and we might not bloody know it,” Eddowes replied.
“ But an intelligent, sexually frustrated individual of society, it’s starting to sound a bit like you Kelly,” Stride attacked. “You know, John…Jack…say, how are you with a knife?”
“What about you?!” Kelly snapped, turning the tables on his nemesis. “You’re the misogynist who takes up with prostitutes when he has a perfectly good fiancée at home. You talk about women like they’re miserable cattle. You’re a spoiled trust-fund brat. You’re off your ass half the time on ether. And you get drunk and play at the card tables five nights a week! So what about you, Edmund?! Where’s your playing deck?! Is it missing a few cards there mate?!”
Stride lunged at Kelly, and Avery Nichols forced himself between them.
“Alrigh t, now everybody just calm down!” Nichols shouted, grabbing each of the men violently by their shirt collars. “John, Edmund, sit down this instant.”
The gentlemen were startled by the mild-mannered Avery Nichols ’s sudden spurt of aggression. Stride and Kelly continued to stare each other down after they sat on opposite sides of the circle. Edmund lit a cigarette and put his feet up on a chair, while Kelly took up a piece of chalk he found on the table.
“Give it here Kelly,” Nichols said, holding out his hand.
John tossed the piece of chalk to Avery, as he approached the board.
He began slowly, “Gentlemen, as of right now, we are all suspects in this murder investigation. Every one of us had the time and opportunity to murder young Melody during the night, even if we didn’t have the motive. But I am sorry to say John, Peter and Marcus are right. You were the one who made love to her. You were the last to see her alive, so logically speaking, that makes you our prime suspect.”
Avery took up the chalk and wrote John’s name across the board.
“ That’s bullocks!” Kelly shouted, becoming defensive. “I didn’t kill her!”
Chapman intervened, “Settle yourself John, we aren’t accusing you. We just have to consider every possibility that the police will be considering. Don’t worry, we’ll get to me, Eddowes, Stride, Nichols, all of us later--- even the other girls that were in the room, or one of the other patrons, or the new Ripper--- but everything starts with you. The fact stands that you’re the one who shagged the poor girl last night. Your DNA is all over her.”
“So tell us what you remember John…” Nichols said, looking seriously at his friend.
Kelly searched his mind for any tangible evidence that would rule him out as a suspect, but all he had was the truth as he knew it. “I saw her downstairs before we all gathered in the lounge. I thought she was pretty. We made eye contact, then she said hello to me on the way up the stairs. Obviously, then we all started getting high--- I choked on the ether because I wasn’t used to it, and the Absinthe made me feel like I was in a dream. After the girls were through kissing one another, Melody began attending to myself and Avery. Then, as soon as we all broke off, and Avery joined Stride, Melody and I went into the corner of the room and we made love.”
Stride kicked a chair. “Jesus Christ Kelly, do you always have to play the sad, pathetic poet? You fucked the girl. There was no love involved. You didn’t know her, you were inexperienced, and you were so high I’m surprised you even found the right hole.”
“Why, were you even watching Edmund?” Kelly pressed, feeling more heat rising under his collar. “You did say the Ripper was a puff…”
“She was a whore Kelly! She would’ ve sold herself to an elephant if it was highest bidder--- she didn’t give a shit about you! You’re just lucky you didn’t have to pay the bill!”
Kelly raged and shoved his desk forward. “Are you saying she deserved it?!”
“ Melody was a prostitute. She dressed provocatively, and flashed her genitalia from every sodding street
“ But an intelligent, sexually frustrated individual of society, it’s starting to sound a bit like you Kelly,” Stride attacked. “You know, John…Jack…say, how are you with a knife?”
“What about you?!” Kelly snapped, turning the tables on his nemesis. “You’re the misogynist who takes up with prostitutes when he has a perfectly good fiancée at home. You talk about women like they’re miserable cattle. You’re a spoiled trust-fund brat. You’re off your ass half the time on ether. And you get drunk and play at the card tables five nights a week! So what about you, Edmund?! Where’s your playing deck?! Is it missing a few cards there mate?!”
Stride lunged at Kelly, and Avery Nichols forced himself between them.
“Alrigh t, now everybody just calm down!” Nichols shouted, grabbing each of the men violently by their shirt collars. “John, Edmund, sit down this instant.”
The gentlemen were startled by the mild-mannered Avery Nichols ’s sudden spurt of aggression. Stride and Kelly continued to stare each other down after they sat on opposite sides of the circle. Edmund lit a cigarette and put his feet up on a chair, while Kelly took up a piece of chalk he found on the table.
“Give it here Kelly,” Nichols said, holding out his hand.
John tossed the piece of chalk to Avery, as he approached the board.
He began slowly, “Gentlemen, as of right now, we are all suspects in this murder investigation. Every one of us had the time and opportunity to murder young Melody during the night, even if we didn’t have the motive. But I am sorry to say John, Peter and Marcus are right. You were the one who made love to her. You were the last to see her alive, so logically speaking, that makes you our prime suspect.”
Avery took up the chalk and wrote John’s name across the board.
“ That’s bullocks!” Kelly shouted, becoming defensive. “I didn’t kill her!”
Chapman intervened, “Settle yourself John, we aren’t accusing you. We just have to consider every possibility that the police will be considering. Don’t worry, we’ll get to me, Eddowes, Stride, Nichols, all of us later--- even the other girls that were in the room, or one of the other patrons, or the new Ripper--- but everything starts with you. The fact stands that you’re the one who shagged the poor girl last night. Your DNA is all over her.”
“So tell us what you remember John…” Nichols said, looking seriously at his friend.
Kelly searched his mind for any tangible evidence that would rule him out as a suspect, but all he had was the truth as he knew it. “I saw her downstairs before we all gathered in the lounge. I thought she was pretty. We made eye contact, then she said hello to me on the way up the stairs. Obviously, then we all started getting high--- I choked on the ether because I wasn’t used to it, and the Absinthe made me feel like I was in a dream. After the girls were through kissing one another, Melody began attending to myself and Avery. Then, as soon as we all broke off, and Avery joined Stride, Melody and I went into the corner of the room and we made love.”
Stride kicked a chair. “Jesus Christ Kelly, do you always have to play the sad, pathetic poet? You fucked the girl. There was no love involved. You didn’t know her, you were inexperienced, and you were so high I’m surprised you even found the right hole.”
“Why, were you even watching Edmund?” Kelly pressed, feeling more heat rising under his collar. “You did say the Ripper was a puff…”
“She was a whore Kelly! She would’ ve sold herself to an elephant if it was highest bidder--- she didn’t give a shit about you! You’re just lucky you didn’t have to pay the bill!”
Kelly raged and shoved his desk forward. “Are you saying she deserved it?!”
“ Melody was a prostitute. She dressed provocatively, and flashed her genitalia from every sodding street
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