Chapter 11

„Good evening, doctor," William greeted Julia later that Saturday evening when he walked into the morgue.

"Oh William," she smiled when she heard him and turned her head so she could see him as well. She was mid-autopsy and just weighing the organs.

"Are you alone?" he asked warily and looked around, but couldn't see anyone else.

"Yes, it is Saturday evening after all," she nodded and smiled when he used the opportunity to peck her lips.

"What have you found so far?" he asked and turned serious.

"I feel like I am repeating myself over and over these days, but it is always the same. She was murdered, then raped. The only thing that is different is that she put up a fight. There's tissue underneath her fingernails and bruises on her forearms. He grabbed her arms so hard that he even deformed the bracelet she wore," she reported. "I think you might be lucky and find finger-marks on it," she added.

"I hope we will be able to find some and then find our killer before another child loses her mother," he sighed.

"Speaking of which. Take a look around the corner where my desk is," Julia said and wiped her hands on a rag so she could go with him. When William reached the desk he was surprised to find a white play pen set up beside it and Eva was sleeping in it, covered with a blanket.

"What is she doing here?" he asked surprised.

"Dawson brought her by because she just wouldn't stop crying and got into such hysterics that she got a nosebleed," Julia replied quietly.

"I'm very glad that you could calm her down, but the morgue isn't a place for a child," he pointed out. Julia's face showed hurt and he hadn't wanted that. Still, he felt he was right. "Julia, that is her mother there on your table," he said more gently and stepped closer to her so he was invading her personal space.

"I know, William, but what choice did I have?" she asked him and looked at him somewhat desperate.

"You could have called me," he shrugged like it was the most obvious thing.

"You are chasing a murderer William and could be called away any time. You don't have the time to look after her," she insisted.

"Maybe I don't, but there are enough men at the station to help us out. They could bring her to me or you whenever she doesn't calm down," he suggested.

"I don't know," she remained reluctant.

"You don't trust me?" he asked, already knowing that it wasn't true.

"Of course I trust you. I'm just not sure it will work. Dawson knows how to handle children and she couldn't calm her. So I have doubts that a constabulary full of inexperienced men will manage to do that," she pointed out.

"Brackenreid has children of his own. And you could always stop by and visit," he smiled at her and knew he had won.

"Once more your logic infuriates me," she admitted and tried to hide her smile.

"I think we established a while ago already that you find it winsome," he reminded her with a chuckle.

"Don't you ever forget anything?" she laughed and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Sometimes it might seem like I do, but I can assure you that I don't. At least not important… things," he winked at her.

"Please tell me you are not implying that I am a 'thing'," she laughed and playfully pulled his ear.

"If I remember correctly it was 'cheeky thing'," he proved his remarkable memory again.

"Incorrigible," she shook her head, still chuckling and kissed him.

"You want me to take her with me?" William asked and stroked a lock behind her ear.

"No, I shouldn't be much longer. I will stop by on my way home and give you the full report. You can take her tomorrow or on Monday, depending on if I have the day off tomorrow or not," she declined.

"Alright, then I'll see you later," he agreed and placed a lingering kiss on her cheek before he was off with the bracelet to check for fingerprints.

He had been interrogating a man when Julia had stopped by and so he hadn't seen her again that night. She had left a note for him with the autopsy report, telling him that he could stop by if he wanted, but that she would be happy to have him over for breakfast the next day.

On Sunday morning he first went to mass and it was already 9.30 when he arrived at her place. He knew that Julia liked to sleep in on her days off, but he wasn't so sure if that was possible with a little child in the house.

"Good morning Miss Dawson," he greeted the housekeeper. "Are doctor Ogden and the child already up?" he asked.

"Yes, Julia is just getting ready. The child is in the living room, as you can hear," she commented and when William stepped inside he could hear the sobs coming from the living room.

"Can you announce that I have arrived? I will see what Eva wants," he decided.

"She wants her mother. She has been asking for her all night," the housekeeper replied and then went to tell Julia that he was there. His heart ached for the poor girl and her sobs were heart breaking.

He opened the door to the living room and found her standing in her playpen. Thick tears were streaming down over her cheeks and her nose was running.

"Hello Eva. Dear, tell me what is wrong?" he cooed at her and lifted her up in his arms. "You remember who I am?" he asked her and realized that she needed to be changed as well when he held her. "Let's get you cleaned up for breakfast, huh," he went on and took his handkerchief out. She really calmed down and let him dry her tears and help her blow her nose. "Better?"

"Yes," the girl nodded.

"Do you know where they put your cloth diapers?" he asked her then.

"Dippy?" she asked back and cocked her head to the side.

"It might be what I'm talking about, but I am not too sure," he shrugged, not sure if the child had understood him or if she was talking about something else completely. "Now over here we have your toys, maybe we're lucky," he thought out loud and led Eva by her hand to the many things at the other end of the room, which all belonged to the child. "Ah, see. That's a diaper," he told her triumphantly when he found what he had been looked for underneath a stack of folded clothes. "Now here we have a washcloth and I think we should be good," he proclaimed with me confidence than he felt. After all he had never changed a diaper before, but it couldn't be that complicated, couldn't it?

Eva was cooperative at least and lay down on the towel he spread out on the floor. Dawson or Julia must have changed her before in the living room since all the necessary items were present and so he went to work. He succeeded taking the old diaper off and placed the safety pins on the small table beside him. He cleaned the girl up, hoped he used the ointment and the powder right and found out that Eva erupted in the most adorable giggles when one tickled her stomach. However putting the new cloth diaper on was another thing. He folded it, wrapped it around her and even tried tying a knot… it didn't work.

"Oh William, what are you doing?" Julia laughed when she saw his last attempt. She kneeled beside him and took over, showing him the process while she did it. "See, that's how it's done. Right, Eva?" she asked the girl.

"Right," the girl nodded and laughed without understanding what Julia was talking about.

"I thought it would be easier," William admitted embarrassed.

"It will be next time. Thank you for calming her down," Julia still grinned.

"Yeah…well…" he shrugged. "Good morning," he finally just said and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning," Julia replied and yawned a second later.

"Didn't you sleep well?" he asked and then helped her up.

"I barely slept at all. Eva had terrible night-terrors all night and kept waking up at least once every hour. I managed to calm her, but never for long. First she cried for her mother, then for her father," Julia reported and the fatigue swung in her voice.

"I received a telegraph message this morning from her father. He bought a ticket on a ship back to Canada. The ship will leave today." William remembered.

"So he will arrive in about three or four weeks?" Julia knew and watched as Eva took her doll and then came back to them.

"Yes, I think so, too," William agreed and picked up Eva when she held out her arms to him and demanded to be picked up.

"Breakfast is ready," Dawson then announced.

"You're hungry, Eva?" Julia asked her and came closer when there was no reply. Eva had lay her head on William's shoulder, her doll still tightly in her hand and had fallen asleep in seconds. "Now isn't that the most adorable thing?" Julia smiled when she saw it.

"Next time she won't sleep you should call me," William smiled back at her.

"I would have to send Dawson to your place," Julia disagreed. "However you could simply stay over tonight… just in case," she added then.

"Scandalous," William joked with a wink and then lay Eva down in her playpen. When his arms were free, he pulled Julia towards him and tasted her lips for the first time that morning.

"Breakfast as long as she sleeps, detective. Then we can continue with our scandalous behavior," Julia laughed once they broke the kiss and led him into the dining room.

TBC