Scarecrow of 1889
Chapter 16: Lunch at Cafe

Chapter 16: Lunch at Cafe

TRING! TRING! TRING TRING!

A phone rang loud and clear in an office, against the sounds coming from the street. Soon the phone was answered, and after a brief exchange, the receiver was returned to its cradle with a decisive click.

"Milady," Addison’s voice broke the silence as he entered the room, finding Jane perched on the edge of her desk, her attention focused on the board covered with details of the scarecrow’s victims. "There’s news from the parish house in Milfred Garden. A woman in Ireland, Samantha O’Brien, had her eyes and heart gouged out."

Jane’s brow furrowed in concern. "Do we have any more details?"

Addison nodded. "She was murdered nearly a decade ago, with a blood scarecrow found nearby. I’ve already requested the investigation sheet to identify any connections."

Jane’s lips tightened into a thin line as she contemplated the information. "It seems the scarecrow’s reach extends beyond England. With only one doll left from the collection, we may be closing in on the perpetrator."

Her assistant nodded before asking, "Do you think the murderer will slip this time, milady?"

"I hope so," Jane responded with a deep sigh. "I wonder if there will be any grand gesture when the final doll is left behind. Perhaps for someone special."

She had already taken precautions, ensuring all the women in the town to stay in their respective houses on the night when the scarecrow murderer might strike. It was Christmas Eve, one of the possible and busiest nights of the year, which only added to the challenge. It had been more than a week since they had visited the doll maker.

Her assistant inquired, "Did you hear anything from the lab, milady? The fingerprints."

Jane nodded. "They called earlier today. They have been able to match the fingerprints. We need to collect the fingerprints of everyone the victims are associated with. We can find their address in the town’s census, which is in the possession of the mayor’s clerk."

She then informed him, "I’m going to grab lunch, Addison. I’ll be back in a while," to which he gave her a swift nod.

Stepping out of her two-room office, Jane descended the staircase. Since she had set up her own detective agency, she had opened an office in the town centre, close to many amenities but far from her home.

Walking down the streets, she observed the snow, which had accumulated by an inch on the ground. With Christmas approaching, she missed her father more than she usually did. Memories of him flooded her mind. Heading to her usual spot, she entered the cafe and ordered,

"One strong coffee and a bagel, please."

"That’s a terrible choice for lunch," Jane heard a familiar voice behind her.

Turning around, Jane spotted Ricardo sitting at a table, eating a sandwich with one hand. As he chewed, he smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. He gestured at the seat next to him. After paying at the counter, she walked over to where he was seated.

"A little far from your workplace, isn’t it?" she remarked as she took a seat opposite him.

Ricardo shrugged. "A bit, but I heard this cafe sells the best sandwiches from mi amigo, so I thought I’d give it a try as a snack," he explained, watching Jane settle in front of him. "Fate works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it, Miss Reinhart? Who would have thought we’d end up here at the same time?"

Jane’s eyes narrowed slightly before she shook her head. "Mr. Wood, some might say you’re too pushy."

"Is that so? I prefer to think of it as persuasive," Ricardo countered, offering his sandwich to her, but she declined. "You caught me, though. I was hoping to run into you, Hermosa. But truth be told, I didn’t know when you’d drop by, which is why I call it fate."

"You mentioned a snack. Have you not had lunch yet?" Jane inquired, to which he nodded.

"Sadly, no. I’m being forced to eat lunch. I would like it if you could save me from it, Senorita," Ricardo said, flashing her a wicked grin. "I’m utterly helpless."

"It’s hard to believe, but if you don’t want to, you should just let them know and skip it. Doing things with people you don’t want to can be taxing," Jane replied, and soon her order was announced.

"Allow me," Ricardo had already stood up, wiping his lips with his handkerchief. "I want something sweet now."

Jane watched Ricardo saunter up to the counter, engaging in conversation with the staff and bringing smiles to their faces. Despite today being the first time she had seen him here, he seemed like a regular customer with the way he interacted with the cafe staff.

"He’s so handsome. Should I go talk to him?" Jane heard a hushed whisper from a nearby table where two young women sat.

Ricardo seemed to have quite the following, and Jane speculated that there were likely women or actresses he worked with who harboured feelings for him. Observing him return to their table, she noted his change in demeanour.

"There you go. Coffee and bagel," Ricardo placed the items before her and took a seat next to her rather than opposite her. His shift in seating didn’t escape Jane’s notice.

Jane watched as Ricardo indulged in a scoop of cake, humming in delight. "They really do have the best desserts here. Have you tried it before, Miss Reinhart?"

"No, I haven’t. I’m not much of a sweet tooth," Jane politely declined.

"What a shame! You’re missing out on the goodness of life," Ricardo teased, taking another scoop from his cake. Seeing Jane look around, as if searching for someone, he asked her, "Was someone supposed to accompany you for lunch? Your eyes are searching."

"No," Jane smiled. It wasn’t as if she could tell who the killer was, if the person was around. She knew that most of the time, with the police and detectives on the murderer’s hunt, the person kept a closer watch.

"How’s your day been going?"

"Still trying to break through the case. What about you?" Jane inquired.

"It’s been going fantastic," Ricardo replied, but a grim expression soon crossed his face. "I’ll be traveling in two weeks. It’s a pity we’ll be missing those days together."

Jane chuckled softly and teased, "How many other women have you charmed with that line, Mr. Wood?"

"Only the one sitting beside me," he quipped back with a grin. Then, leaning in with curiosity, he asked, "What had you so lost in thought when you entered the cafe?"

Caught off guard by his perceptiveness, Jane hesitated before replying, "I was thinking about my father. If he were still here, we’d be picking out Christmas trees together to decorate our house. He always made a big fuss about Christmas, to distract me from missing my mother. He’d go all out, buying heaps of gifts and taking time off work just to spend it with me."

"You were lucky to have someone like that," Ricardo remarked, his tone sincere. "And your mother?" he gently prodded.

Jane’s smile faltered briefly as she recalled the painful memory. "She left on Christmas Eve morning with another man. It was her gift to my father and me," she confessed, the bitterness of the memory lingering in her words.

"Lo siento. I am sorry to hear that," Ricardo apologised. "She never contacted you?"

"No. I mean, she contacted me once at home when my father passed away, but I didn’t want to talk to her," Jane explained before apologising, "I am sorry for dulling your day." She didn’t know why she even went on to tell him about it.

"No, please. You didn’t. I would like to hear and know more about you. Gracias. For sharing something so personal with me," Ricardo let her know. He then said, "I think people like that are the worst, not knowing the consequences of their actions affecting the people around them. Purely selfish."

"Mm," Jane hummed softly, as she had never opened up about this with anyone before. Not even her father or her caretaker. She said, "Sometimes I used to hate her, but when I think about it, I am glad she decided to tell my father the truth rather than hide and continue the affair." In the past, she had also wondered if she had been a bad daughter, which is why her mother left her behind.

Suddenly Jane felt Ricardo place his hand on hers, which was resting on the side of the cup she held. He consoled her, "It must have been hard. And it is good to see that you turned into a strong woman," he then pulled back his hand.

"What about your time during Christmas? Was it better than mine?" Jane asked him, subtly switching the direction of the subject.

"Nobody can beat yours," Ricardo lightly chuckled. He then said, "Mine were always busy fighting. It was too noisy to call it a holiday." But then again, his parents always fought, even during the non-holidays. How annoying, he thought to himself.

"I am sorry," Jane said, and Ricardo waved his hand.

"Don’t be. I am just glad that those times have passed."

Once they were done eating and drinking at the cafe, Ricardo and Jane stepped back out onto the street, making their way to her office, as the former wanted to see her off. Arriving near to her workplace, they stopped.

"This is it, I guess," Ricardo sighed.

"I suppose," Jane replied. She then turned to head inside the building, but as expected, he stopped her.

"Miss Reinhart."

"Hm?" Jane wore an inquiring look.

"If I were to visit the cafe again, would you join me for lunch tomorrow?" Ricardo asked, his gaze earnest as he locked eyes with her.

Jane met his gaze, considering his proposal. He exuded charm and confidence, traits that likely won over many women. It wasn’t that she was closed off; rather, she knew how to navigate social interactions. Despite her reservations, she found herself enjoying his company and banter, although she wouldn’t readily admit it to him.

"We’ll see about that tomorrow, Mr. Wood. Have a good day," Jane replied, turning back with a small smile on her lips as she got inside.

Ricardo cheekily smiled at Jane, even though two minutes had passed since she disappeared inside the building. He murmured, "I suppose that is not entirely a no, si?"

Inside the building, Jane reached her floor and stole a glance out the window, spotting Ricardo just in time. He waved at her, and she couldn’t help muttering, "Charming idiot," under her breath before he turned and walked away.

"Milady?" Addison asked, joining her at the window. "Is everything alright?"

"It’s nothing," Jane shook her head. "Let’s go retrieve the fingerprint registry. Did you gather all the names?"

"Yes, Miss Reinhart!"

The next day, when Jane arrived at the cafe, she scanned the tables but didn’t spot Ricardo. After grabbing her coffee, sandwich, and a slice of cake to indulge in, she settled alone at a table.

"I thought you weren’t much of a sweet tooth," Ricardo arrived, slightly out of breath as if he had hurried to meet her.

"I decided to try something new," Jane replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Over the next few days, until Ricardo had to depart for Corby, the two of them met regularly at the cafe, enjoying each other’s company. However, amidst these moments, Jane faced another challenge—her caretaker’s health started to worsen, and Martha had begun to cough up blood.

One evening, Jane settled beside her caretaker’s bed, offering her comforting presence after fixing the fireplace by adding more logs of wood.

"Is that you, Miss Jane?" Martha, the elderly woman, asked with weakened vision.

"Yes, it’s me, Martha," Jane replied, gently grasping Martha’s hand. "I heard you couldn’t eat lunch today. I have called in the physician."

"Yes, my throat feels strange," Martha’s voice sounded frail. "Miss Jane, I have a selfish request."

"Please share it with me," Jane urged, curious about Martha’s wish.

"I’ve realized we never discussed this, but when my time comes, I’d like you to take me to Stirling, to rest where my brother does," Martha stated, feeling Jane’s gentle squeeze. "It will be alright, Miss Jane."

With each passing day, Jane’s heart grew heavier, witnessing Martha’s health decline. She knew their time together was limited, and the thought of Martha’s imminent departure pained her deeply.

"When that time comes, I’ll fulfill your wish, Martha. I promise," Jane vowed, seeing Martha smile. "Is there anything else you’d like?"

"I suppose seeing your grandchildren isn’t possible," Martha murmured, and Jane smiled softly. "You’ll marry one day, won’t you, Miss? Not every marriage has to fail. I hope you find someone who will love and understand you. An—" the words were interrupted by a fit of coughing.

"Please don’t strain yourself. You’re not going anywhere, and I’m right here," Jane reassured her, seeing Martha smile and hum in response. But two weeks later, with the winter growing harsher, the old woman passed away peacefully in her sleep.

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