I wandered about the streets of Whitechapel. They were just as dirty, crowded and disease ridden as Five Points, except the Irish werent as prominent around these parts of London. I walked the streets the Ripper did, which for a woman was a dangerous thing, but a woman disguised as a man, the feat was less daring. I sat down at a pub called the Brown Bear and ordered a whiskey. I was surrounded by coppers. It was nice to be back in the homeland, away from the civil war that was tearing my new country apart.
"Dont you think it's a little bit early in the day for a drink as strong as yours?" I looked over at a man, he had an American accent.
"No' at all boy-o." I said, I raised my glass at him and said "Slainte." Before downing it. He frowned and moved closer.
"You're a woman." He said, his voice dropping. I smiled.
"Aye."
"And Irish? You've got nerves coming here." He said.
"Technically Im an American, like yerself." I said. "Detective Aoife O'Reilly, from Five Points at yer service." I smiled.
"Captain Jackson." I nodded and paid for my whiskey.
"Pleasure Captain." I said. He stood with me.
"What brings you across the pond?" He asked. I laughed.
"Two things, I needed a slight reprieve from the war back home, and the Ripper, Captain Jackson." I adjusted my hat over my tightly braided red hair.
"The Ripper?" He asked. I nodded.
"Aye, The Ripper." I said. He pushed open and held the door for me. "Corky thinks I've los' me marbles, bu' then again mos' o' the boys on the force think I have. Being a woman, and a copper. Bu' there are no rules agains' tha', an' they can' fire one of their bes'." I said.
"Jackson! The inspector needs you." An taller man with a neatly trimmed beard said, jogging up to us on the street. He nodded to me. "Sir." Then he turned to Jackson. "Now," He said.
"Drake, show a little respect for the lady." Jackson interrupted, Drake made a face, then looked at me. His jaw dropped.
"My apologies miss, I thought you were a," He was looking for a way to not offend me.
"Drake is it?" I asked, he nodded. "Don' ge' yer knickers in a knot. If I wan'ed ta be seen as a lady I would be wearin' a corse' an' a bustle." The man frowned.
"She's a detective out of Five Points."Jackson said. Drake still looked bewildered.
"Another yankee? Jesus, leave it to you to find the only other American in the city." Drake said.
"Well, if it pu's yer mind ta ease, Im born Irish." I said. Drake frowned.
"No, not really. Anyway Jackson. You need to come with me, the Inspector needs you."
"Good day gentlemen." I said.
"Wait, perhaps you would have insights that would be greatly appreciated."Jackson said. I smiled.
"Thats verra kind o' ye, Captain, bu' Im a wee bi' ou' of me jurisdiction." I looked between the two men.
"Miss, it's quite alright, I have a feeling your insights, if you have any, would be much appreciated." Drake said. I nodded.
"Verra well then Mr. Drake, lead the way." I said. I never got a bloody day off, but the chance to work on the Ripper's case I would never pass up. I followed the two men, literally right next door to the precinct.
"About damn time!" the Inspector said. Then he saw me. "Who is this?" He demanded. I smiled and stepped in between the two men.
"Detective O'Reilly from Five Points, Sir." I said extending my hand. "Anythin' I can do ta help. I am at yer service." He eyed me. I removed my hat and his eyes widened.
"You're a woman."He said. I smiled.
"Thank ye Inspector, I was beginning ta wonder if I was a woman or a man." I laughed. There were a few uneasy chuckles. He cleared his throat. "Need I prove me use as a detective sir?" I turned and pointed at Drake.
"You. Ye were a soldier. Fought in Egypt perhaps, astonishingly, unlike our Captain here, ye have no drinking, gamblin' or any other bad habits aside from yer taste fer violence." I turned and gestured to Jackson. "Ye on the other hand, without seeing a lick of real combat, though ye do like gunslingin', a surgeon would be my guess. An' ye worked with the Pinkertons aye? Ye have a drinkin', gamblin' an' a whorin' problem an' ye have far too many secrets fer half the people in yer life ta trust ye. Except fer one. One, perhaps a woman." I watched his reaction, he shifted uncomfortably. "Aye a woman shares mos' o' yer bloody secrets an' I do believe I mean tha' they are truly bloody, bu' I may be wrong there." I turned again. "You Inspector, have never served in the military, bu' ye've been wounded. Mos' likely a burn by the way ye hold yer shoulder. Yer wife, there's marital issues, an' ye remain faithful, bu' even so ye spend a good majority of yer time here, ye sleep on the day bed in yer office, yer obsessive an' compulsive, bu' tha's why yer one o' the bes'. I am surprised ye haven'caught the Ripper ye' with the way ye sink yer teeth inta a case an' won' let go until it's finished." I put my hands on my hips as we stood in their shocked silence.
"Impressive Detective." The Inspector said. "But what can you tell us of this body?" He asked uncovering it. I smiled and pulled off my hat, then my jacket. I studied the body closely. I looked at every inch.
"Poisoned. Abou' 40, wealthy and lived an easy life, definitely no' from Whitechapel. Probably a banker or somethin' ta do with finance. Where are his belongings?" I asked. The Inspector handed me his things. I found gambling stubs to various things, boxing, dog fights, the works. "Ye migh' wan' ta question the wife abou' his gamblein'. She may have grown weary of him spending their money so recklessly." I said. The three looked at each other.
"Well done, the wife confessed early this morning." The Inspector said. I smiled.
"Ye knew I was in town. The lo' o' ye knew who I am. Yer smart Inspector, don' le' it mess with yer head." I said. The Inspector smiled,
"Edmund Reid." He said, extending his hand.
"Aoife O'Reilly." I said, shaking it.
"I had heard that you were taking a holiday, I was shocked to learn it was to England." He said as we left the laboratory.
" I miss the Emerald Isle, I've jus' lef' Belfas'. I should be goin' back to America within the month." I told him. We all sat down in his office.
"So soon?" Drake commented. I smiled.
"Aye, so soon. I have duties back in Five Points." There was a general nod of understanding. I looked behind Reid and saw a chalkboard, with the Ripper's victims. I stood, favoring my right side a little, it felt stiff which bothered me because of how early it was. Must be the slightly cooler air here.
"This is wha' ye have on the Ripper?" I asked. Everyone watched me.
"Yes. It's not much." The Inspector said. I skimmed through everything.
"Ye believe he's no' a man with a medicinal background?" I asked reading his notes, his theory was different than those published in the newspapers.
"The wounds indicate that the knife used was dull. It appears to me that the cutting of his victims is a crime of passion almost." He said. I nodded.
"Interestin' theory Inspector." I mumbled.
"Whats your theory then?" Jackson said.
"The women are all prostitutes?" I asked, looking at the room of men. They nodded. I looked carefully at the photographs. " You're killer may very well be a self righteous man." I said.
"How do you gather that?" Drake asked. I turned and looked at them.
"Each of these women are prostitutes. Selling themselves for men's pleasure. Wha' organization would ye say is agains' such an act? Pre-marital sexual intercourse? The Church. It does na matter if yer Catholic, Baptis', or Jewish, every branch o' the church condemns these acts as a sin. Yer man may be tryin' ta righ' wrongs and send a message." I theorized.
"Truly? I had never thought about that angle." Reid said.
"An interesting theory." Drake agreed.
"A self righteous man who would rid the world of sin." Jackson said.
"Whitechapel is a killing ground for him then." Reid said.
"But if he were truly self righteous, wouldnt we have other sinners in our dead room as well?" Drake said. I nodded.
"We could, bu' he may find tha' women sellin' themselves in the manner of a prostitute to be mos' foul. An' should be gotten rid of first."
"I think you made a small break in the case Ms. O'Reilly." Reid said with a small smile.
"Glad I could be of help Sir." I said, I looked up, out the window that lead to the main precinct to see a commotion. I frowned. As the gentlemen in the room noticed, a young man in a coppers blue uniform burst through the door.
"Inspector, we'll need you for this one." He said breathlessly. Everyone jumped up.
"I am sorry Ms. O'Reilly, but you must excuse us." Reid said as he pulled his hat on his head. I smiled. And pulled the card for my hotel out of my waistcoat pocket.
"Should ye have need of me again Inspector." He nodded and was off. I walked myself back to my hotel, thinking on the Ripper's case. I turned it over and over. Clearly, the Ripper had notion of dissection and anatomy, but is not a surgeon or doctor. A surgeon would never let his tools become blunted. A medical school dropout, perhaps. I wrote down the theory. I opened a bottle of whiskey, humming quietly. Then I stopped, frozen dead in my tracks. That could be it! I wrote it down immediately. How could I have not thought of that before? I smiled as I pulled off my shoes and pants, I lifted my shirt and removed my chest bindings. I pulled on a sleeping shirt and went to bed.