Thunderstorms – Continued
Chapter 7: Friday, August 8, 1913
He didn't think he could be any more excited, having this breathtaking woman sitting astride him, having seen himself go up deep inside of her, but then he noticed her breasts – those two beautiful, pendulous orbs, with those enticing, delicious pink nipples in their centers. They bounced and jiggled in tantalizing waves each time he surged up into her. He nearly came undone – a moan of severe pleasure escaped from his throat. It was the sound of it – coming from outside of his brain, out in the real world rather than in his dream, which awoke him.
William quickly realized that he had been dreaming, and that now he found himself awake and in quite an aroused state. He turned to look, doubting his memory as he had trained himself to be accustomed to her not being there. Love, and joy, and hope and lust, predominantly lust, overtook him upon. Julia was right there in bed next to him. He didn't remember that it was Friday, that she would be facing danger and death within a few hours, at least not consciously, but something seemed to pull him to her with an even stronger force than usual. The moment felt precious, like it might be the last time. He turned onto his side and raised himself up on an elbow, resting his chin in his hand, and admired her as she slept. She lay on her back, coverless in the August heat, cloaked in her white nightgown. The golden light of dawn seemed to set her curls afire, and cast an alluring glow on her face. She was absolutely beautiful. He noticed her breathing was slow and deep, hypnotically lifting and dropping those same perfect breasts from his dream, though now they were cocooned from sight, up and down, tempting him to touch. Motion from her closed eyelids caught his attention, her breathing quickened, became more shallow. "She's having a dream," he thought.
Her hips took on motion, a subtle pumping. She moaned. Her fingers twitched. "She's dreaming about making love," William thought, feeling his groin jolt with the thought. He slid over to her, glided his hand over her stomach, then up the side of her ribcage where his grip tightened. She moaned again, louder this time. He slowly covered her with his chest while he tilted his head and found her ear. He took her earlobe in his mouth, then let it go to whisper in her ear, "Julia."
The rhythm of her hips picked up, strengthened. Her voice, dry and raspy from sleep rumbled into his ear, "William," driving him wild with need. He really didn't know if she was asleep or awake, but he no longer could control his urge to get inside of her, to thrust wildly deep inside of her. He reached down and pulled firmly on the bottom of her nightgown, riding it up over her hips. "Please William, Oh God, Please," she said as she wrapped an arm around his waist and tried to pull him down to her. He held back long enough to pull the string of his pajama bottoms and push them down low enough. Then he positioned himself between her thighs, which she opened widely for him. Their eyes met – lightning and thunder couldn't spark a more charged connection. They had to be together, close, close, close, together. He lined up with her warm, lust-lubricated opening. Simply the touch of his tip to her entrance evoked both of them to moan with voracious want. Each hearing the other only plunged them towards each other more fiercely.
William slid his hands under her back and moved them up to grip her shoulders tightly. He pulled her shoulders down while he pushed upwards into her from below, first feeling his tip parting her for an inch, before lusciously sliding back, to then push forward forcing her to yield again, this time deeper, and then sliding back, then surging into her again, deeper still, rougher. Each thrust into her was rewarded with her enticing moan followed by a gasp as she felt him withdraw, pouring her need for him into his ear, his brain, dizzying his thoughts. Soon, far enough inside of her that each of his powerful thrusts pounded his balls against her buttocks and his crotch against the knot of flesh above her opening that brought her the most pleasure, he felt her hips join his rhythm.
"Wait for her," he coached himself, keeping up the dance but saving the deepest, most potent push for the right time. Moments later, feeling her dig her fingernails into his lower back while pulling him down to her with what seemed to be all of her strength, he knew she was close and he knew she wanted it harder. Spurred on, he gave in to his own ache to reach for, to take, to finally touch, her secret, deepest spot. He felt so close. He pushed with all his might, over and over again, the effort pulling a groan from him that echoed in her brain, melting it. She felt the spin and flip begin, taking her breath. She was teetering over the edge.
"That's it…Right there," he thought, knowing he had it now. William's thrusts grew longer, stretching out, hurtling for the finish. He moaned, low and deep, the heat of his breath seeming to burn through her whole body, setting her inner core on fire. With fervor he exploded within her. "Oh, you feel so good," he said in her ear as waves of elation flooded through him. Knowing she was not yet done, he continued to pump into her. But her fall into ecstasy had already begun. She was waiting for the eruption she knew was coming. He felt it arrive as she clamped tighter around him, drawing him up farther inside of her, her rhythm taking on longer strokes.
"Mmm," she murmured, as she felt her insides swim with melted gushes of sheer pleasure. His kisses frolicked across her face, a little nip, then more soft, flighty kisses. She gripped him with her arms and legs tightly, signaling for him to roll them over, and he did, placing her on his chest. He was still tucked inside of her when they heard the footsteps in the hall followed by a knock at the door. Julia increased her hold on him, asking him to stay with her a bit longer.
William called out, "Not yet," then took her neck in his mouth, sucking on her soft, delicious skin, forcing her to stifle a moan.
"O.K. Daddy," Katie's little voice replied. There was a little chatter between the three children on the other side of the door before they heard their footsteps move back down the hall again.
Julia friskily said, her voice still hoarse and dry, "Good morning detective."
He chuckled, his mouth still busy with her neck. He released her and replied, "Good morning doctor."
She pulled back enough to allow their eyes to lock. She found the red mark she was responsible for making yesterday on his neck, traced it with her finger and coyly asked, "William Murdoch, do you realize that you have just made my dreams come true?"
Feeling quite cocky, he responded, with a slight bow, "Yes I do, milady. And you mine." They kissed. Upon breaking it off, they quickly prepared for the children's customary return. Julia went into the bathroom, bringing a warm washcloth to tenderly clean the juices of their lovemaking off of William. They returned their clothing to its proper positioning. Only moments later the second knock came.
"Come in," Julia called out. Both parents braced slightly, tradition held that there would soon be an onslaught.
Children poured into the bedroom, jumping into the bed and nearly drowning their mother in hugs and kisses. "Mommy, Mommy, You're here! ... Good morning Mommy!" they cried.
William allowed their unbalanced attention for a few moments before he started teasing them. "What … No hugs for me?" he asked. "What am I … Chopped liver?" he protested. He quickly escalated his complaints, initiating a pillow fight by throwing his pillow at the nearest child.
"Get him!" William Jr. called out. Chaos erupted. William Jr. armed himself with his mother's pillow, Katie with the one William had just thrown, and the littlest, Chelsea, jumped to the bottom of the bed and clamped onto her father's feet, helping to hold him down. Pillows flew, setting an off-beat rhythm as they made contact with William's body, giggles and shrieks sang through the air.
William held up an arm in an effort to survive the attack. His voice sounded strong and formidable as it called out from under the ambush, "I am Detective William Murdoch. You are under arrest for assault. Lay down your weapons..."
Of course, the children did no such thing. William freed himself from Chelsea's foot imprisonment and grabbed a hold of Katie as she tried to make her escape. "Your weapon please, young lady," he demanded as he lifted the squealing child into the air. He put her in "jail" in the corner of the room and pretending to lock the door with the key, which he placed in his pajama pocket. He tucked her confiscated pillow under his arm and then his eyes focused in on William Jr. on the bed holding his mother's pillow.
The boy screamed with glee, threw the pillow to his mother and bolted off the bed. William turned his attention to his wife, now in possession of the "weapon." He was frozen still, breath hurried, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Oh no… No you don't," she said, eying her husband but moving away, out of the bed, to stand clutching the pillow and holding a hand out to stop him. Her eyes glanced to her planned escape route as she firmly said, "William Murdoch, Don't you dare."
In the flash of an eye he dove across the bed. Julia dashed for the center of the room. William, dropping the pillow he held to increase his ability to hunt, bolted after her.
"Run Mom!" William Jr. screamed excitedly.
"Noooo!" Julia screamed out just before he captured her in his arms and tumbled them both to the floor, making sure he hit the ground first to keep her landing safe. She rolled up under him, protecting the pillow from his grasp. "William, no!" she breathlessly cried, while his hands dove and poked in an effort to seize the pillow. He decided to try tickling her into submission.
William Jr. bravely approached, stealing the imaginary key from his pocket. Holding it up in the air he proclaimed, "Katie! I have the key. I'm coming to set you free."
William turned Julia over, found and took her wrists, and lifted her arms up above her head, pinning them to the ground. "Do not resist," he said assertively.
Their eyes met and time seemed to stand still – him so dominant, in complete control; her so submissive, vulnerable, helpless. It happened as it sometimes did. They had stunned each other. Julia's voice softly floated through the air, slow, weak, spellbound, "Yes detective, I will not resist," she said. Their eyes dilated, growing black as they took the other in, chests heaved demanding oxygen.
Chelsea, seeing that the pillow had dropped away and was attainable, rushed in to snatch it up and darted away quickly, only to return as her father had not taken up chase as she had expected now that she had the prized "weapon." She risked being close to him and said with expectation and delight, "I have the pillow Daddy!"
William could not pull his gaze away from his love, his soul-mate. He wanted to lie down on her, kiss her, and take her. He battled against his impulses to do so. It seemed to come from left-field, taking him completely by surprise…
"Pow!" … Little Chelsea had walloped him with the pillow, landing it square in his face as he knelt over his wife, defenseless as he had been entranced by her. It knocked him a little silly.
Julia burst out into laughter, "William," she giggled. He looked her in the eye and then rolled his eyes up to the heavens before he took off after the offending child.
Soon William was "trapped" again on the bed as pillows pounded him and any free fingers tried to make him succumb with enthusiastic tickles. "I give up!" he called out. "Stop, I give up! You win!" he submitted. The family dropped into an out-of-breath ball of bodies and pillows.
Julia joined the pile. She teased, "I do hope detective, that your arrests at work are more successful." Both adults laughed. She took a deep breath, remembering what the day ahead held for her. He heard it – sparking anxiety in his gut as well.
William took the girls to start to get dressed while Julia hung back in the bed with William Jr. She asked him softly, "Was I still the first thing you thought of when you woke up?"
He answered, "Yes, but they were good thoughts, not sad ones."
"I'm glad to hear it," she said, giving him a warm hug.
She walked with him to join the others. Their nanny, Claire-Marie, had just arrived from her quarters over on the other side of the house. William headed back to their bedroom to ready for work. Julia stayed to speak with the children's nanny a little while, preparing her to care for the children throughout the day. She told her they would call when the danger had been cleared and then Claire-Marie could inform the children.
When Julia returned to their room, she heard the water in the bathroom sink running and instantly remembered that it would be William shaving. He would have removed his top, his muscular chest, shoulders, arms, and back out in the open, his delicious skin kissing the air. She felt a twinge of desire as the image crossed her mind. She stood silently at the bathroom door soaking in the scene. "Oh, I've missed this," she thought. Her womb flipped over delightfully.
William had seen her out of the corner of his eye, but enjoyed being watched and not letting on. He subconsciously pulled his stomach in tight, and as he reached up to stretch the skin of his right cheek for a smoother shave, he marveled at his body's reaction to this woman – The familiar stirring in his pants seeming to lighten his soul. Only moments before, his mind had been busy working on plans for the day, and a very dangerous and important day it promised to be, but now, that anxiety, and the strategizing used to cope with it, seemed miles away. Now it was romance that took his attention. His heart beat faster, his mind yielded to the swirly flow her presence inspired. His voice scratchier than he would have liked he said, "Enjoying the view doctor?"
"I am detective," she replied, her tone dazed, seductive. Julia reached up and began to unbutton her nightgown, her eyes never dropping from the sight before her.
Before he consciously knew what it was his wife was doing, his body reacted, as his groin surged upwards his brain seemed to sink and spin, making him breathless, requiring a conscious effort to breathe. "You are shaving … shaving," he reminded himself as he forced his focus back into the mirror, onto his face. By the time William had finished shaving, rinsing the remaining shaving cream from his face, burying his face in a towel, she had her nightgown completely unbuttoned. He pulled his face out of the towel and lifted his face to the heavens ever so slightly asking for strength. He reminded himself that today, of all days, they could not be late. He told himself to remind Julia of this, but somehow the circuits needed in his brain to do so were not working, lost somewhere in the whirling mix. Julia changed her position, resting her back against the open bathroom door, providing a solid surface behind her. The torture this brought to him felt amazingly sweet. He steadied himself by planting his hands down on the kitchen sink, willing himself not to move, not to give in. Then she said it…
"Come here," her voice echoed and swam in his head, luring him like a magnet to her.
His body a mixture of virile, strong, rigid tightness, and a gooey spinning weakness – he gave in. He turned and approached her, stood close to her. Dangerously close, if they timed their breathing wrong, her breasts would have touched his chest. He cleared his throat, fought the urge to touch her, locking his arms, denying his hands. "Julia," he said, the low, dry tone of his voice catching him by surprise, "We can't be late today." The logic and reasoning of the statement, hearing it said out loud, slowed the humming in his ears, slowed the spinning. "Get control, Stop it here," he thought to himself. If she didn't touch him, he would be able to resist, but he was not strong enough to pull away. He waited.
She heard it, but it was faint, muffled and distant, somewhere in the far recesses of her mind, "He's right." The first step would be taking her eyes off of him.
He heard a rush of breath from her and then she dropped her eyes, down and to the side, looking at the bathroom floor. The spell broke. He stepped back.
She looked back at him, much more in control, and rolled her eyes to the ceiling, feigning irritation and a call to herself to find needed patience and said, "Your logic is infuriating." They laughed together, separated more, and turned their attention to getting dressed. William helped her with her corset. They had planned on her wearing his pajama bottoms while in the Haz Mat Suit. She put them on over her bloomers.
Completely dressed, ready to head downstairs, William paused and stepped behind her. "Do you remember the last time you wore those?" he asked, trying to fight away re-emerging lustful urges. (Story: Power Struggles – Julia wore his pajama bottoms to go sledding. William found her irresistible in them, having his way with her). From behind her, he slid his hand around her waist.
"William," her voice warned, "We can't be late today, remember."
His sigh announced his acceptance of their fate. He stepped back and rested his buttocks on the vanity and tucked his hands in his pockets, indicating he wanted to talk. He took a deep breath and said, "Um … we are going to be at Stationhouse #5 …"
Julia figured she knew where this was going. A couple of years ago, she had been having some trouble with the detective at Stationhouse #5, Jim Dermott. (Story: Power Struggles – Dermott behaved inappropriately with her, flirting and touching her. This would have been bad enough, but Julia had wanted to make William jealous and had behaved seductively with Dermott in front of William. It had led to all kinds of problems, and although they had worked them out, it was likely to be, at best, uncomfortable working with him today).
"And … Detective Dermott will be there," he continued. "You haven't seen him since … um…"
Julia turned to look firmly into his eyes, "I know William, since I flirted with him to make you jealous." She sighed and explained, "It is truly one of the things I regret most for having done in my life. And, yes, I do think it will make today … harder." Julia stepped into her skirt and pulled it up over the pajama bottoms. "Have you seen him since then?" she asked.
William nodded 'yes' and the added, "He has been respectable … even slightly deferential. I have some hope that everything will be fine."
Turning to the side and gliding her hand down her stomach to her thighs while assessing the image in the mirror, Julia stalled for time to think of how to say what was on her mind. "William … I don't know how to say this to make sure you know how truly important it was to me, um …" she said, followed by a sigh suggesting she was struggling to find the words. She caught his eye. Her look called to him. She continued, "Well, you, um, your ability to understand why I did that, to have compassion, even empathy, with me …" she began to choke up, swallowed it away, "Your ability to trust me, after what I had done, it was remarkable… And then, you defended my honor, while risking your job, which I know means so much to you – And I'm so sorry to have put that at risk along with everything else… I am still embarrassed about what I did, and I'm sorry."
"Julia," he said, almost in a whisper, "You repaired it. Let it go… And if you feel ashamed around Dermott, he'll take it as a sign that he had a right to do what he did… And he did not have such a right," William concluded sounding strong and firm.
Julia reached up and rubbed her forehead, she had noticed that she had picked this behavior up from him. She took a deep breath and said, "Thank you William. You're right."
"Good," he replied. And with that he headed downstairs. She would be a little longer, still needing to do her hair.
Downstairs, Eloise had come in earlier to hear the ruckus and roughhousing upstairs. She lifted her eyes up the stairwell, shaking her head in disbelief and then turned to get to work in the kitchen as her heart warmed with love for the family.
William was the first one down. He greeted Eloise and took his seat at the table. She had left the paper for him as she usually did. He was not going to be happy when he saw it and she offered him a warning, "Upsetting news today, sir," she said. He took the paper in his hands. Above the fold on the front page there was a photo of himself and Julia about to kiss outside the Don Jail. The headline read, "Detective Denies Killing Coroner to Free Wife." He cleared his throat and asked, "Did you get a chance to notice if the other papers reported the same story?"
Eloise flipped over the French toast in the pan and said, "Unfortunately, they did sir."
William took a deep breath, "Mm-hmm," he replied. His mind raced, "Chief Inspector Davis is likely to react badly to this," he figured. "I will need an alibi… He was killed Monday morning and the body moved to the University on Monday night. But wasn't it me at the scene that determined that? … No, Reynolds came, said the same time of death. But was George … No it was Higgins. Was he there to hear Reynolds declare the time of death?" he worried, reaching up and rubbing his forehead. His heart pounded in his chest. He was pushing the thoughts away, but they were not going – thought about being arrested for this, placed in jail, even being found guilty – sentenced to hang. "Don't panic," he coached himself.
Julia and their three children joined him at the table. Julia excitedly thanked Eloise for making her favorite breakfast – French toast and bacon. William put the paper down, but Katie, sitting next to him noticed the picture.
"Look!" she declared, "Mommy and Daddy are in the newspaper!"
William quickly grabbed his wife's eyes – she saw his concern.
Katie made an effort to read the headline out loud, "Detective dennis killing carner to free wife."
William sighed and lifted the paper, passing it to Julia, "Let's let your mother see it for a second, hmm…" Eloise placed some of the plates on the table and William was relieved by the distraction.
Julia read for a few moments and then looked at William, "Do you have an alibi?" she asked.
"Mommy, can we see it – just the picture?" asked Chelsea.
Julia sighed, "Yes, I think that would be fine," she answered passing it to the child.
William took a bite of his breakfast, stalling for time. "I was starting to try to figure that out when you came in," he answered her. He rubbed his forehead again. "He was killed sometime on Monday morning, Reynolds declared that at the scene, but I'm not sure anyone but me was there to hear him. I'll have to check with Higgins," he explained.
Julia nodded. She swallowed and said, "That's good isn't it – You were at the courthouse. Hundreds of people saw you there. There were even photos of you in the paper…"
"Yes … but it could be said I killed him before I went to the courthouse… Then moved the body that night," he offered. The phone rang; Claire-Marie answered it in the foyer.
"But certainly many witnesses heard you say you were satisfied with the sentencing …" Julia started, before she realized it could be argued he committed the murder before he learned the sentence would be so short. She sighed with the recognition of the problem and finished, "How about that evening? Do you have an alibi for when the body would have been moved?" she asked.
Claire-Marie came into the kitchen. She said, "Detective, the phone. It's Inspector Brackenreid."
William pushed away from the table, "That's not good," he thought.
Julia turned her attention to her children, making every effort to hide her concern, her fear that now it may be their father who is imprisoned, or worse. Remembering that they had planned to talk to the children about working to identify and contain the poison today, she decided to tell them now. She explained that she had a dangerous job to do today. That it is why she was released from prison early, and that she is the best qualified to do the job. She told them she was confident that she would do the job well and that she would be safe. Daddy would be there and he had invented lots of things to help. She told them not to worry, she and their Daddy would be home for dinner, and everything would be fine. William Jr. asked about the newspaper story. Julia did not deny her worry, but told them she was also sure they would be able to exonerate their father – she explained that meant proving their father didn't do it.
William returned, took a seat, had another bite of French toast and said, "Julia, we should go."
She could tell he was edgy. "Yes," she answered, taking a last sip of coffee and standing. She thanked Eloise for the wonderful breakfast, and again for last night's dinner. They each kissed each child good-bye and reassured them not to worry – everything would be fine. William put on his hat, Julia pinned on hers as well, and William took the bag they had packed with the resources on poisons and a change of clothes for Julia after finishing working in the Haz Mat suit. They hailed a cab.
In the carriage, Julia straightened her skirt, thinking she would be taking it off, exposing the fact that she was wearing a pair of William's pajama pants under it to wear when she was in the rubber suit. She was worried about it. William reached up to rub his forehead again. He took a deep breath and turned to her, "Julia," he said, "You need to focus on the task at hand. You are going into an environment that could kill you, kill others… And it is going to get … politically messy. Please try to stay focused on removing the poison safely, and then performing the autopsies." William's eyes held to hers firmly. He was imploring her to be careful, alert, to take care of herself despite whatever would be happening around her. His attitude suggested that he anticipated trouble. She did not like it.
Refusing to back off, she asked, "What did the Inspector have to say?"
"Oh my God," he thought, "How could this get any worse?" Taking another deep breath, coaching himself to be calm, he answered, "Chief Inspector Davis has pulled me off the case… Put Dermott in charge…"
Julia gasped and covered her mouth in disbelief.
William exhaled sharply through his nose. It reminded her of a bull about to charge. He was still working to keep control. He continued, "Davis did not want me to be present when you … go in to work with the bodies. He said I could influence what you say to try to protect myself…The Inspector convinced him to let me stay in attendance." He sighed again and pushed on, "It seems the Chief Inspector even considered taking you off the case, as you might try to protect me, but the Inspector convinced him no one else could do the job. He wants Kingsley to replace Mr. Drakes, so that Kingsley can make sure you perform the job legitimately."
Julia looked away. Overpowering emotions charged through her and she felt out of control. She hoped he couldn't see how unraveled and angry she felt, but she figured he probably did – he was William Murdoch after all. A sigh of impatience blew out of her. She adjusted her height in her seat, trying to regain some sense of control and said, "Perhaps Terrence can do something to get you back in charge."
Irritation registered in William's voice when he replied, "Julia, in the interest of our well-being, could you please stop calling him Terrence."
She regretted it immediately, "Sorry," she said, "Of course." "He has always been a little quick to jealousy – it still surprises me even after all of these years," she thought. Her mind drifted to Dermott, and him of all people being put in charge.
William cleared his throat and said, "It's bad enough that "Terrence" is going to be there, and Dermott, who, unbelievably, will be in charge, but there is even going to be this "old friend from University" with his "tall, well-built body."
Julia chuckled and shook her head showing her questioning of his worries, "William," she said through her laughter, "David? …"
"My God, she has to use his given name as well!" he thought, nearing exasperation.
"… David was much more a friend if Isaac's, if you get my meaning, than mine," she stated, with a giggle.
William's mind rushed to make sense of her meaning. "Tash is a homosexual," he remembered…
She laughed even more seeing him start to figure it out. Teasingly she added, "Now that really does make it complicated, I will have to be worried about being jealous of David and you now!"
He wasn't sure he found it funny.
"William," she laughingly chided with a warm hug of his arm. He smiled. They both knew they would be alright, as long as they were working together.
In Dermott's office, Murdoch, Dr. Ogden, Dr. Feldman, Dermott and Mr. Drakes (Reynolds assistant who had been in the morgue with him right before he died) waited for Dr. Kingsley to arrive. William noticed that Dr. Feldman, David, was an attractive man, and he was relieved to know he did not have to worry about being jealous of him. Mr. Drakes seemed disappointed upon learning he would not be part of the team going into the morgue. He volunteered to stay and provide any help he could. He spoke with the group extensively about what he knew from having been with Reynolds when he was performing the autopsy.
Meyers arrived and met with the Inspector of Stationhouse #5, Michael Fergesson, who had replaced Davis when he became Chief Inspector. William leaned over to Julia and whispered that maybe Meyers was going to try to get him reinstated like she had suggested. After a phone call, and a few more minutes, Meyers and Inspector Fergesson emerged from his office. Inspector Fergesson called a meeting of everyone in the center of the station. Meyers stood next to Murdoch, who was next to Dr. Ogden, and said quietly, both of them leaning in to hear, "Don't worry Murdoch," and then with a nod to Julia he continued, "Dr. Ogden … I will get this whole 'who's in charge' thing sorted out."
Inspector Fergesson went over the plan for the day. He made it clear that Detective Dermott was in charge of the investigation. Dr. Ogden, as Toronto's Chief Coroner, would be in control of procedures that involved what was done in the morgue and with the poison. A few constables rolled their eyes, leading William and Julia to think they were uncomfortable with having a woman in charge. Fergesson explained that Detective Murdoch was permitted to be present, but by no means was to be considered an authority. He assigned three constables to help with the investigation. He then handed the floor over to Dermott.
Dermott took the floor with a few cheers from the constables. He said, "Now, as you may well know, the body on the slab in our morgue was found in Detective Murdoch here's district, and so when Dr. Reynolds was originally performing the autopsy, it was for Detective Murdoch's case. Now, as you might have seen in the morning papers, things have changed. Murdoch has been removed from the case. It seems his objectivity in the case has been put into question, further, there is some reason to believe he may even be involved in the crime…" The stationhouse fell into a murmur.
Julia gave William an annoyed glance. William reached over and briefly touched her hand, calling her to remember to keep calm. He whispered, "Stay focused on the task at hand Julia."
Dermott continued, "Now, we are still waiting for the third member of the team who will go into the morgue to arrive. It seems that our man, Mr. Drakes has also been replaced, in this case by Stationhouse #3's coroner, Dr. Kingsley, but because Chief Inspector Davis wants another coroner on the team, as it seems there may be some problems with having Murdoch's wife in charge of the autopsies…" Again, the stationhouse grew loud as constables and others reacted to Dermott's charges. Dermott threw up a hand to regain their attention and said, "Now, now lads, we have been told she is in charge, and we will behave professionally…"
A constable that had been assigned to the investigation by Fergesson interrupted, "Jim, you mean to tell me that I need to take orders from … a woman?!"
"Yes I do," Dermott hollered back, "She is the Chief Coroner. She would not have risen to that position if she were not highly capable in such investigations. You think you would know how to go in there and safely remove that poison!?" The constable backed off, mumbling something, but accepting his role. Dermott took a deep breath and continued with the plan, "So, it seems there are some special suits the participants will be wearing. Our men will help bring those suits over to the morgue where the team can change. I guess Dr. Ogden may need to use the morgue bathroom?" he looked to Dr. Ogden.
Julia walked over to stand next to Detective Dermott and address the group. She bowed slightly to Detective Dermott and said, "First off, I would like to thank you all for helping with this dangerous and important investigation; I'm particularly grateful for Detective Dermott's support. This is a very complicated investigation, and our plans for how to proceed here today have undergone a great deal of preparation, organization, and strategizing. I dare say it will be important to understand that, until we have identified the type and extent of the poison present, our biggest concern must be containing it. Towards that end, I respectfully must insist, that we do not proceed as just suggested…" Once again the room fell into a buzz; Julia had just opposed their man, Dermott. She waited, trying not to show how her heart was pounding in her chest. She looked over at William. He nodded his head, encouraged her to go on. "Gentlemen," she declared loudly, "If we changed into the Haz Mat Suits INSIDE the morgue, then our clothing would become exposed to the poison, particularly if it is airborne. Therefore …" her volume lowered, "Therefore, Detective Murdoch and I had designed the protocol to include changing into the suits here and then walking over to the morgue while wearing the suits. They go on over one's clothing, so when we leave the morgue, we will follow a protocol for leaving the suits at the site." She took a deep breath and said, "I think we should wait to go over the plan once all of the team members are here. Most of the details are not necessary for all of you to know…" She looked at Dermott and stated, "Perhaps the three constables assigned to us could wait with us until Dr. Kingsley arrives and then we can go over the rest." He agreed and the group dispersed.
After turning to Detective Dermott and thanking him personally for allowing her to address the group, Julia walked over to William and Meyers. She exhaled strongly, causing one of her wayward curls to bounce in the wind she had created. Both men chuckled. Her eyes fixed on William.
He bowed to her and said, "Well done doctor." Then he smiled. He was very proud of her, though he knew not to say so as it might imply that he was surprised she conducted herself so well, which he was not.
His smile reassured her. She would not admit it, to him, or even to herself, but it was helpful to see he was pleased with how she had handled things.
Once Dr. Kingsley arrived with Chief Inspector Davis, they joined them. Detective Dermott had yielded the floor to Dr. Ogden who went over the plans as she and Detective Murdoch had devised them so far. First, they would go in with oxygen tanks and get a sample of the poison for Dr. Feldman to take to test and identify at the University. Dr. Ogden shared some of the signals they could use to communicate and held up a large pad and marker they would use to write messages if needed. There were many complicated procedures to use to remove the suits and the collected samples from the morgue while minimizing the potential for carrying the poison out of the morgue on the suits etc. She explained the procedures, such as placing items in canvas bags and flipping gloves over to turn them inside out, trapping any poison inside the inverted glove.
Next, they would go back in (with or without oxygen, depending on the type of poison) to contain the poison. She instructed that it would likely mean bagging Reynolds' hands if the poison spread through contact with the skin, collecting any poison powder (powder is the most likely form the poison will be in – Dr. Feldman concurred) from surfaces, cutting out any areas of the body that have likely been contaminated with the poison, discarding all of the poisonous objects in canvas bags with wax liners to be disposed of or incinerated, depending on the type of poison involved. If there are any items of evidence, such as a watch, etc. that have likely been contaminated, then we will try to ascertain as much information as possible (take photographs, measurements, and fingermarks, etc.) before the item is disposed of similarly.
Dr. Ogden continued on to the last step with a nod from her husband. Finally, the autopsies are performed on the gunshot victim first and then Reynolds. It is possible these autopsies may be performed wearing the Haz Mat Suits and, possibly still using the oxygen tanks, and possibly, the Haz Mat Suits will be decided to be unnecessary. It all depends on which type of poison has been identified. Similarly, the bodies may be deemed safe for normal burial, or they may also require incineration. Either way, they will be sealed inside canvas bags lined with wax as well.
The three participants changed into the Haz Mat Suits, Dr. Ogden requiring privacy as she needed to remove much of her attire. William accompanied her. He helped her remove her corset and she removed her skirt. She replaced her blouse, now without the corset under it, and tried to feel as comfortable as possible wearing his pajama bottoms. William helped her get into the rubber suit and helped put on the rubber booties and the thin surgical gloves. She added the head covering after they re-joined the others. He asked her if she could get Reynolds' camera to see if he had taken photos of the dead man that could be given to Stationhouse #4 constables to use to try to identify him. She agreed that she would if it were possible to do so.
They headed from the stationhouse to the morgue, three people in the Haz Mat suits and all the others dressed normally. Constables carried the heavy oxygen tanks until the last possible moment, helping the participants put them on right before they went in. Before they put on her oxygen, William asked Julia about the temperature. She responded that it was much better than when she had practiced yesterday. William was relieved to hear it, but he was still concerned that the delay waiting for Kingsley would end up leaving them working in the suits at the hottest point of the day. He reminded her to focus and they separated. Dr. Ogden broke the protective seal on the door, opened it, and they went in, the sounds of the oxygen tanks hissing as they breathed in. She reminded herself, "In through the mouth; Out through the nose."
There was a large window in the morgue that would allow the others to watch on. Murdoch, Dermott, Meyers, Davis, Mr. Drakes, and the three constables peered through the window. Murdoch also had a pad and marker to use to write messages to those inside if necessary.
The three participants stood over Dr. Reynolds' body on the floor. Dr. Ogden knelt down. She inspected the hands, quickly giving a signal – rubbing her gloved fingers together. Murdoch knew the signals his wife devised for the task. He announced, "The poison can act through contact with the skin." She then turned her attention to Reynolds' nostrils and throat. No signal. Murdoch said, "No evidence yet that it can be effective when inhaled or swallowed." Murdoch didn't notice, but Meyers pulled the Chief Inspector back to the stationhouse.
Dr. Feldman pointed at the midsection of the body of the man on the slab. Dr. Ogden signaled, raising an upside down fist in the air and shaking it up and down. Murdoch interpreted, "They found a powder." He was sounding excited. Things seemed to be going well. From a pouch she had around her waist, Dr. Ogden produced a rubber bag-like container and a metal tool to use to collect a sample. She handed the tool to Dr. Feldman and held the container out for him to carefully put the sample and the tool into. She sealed the container. Dr. Feldman and Dr. Kingsley turned to leave but Julia raised a hand to stop them. She pointed at the camera. They approached it. She signaled to Kingsley, who had at this point not touched anything, to take a large rubber bag out from her pouch. She signaled for him to bag the camera. He covered the camera with the bag and then pressed in against the camera from outside of the bag, to lift it, turn it over and seal the bag with a rubber band which he also removed from Dr. Ogden's pouch. She gave him a thumb's up. He had collected the camera and had never touched anything that was in the morgue directly with his gloved fingers. They headed for the exit, Kingsley carting the bagged camera and Dr. Ogden carrying the container with the poison sample and the collecting tool. Once outside, they placed the two collected items in separate canvas bags. They removed the oxygen tanks and followed the other procedures to remove the suits. They stored the suits in canvas bags to reuse later and the discarded the used gloves in a canvas bag and sealed it closed.
The crew then walked around to the side of the building to join the others. All eyes dropped to Julia's "pants."
"Well I couldn't very well wear a skirt inside the suit, could I?" she asked, wishing they wouldn't make a big deal out of it. She held up the collected and bagged sample proudly.
The group shared a small cheer. Murdoch noticed that Meyers and Chief Inspector Davis had left.
Once they were back in the stationhouse, she covered the "pants" with her skirt. Dr. Feldman hurried with the sample to his lab at the University. Murdoch asked for the camera from Kingsley. He sent the camera to George at Stationhouse #4, reminding him to wear protective gloves, and to develop the film and, if it had a photo of the victim, to make copies and have constables travel to the docks and any textile factories to try to identify the man. Julia called home and talked to the children, telling them that she was safe and she had done her job well so far. They were through the hardest part.
Dr. Ogden and Dr. Kingsley had noticed many things pertinent to the case. For instance, the poison powder appeared to have been on a knife-blade that had been inside a sheath or pouch and stuck into the body. When Reynolds likely discovered it, he would have pulled the blade and pouch out, and then possibly removing his gloves to measure the blade for his notes, he would have left his hands as they found them, bare, and the poison would have caused his hands to become burned and swollen on the fingertips.
Murdoch speculated, "It seems then, that what we suspected is correct. It was sabotage intended to kill the coroner." Detective Dermott nodded in agreement.
Julia took a moment to notice that Dermott seemed to be on his best behavior. She found herself once again feeling grateful for her husband. She added, "Yes, whoever they thought that coroner would be." She pulled out her notes from last night and looked them over. The fact that it was a powder, the color and texture of the powder, and the fact that seemed to work through contact with the skin narrowed down the likely poisons it could be. She informed them she was very relieved it wasn't ricin. That would have been particularly nasty to deal with. "Perhaps aconite," she shared, "From a plant called Monkshood, or Aconitum napellus. It kills by touch to the skin and the symptoms are asphyxia and paralysis of heart. Reynolds showed signs of asphyxia – broken blood vessels in his sclera of the eyes, which worried me at first, suggested the poison was airborne, but he had no burns or swelling around his nostrils or throat."
William leaned in and added, "Reynolds had a heart condition … Perhaps…"
Julia finished her husband's thought, "Perhaps causing him to have succumbed particularly quickly to the poison... I'll call over to the University and fill Dav … Dr. Feldman in on these thoughts about aconite. "
Within the hour they had the results from Dr. Feldman. It was aconite. They would be able to continue without the oxygen tanks, and if they could be sure to collect all of the powder, they might even be able to perform the autopsies without the suits at all. Although both William and Julia thought they should wear them to be on the safe side.
All three participants went back in right before noon. It was getting pretty hot. They agreed that Dr. Feldman should still be included as they needed his expertise in working with poisons to ensure the poison collection and removal was effective and safe.
By 3:00, Julia informed William, and Dermott, of a few major findings from the autopsy on the gunshot victim. The murderer had removed the bullet, but it was small. And, interestingly, the man had suffered serious injury to his right Tibialis anterior muscle on the front of his calf about two months ago. He wwould have had to go to the hospital for treatment, likely deep stitches. He would have walked with a limp. She stayed and continued working on the autopsies.
William wanted to chase down this new lead. He called Inspector Brackenreid.
The Inspector said, "Meyers stopped by to tell me to tell you to keep working on the case me old mucker. He was working on going over the Chief Inspector's head to get you reinstated as being in charge."
"Julia was right about Meyers helping again," he thought, "I just wonder if it's because he wants me on the case or if he is trying to help her? Murdoch asked, "Who do you think he's approaching about it?"
The Inspector replied, "Well whenever he has tried to force our hands in the past, he's gone all the way to the Prime Minister…"
"Well, that would probably work," Murdoch responded happily.
"Yes, it would certainly make Davis sit up and take notice, wouldn't it?" the Inspector added gleefully.
Murdoch asked the Inspector if he knew whether or not Crabtree had gotten any photos of the dead man. He was pleased to learn that he had and that two constables were out right now canvassing the docks and textile factories to try to identify him.
Murdoch headed over to stationhouse #4 to collect photos of the man and enlist some other constables to go to the hospitals with the new information about his right calf injury. The constables set out around 4:00 PM. The detective was readying to head back over to Stationhouse #5 when the Inspector called him in. Chief Inspector Davis had called and Murdoch was back in charge of the case. Even better, Murdoch was NOT considered a person of interest in the death of the man in the morgue at Stationhouse #5. Murdoch could not hide his relief.
"Murdoch, you were really worried about being accused?" the Inspector asked.
Now feeling slightly silly for doubting that his reputation would be sufficient to keep him safe from such accusations, even when he would not have been able to provide an alibi, he shrugged and said, "Well sir, remember, I have nearly gotten the noose, and Julia as well, in the past…" he thought for a moment. "You know sir, it is so much worse now, with the children. Um, we worry a lot."
The Inspector put his hand to Murdoch's back and said, "Yes, yes. Having a family that depends on you, needs you…It makes you see life differently." He patted his back roughly and said, "Now, head over there and collect that lovely wife of yours. She should be finishing up by now. Maybe you two will have some time to have another … lunch, hey?" he teased with an even bigger slap. Murdoch blushed, bringing a smile of success to the Inspector's face.
Being guided to the door by the older man, Murdoch said, "I don't really think so sir. It is way past lunchtime," earning himself another slap and a chuckle from the man.
"True Murdoch, True," he said, grin bursting across his face.
William stopped and bought Julia flowers – yellow roses, like they had at their wedding. Back at Stationhouse #5, he watched through the big morgue window with Detective Dermott for the team to finish up. "She really is a remarkable woman," he thought. "Of course in that Haz Mat Suit you can hardly tell that she is a woman at all," his internal thoughts continued. Then his mind considered what he knew she was wearing under the hot, rubber suit – His pajama bottoms! Instantly the thought was followed by the memory of finding her in them, and only them, and then standing behind her and sliding his fingers into the 'hole' in the front, and then bringing her down to kneel over the vanity chair in front of him, and then loosening the string and sliding them down off of her, and then … His mind almost went to that last step when Detective Dermott said something, dragging him back to the here and now.
"So Murdoch, I wanted you to know that even though I was taken off of the case and you were put back in charge, there are no hard feelings, eh?" William just listened. He had felt that Dermott celebrated his demise in the press, as well as possibly in the Constabulary, a little too heartily for his tastes. "And your wife, Dr. Ogden, she really proved herself today," Dermott added.
Now that William could agree with. "Yes, she is a very strong and capable woman," he said, looking Dermott in the eye and giving a slight nod.
The team emerged, poison successfully removed and autopsies complete, at 5:30. Detective Murdoch congratulated the whole team, but handed the Chief Coroner the flowers and gave her a kiss. He told his wife that she no longer had to worry about her husband facing murder charges, and he informed the coroner on the case that he was, once again, the detective in charge. The news earned him a congratulations and a kiss.
They packed up all the gear, including the Haz Mat Suits. William made plans for having some constables from Stationhouse #4 pick up the suits and other gear tomorrow. Kingsley agreed to take responsibility for finishing up the final details, like contacting Reynolds' wife. As for the other man, they still did not have an identity. They would keep his body in its canvas bag, on ice for a while longer. There was still even debate as to which country had rights to the body, or even access to the autopsy results for that matter. Gratitude was expressed to all of those who helped.
Julia made plans to have David over to their house for dinner. She told him she would also invite Isaac. She also called home to share the good news with the children. She could tell they were relieved, but they were also proud, which made her feel great.
William and Julia took a carriage to Stationhouse #4. Julia was no longer drenched with sweat, having finally cooled off sufficiently that even her hair was dry. William told her that she had done a wonderful job, but that he expected no less from Toronto's Chief Coroner and from such a magnificent woman as her. She reminded herself that even though tomorrow was Saturday, she needed to start working on finding a replacement for Reynolds.
Back at Stationhouse #4 they both missed celebrating their success with the Inspector. George said he had rushed out, late for making some special surprise he had planned for Margaret because it was their anniversary tomorrow. Julia gave William a 'raise both eyebrows, ooh-la-la' look, prompting them both to chuckle. The three of them walked to William's office. George grabbed a report out of his typewriter as they went by and said, "I had just finished typing this up for you sir. I'm sorry for the smudges, it seems that I had quite a fight with the unruly machine and it left some battle scars if you will." He handed the detective a report. Typical of their communication, William seemed to know that the constable would tell him everything in the report before he would have a chance to read it, so William just put it down on his desk and looked at George. "Well sir, the constables were able to find the identity of the dead man over at Stationhouse #5 – His name was John Lynch. He worked at Howardson's Crating & Shipping over on the docks," George reported. He looked at Julia and added, "It seems that is where he sustained the injury you found, Dr. Ogden, when a ramp used to load up crates collapsed on his leg. They fired him after the injury." George broke off from his report to shake his head and say, "It seems so cruel and unfair to do that to an employee. I hope to see the day when such awful practices are illegal." He received nods of agreement. William dropped his eyes to the report on his desk, spurring George to get back to the point. George stammered, "Oh yes, sir…um, well the address he listed on the hospital form led to a flat rented by a man named Carl Tandy, but he claimed that Lynch moved out after the accident. He thought Lynch got another job down on the docks, as a night-watchman, but he wasn't sure. Oh, and also, he had a girlfriend who worked as a waitress over by Victoria Square… The men didn't have time to try to find her today."
William smiled and said, "Quite good George, well done."
George said, "Thank you sir," and headed for the door but paused to say, "Um, I'm going to head home now sir...doctor… Congratulations again on successfully protecting out city from the threats of a deadly poison."
Julia smiled and thanked him for the recognition, but acknowledged that it was a team effort.
George thought of more to say, adding, "Oh, and you too sir, for averting charges of murder and being put back on the case."
William dropped his eyes, it didn't feel like an accomplishment of his, but nonetheless he thanked George. He thought to himself that he wanted to thank Meyers, and find out his motivations for going so high up to keep him on the case.
George finally finished talking and left. William lifted his hat and offered Julia his arm, "Home then?" he asked Julia.
She smiled and wrapped her arm in his. "Perhaps we'll make it in time for dinner?" William pulled out his watch and then said, "Let's call and tell Eloise to wait till we get home." Julia called while William wrote himself a few notes on the case. George reappeared at the door. William asked, "What is it George?"
"Two things sir… Do you still want Jackson and me to go to the masses at the Catholic Church, you know, looking for the man with the scar and the Irish accent?"
William responded, "No, I think I can go," knowing it would relieve both men not to have to try to cross themselves and fit in again. "And what else George?" he asked just as Julia hung up the phone.
George took a deep breath and said, "And the Inspector wanted me to remind you that the new detective, the man you are to mentor sir…" William nodded with a sigh, knowing this was a soft spot for the constable who really should be a detective by now. George frowned and continued, "A Detective Gulliver, he will be here on Monday, fresh in from the States."
Julia said, "Hmm, I wonder if Clegg knows him?"
"The USA is a very big place Julia, I doubt it," William answered.
All three headed out together.
They opened the door to the overpowering smell of fish, reminding both of them that they practiced the Catholic tradition of not eating meat on Fridays. Over dinner they made plans for the weekend. They considered going to the lake-house, but William said he needed to be here on Sunday to go to a different Catholic church to work on the case. He told Julia that it was really their first lead in finding what little they knew about Connor. Connor was who he would be looking for. They decided to go to the Club tomorrow for some swimming and some riding and then they would eat lunch there. Everybody hurrahed when William offered to cook his chili and cornbread for dinner. Eloise made their day when she said she had bought all of the ingredients, suspecting that they would make these very same plans for Saturday night. On Sunday, after William returned from church, they planned on going to the beach for a few hours, but everybody agreed they might change their minds and stay home to just laze around together.
The family told stories and talked together for a while, before reading the last chapter of "Treasure Island" and then heading off for bed. William roughhoused with the children for what Julia argued was too long. Finally the children were asleep.
Julia and William took a shower … together, where they made love. Unlike in the Windsor House Hotel, where the shower wall was too far away from the tub to use the wall as support behind Julia, William had intentionally designed the shower in their bedroom to accommodate their lovemaking needs, ensuring that the wall was tight up to an unusually squared-off tub. Although he would never say it, he did greatly enjoy the solution they had come up with to the problem while in the shower at the hotel. She had turned around and bent forward to reach her chest to the wall. He found making love from behind her dizzyingly stimulating. He wondered if she actually already knew this. They never talked about such things in such detail, but she was observant and smart, and likely noticed that this was the position he chose whenever he most lost his self-control.
Dressed in their pajamas, they sat together on the bench on the porch enjoying the cool breeze. They were quiet, content. William had an arm around Julia. She had one leg draped over his lap, an arm wrapped around his waist, and rested her head on his chest.
Julia asked if he remembered the nightmare he had had last night. He didn't in detail, but with a sigh and an enveloping sadness, he had figured that it was probably about her dying. Such a theme seemed to be common in his dreams as of late. He knew, and she agreed, that it was probably because their son was the same age now that he was when his mother died. Julia remembered how her heart seemed to break while she was holding their son William Jr. as he sobbed with the pain of missing her, with the struggle of trying to cope with the fear of being without her presence for 1-2 years … And how her mind connected to imagining the pain William must have felt as an 8-year old little boy suffering the total loss of his mother. She had lost her mother too, but she was older, and she thought that made a difference. And her father stayed with them. They remained a family. William didn't have this.
She breeched the subject, "William, after your mother died, what happened?"
Slow to answer, he finally said, "My father sent us to my mother's sister and she sent us to a Catholic home. I ended up with the Jesuit priests, Susana with the nuns."
"So you lost more than your mother then… More like Katie and Chelsea, you lost both parents, your home, in some ways even losing Susana, like you lost your whole family," Julia asked.
"Well, I would come home to my aunt's house sometimes, and Susana would usually be there then too. But she joined the order of cloistered nuns when I was 17, she was 14… Then, well, then I had lost everyone, everything. That's why I set out on my own. I was already on my own. I had nothing to lose," he explained.
She stroked his chest, traced the line of his pajama top collar. She said, "It sounds hard William … lonely."
She felt his fingers stroke her hair, take a curl and twist and play with it. "It was sometimes…But there were good things too. The Jesuit priests inspired me… I consider myself lucky to have been raised by them. I made strong ties, as you know, like with Father Keegan. And I had adventures," he added. He leaned down and kissed her head. She heard him take a deep breath, savoring the cooler air, the peace they had together at this moment. Following his contented sigh he said, "There is always a silver lining, Julia. In my case I always knew I'd find you."
Thunderstorms can sometimes be seen off in the distance, with a corona of light from the hidden sun igniting their edges. Every daytime thunderstorm has a silver lining as seen from somewhere. It helps to remember that when skies are the darkest.