Chapter 13
Hi to everyone who's still with me. I have to warn you this chapter will contain several mentions of the real Ripper murders in detail.
When Sharon arrived at the crime scene she cast a concerned look at Lauren who had rode with her and wrapped the dark trench Sharon had given her more tightly around her thin frame. She whacked herself mentally. Lauren was a grown-up, she did a good job and she probably had seen crime scenes like this. You can't protect them all their lives she said in mind to herself. Sharon straightened up and marched over to the yellow tape.
"You ok?" asked Provenza, when Lauren fell back behind her mother.
"I don't know" she said airly "last time I was at a crime scene I threw up", she turned her head towards the old grouch "afterwards."
"Just don't whine, we've had enough of that from a DA."
"I never whine Lieutenant", Lauren replied pointedly.
Provenza nodded leading Lauren along "This way doctor". They signed into the log and Lauren followed the Lieutenant. It was a quiet dark back alley "How did you find out about this?"
"We got a 911 call from someone living in one of the buildings. Sykes takes her statement right now."
"Ok", she mumbled and approached where the team gathered warily. A dark alley somewhere in a not so sophisticated part of town, this was consistent with the Ripper murders. It was more interesting to know wether this was Liz Stride- so to speak or Eddowes. She drew in a breath and caught the whiff of blood on the autumn wind. She used the names of the original victims to distance herself from what she was about the see. She joined the squad and looked down at the woman on the ground.
She was wearing yet another Victorian costume. Lauren saw the black cloth jacket trimmed with fur. "That would be the surrogate for Elizabeth Stride", she stated.
"There has to be a pocket in one of the underskirts. There'll be a padlock key, a small pencil, seven buttons, a comb, a broken piece of comb, a metal spoon, a Victorian dress hook, a piece of muslin and some piece of paper. If we are lucky there'll be an ID too, in spirit of evolving", Lauren said monotonous. They couldn't check the pocket yet since it would mess up the crime scene.
"Should we look for that Graffiti?" Tao asked. He had read the information Lauren had provided on the original cases and some more.
The young woman shook her head "No, it was rather near the second victim."
"Detectives please let her just look she might see something we don't, so leave her alone", Sharon cut in. Lauren put hands into the pockets of the trench coat and walked around carefully minding not to mess anything up. She blended out the noise and people.
The coroner confirmed that she had probably died because her throat was cut.
"Kendal is the ear mutilated? And has the victim a pack of mints in her hand?" she asked while examining the postion of the victim from a few steps away.
The coroner checked and said "The mints are there the ears are untouched."
Lauren hummed deep in thought. She looked around the perimeter "She wasn't killed here".
"Gee and you went to university how long to figure that out?" Provenza grunted.
Lauren didn't really notice the side blow "Sorry just thinking out loud", she said silently. The stench of blood wasn't as bad as she had assumed. She took a spot where she could observe and watch without getting in the way further. She stared at the scene, deep in thought.
"Are you ok?" her mother's voice sounded near and she flinched realizing she was standing near her.
"Just thinking that the killer is working on a second victim right now and we can't do anything about it", she said silently.
"You were right about the ID though."
"You know I can tell you what Dr. Morales will write into his autopsy report. I know this is another high priced hooker and I know we'll receive a call regarding the second murder any minute."
"And it will be nearby."
"Perhaps. He has a car that allows him more mobility. There are people who belief the Ripper used a carriage to get around."
"That would mean he had an accomplice. Is that possible?"
Lauren shrugged "Rather unlikely. His perfectionism is bad for teamwork but honestly I'm not sure."
Her mother hummed when her phone rang. She took the call and hummed several times before she said "We'll be right there."
"Lt. Provenza you have this one?"
"Yes Captain."
"Good, I need Lieutenants Flynn, Sanchez and Buzz now, you and the others ASAP. We have another one" she turned on her heel texting the address to everyone. She had walked some steps before she looked over her shoulder "You too Lauren", she ordered and Lauren hurried to catch up.
A bunch of uniforms had already set up the tape and so on, when Sharon pulled up in front of a chic townhouse that was currently renovated.
"Well that's certainly different."
"It is", Lauren said. Flynn parked behind them and Sanchez followed suit. They exited. Buzz had come with Sanchez.
"That's the ugly one?" Flynn asked donning a pair of gloves and getting out shoe covers. Lauren only nodded. He handed out gloves and covers and after they had signed into the log they reluctantly followed Sharon inside. The stench was strong. Sanchez knew it was a lot of blood at the first whiff and Lauren knew she'd vomit after they were finished here. She also knew she had to pay attention. This was the one that counted. He had changed his m.o.
"This one will have been killed here."
"But Lauren, wouldn't that be different from the original ones?" Flynn asked
"He needed more time for this one", she explained as they rounded the corner and stood in a hall. There had been built a stage. It looked like a victorian street set up. Lauren noticed a street sign *Mitre Square*.
"That's his masterpiece!"
Sharon nodded. "Seems so", she said slowly, still taking in the scene, while she glanced at the victim. Buzz was filming already. the victim lay in at the center of the room.
The body lay on its back. She was dressed in a back straw bonnet trim in green and black velvet with black beads tied to the head. Yet another victorian coat trimmed with fur on collar and cuffs with large metal buttons. The top skirt was green chintz, patterned with flowers, in 3 flounces, several underskirts, one grey, one blue and green. She wore a replica of Victorian men's lace boots, the right one restitched with red thread at some places. Lauren knew they'd find a man's white vest and under that a brown linen bodice with a black velvet collar.
When Buzz had filmed the room they approached the victim. Flynn shook his head when he saw her face. The head had lolled left exposing the deeply cut throat. The arms were draped next to the body, palms up. The lower body was exposed. Lauren saw the right leg was bent at the knee, the left one straight out, consistent with the original killings. A great deal of intestines had been removed and draped over the right shoulder. Some part of the gut was placed on the ground between the body and the left arm. Lauren could see from the way the head was turned that her right ear was missing. She asked Buzz to do a close up and made a mental note on the first difference she noticed on this one. She felt bile burning up her throat and swallowed it down forcefully.
*Not now* she told herself and made herself look at the face. There was the cut through the lower left eyelid, the scratches on the upper left lid and the cut through of the right one. The deep cut over the nose bridge down near the angle of the jaw on the right side of the cheek, it was deep, down to the bone, he even had almost cut of the nosetip.
Flynn came to stand near the Captain while Sanchez was going through the house with some uniformed officers.
He watches Lauren stare. "Is she going to break?"
Sharon shook's her head "No, she is trying to see the differences because they might give her a clue on killer", Sharon whispered.
"Please have Dr. Morales check, if parts of the uterus was removed", Lauren said to no one in particular."
After about 3 other minutes Lauren finally looked up and stepped back. It was just then when Sanchez called down from the first floor "Captain you want to see this!" All heads jerked up from the victim towards the voice. Sharon looked to Andy "I'll be right back, Lauren I believe he found the graffiti."
Lauren nodded and followed her mother upstairs.
- The scot is not the man you will blame for nothing
yours Hollywood Ripper-
"That's different", Lauren stated thinking.
"What the hell does he mean?" came from Flynn.
"Didn't I tell you to supervise downstairs?"
"Provenza arrived he's better at this!"
"Okay", Sharon snapped looking at her daughter again "Any ideas?"
Lauren blinked "Of course, McGregor!" she exclaimed.
"McGregor is a scottish name", Sharon added realization dawning on her.
"He knows we have talked to McGregor."
"That wasn't in the media."
"He could have been following us."
"Either way, we need him brought in first thing in the morning", Sharon decided turning on her heel and running straight into Flynn who had been behind her. "Uh sorry Lieutenant!" She stepped back expecting him to do the same, but he didn't, he only stared down at her "You really think you don't need a security detail?"
"Yes I still think I don't need a Lieutenant ruining his back on my couch" she gave back pointedly.
"Have you seen", Flynn started out loud reducing his volume after a warning "Andy" from his boss "have you seen the woman downstairs?" he asked.
Sharon placed her hands on her hips and said dangerously silent "I won't have this discussion now and I won't suffer another act of insubordination. Now go and help Provenza and get out of my eyes, now!"
Lauren watched her mother's outburst in silence and only said when Flynn had left "The question is legitimate".
"I know but not now",
It was way after 3 a.m. when they arrived home from the scene. Rusty had been sleeping on a couch back at the station. And Sharon reluctantly had allowed Lt. Flynn to spend another night on her couch, because he explained unimpressed by Sharon's glare that he would spend the night watching and she would have had to arrest him, if she wanted him removed.
Lauren had retreated after a quick shower, without vomiting, while Sharon sat on the wingchair hugging a mug with tea.
"Shouldn't you sleep?" Flynn asked shrugging out of his jacket and his shirt, so he was only wearing a white t-shirt and his pants.
"I will. Here's how we do this, you get 3 hours of sleep than me."
Flynn raised a brow "I'd rather you slept first."
She smirked "So you don't wake me up. I don't think so."