Chapter Nine

Normally Jack would not pick up on these hints however when one expects it. Then the hints are obvious. Jack wasn't going to back down; he didn't think he had anything to fear. When it came to brute strength then Jack would win hands down. The problem was Bumby knew that as well meaning he would find another way around the issue, however Jack Splatter was too hot headed to think rationally.

Bumby went about his business. He did the things that needed to be done but he also planned his revenge whenever he had a moment to spare. He went about his therapy sessions with the children but it all became very dull. He was so used to the raving and ranting of Alice's therapy sessions that the normal therapy sessions with the children of the home because tedious and frankly pointless. The Mangled Mermaid had burned down; He couldn't really turn the children over to Jack as prostitutes anymore. It was a pity really. The children would probably never fit in normal society. He could probably send them to another orphanage that wasn't in Oxford, Bumby mused.

Bumby reverted his plans back to his revenge and made a few phone calls to some of his contacts. Jack wouldn't get away with this easy. Bumby had some plans for him. His little pet might be more inclined towards his bed as well knowing that her 'monster' is out of the way.

Later that day Alice returned with the pills Bumby had asked for from the high street chemist.

"Here you go, Doctor" Alice said. Bumby immediately picked up on the change of his name back to doctor.

"Alice, Please. Call me Angus" He pleaded, he didn't want to revert back to that relationship. Alice needed to be comfortable with him.

"Oh yes, sorry! Angus…" Alice said letting his name slip off of her tongue. Using his first name felt so personal to her. It changed their relationship right away and suddenly Alice saw Bumby slightly different. Bumby watched Alice throughout the whole process admiring how nice she looked in that dress. To be honest that dress was bought years before for Elizabeth but seeing Alice in it made him realize the elegance suited her more. Elizabeth was a slut who never would have worn it and she always teased him. If she hadn't lead him on and then tried to run to run off with another man then she would still be alive and on his arm. Watching Alice, Bumby realized that this way he could have Alice on his arm. Her beauty actually surpassed Elizabeth once she tried. This thought made Bumby smile and he couldn't wait to taste her sexual beauty.

"I won't be here tonight" Bumby said breaking the silence.

"You won't…?" Alice said while slightly panicking at the idea of being alone with Jack Splatter still out there

"You'll be fine, Jack won't find you in my room" Bumby said,

Not to mention he won't be able to even get to the manor anymore, Bumby finished in his head pulling Alice close and kissing her forehead.

Alice had gotten kissed so frequently on the forehead by Bumby that it stopped surprising her, and actually calmed her down after one. This was a completely different man then the man who was in her therapy sessions and the man who had punched her. This man was so gentle with her that she was starting to get very confused indeed on what to do.

Bumby started towards the door and Alice watched him go with a somber expression. Even with his reassurances, Alice was still worried Jack would find her.

Bumby was outside; he took his coat and continued down the path towards his intended meeting spot with some of his contacts. He had decided Jack was going to die. That was no question, for what he had done to Alice, but a simple murder won't fix things Bumby thought. He might as well kill two birds with one stone. Besides all that, if it was a fair fight Bumby knew he would lose thus he called in some trusted help.

Alice's ravings about the fire were getting too accurate and soon Bumby would lose any chance to get her willingly, thus a scapegoat is needed. Jack was that goat. He was no longer a cat but a mere herbivore who was going to be herded into a trap. With this, Alice would be perceived as sane and Bumby would be her hero and be willingly on his arm.

Bumby stood outside by the dock waiting for the people he was there to meet. It was dark and cold. Perfect for the mood Bumby was in. Jack Splatter was going to pay for what he did.

Two large men stepped into the light where Bumby was standing, both relatives of that bodyguard Jack Splatter had killed, perfect helpers for the job.

If Bumby did his research correct then Jack Splatter would be by the Mangled Mermaid right now. He burnt that down before so it wasn't unbelievable that he would burn other places as well.

Bumby nodded at the men and they set about their business without saying a word. The two men left together to the Mangled Mermaid as Bumby went in the opposite way to ready things in an alley way where Jack would be brought.

Bumby set aside his tools that he brought in a bag. He wasn't going to make this pleasant and waited in the dark. The men would grab Jack off guard and knock him out, this way he wouldn't be able to fight back. Bumby wasn't going to play fair since Jack didn't

After a little while an unconscious Jack was dragged into the alley where Bumby was waiting. He proceeded to taking off his coat and getting ready to wake him up, after he got tied up of course.

Bumby knelt down in front of Jack and slapped him a couple of times to wake him up.

"Hello Splatter" He said in a low voice

Jack glared at Bumby realizing he was caught. He struggled against his ropes however he realized that it wasn't the best choice to make. Besides ropes Bumby had the men tie him with barbed wire. He wasn't going to leave any chance. Jack was a strong fighter he knew that, he was rash as well and would most definitely get away. If it hadn't been a surprise as well as two against one then Jack probably would have gotten away.

"You two may go now" Bumby said in an authoritive voice. The two men scampered away like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum from Alice's wonderland.

Bumby before saying anything more clenched his fist and punched Jack square on the jaw. Letting his anger sink in for a moment. Bumby grabbed a knife off of the floor and slowly span it around in front of Jack's face.

"Now let's not dawdle too long. Alice is waiting for me" Bumby said with a smile.

"You know I actually should thank you, because of you, Alice is staying in my room and is slowly, silently agreeing to let me devour her"

Jack stayed quiet; there really wasn't must for him to say.

"Now, this is how this is going to work. I will prove you started the fire at the Mangled Mermaid. Then well I will prove that you started the fire at the Liddell house. With Alice thinking it's you. I'll get a clear shot to getting her in my bed, there will be nothing stopping her"

Bumby grabbed Jacks face and carved a long line into it from his temple to his chin. Jack winced in pain but refused to scream or let any emotion of pain out. He kicked with his legs but Bumby dodged it quickly. He was disappointed that Jack didn't show him how much it hurt thus he pulled out a lighter.

"Burn marks on the hands are usually good evidence." Bumby retorted as he chuckled.

Jack was still looking at Bumby as if this was no big deal which pissed him off more resorting to a kick in the face, breaking Jack's nose in the process.

Bumby lit an old newspaper, with the news of the Liddell family house burning down and threw it onto Jack's lacks where his hands lay folded. From his pocket he pulled out Elizabeth's room key and stuck it in his pocket. A small price to pay for a willing Liddell. The newspaper continued to burn and eventually Jack's coat caught fire. Jack winced as it burned his hands but showed no further emotion like before. It was really starting to bug Bumby to no end. He knelt down by Jack's face again, and pulled out his knife.

"How do I make you scream hmm?" Bumby mused with a smile.

He grabbed Jack's face and without warning and trusted the small pocket knife into his eye. As Bumby wanted Jack let out a yell from the shock and instant pain of getting his eye gouged by a knife. Jack struggled against his ropes causing the fire to spread from his coat to the ropes and his shirt. Blood poured out onto Bumby's hands as he continued to push the knife into Jack's eye. He stopped after a little while otherwise he would kill Jack too soon.

By this point the ropes burnt away but Jack was in too much pain to try to escape, the fire already was burning his clothes underneath his coat plus there was also the barbed wire. Bumby pulled out a little bottle filled with a liquid. He poured a few drops into the fire and a few around his body. The fire got more rapid and spread quicker. Bumby knelt down for the last time and pulled out his knife from Jack's eye.

"I hope this is a lesson for you" Bumby said. He started to chuckle

"At least this way you cannot make another mistake" He added.

Jack was no longer moving. However he was still alive. Bumby chuckled. He had planned more for Jack however he got impatient and it went a lot faster than he had hoped. Jack's breathing was slowing down and Bumby knew he was slowly dying. If he was compassionate he would put him out of his misery, but alas Bumby wasn't compassionate, and didn't have any empathy. He spun the knife around in his hand and punched Jack hard one last time. Jack sank to the floor unmoving. He was too far away to even feel the pain anymore but Bumby felt better. He had gotten what he deserved for what he did to his poor Alice.

Bumby took out a handkerchief and cleaned his knife, sliding it back into his pocket. He watched for a while as Jack was burning. He wasn't sure but he was most likely dead by now. Tomorrow's papers would say he was a pyromaniac and got into a gang fight. They would print that they found new evidence about the Liddell house and the Mangled Mermaid and that he would be blamed for both. Bumby had a lot of influence in Oxford.