Chapter Twenty Four

Anne was silent on the ride home, justice never seemed so far away. She had been saddened by James’s repeated refusals to go to the police, but in truth her attempts to convince him had been halfhearted. There was literally nothing they could do.

James locked his bike up and smiled sadly at the pensive ghost woman. “We’ll think of something. Or he’ll make a mistake and get himself caught without us. I didn’t say we should give up, only that we can’t do anything direct.”

Anne sighed but looked up at him with a tired smile. “I’m not sure that it matters any more James, but thank you.” She said. “Besides, I suppose if we did prove him my killer, I might find myself moving on, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

“To be fair, neither am I.”

As Anne drifted back to her feet, James turned to the door while digging out his key. He paused as he realized the door was slightly ajar. “Did I forget to lock it?” he wondered under his breath. He shook his head and tried to ignore his newfound paranoia. Emily was probably overeating his food again, just like she always was. He walked into the shop with Anne drifting semi-transparently behind him, only to come to a stop as he saw that while someone was eating, it wasn’t Emily. Elbert was sitting at his desk happily munching on some cold chicken while reading over one of James’s notebooks.

The sandy haired man looked up and grinned. “Hello Jimmy, I hope you don’t mind that I let myself in.”

“Why are you in my house?” James asked, perplexed. He supposed he should be angry, since he was certain the rogue had picked his lock like a thief in the night, but the shocks of the day had numbed him.

“Well three reasons really.” He held up one of his hands, grease from the chicken making the digits shiny in the dim workshop and began to count them off. “One, I wanted to see how things was going on hunting Anne’s murderer down. Two, I have found myself temporarily without premises, something concerning my payment having gone missing. I swear I did pay!” The man gave a frustrated huff. “That’s even the truth this time. I paid him up last week. Everyone wants to cheat me.” He grumbled and shook his head. “Reason three however is the most important, at least to you.” He reached down and picked up a large coffee can. He set it on the desk, on its side, and a tiny fluffy head popped out. “I found the cat.”

“Mrow.” A kitten crawled out of the container. It was almost all black with a white patch over one eye, two white mittens on his front paws and the tip of his tail. It stared at James with eyes like a pair of sapphires.

“Prince Albert!” Anne said joyously. The cat leaped off the table with the clunky gracelessness only a kitten has. It landed on the floor with a thud and raced to Anne, where he proceeded to rub against her intangible ankles and purring with happiness. Anne and the two men stared at the cat in amazement.

“Blimy can the cat see her?” Elbert exclaimed, watching the cat as it rubbed against nothing but air...

“It would appear so, and it appears as if the cat can…interact with her to a limited extent.”

Anne knelt down and began caressing the kitten. “It is strange, I can…almost feel him. It’s like sticking your hand on water that is the same temperature as the room you’re in. You can put your hand through it and feel nearly nothing except a different texture.”

James watched as Anne pet the cat and became annoyed with himself at the fact that he was growing jealous of a cat. Prince Albert had rolled onto his back so that Anne could pet his belly, producing a smile of sublime joy that the inventor very dearly wished was directed at him. “I guess the myths that cats are attuned to the spirit world are not over spoken.” He observed, managing to avoid sounding sour.

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“Professor, I have to say that this looks more than passing odd." Elbert said. He hadn’t found the spirit monocle so all he saw was a kitten on its back looking deliriously happy.

James reached into his pocket and pulled the spare monocle out and handed it to Elbert, who quickly set it to his eye. “Ya know Professor, this doesn’t help. It still looks quite queer.”

“Thank you, Elbert!” Anne shouted so that he could hear her, the kitten jerking in surprise and glaring at her the way only cats can. “I’ve been worried about him.”

“Wasn’t nothing Anne.” Elbert looked at James. “I gave the cat to her about two weeks before she died. Aunt Maddy’s old cat had died and Anne was heart sore over it. I found that little devil in a basket of kittens a little girl was sellin', and I thought he looked quite smart with his little monocle and gloves, so I bought him for three pennies and took him over to Anne’s. He’s normally a rather regal little fellow. Not that you can tell it now. I guess he missed you, Anne.” The rogue chuckled and gestured at his own monocle. “Maybe he sees her cause he’s got his own, eh gov?”

“I missed him.” she said still petting the small fur ball.

“So no luck on hunting Jack today?” asked Elbert taking another bite of his chicken. He frowned as the happy mood suddenly evaporated. “Alright, I know I’m not a sensitive bloke, but I’d have thought you’d be more accepting of him having killed you and all.”

“It’s not that.” James explained, so Anne didn’t have to yell and scare her kitten further. “We found the man.”

“Brilliant! Did you tell the bobbies already?”

“No.” James sighed, walking over and dropping into the chair settled beside his desk, which normally was claimed by Emily or Anne. Absently he noted it was far better suited to a feminine back side, as the chair was a bit small. “The Ripper is none other than Lord William Donston Thompson.”

Elbert chewed for a few moments while staring at James with a raised eyebrow. “Who?” He finally asked.

“Who? You mean you haven’t heard of him?” James demanded.

“Nope. Should I have?”

“He’s a genius!” James declared, rising to his feet and beginning to pace. “He is a surgeon of world renown, inventor of several medical and surgical apparatus including a device that draws blood from the body and purifies it before pushing it back in! He’s a favored of the Queen herself, and a powerful member of parliament.”

“Sounds like you’re a supporter of his.” Elbert commented dryly. James turned to snarl at him then paused.

“Actually… I think I might have been at a function of his about three months ago… shortly after he got back from studying in Germany.” James admitted. “I signed a petition he and his office were circulating to build a new infirmary and hospital in Whitechapel.”

“Well, glad to hear the man who killed me is a humanitarian!” Anne growled.

“It’s not like that!” James defended himself. “At the time, I hadn’t met you… and there was no hint that he was planning to kill anyone! Indeed he seemed like a progressive force in parliament, not common among the House of Lords these days.”

“What’s his opinion on capital punishment?” Elbert asked absently. When James and Anne both turned to stare at him he shrugged. “What? I’m just saying, if he’s a kill ‘em all and let god sort ‘em out kind of bloke, I know a gent who sells rifles and revolvers for hunting and is blind as a bat… officially speaking. We could get us a long gun and find ourselves a roof where he’s going to say his piece and then give him our vote!”

“Elbert! You will not become a murderer!” Anne snapped. “You’d be hung!”

“Only if I got caught.”

“We probably would.” James observed. “Neither of us is exactly assassin materiel, and look at what happened to those blokes in the colonies, after they assassinated their President Lincoln. People who only barely knew anything would find themselves on the gallows next to us.”

“Yeah, but he killed Anne!” Elbert declared.

James nodded. “And he’s killed at least what… two others?” James asked. “And likely he’ll try again.”

“James, I do not like that look you have.” Anne declared loudly enough for Elbert to hear her. Unfortunately for her, he was grinning

“That’s the look of a man planning a caper!” the rogue crowed. “What ever it is, Jimmy, I’m for it.”

“Good.” James said with a smile. “It means you’ll have somewhere to sleep for the next few days at least. Do you have a weapon?”

“A black jack that I use purely for self defense, officer.” Elbert said with a grin.

“Good.” He grabbed his cricket bat and pointed at the over full carpet bag next to Elbert’s feet. “I’ll pack a few things, and we’re off.”

“Off to where?” Anne demanded.

“Why, to your shop!” James said with a vicious grin. “With the compass telling us when he moves, and with him definitely not living anywhere near the East End, when he comes a calling me and Elbert will be there to stop him!”

“Oh! I get it!” Elbert said with his own grin. “Catch him red handed, and red headed if that bat of yours swings true.”

“Exactly right.” James said with a grin.

“Wonderful.” Anne groaned. “They think their bloody hero’s out of the Penny Awfuls.”

James chuckled as he jogged up the stairs, to his bedroom. “I strongly doubt anyone will write about this in a novel, Anne.”