Page 25 of Secrets in the Dark
“Hey, a possible witness? Let’s go!” Della said.
Sean left his car; Edmund did the driving. As they traveled down the street, drawing close to the pub, Della saw the rise of Christ Church.
“Beautiful,” Della murmured.
“Historic churches tend to be beautiful,” Sean said. “St. Botolph’s—known by some in the 1800s as the prostitutes’ church is equally as beautiful, rebuilt and repaired through the years, stands right at Aldgate, or what was the eastern edge of the old Roman Londinium. In the Ripper’s day, it was illegal for the prostitutes to stand and solicit so they would walk around and around the block.” He shook his head. “It was all sad back then—many of the women tried to work and did work at what they called workhouses and some spent time as maids, but too many wound up as prostitutes. And who knows? Were they alcoholics whose drinking habits caused their problems, or did their problems leave them nothing but the solace of alcohol?”
“The whole thing is tragic,” Della murmured, looking around as Edmund found the parking Sean had indicated and they exited the car.
“Around back,” Sean told them. “We recently had surveillance going on a drug sting. We have facilities that were used for that and the patrolman has our witness there.”
They followed him as he walked around the beautiful church to a nearby townhouse. Sean keyed in a code and they entered the tiny yard before heading up steps to the little place.
The house was still set up for surveillance with cameras angled out to the street. The place itself looked like a poster ad for private accommodations companies—the windows were handsomely draped, helping to hide the police equipment. A well-appointed dining area adjoined a parlor with warm furnishing in crimson and brown.
The patrolman who had alerted Sean and a young woman were sitting in the parlor area, evidently just waiting, both looking uncomfortable and nervous.
The young patrolman stood quickly as they entered, obviously relieved that they had arrived. Sean quickly introduced him as Marty Townsend and in turn, Townsend quickly introduced them to the young woman, Sarah McDonald. She appeared to be in her early twenties, a pretty, young woman with dark brown eyes and hair. She had also jumped to her feet when they’d come in and after the intros, Della spoke up quickly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, thanking her and asking her to sit again.
“Forgive me!” the girl said quickly. “I felt that I had to help if I could, but I’m so scared, so, so scared! I mean, what if it was a conspiracy back then, and... I’m grateful to Officer Townsend—he didn’t make me do anything, he brought me here, he called you. I couldn’t—I could not—go to a police station.Hemight see me.Hemight know!”
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Della assured her, glancing quickly at Mason. The girl was American, her accent midwestern. “We’re here, we’re fine, you’re fine. And you are very brave, trying to help us. We’ll see to it that you have protection.” She glanced at Edmund and Sean, hoping her words were true.
Both gave her small nods.
“Please, tell us what you know,” Della said, pulling up a chair close to the young woman. Mason and the others chose seats as well, trying to make her feel more comfortable.
“First, I wasn’t drunk, I swear it. Yes, I was at a bar, I was drinking, but I wasn’t drunk. I was out with friends and when we left, I’d assured them I could get back okay—my hotel was just a few blocks away. I wasn’t drunk—”
“It’s okay, please, we believe you,” Della said.
The girl let out a long breath.
“So, I wound up a little lost. I turned down the wrong street, and that’s when I saw him coming out of the alley.”
“What time was this?”
“I think about twelve thirty. Some of the bars don’t stay open that late, but most at eleven and maybe twelve on weekends.”
“You made the wrong turn, and then you saw him coming out of the alley?”
Sarah McDonald nodded.
“And can you describe him?”
“I know exactly who he is!” Sarah exclaimed.
“Who?”
“Jack the Ripper! He is back. It was Jack the Ripper!”
Five
Great, Mason thought.
They’d found a witness who was unstable, paranoid and...
Crazy. Perhaps. But Della was speaking to her gently again—notjumping to conclusions.
