Prolouge
“London is a mess.”
The thought rang through my mind as I walked down the downtrodden streets of London. The street bathed in darkness as I turned a corner to see my apartment complex.
“To think it has been five years since the monster of London vanished and now everyone is acting like the whole thing never happened.”
The thought sickened me as I arrived at the apartment. I bent over to take my key out from under my rug as a shadow loomed over my head. I felt my heart skip a beat. “Yo-Yo Hiccy C tough day at work,” A bombastic blond head boy say to me
“Oh hey there Jessy, you know what would happen if I had a knife ” I nervously say as I wave to him.
“Oh please, you would never use a knife on you old buddy, now you should know it’s me, a better question is why are you using my key to get into your house?” Jessy asked as he helped me to my feet.
“Forgot it at the office, so rather than looking like a bloody criminal trying to break in I figured I could get it tomorrow,” I replied
Since we were kids, Jessy has been my friend; he was considered more of a brother from the amount of time they spent together.
“So what’s that you got there your latest scoop. Oh, don’t tell me you are gonna coop yourself up in your room and write like there is no tomorrow.” Jessy joked as he gave me a kind smile.
“Yeah but not the type of story you think I am doing this as a personal project,” I tell him triumphantly
Jessy’s face turned into a frown as he gave me a look I knew all too well.
“Please don’t tell me you are still on about that Jack the Ripper case,” Jessy said with an annoyed tone.
“Jessy no one just kills five people and can just get away with it. Plus I am so close I know with a little more time-”
Jessy placed his hand on my shoulder to make me stop talking
“Hey man, you can’t hold on to this forever, he got away no one could even identify the bloke. Everyone is fine with just letting him fade away.” Jessy explained
I can feel my blood boil at the thought of forgetting about what he did.
“So you want me to just move on like this was just fate or something. I’m not like everyone else, I lost someone who meant a lot to me to that man, and I did nothing but watch.” I snapped. I quickly regretted my attitude as the words left my lips. “I’m sorry Jessy, I’m just really tired.” I apologized
“I understand man, hey do you wanna come over? We can hang out just like when we were kids, get your mind off of all this.” Jessy Asked.
“Actually can I borrow you for a bit? I have a lot of stuff courtesy of the old man and may need you to help me look through it all. Come on man you know you have a hard-on for serial killers.” I replied
The blush on Jessy made me chuckle a bit
“Come on you big champ, we have a long night ahead of us,” I said taking him by his muscular arm and leading him in.
Jessy sat on the couch as I placed the file on the table
“I’ll whip us up some coffee and then we can get started. You can get a head start if you want.” I said as I walked to the kitchen.
“ Dude where did you get a gold mine of information, you have other names, victims, hell you might even have his piss color.” He shouted to the kitchen.
The sudden exclamation made me drop some of the coffee in my hand.
“Shit!” I exclaimed as I put down the kennel and went to the bathroom to get a towel.
Jessy was quickly in the bathroom. as I tended to my light wound
“ That looks like a critical wound. Truly a deadly one only a true doctor can treat a life-threatening wound. ” Jessy said in a jokingly cautious tone
Jessy tends to my burn tenderly, as his soft touch makes my chocolate skin blush. He wraps my hand in a bandage and layers it through my fingers.
“ Hehe sorry mate guess I got a bit too into helping you, guess it is really like we are kids” Jessy apologized
“ No it’s ok good to see someone around here cares about a fellow man,” I said as I marveled at the craftsmanship of my friends’ patchwork. I snap back into my senses and remember the file that sits on the table. “Oh right, guess we should get started looking through the jack file we only have so much moonlight,” I say as I lead Jessy back to the table before retreating to the kitchen.
I grabbed the coffees off of the counter and walked back to Jessy who had already taken the liberty of scattering all of my organized notes.
“You know the point on numbered notes is for you to read them in order,” I say as I place a coffee next to him
“Sorry, it’s not every day you just get this much information on The Leather Apron,” Jessy said starry-eyed
“Well not everyone has the sort of connections I do,” I said triumphantly
“Speaking of why don’t you go into the force, why settle for just being a reporter? You have to be getting better connections if you work for the police.” Jessy asked
“I don’t think I can be much help on the force with so many rules. It would be more useful getting information to the people. What brought up this surprise interrogation? You don’t hear me questioning your musical uses.” I replied as I picked up another document
I had to stop as I looked it over
“ That’s her right?” Jessy asked with a worried tone
Jessy took the paper out of my hand “Here I’ll look over this one if you can’t.” Jessy said
I wanted to tell him that I was ok but I knew that was a lie. Jessy always cared so much about me. He does nothing but the best for me, with or without my permission.
“ Well, pic aside, I may have sent the chief of police your resume and got you an interview,” Jessy replied boastfully
“While I appreciate the offer I will have to politely decline. I have no intention to join some bluecoat poppycock of a police force that can’t catch a man who sent notes, incompetence at its finest.” I said as I held up a note
“So maybe they need a bit of help but that’s, if anything, more of a reason to join; you’re the only person who has seen him. Who else to bring this guy to justice than you? If you don’t wanna move on at least jump on the force who can take him down.” Jessy suggested
“Jessy I don’t want to take him down, I want to kill him, I want him to pay for what he did to my life; joining the force will just serve to delay me and possibly miss my chance at justice, real justice and I have no intention of throwing away my shot,” I replied
Jessy let out a sigh as he took a sip of his coffee.
“And what of the missing boy case you were so fond of you are obsessed with trying to connect the two?” Jessy asked
I drank as I continued to look through the evidence I managed to get.
“If you are looking for me to say that I was wrong well you have the wrong idea, however, I will say that I lack the evidence to link them,” I said nervously
The silence was a pungent scent that poisoned the clean air masking us in a sea of awkwardness.
“Hey, how’re the misses by the by? I’m sure she can’t possibly approve of this late-night deep delve into the dark and gruesome” I asked trying to drum up conversation
“ Hehe, you sure put that reporter’s mind to work.” He said as he took another sip of his coffee “ Well let me correct you Darlene is my ex-misses, caught the wrench balls deep on a bloke.” Jessy said, throwing down a piece of note and taking another sip of his coffee “You know, sometimes I think that I am just not cut out for the whole dating scene.” Jessy said looking at me.
I had finished the last of my coffee and decided it was time to refill
“Hey I’m getting some more coffee do you want some.” I offered to try to be polite
He quickly took me up on my offer, he knew that I was quick to change my mind. With a quick grunt I retreated to the kitchen, As I watched the kettle, I noticed that my vision began to blur. The steel turned to a world of grey. A loud crash turned my attention from my coffee experience. In between my hazy vision, I noticed the limp body of Jessy; his coffee cup knocked to the floor.
“Jessy” I stammered as my vision blurred to a swirl of colors
I moved no more than a few feet before, I collapsed to the ground. Before my consciousness faded into darkness, the sound of footsteps rang through my ears; As I all faded to black.
