rage. The men caught sight of my standing in the doorway, and I saw something change in Kearns's face. Some sort of light seemed to dawn in his hideous grey eyes, and he slowly smiled, the fierce true face of his being hidden once again under that mask of cheer. I still did not like that smile, though. I could see the maniac hidden beneath it.
"Very well" he murmured now. "Very well Pellinore, but do not blame me for the incidents that will occur after this moment. They will all be able to be traced back to you, and your selfishness."
He then moved, gliding gracefully along and past me. He stopped at my side, and looked down on me with an even bigger smile.
"Master Henry, I suppose you and I will be seeing each other in the future."
He then turned away again and strode away, down the hall.
"I will not be needing that tea after all Master Henry! Oh, and Pellinore, I propose you call in some aid with lifting that bookcase. Rather heavy, that one!"
And with that, the door slammed shut.